The Hypocrisy Of George Rekers, Another Crisis Looming In Haiti, And Anderson Cooper Has REALLY Had Enough Of Your Birther Bullshit
Update 5/11/10: I actually don't have anything to say, other than to apologize for being a crappy blogger. Sorry guys. I'm not even feeling the bullet points right now. Allow me to distract you with adorable pictures of puppies. I'll be back soon.
Hi everyone. I actually hadn't planned on blogging tonight. On Fridays I like to use this time to instead get reacquainted with some of my TeeVee shows via the Hulu. But tonight's broadcast was just so good I figured that I could spare a few minutes to drop a handful of bullet points on you. Yes, that's right, I said the show was good. Very good. Great variety of topics and all of them interesting and informative. Cookies for everyone!
Hi everyone. I actually hadn't planned on blogging tonight. On Fridays I like to use this time to instead get reacquainted with some of my TeeVee shows via the Hulu. But tonight's broadcast was just so good I figured that I could spare a few minutes to drop a handful of bullet points on you. Yes, that's right, I said the show was good. Very good. Great variety of topics and all of them interesting and informative. Cookies for everyone!
- I do need to start off with one criticism though: I want to kill that "breaking news" graphic. I want to kill it with fire.
- Anderson Cooper's pronunciation of "robot" (robutt) is simply too adorable for me to not mention. Sorry Anderson, your speech impediments amuse me greatly and I have no plans of ceasing my gentle mocking any time soon. Know that I do it with love.
- So. Many. Animated. Demonstrations.
- These charges against Transocean sound like they could turn into a big story. Definitely something that needs further investigation.
- It was good to see 360 covering the George Rekers story. Yeah, the piece didn't go indepth, but frankly I was just happy to see the info get out there. Am I reveling in the situation? Yes, yes I am. Call me a horrible person if you must. Schadenfreude, baby! As Wayne Besen said in Randi Kaye's piece, people like Rekers have "helped create anti-gay attitudes and justified discrimination across the country." People like him are the reason that a few months ago some asshole spray painted the word "fag**t" on the house of someone I care about. And helping to deny gays and lesbians from adopting in Florida? Yeah, this guy deserves everything he's getting right now. I love that the Family Research Council is distancing themselves from him. I guess suddenly Tony's not so chatty. George? George who? You stay classy, guys! Randi's piece is below:
- The segment on Haiti made me so sad. It's going to be horrendous if there's a diphtheria outbreak. Nobody should be dying from that in this day and age. It's mind-boggling that they had to search for 11 hours to try to find the sick teen immunoglobulin. Man, Sean Penn is pissed. He has every right to be, in my opinion. I know I rail against celeb guests on this blog a lot, but I don't even consider him to be a celebrity regarding this situation. He's the real deal. Interview with Penn and Sanjay Gupta below:
- After wiping the floor with Cecil Ash, Anderson apparently still wasn't done with demolishing birthers. Tonight he interviewed Lieutenant Colonel Terrence Lakin, though Lakin's attorney, Paul Jensen, did most of the talking. And our anchor did not like that one bit. The result was awesomeness. I love that the train went absolutely careening off the tracks right from the get-go. I was completely cracking up through the whole thing. It's really the only reaction you can have when faced with such enormous stupidity. Even Anderson cracked a frustrated smile at a couple points--probably trying not to bang his head on the desk. Our anchor really brought his A-game. I'm a sucker for a well-researched interviewer who aggressively defends the truth and takes no bullshit. Tonight he was all of that. Even the end was kinda awesome. The attorney was going on and on about, I don't know, something, and in so many words Anderson was just like, "yeah, you're done." Except, you know, politer. Anyway, a summary can't really do the interview justice. You must watch:
- Good piece from Martin Savidge on the situation in Nashville. Hope they continue to follow up.
- I enjoyed the celebration of Wolf Blitzer's 20 years at CNN. Oh Wolfbot, you're really growing on me, aren't you? Jeanne Moos piece below:
- That's it for me. No special bullet point this time. Just kidding! This bullet point contains a secret portal to another dimension. Or candy. Whichever!
Labels: Birthers, George Rekers, Haiti, Lieutenant colonel Terrence Lakin, Lucien, Oil Spill, Sean Penn, stupidity, Transocean, Wolf Blitzer
posted by eliza at 11:59 PM
4 Comments:
The last two nights reminded me again why I have been spending 1 hour every night watching AC. The sharp, responsible, attentive, compassionate journalist is back....giving a voice to ordinary citizens who have not been heard; standing up for justice; keeping people honest. He did his homework and was persistent in his questioning. He also did excellent work in the field on Thursday. The interviews with the Tenn. residents were great. The interview last night, in your words, was absolutely awesome. I can watch it again and again. Can we have the same AC everyday, not just two nights out of like a few years?
Patty
While I was watching feisty AC, I was thinking that you are going to love this segment... and I was right.
Actually, AC360 been on its A game since Anderson came back from his one week vacation. While you already bullet points the awesomeness I also like the mention the missing factors that not there in the show that made it better: pundits yelling at each other, Sarah Palin, and ascot.
Also, there is this "up close" segment on the second hour where interview someone who had been captured by the Pakistani Taliban. He talked about his experience and situation over there. Why is this segment not a "big 360 interview"? I didn't even get the chance to know the guy name because I just randomly caught this part.
@Patty: Agreed. I started watching Anderson because of his Katrina coverage, specifically the interview with Sen. Mary Landrieu. Throughout the Bush years when we were lied to on a continual basis, I developed an extreme sensitivity to bullshit. Having it called out by a popular anchor on one of the three big cable news networks makes me ridiculously happy. It's like that Orwell quote: "In times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."
Yes, I want this Anderson every night. But I would never want him to force it (and I don't think he ever will). I don't want him to be that guy who invites idiots onto his show just so he can smack them down. Olbermann's sorta fallen into that trap in a way regarding his special comments (they started out rare and powerful--now he spouts off about anything and everything constantly). Ash and the Lt. were legitimate guests because of what they're trying to do.
@Pebbles: Yes, you were right. :P What can I say, I'm a sucker for the defense of truth.
@Sammy: Yes! No Sarah Palin mention. Praise the lord. You're right, sometimes they fill a good portion of the show will trivial crap and there was none of that last night. It was solid throughout. Is "ascot" what we're calling Roland Martin now? ;) (I love that he tweets me back whenever I mock him for it.)
I share your frustration regarding the segments dropped in the second hour. I missed that interview too. I refuse to watch 57 minutes of repeated coverage to catch a three minute segment. The show was already jam packed, but I wish they would have just saved that interview for the first hour on Monday. I usually much rather see the second hour segment than what often ends up near the end of the first hour.
And yeah, David Rohde is much more deserving of the "Big 360" interview than many of the people they've had. I've always suspected that the segments they drop in the second hour would be more popular in the first hour because they seem to be things loyal viewers like and loyal viewers like to watch live, but eh, what do we know, right? ;P
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