The New York Daily News‘ Confidenti@l blog reported on Monday morning that, according to insider sources, Ronan Farrow‘s brand-new MSNBC talk show is already on the fritz reportedly because of disappointing ratings and a lackluster on-air presence.
“He sort of stinks on TV,” the anonymous network source told the newspaper. “He hasn’t turned out to be the superstar they were hoping for.”
According to the paper, MSNBC’s strategy was to bring Farrow onto the network in the hopes that his younger, social media-based audience would follow suit. “But that hasn’t happened,” the source declared. “Just because someone is a boy genius-turned-Twitter star doesn’t mean they deserve their own TV show.” Farrow’s show debuted with lackluster numbers in the key 25-54 demo.
I know that some of you got a little testy with me when I revealed yesterday, that Farrow's show was the only program that actually made me turn to Fox News, but now you see that I am far from alone in my disapproval.
Now look I am actually a big fan of the younger crop of hosts that MSNBC has these days. Crystal Ball, Alex Wagner, Chris Hayes, Steve Kornacki, and Ari Melber are all on my must watch list.
However Farrow always comes off as a high school kid who won a "Be a Newscaster for a Day" contest, and is struggling to sound like he knows what to do while delivering painful segues and stumbling through interviews with his much more polished interviewees.
To be honest along with AL Sharpton and Ed Schultz I have also had trouble listening to Andrea Mitchell, who has a hesitant, uncertain, manner in delivering her lines that I find maddening.
But at least Andrea gives a good interview, and she really knows her topic.
I am not sure that with more time on the job Farrow will improve or not, but I just know that IF his program survives, I will continue to channel surf away from it in the future.
The other day I actually found myself watching Rachael Ray. Fricking Rachael Ray!
This madness must stop!
I think part of the kid's problem was the roll out he had from his mother - father, Frank Sinatra (?) - or, is the other guy his Dad and all the horrible badmouthing she/they did against him (!) and, the history of his mother, Mia Farrow. She's known as a looney tune! Didn't help the kid at all! Actually, almost feel sorry for him! I would wager he has learned a huge lesson or two!
ReplyDeleteHe was terrific on Bill Maher's program a few weeks ago, where he was unfettered. Seems he doesn't thrive in a constricted environment.
DeleteBadmouthing against who?
DeleteFrank Sinatra who served her divorce papers... while she was on set? ?
Or, woody Allen, who took nude pictures of her underage and adopted daughter?
But SHE has problems?
Yeah, picking the wrong assholes! !
Yeah, the kid needs to ripen a little more. Maybe by the time he turns 30...
ReplyDeleteM from MD
Farrow is socially awkward. I don't know if it is because he graduated early and entered college while still a young teen, but he seems to have not had the same developmental opportunities that most people experience by doing education on a normal timeline.
ReplyDeleteHowever, having Mia Farrow as a Mom and Woodie Allen as a "Dad" (while spending lots of time with "uncle Frank Sinatra") might have not helped him in recognizing the "real world" environment.
He comes across as awkward, entitled and very odd, but he grew up in very odd circumstances. I almost think that his "prodigy status" was pushed onto him and he's not grown into it very well.
2:56 yes!
DeleteYes. He's the way I imagine some of the kids who are finalists in the National Spelling Bee turn out - if you know what I mean.
DeleteI just want him to sit behind a piano in a dark bar with a glass of Jack Daniels and sing "Mac The Knife".
ReplyDeletehehehe. He looks so much like Woody it's scary, isn't it? wink wink
DeleteI've tried listening to Ronan Farrow and have shut him off both times. IMO he's very amateurish. Cringe worthy. I don't like AL Sharpton for the same reason. I've given up on the 24 hour news channels
ReplyDeleteAmen. Ronan Farrow got on MSNBC for the same reason that Morning Joe regular Donny Deutsch got a show (also short lived). Connections. It's also the same reason that Tim Russert's son Luke got a job there after is dad died, probably edging out journalism grads who were a hell of a lot more deserving.
ReplyDeleteSometimes the older crowd on our side is just as clueless in gauging youth appeal as those on the right. No twenty-something is going to be impressed by a commentator whose parents are stars they've never heard of. Sorry, but Mia Farrow and Woody Allen are about as interesting to the younger crowd as Errol Flynn.
And fame, or connections to fading fame, are not the same as talent. Bristol Palin should have taught them that.
