Anyone who has seen the movie "Dirty Dancing" at least a few times will remember the scene where Baby is assisting Robby, the waiter, in filling water glasses. They discuss Penny, one of Robby's unfortunate summertime conquests who has found herself "in a delicate condition." When Baby says, "Well, you can't just leave her." Robby implies that perhaps it's the other way around, that he is, in fact, the conquest, then states, "Some people count, and some people don't." While we have known it all along, the mainstream media has once again proven, based merely on disaster coverage, who counts and who doesn't.
The dire plight of predominantly white, working class mountain folks in NC and TN doesn't seem to tug at the heartstrings of Biden, FEMA or the network news anchor plastered in makeup and wearing the latest high-end firefighter costumes.
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) January 12, 2025
More than 200,000 people in the region…
It's been nearly four months since Hurricane Helene ripped through the southeastern United States. Western North Carolina got a double whammy because the area had already been inundated with rainfall before Helene hit. But the combination was a deadly one. Many small towns were completely wiped off the map. It was the worst devastation the area had seen in quite a while.
Usually, as soon as it is possible, and potentially annoying for those there trying to help the victims, the media is there reporting on the damage. They show up in their boots, yellow raincoats, and baseball caps with the network logo on the front, detailing just how bad things are. They might talk to some local folks who weren't able to save much more than the clothes on their backs.
In the initial period after the storm, they did show up. They photographed houses ripped off their foundations and semi trucks tossed around like toys, only to be left in precarious positions. Even "60 Minutes" made their way through what was left of roads to small mountain communities and talked to the people.
But they didn't stick around for long. Despite some residents saying they didn't see anyone from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), they were there on the ground. But for a lot of people, relying on their neighbors and helping each other was the only sure thing.
It was 20 degrees this morning in Bat Cave, North Carolina. Some people there are living in tents.
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) January 13, 2025
Thousands across the region are living in trailers or cheap motel rooms – waiting for help that has yet to arrive. The plight of those who survived the biblical floods of Hurricane…
Fast forward to the horrific California wildfires. Thousands have lost their homes and belongings. Currently, the death toll stands at 24. The pictures coming out of Southern California look apocalyptic. Like Hurricane Helene, the media is there because it is a major news story. But what the media is not reporting is that the plight of hurricane victims in North Carolina is still a major story. Wait, the hurricane was months ago — why would that still be a story? The story is that it is January in the mountains. In the small town of Bat Cave, North Carolina, temperatures are dipping into the twenties at night, and people are still living in tents. Why isn't the media reporting that? Maybe for a few reasons.
There are quite a few differences between North Carolina and California. The mountains of North Carolina are filled with working-class people. They are predominantly white, they might not have a college education, they shop at Walmart, and they go to church. Props to "60 Minutes" correspondent Sharon Alfonsi, who sat and listened to a 96-year-old woman who had lost her home sing a gospel hymn. But where was everybody else? Where are all those media types who clip clothespins onto their official "fireman jacket" so that it will fit them better? Is North Carolina just too cold and muddy and not glamorous enough to make them look good? Are they afraid someone might ask them to pray with them?
Disasters don't care if you are a Republican or a Democrat. Everyone is affected. But for the media, the difference may come down to color. Not black and white, but red and blue. The areas affected by Hurricane Helene are full of Trump supporters, and California is full of Democrats. For the media, is it more important to help out a bit and try to appease wealthy Democrat donors and celebrities? Donors were already in a bad mood after Kamala Harris blew through $1.5 billion during the four months she ran for president and still lost to Donald Trump. The media also surely views California as much more sophisticated than some mountain people in the hills and hollows of Appalachia. Better hotels and restaurants.
Maybe if Mother Nature promises to pick more appealing sites to strike, the media can stop picking and choosing which stories are convenient and comfortable for them to cover.
ALSO READ: The Amish Are Doing More for Western North Carolina Than FEMA Has Done With Another 29 Billion
Notice - The Biden Administration has already stated the government will fully support California's efforts to recover. Contrast that to the $750 FEMA allocations to North Carolina hurricane victims.
— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) January 11, 2025
And doubtful NC's water czar makes $750,000 a year.
