This year we saw the rise of Rachel Maddow and Campbell Brown -- very opinionated. You haven't succumbed too much. Do you have plans to? I have no plans to, no. I think those people are really good at what they do. Rachel Maddow is an incredible talent -- she's funny, and smart, obviously well researched on subjects. I'm just not interested as a viewer in listening to anchors' opinions. It seems like there's an awful lot of yelling, and this year yelling's been replaced by sarcasm and snark- iness.
Well personally I LOVE snark-iness. Hell without snark-iness this blog wouldn't even exist!
However I would have to take exception with Cooper's contention that Rachel Maddow's show is all about snark. I don't find that true at all.
Sure she often points out the absurdity of a story, but she also demonstrates a great deal of compassion and concern about many stories that the MSM really does a poor job of covering. After all it was Rachel who kept the light shining on Sarah Palin and Alaska election questions long after every other network had packed up and moved on.
In my opinion Anderson Cooper is just getting his tight fitting jeans in a bunch because he is jealous of the ratings that MSNBC has received lately, and the attention they have garnered from other media outlets. When was the last time that Anderson was parodied by SNL? But Ben Affleck skewered Keith Olbermann just a few weekends ago. Now that is fame buddy.
And let us not forget that Cooper's show replaced the infinitely more talented, but far less telegenic, Aaron Brown. Aaron Brown who did such an admirably job during and after 9-11, lost his job for no other reason then that he was not as pretty as Anderson Cooper, who garnered world wide attention by crying at the devastation of Katrina. (I am sure Mr. Brown shed a tear as well, he just did not have the dainty features to look sexy while doing it on camera.)
By the way Mr. Cooper do you see the sentence above this one? That my friend is snark. And damn good snark at that!
Now I have to go and prepare myself for the angry responses in my e-mail and comments section from the many women and gay men who adore the androgynous Anderson Cooper.
Who's Anderson Cooper?
ReplyDeleteI'm totally on your side here. I never understood the appeal of Anderson Cooper.
ReplyDeleteRachel is the most intelligent talk show on TV - and her snark, when needed, is always right on target!
Androgynous? Try closeted. At least Rachel has the balls to be out. In addition to having a much better show.
ReplyDeleteAnderson went out of his way to praise Maddow. This wasn't any diss to Rachel. He's been talking about incivility and opinion in news for years, and it was the interviewer who injected Rachel and Campbell's names. If anyone would have some basis for feeling dissed it would be Campbell, because Anderson left her out while he gushed about Rachel.
ReplyDeleteI doubt he's jealous of ratings. He's doing fine and he gets plenty of attention. If he politicized his broadcast and started giving speeches and rants he could have a lot more viewers. That's been obvious for years when you look at US cable news ratings trends, but he's avoided it because it doesn't fit him or his notion of journalistic integrity.
Bah...Anderson Cooper is WAY overrated.
ReplyDeleteAnd too skinny...
Besides, the world of journalism has changed. What's happening is that the vanishing op-ed pages of our newspapers are reappearing on cable. The networks and many other cable news outlets are there to just relay the news. There is plenty of room for broadcast and internet op-ed.
Actually, in between the shows like Morning Joe, Hardball, Keith and Rachel, MSNBC mostly acts like a regular news source.
I think that much of Anderson Cooper's complaint is all part of the denial many journalists are experiencing. While news and opinion has not changed, the mode of delivery has...forever.
tsk tsk,,, I think Andy is jealous of the beautiful fabulous SMART...oh hell BRILLIANT Rachel....( his Opening numbers were Never as good as Rachel's....)
ReplyDeletedon't get me wrong- I used to be a Huge AC fan....but alas he has now become tainted...by his own fame ? or Wolf ? who knows....
if he was a real Journalist he would value people like Rachel...and Keith and even Arron Brown....so shame on him....
of course let's be real....CNN is striving to be FOX now....that is where their journalistic integrity is.....
( BTW Bristol supposedly had her baby today, in Palmer ? and no photos of mom or baby....7 pounds....nothing was really said about how mom and baby were doing...it was just mentioned in passing on Eve News....they said it was going to be named Trip ? isn't her brother named trip ? I am confused......anyways...I know you will update us...)
Well, I think you were spot on Gryphen. I also think Campbell Brown is way overrated. She is to me nothing but a gossip show. I just do not like her at all. I seldom watch more than about 5 minutes of her and that's all I can stomach.
ReplyDeleteI do like Rachel, I tolerate AC, but only because he is on after KO and RM.
Celtic Diva has it right on cable shows replacing newspaper op-ed and analysis slots. And, as a newspaper editor, I can see the value in that, ie, using video footage, graphics, etc., to illustrate/undergird the commentary.
ReplyDeleteI'm not such a fan of Campbell Brown, either.
====
Enigma:
I first saw the Tripp (no the kid's first name is not actually Drug!) on People. Surprise me that the Alaska Addams Family would go to an entertainment mag first; even the ADN just went to the People story.
And, yes, why no news for more than 24 hours after the birth? And no pics?
http://socraticgadfly.blogspot.com/2008/12/people-mag-cousin-itt-palin-has-arrived.html
Gladfly.::::
ReplyDeletehis name is tripp ...wow...what an awful name...trigg and tripp...what is with this family and strange T names.....( gee why not Tbone...) what is Bristol's brother named ? Tripp? Track? what was it...
People must be so proud of themselves....( I wonder if they paid Palin ?)
poor girl...I really do feel sorry for her....she is too young to be caring for both those babies....( I wonder if tripp has downs too...)
Gadfly::
ReplyDeleteomg...you called it Cousin It?????? .....LOL....
oh dear....shame on me for laughing...but....
Well I have to say I ma a little disappointed.
ReplyDeleteThere was only one, count them one, person who came on here to defend Mr. Cutie Cooper Anderson pants.
There was a time when if I had even dared make the slightest critical comment about "his gray hairedness" that I would have been eviscerated! And by the way Enigma4ever would have led the charge.
I guess Anderson really is yesterdays news.
Personally I stopped watching CNN almost a year ago.
I don't watch it..it is noise....lol
ReplyDeletenope...sorry Gman...I used to like HOW he reported- back in the Katrina days...BUT this election season I saw another whole other side to him that disgusted me....I got values...especially as far as journalists go...
ReplyDeleteI was impressed with him the days he went to NOLA....with the gators and snakes and sewage....BUT......then something changed....
( and we all know that Keith is truly my main heart throb.....)
ditto that, enigma4ever.
ReplyDeleteKeith is my main man too. :)
I personally respect Rachel because she has the balls to be Out and even mention her partner without getting awkward.
ReplyDeleteThat and she's absolutely brilliant.
Coop's still reporting live from inside the closet; he needs to get over it.