Remember when all the good news anchors were seasoned, experienced professionals? They got the job because of credentials, not who you know or who you are related to.
DeleteThe kid seems nice and has smarts. NBC execs made a bad move. I hope they'll find another job for Roland where he can use his gifts and gain experience.
ReplyDelete*Ronan*
DeleteI have never seen the show, but I have been meaning to watch. However, it is on right during my work day, so looks like I will never get to watch it.
ReplyDeleteAll I have to say about Ronan Farrow is that he bears more than a slight resemblance to Frank Sinatra. And I believe those blue eyes might have been a factor in giving him a show. But if it isn't any good, he's got to go.
I think the label "The Kid" is appropriate, though he shows promise, as in today's "kindergarten-to-prison-pipeline", which apparently will be explored throughout this week.
ReplyDeleteI shall watch it.
Give him some slack. He comes across as intelligent, but the advance hype has probably worked against him. That said, I have trouble listening to his flat voice, which is something he obviously cannot control thought it may remedy itself as he ages.
All of that said, I agree that the current crop of young to barely middle aged voices on MSNBC are very knowledgeable and deserve to have their say. The question is whether the younger generation will grow up to look/listen to more than 140 characters at the time.
I think that maybe TRMS will be the Alpha of the pack for some time, and that is a good thing!
To be honest along with AL Sharpton and Ed Schultz I have also had trouble listening to Andrea Mitchell, who has a hesitant, uncertain, manner in delivering her lines that I find maddening.
ReplyDelete--------------------
I totally agree. The worst being Mathews.
Al Sharpton=Civil rights survivor
DeleteEd Schultz=NFL survivor
Andrea Mitchell=Cancer survivor
And they're on our side
Nfl survivor is a bit much...
DeleteMy God he looks like Frank Sinatra!!!!
ReplyDeletePoor kid!
DeleteMSNBC is down in the ratings . I've watched his show and he is really not that bad. Highly intelligent and fast moving. Jeez, give the guy a flip pin' chance. What's it been 2 weeks?
ReplyDeleteThis will be week 6. I agree with the commenter above, he is socially awkward and painful to watch and to listen to. Those blue eyes that some people seem to swoon over are uncomfortably intense and make me have to look away, and his presentation is awkward and halting. Everyone points to his intelligence, education, and resume of positions he got by being under the wing of Mia's friend Holbrooke, but NONE of that makes him watchable.
DeleteI have been wondering how long he would hang on -- I've been unable to locate any ratings numbers for him after his abysmal showing that first week. I've checked in on him from time to time and still find him too painful to watch. He can thank his mother for pushing him out there, for orchestrating the commotion about Woody Allen and Frank Sinatra to drum up interest that has been mostly negative, and for making him the weird guy he so plainly is. Those pictures of Mia looking adoringly at him are just creepy...
DeleteFuck you for claiming he was using his sister for ratings!
DeleteSo it's TOTALLY UNBELIEVABLE that the same woody Allen who took nude pictures of an underage Soon Yi (his partners DAUGHT ERR! !!!)
Would molest a young girl?
Fuck you again!
What the fuck does "painful to watch", mean? Why so painful? Talk to me, be more specific? He's trying hard. Take the poll numbers and shove them up your ass. Form your own opinion.
ReplyDeleteHey 6:02 , sounds like you're in love.
ReplyDeleteHe looks uncomfortable in his own skin. When they come back or go to a commercial, he gets flustered and the show seems forced. Mia did him no favors by revealing his dad "may be" Frank Sinatra. She did him no favor by marrying Woody Allen, either.
ReplyDeleteOne can only ride on their parent's coattails for awhile, but then you better have what it takes to pull your own weight.
I agree that Ronan is struggling with this format. He was an excellent guest occasionally on other's shows where he had a chance to highlight his particular expertise in diplomacy and foreign zeitgeist. He does seem over his head right now. I hope they keep him on as a contributor, or perhaps give him a cohost. I support the idea of putting a high-profile, young, good-looking and knowledgeable person on the air, but his preparation was inadequate. He has done some really good deep dives in his topic of the week segments. I think MSNBC should give him a chance for a little while longer, but if he isn't bringing in the demographic they had hoped for, they should cut their losses. If that happens, I hope they can find another use for him.
