By Christopher B. Daly
Is it just me? Or does something about the body language of the people in this photograph seem wildly inauthentic?
(Photo: Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times)
I ask myself: If my wife and I had to conduct a press conference under similar circumstances (which, granted, is a big stretch), would we carry on like that? What is really up with these folks? This looks like a scene from a “Borat” film. It looks like a parody of two distraught parents. They seem to be saying “Up yours!”
Does anyone else find this odd?
Prof Chris Daly's Blog 
Well their attitude and discourse definitely seem and sound bizarre but it has been the same with all of the family members that have appeared on TV. I personally do not understand CNN’s obsession with them. What exactly do they want to get out of it, besides a boost in their audience?
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Rule of thumb: Always try the simplest explanation. In this case, the parents make for “good television” — that is they bring the screen alive. You can’t take your eyes off them.
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Yes that is true, but doesn’t it further us from the real issues in this affair. I would be more interested in hearing an expert’s view on the radicalization of Islamists in the U.S. and how to prevent it rather than being hammered by the same video shots again and again. I just think it would bring the discussion to a higher and more intelligent level.
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Your point is well taken. I completely agree.
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