Russian Dolls

So I'm watching some CNN and they're doing a piece on the latest westerner who's been kidnapped. The kidnappers have released a video of them doing something horrible to the hostage and CNN takes the supposed high road by saying they wouldn't air the tape out of respect, morality, bale, blah, blah.

However then, they brilliantly cut in with a feed of ALJAZEERA showing the same footage and they kill two birds with one stone.

1. They get to vilify Aljazeera as having no conscience and bloodthirsty.
2. They get the same ratings effect of airing the footage themselves, if not more so given the taboo and bootled value. It's the volvo driving intellectual's 'Pam and Tommyesque' guilty pleasure.

So to review, they admit they've seen the footage but have deemed it too graphic for public consumption however they will show you Aljazeera showing you the footage that they deemed too graphic for public consumption while saying, "that's terrible, how can you show that on television!?".

The only thing more amazing than how stupid they think we are is how often they're right.