Many of you know that I think that Keith Olbermann is basically a dumb box. In the days of my youth I liked how he was yelly and screamy, sort of like the liberal Rush Limbaugh. But really he is part of the problem, and most everything he does annoys me. And today I find out he doesn't vote? It's "symbolic"? This new bit of information helps me distill what my problem with Olbermann is: he's a child. I just want to shake him and say, "Whine more stupid baby!" But he probably has people to keep me away.
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3 comments:
Olbermann is a tool. He didn't used to be, but he is now.
However, a fair number of journalists don't vote. The recently-retired editor of the Washington Post, who is in his early 60s, I believe, had never voted until this election. He felt it compromised his objectivity.
*I* think that's taking it a little far, but I can see his point, although it doesn't quite work for Olbermann, because you already know so clearly which side he's on.
Best part of no longer being a working member of the media? I get to have opinions again!! I love it! I've missed it! And in case you haven't heard, MSNBC just tore up Olbermann's 18-month-old contract for $4 mil and gave him one for $7.5.
If I could get a deal like that, I'd stay in the biz too!
Great post - I couldn't agree more.
The problem with all these guys, especially Matthews, Maher, Olbermann, O'Reilly and the like, is that they all claim to be more independent thinkers that everyone. They're not contributing to the narrative that defines what schlubs like us get fed to keep us quiet on a daily basis.
But they are reinforcing the narrative in much more basic ways than we can imagine - Obama = Change, McCain = Maverick. So what sort of journalistic or intellectual integrity do they claim to have in not voting? They just lap up and repeat the same shit we do, but since they are photogenic, on TV and have learned how to speak and yell stylistically they're somehow independent or, if not claiming independence, their opinions are above the petty squabble.
In Olbermann's case, the hack job and verbal sniper fire that he took at Hillary Clinton was nothing short of fascist. I liked him a lot on SportsCenter, but after he conducted nightly character assassinations on her, with his tongue so far up Obama's asshole, I vowed to never watch his show. If I see him on Football Night in America on Sundays, I change the channel. That's how pissed I am.
If nothing else, they're more petty and enslaved to the spin mill than the rest of us. At least some Americans have the dignity to stop listening and turning the channel to Dancing With The Stars.
Maybe the problem is that these types of talking heads don't think that people are actually watching. It goes to the point the last commenter made at the end. Due to the fact that they get these strange reinforcing signals - new contracts, viral Web-based exchange of their clips - they have a hard time believing their own success, so they continue to say more and more ridiculous things and become more and more lashed to the almost tragic grist mill of Washington opinionmakers.
I agree with everything you two have said! There is a lot of sadness going on out there in the world of "news." And I think it's funny that you can't watch Olbermann on sports stuff anymore either, matt! The Dan Patrick Show is my favorite radio show, and I almost dread the day he gets Olbermann back on, cause I'm going to change the channel.
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