I don’t mean that I want my news anchor to entertain me, but I do want my news anchor to present the news in such a way that I don’t fall asleep reaching for my glass of milk. I’d sooner kiss a monkey as watch five minutes of Brian Williams’ reporting. He’s got to be the worst anchor in history.
Case in point, last night’s Democratic National Convention coverage was incredibly slackjawed. They could have just run the convention straight through without snippets of Williams’ interviews and commentaries and it would have been more interesting. I’d rather watch Bill Clinton’s smirky, smarmy applause than to see Brian Williams squeeze a softball question out of his little thin head and lob it at a teleprompted senator wearing the same damn suit the guy before him wore. I kept looking at the end credits as they rolled for that line that says who provided the wardrobe.
And I’m not the only who’s noticed. Jon Stewart is angry as hell. It’s a sad shame when a comic has to lay it on the line for the “serious” reporters. It’s like Elmer Fudd giving acting lessons to Dennis Hopper. What the hell is the media coming to?
I like Jon Stewart. He’s a funny guy. But it’s scary that 18 year olds are getting their news from this guy. I mean, do they not get that he is parodying the guys they’re supposed to be getting the new from?
I’m sure - no, I know - Jon Stewart works hard to produce a funny and informative show. I know that at the foundation of his success is a serious man who loves what he does and wants the real news media to perform to standard. The disappointing and sad fact of the matter is, the news media is failing us. They’re failing us all. And Jon Stewart’s success is the best evidence in the world of that. Step aside, Brian Williams. Make room for the real journalists.