ReplyDeleteAs to all the comments about his "weird upbringing" or parentage, I think that's uncalled for. I don't think Mia's looney at all; she's a committed activist, who's had an unfortunate history with men. A lot of people have. Most commentors seem to be judging him on his own merits, but the few who dwell on his parents make me mad. I wouldn't want to be dependent on my parents mental health in my job. Sorry for the rant - it just rubbed me the wrong way.
Rachel Ray just did an interview with Joe Biden sharing her support for Obama Care and how much it helped her family.
ReplyDeleteAndrea Mitchell scares and sickens me. That giant head (pronounced HEEEDDDD!!! ala Mike Myers in So I married an axe murderer) is proof that she is an alien lifeform, and the fact that she is married to Alan Greenspan - would put her on the "Don't trust a word out of their mouth" list.
ReplyDeleteHer and her husband make me want to believe in David Ickes's Lizard people.
The fact that he was a 'star' on twitter told me everything I needed to know.
ReplyDeleteanyone bother to check "wikipedia" ?
ReplyDeleteFrom 2001 to 2009, he was a UNICEF Spokesperson for Youth,[9] acting as an "advocate" for children and women caught up in the ongoing crisis in Sudan's Darfur region [10] and assisting in fundraising and addressing United Nations affiliated groups in the United States.[10][11] During this time, he also made joint trips to the Darfur region of Sudan with his mother, the actress Mia Farrow, who is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.[12] He subsequently advocated for the protection of Darfuri refugees.[7] Following on his experiences in Sudan, Farrow was affiliated with the Genocide Intervention Network,[13] a group founded by Swarthmore College students to advocate for armed involvement in the Darfur Conflict.
During his time at Yale Law School, Farrow interned at the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell and in the office of the chief counsel at the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs, focusing on international human rights law.[7][14][15]
In 2009, Farrow joined the Obama administration with his appointment as Special Adviser for Humanitarian and NGO Affairs in the Office of the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.[7][16][17] He was part of a team of officials recruited by veteran diplomat Richard Holbrooke,[18] for whom Farrow had previously worked as a speechwriter.[19] For the ensuing two years, Farrow was responsible for "overseeing the U.S. Government's relationships with civil society and nongovernmental actors" in Afghanistan and Pakistan.[7][16]
In 2011, Farrow was appointed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's Special Adviser for Global Youth Issues[20] and Director of the State Department's Office of Global Youth Issues.[7] The office's creation was the outcome of a multi-year task-force appointed by Clinton to review the United States' economic and social policies on youth,[21] for which Farrow co-chaired the working group with senior USAID staff member David Barth beginning in 2010.[22][23] Farrow's appointment and the creation of the office were announced by Clinton as part of a refocusing on youth following the Arab Spring revolutions.[24] Farrow was responsible for U.S. youth policy and programming[7] with an aim toward "empower[ing] young people as economic and civic actors."[7] Farrow concluded his term as Special Adviser in 2012, with his policies and programs continuing under his successor
i compare Roland's enigma = that of say: Tom Cruise or Leonardo DiCaprio = TOO GOOD LOOKING to be recognized for REAL TALENT = neither Tom or Leo EVER got an OSCAR
please replace ronan with a mature journalist and take this boy off the show. i cannot look at and accept him. i have always watched and respected your talented interviewers and journalists but this "not ready for tv" kid makes me change the station quickly every time.
ReplyDeleteDon't bad mouth BIG! Ed Schultz. PMSNBC needs him. He is the only stylistic link with right wing bloviation. He used to BE a very angry hard right blowhard on talk radio years ago in North Dakota or some similar godawful place, and from what I understand, he decided the field was too crowded already and become a "working mans" "progressive" blowhard. He makes a nice contrast with all the metrosexual and gay men on PMSNBC, and Democrats should take a cue from BIG! Ed. If they ever expect to get working class voters back, they are going to have to have a left populist "anti-plutocracy version of Bill O'Reilly or similar to appeal to them, otherwise they will remain a party with appeal restricted to urban cultural elites, half of the plutocracy, and ethnic identity politics.
ReplyDeleteHey take a dna test maybe woody should be repaid his child support. .oh and how is your uncle doing in jail who pleaded guilty to sexually molesting
ReplyDelete2 little biys for over 8 years. Yes he pleaded guilty and got 25 years in jail. Where is the outcry for those boys. And le5s not forget how mia got pregnant by a very married abdre Previn much older than her and destroyed not only their marriage but her mental health.