Here’s mud in your eye (hic!)

The chattering class has expended a prodigious amount of digital ink on President Obama’s muffed toast during the state dinner with the Queen. The miscue, a truly minor affair, isn’t worth any more words. But it is a perfect metaphor for far out of touch the media often is with its audience. This dawned on me when, the other day, I mentioned the faux pas to a friend in casual conversation. She returned bemused silence. My friend is smart and reasonably well-informed. Like most normal Americans, she puts living life ahead of following politics or diplomacy closely. And she had no idea Obama was even out of the country, let alone in London. Anecdotally, I suspect that’s the case for 4 out of 5 Americans (who are rightly focused on the NBA Finals or the Memorial Day weekend). Translation: Nobody gives a damn about Obama’s toast. Yet, the way the media drones on about this, you’d think our president had turned to the Queen and, like Quint in Jaws, raised a pint and said: “Here’s to swimmin’ with bow-legged women, guv’nor!” It’s time to put a sock in it. Cheers.