I think we're about to see Anderson Cooper die on national teevee

[Atman]

CNN is an absolute freaking joke this morning. Even more so than usual. Anderson and John Sirella are hugging each other like schoolgirls as 100 mph winds are blowing them all over the place. I think CNN is actually hoping for death or mayhem live on teevee so they have something spectacular to run all week after Fitzy releases his indictments. I cannot believe these two men are stupid enough to be standing outside in this shit. Any moment a stop sign or garage door -- or pelican -- could fly buy and take them out. And it must be exactly what CNN is hoping for. This is television at it's most absurd.

[Skittles]

it is absurd

so absurd I refuse to watch it

[FloridaPat]

1. So is MSNBC. The hurricane covereage is starting to get very

wierd. As for the pelicans, I think they are smarter than the average TV reporter.

[HeeBGBz]

36. Did you see the wind blow Al Roker down?

They will keep pushing it until some poor sap gets beheaded by a piece of flying tin. Or some such return to reality.

[UTUSN]

37. Was That the "Thud" We Heard? n/t

[goclark]

50. Poor Al had stomach surgery @ two years ago ~right?

This is real crazy to put someone out like that to hurt themselves.

The spart thing to do would be to get some kind of Rubber Weather Robat that would react the way a person would at the time of the hard winds.

That is cruekl to expose reporters to something that they are warning residents to stay away from and get inside.

Dumb

[Ladyhawk]

60. Did he have gastric bypass? I was wondering why he looked thinner.

I haven't had a TV in a long time and when I saw what he looked like after not seeing him for awhile, I was shocked.

My friend had gp surgery in August and I haven't seen him since. I finally got a message on my machine. It said he was feeling "bleary" and "weak" from the surgery. By the time I see him again, I may not be able to recognize him. :shrug:

[goclark]

61. As far as I recall that is what he got ~ a bypass

[pennylane100]

2. I was just thinking the same thing.

[arcos]

3. That's what I was just thinking...

They're about to be blown off!

[Cooley Hurd]

4. Anything smacking them at 100mph will do some serious damage...

I'm waiting for them to be blown off the platform they're standing on. Is a fucking WEATHER story worth one's life????

[rzemanfl]

5. These people are nuts. I think it has become some sort of a

challenge to them to see how many stupid risks they can take on national TV.

[question everything]

52. Jon Stewart will have plenty of material from which to choose (nt)

[LizW]

6. This is ridiculous and irresponsible.

[shadowknows69]

7. completely

I'd wager it contributes to people ignoring evacuation orders that shouldn't as well.

[goclark]

62. It is Adult Abuse

and the TV stations should be sued.

[halobeam]

8. but...but... how would we ever know that rain is VERY salty!?!

Agreed irresponsible.

[patricia92243]

9. Honest coverage of storms is o.k. These guys look like fools trying to

show off how tough they are. Plus it is boring. I would like at a little bit of real news in the 45 minutes that I have flipped back and forth to CNN to see if they are actually doing a broadcast this am. :(

[OrlandoGator]

10. Us talking about how stupid it is is the reason they do it.

Word-of-mouth advertising is the best kind there is.

[Blue_Roses]

11. watching now

I can't believe they are standing out there in this...

[Roxy66]

12. Not watching......especially after the staged boat trick on "Today"

[ComerPerro]

14. The what now?

[Roxy66]

17. Video of "Today Show" canoe stunt........

http://newsbusters.org/media/2005-10-14-NBCToday.wmv

[ComerPerro]

32. Thanks for the link, but I can't view it at work. Can you fill me in

on the details?

Thanks!

[Craig3410]

38. Basically, one of their reporters is doing a story in a canoe,

and she's rowing, and then two guys walk past her in the water that we then realize is barely ankle-deep.

Here's a pic (small, I know, but it gets the point across:

[ComerPerro]

39. Bwa-hahahahahahaha!

I gotta check that video later!

Is their sound?

How did it happen.

Was she in the canoe, pretending to row and talking about the water and conditions, when the two guys walked past?

I bet it is hilarious.

[chrisau214]

58. That's Friggin' Awesome

"It's really tough to control a boat or canoe when your out on it..."

I love how she just keeps yammering and pretending to row even after the two guys walk past.


