There's really nothing like being chided about your reading habits by a recent j-school grad twenty-something media critic [wouldn't want to get a "fact" "wrong"] to make you want to give up on serious news forever. . . Unless it's being chided about your reading habits by a recent j-school grad twenty-something media critic who is also giving you a quiz. Nothing says "I know better" than grading someone. The quiz that the kids over at Campaign Desk have come up with is designed to test your knowledge of (as they say) "real issues" and of "what we'll charitably call less-than-serious ones." (That's charitable alright!) "Real issues" include how much John Kerry wants to increase the minimum wage, who gets tested under Bush's "No Child Left Behind" plan, and how Kerry and Bush differ on the Sept. 11 commission suggestions. As for the "I-can't-believe-you-walk-upright-like-a-man issues" (we're not so charitable), well. . . let's just say that the only thing keeping it from being a Wonkette mid-term is that they do not ask about the size of John Kerry's penis.

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But the point of a quiz is fail someone, right? This is how Campaign Desk determines who rides the media short bus:

[A]s you may have guessed, the even questions above were the substantive ones -- so if you did well on those, don't worry too much about not knowing the identity of Jessica Cutler. Those of you who knew the odd questions but were clueless on the even ones, however, might want to consider finding a new way to get your news.

Sure thing! And you might want to consider biting me! Just kidding. We love Campaign Desk. But we think the premise of their quiz is flawed: The frivolous items are obviously identified with blogs (as opposed to TV), and we're pretty sure the research shows that the average blog consumer also reads at least one major newspaper and three magazines. . . Penthouse, Hustler, and Juggs.

Trivial Pursuit [Campaign Desk]