The Press

It's not really political and I'm not sure how far beyond Sioux Falls this story has traveled, but in Sioux Falls the Argus Leader and the local news stations have been obsessed with the story of Patrick Deuel, a man from Valentine, Nebraska who weighed 1,100 pounds when he arrived at a Sioux Falls hospital.  After he was released after losing 460 or so pounds, the Argus did a rather brutal follow-up piece on him saying he had reverted to his old bad habits.  The Argus even editorialized (!) about his alleged reversion.  Now the local news station KELO-Land has done a story in which he rebuts the Argus story.  To me, this whole episode is a bizarre combination of media obsession, voyeurism, and sensationalism.  I guess it may serve some purpose by highlighting the social scourge of obesity, but I'm inclined to conclude the press should leave this poor man alone.  He has enough problems without having to fend off media sneering.