Chris

[Mad_Dem_X]

59. LOL! That's priceless! nt

[jazzjunkysue]

49. That is so freaking hilarious!

[plusfiftyfive]

13. Reality TV rather than Repsonsible Journalism

This is NOT really responsible reporting, no! But it is television, reality TV instead of meaningful journalism, the major problem with the USA, in my opinion, having been in several other countries where at least SOME journalism manages to get on the television news, America seems to have given that up in favor or reality TV and leader boosterism, making people in responsible positions of leadership into celebrities , and turning celebrities into leaders.

We are doomed to ignorance and lack of insight into our condition, by our own television sets, the storm surge gives us a rush, but an intelligent discussion on television must be interrupted (and stopped) by commercials every five minutes. That's the reality of our media today.

[Reciprocity]

47. I prefer C-Span for my reality TV. n/t

[KharmaTrain]

15. Sadly, It's Inevitable

Ask a lot of TV newstypes the story they'd love to cover the most and a hurricane will top the list. It makes great TV seeing yourself blown all over the place and the ego says you can stand up to that wind far better than Rather or Cooper or Geraldo.

It's almost happened in the past...and I suspect one day it will...someone reporting live on a beach or breakwater will be swept over and gone...live on television. The bad thought I have is that in some corporate news suite, some exec is salivating at the ratings a story like that would bring.

[plusfiftyfive]

19. Media madness

About 30 years ago, I was living in Boston, Mass. A helicopter radio traffic reporter was on the air talking about traffic problems. Then the radio went dead for a few seconds. I juggled the dial, nothing! Then the studio announcer came on, asking the helicopter guy to finish up the report... no response. Two people died in that crash that morning. For a while after that event, there was a ban on traffic reports from helicopters in Boston. But now they are back in force, the last time I looked, on TV live every weekday morning.

[slaveplanet]

24. The reason they love the hurricane

reporting job is it is one of the few things left that they can actually really report. Most of their job consist's of news reading.
In fact "news reader" is the more accurate description for these tools. The networks love Weather, Nat disasters, Entertainment features(free commercials for the Hollywood machine), and sports...as it sqeezes and leaves little time for actual news which they loathe.

[KharmaTrain]

28. It's Also Cheap Programming

Hurricanes all but announce where they're heading...and is very news reporter friendly as they can have a couple days head-start to set up their minicams and ENG units. This story does exactly what cable stations love...fill endless hours with "fresh" programming and its cheap...and some pretty neat pictures, too. You don't get neat pictures investigating a corrupt regime.

[cynatnite]

16. If the risk was that great, they'd be in Iraq...

This is just for ratings.

[NoPasaran]

18. Damn! I wish we had cable at the office

I should have stayed home and watched hurricane coverage. Why do these things always happen during the work week or the middle of the night? Must remember to tivo the next hurricane.

[Lancer]

20. Miles just said "I know people think we're insane…

for being out here." DUH!!!!

[crispini]

21. I like Anderson Cooper, but...

sometimes I think he does have a death wish.

[LisaL]

34. I think the same thing. Maybe it's because his brother killed

himself.

[Nihil]

22. I'm sorry but that is just so funny!

> Any moment a stop sign or garage door -- or pelican -- could fly
> by and take them out.

:spray:

The image of two CNN reporters being totalled by a freaking pelican
is causing me to cry with laughter.

I understand your concern but your choice of words made my morning!

Thanks!

[cynatnite]

23. Okay, now I'm looking for pelicans...

:rofl:

[Lisa]

51. or a duck (AFLAC!) -- someone had to say it (n/t)

[SoCalDem]

54. Remember the Fabio vs goose incident

VIDEO Clip: RealPlayer

"I'm not one to pan super-models, but when that super-model just happens to be Fabio, ALL bets are off. He went for a ride that was for the birds and he ended up in tonights sportshot! Busch Gardens in Williamsburgh, Virginia! Fabio giving the roller coaster a test drive...those locks of his blowing in the wind. But a little birdy did him no favors. It got him right smack in the kisser. And I mean this went right for shnoz! Not to worry, Fabio was treated for a 1" cut, and is doing just fine. " -- by Frank Mallicoat" Gee, thanks Frank!

