Keith Olbermann Suspends 'Worst Persons' Segment Until Further Notice in Response to Jon Stewart's Criticism
Good for Keith.
OLBERMANN: As you'll hear in the next few minutes all of us here at Countdown and a lot of us among the progressives had one major well defined problem with the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear and we're going to address that in a moment in our number one story; a false equivalence between what we do here and what Fox News and the like do there.
But first, the overall message that the tone needs to change, that the volume needs to change was not lost on any of us. The anger in this news hour was not an original part of it, nor was it an artifice we added to it. It was a response to a threat to this democracy posed by Mr. Bush and now by his lineal descendants. The anger happened, it will still happen, it is not for ratings and it is not get angry first and find a reason later.
But there is an institutionalization of it that may no longer be valid. That is the Worse Persons in the World Segment. Which started, of all things, as a way of defending Tucker Carlson. Its satire and whimsy have gradually gotten lost in some anger. So in the spirit of the thing, as of right now, I am unilaterally suspending that segment with an eye towards discontinuing it. We don’t know how that works long term. We might bring it back. We might bring back something similar to it, might kill it outright and next week we will solicit your input.
Its just that today, given the serious stuff we have to start covering tomorrow, we think its the right thing to do short term and then we will see what happens. And we’ll also see if anybody else, on T.V., or radio, will do something similar.
Don't hold your breath Keith.
For some similar perspective on Jon Stewart's comments at their rally this weekend, here's more from Bob Cesca's place -- The Messy Fray of Democracy.
The "Worst Persons" segment always bothered me for the exact reason Olbermann just stated and I'm glad to know he is considering getting rid of it. His analysis and opinions are too well researched, articulated and important to be trivialized in segments like these. I now hope Ed Schultz will get rid of his lame "Psycho Talk" segment as well. The left can't claim the moral high ground and use the same tactics of dehumanization as the right.
Hopefully humanity will one day learn to be humane.
this election is truly 'hitting bottom'
your name's Lebowski, Lebowski... and your wife is Bunny
I love Worst Persons. It's truth in advertising. There really are terrible people out there, politics and otherwise. I guess I'm going to have to take over for Keith then. But I understand his decision.
Cheers to you, Mr. Olbermann.
NOBODY 2012
Keith Olbermann does his homework and I rather like "Worst Person" It was more humorous than cynical.
Hey Keith here's an ideal.....replace it with....The Weirdest things People Say"
Darlene Anderson
"People Say the CuhRAZIEST Things!" or "$%#t My Dad Says" :)
Keith is correct that the equivalence that Jon draws up is false. Why? Because the ranting on the left is (mostly) ironic/satirical. It's as if Jon had to indict himself along with Keith. I always thought "Worst Persons" was kind of comical. When Beck cries on TV, that's not meant to be funny. I'm more concerned about Keith's sometimes OTT special comments.
Having said that, it's great that Keith has responded to Jon, and that there's a demonstration that a dialogue between media and viewers is possible.
Kudos for that.
I really liked the worst persons segment, people like Limbaugh and Beck fit right on there perfectly. I always saw it as a way of pointing out the lies of various CONservatives without givign them a full segment and several minutes exposure to do it.
Too bad really.
When angry, count four, when very angry, swear.
-Mark Twain-
Worst Person In The World Segment was my favorite. Sad to see it go. Please don't water down your show too much more to appease Jon Stewart. Bill O'Rielly and Fox will not water down their programming.
Stewart barks at Fox all the time and they NEVER change.
NOBODY 2012
One thing that struck me as I reviewed the Sanity March is that we have a new "silent majority" in the US. This time its liberal to moderate whereas the last one was conservative to moderate. But it shares all the same characteristics; people concerned about the radicalization on the right (used to be the left), people trying to journey through a bewildering political landscape. They want something positive to connect to and we would be well served by giving them that leadership.
Yes, lets walk a higher ground and turn the other cheek. If the right wing slings mud, lets not get in the gutter with the mud with them. Better to lose elections with our dignity intact than to comprimise our principles.
I hope he brings it back, it was very useful to keep tabs on the clowns, scoundrels, and idiots of the "right" wing.
Democratic Underground brought back the Top ten Conservative idiots list for the month of October only to have it end again yesterday. Having an outlet that calls these liars out and/or makes fun of their mendacity I think is needed in this day and age.
These people dont deserve to be looked at with seriousness, they deserve only our scorn and laughter.
What have any of these people on the right ever done, EVER to help their fellow Americans (who dont make ass-loads of money)?
When angry, count four, when very angry, swear.
-Mark Twain-
The Right only gets louder as the Left gets quieter. It took an incompetent president for the Democrats finally to take both houses and the presidency, and this week they gave a big portion of it back. Whoever is coordinating the campaigns at the Democratic headquarters did not serve us well.
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