A Kansas City man had quite the inconvenient mishap, getting trapped beneath a porta-potty seat. The narrative of rescue—complete with video footage—provides perfect fodder for mainstream media sensationalism. You can bet outlets like CNN and MSNBC are eagerly capitalizing on this cringe-worthy story, twisting it into another “how the world has gone mad” segment. Because heaven forbid they cover anything that actually matters.

What’s fascinating is how this story is less about a man’s unfortunate bathroom blunder and more about how desperate corporate media are for clicks. Rather than solving real issues like crime rates or public education failures, they’re fixating on humanity’s lowest moments. Fox News, while sometimes edgy, often panders to hysteria in the same vein. The messages conveyed are less about solutions and more about whipped-up outrage. Why? Because sensationalism sells, and if you’re not locking viewers into a cycle of shock and shame, what are you really doing?

The truly alarming part here is the underlying narrative: Are they so devoid of meaningful content that a porta-potty rescue makes headlines? Absolutely. Let’s not forget that while we’re glued to our screens watching this level of absurdity, substantive societal discussions are falling by the wayside. Grabbing attention with absurdity is the name of the game these days, and we should keep questioning why this is the content pushing to the forefront.