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

25. Al Roker on the Today Show fell down from the wind. He's ok, but

it was kind of funny. He had some other guy laying on the ground, trying to hold him up, and Al flopped down. Al got up and went about 5 ft. or so to go inside and they showed the other (poor) guy, sprawled on the ground trying to get up..and they pulled the camera away.

[Atman]

26. Al shouldn't have lost all that weight!

A couple of years ago it would have taken a Cat5 and a flying hot dog cart to knock his ass down!

[tanyev]

29. Cat 5 and a flying hot dog cart

:spray:

[BiggJawn]

27. This stuff also encourages people not to evacuate.

"Ay! iffen them folks frum th' Wedder Channul kin stand out in thet storm...Mebbe Ah kin git mah toothless mug on th' Teeeeee-Veeeeee, too! Laik them folks in Battin Splooge or whutever..."

Yeah, I could just see it now "Next: 'Anderson Cooper: a Nation Mourns' Oh, btw, some guy named Fitzgerald had some guy named Rove arrested, but pay no attention to that! All our attention and thoughts are with the Cooper Family in their time of grief!"

[0007]

30. I can't watch this insanity.....

[elehhhhna]

31. They should be wearing hard hats. duh.

[spanone]

33. Seems intelligent, you'd think they'd get in and out of a hurricane.

But hey, it's showbiz!!!!!!!

[Theres-a]

35. Shades of Network

The scene where howard Beale shoots himself live.

[Ilsa]

40. I turned on CNN this mornign and saw Cooper and told my

kids, "Those people are so stupid, standing out there in a hurricane. It's raining on them and the wind could blow something onto them and hurt them. Always go inside for a storm."

[Junkdrawer]

41. Last year, a friend of a friend watched her boyfriend being decapitated...

during Charley. He was trying to tie down some boats when a piece of flying tin cut his head off. She was 5 steps behind. Not a good day.

[Rhiannon12866]

42. Anderson Cooper scared me during Katrina, as well.

He was standing out there, barely visible as he was hit by the wind and the rain, his face actually contorted. He couldn't even hear what the anchors in the studio were saying to him or asking him. Somehow, I thought that this was a life-changing experience for him. He was down there for so long, in Mississippi and then in New Orleans, and got involved with the people and their personal stories, including the pets. He's doing amazing work, since he developed so many personal contacts, and was able to report the human stories others couldn't. But I sure agree. Yikes! I'm afraid he's going to take one too many chances and get blown out to sea. I wonder if his lack of fear has anything to do with the death of his brother, which he recently told in print. I actually laughed when Joe Scarborough was being blown off his feet when he was reporting on the hurricanes in Florida, but I find it difficult to watch Anderson Cooper take more and more dangerous chances, and the others have gotten just as bad. No story is worth dying for...

:scared::scared::scared:

[FreedomAngel82]

43. Totally ridiculous

:crazy:

[lonestarnot]

44. Answer.... Stop fucking watching!

[Gormy Cuss]

45. I direct you all to Skid's "Flying Garbage Can" thread from yesterday.

Perhaps there should be more data points for the CNN and other media folk
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5141232

[Reciprocity]

46. It’s amazing what a stiff wind will do for some guys. n/t

[gulfcoastliberal]

48. How many times will Jon Stewart have to skewer them about this idiocy?

I mean, he's already ripped them about sending reporters out in weather people are supposed to be in shelter or evacuated from. That Klein guy who's running CNN has NOT improved the station one bit.

[Lisa]

53. has CNN already forgotten that Katrina crushed "Hurricane One"?

Their high-tech storm-chasing vehicle which they had been touting nonstop -- smashed by a piece of debris in a Mississippi parking lot. Luckily the people inside escaped injury.

[Generator]

55. You have a problem with nature's way

of thinning the "journalist" herds?

[Tyler Durden]

56. I vote for a repeat of the Scene from "The Morning After"

Or whatever that film about the new ice age was called, where the "FOX" man-on-the-street in LA reporting on the tornadoes got taken out by the flying billboard.

I just laughed and laughed.

[LittleClarkie]

57. Morning radio was joking blackly that we're going to see

one journalist with another journalist rammed though him like a piece of straw though a telephone pole one of these days.