Thanks to our European correspondant for putting me onto this.
It's Television: Dissected
TV News, Reviews and Interviews
It's Television: Dissected
TV News, Reviews and Interviews
Thanks to our European correspondant for putting me onto this.
13 Comments
dishy says:
Unlike Today Tonight which was all too happy to lick Paris Arse. Not only did they spend like 10 minutes covering the Hilton prison non-story – they didn’t even bother making their own lame half-arsed commentary. Instead they simply rebroadcast Larry King Live’s half-arsed commentary.
Why was I watching Today Tonight? Family was over for dinner. For some reason I do not understand, this is what they watch in the evenings. I know, it doesn’t make any sense.
dishy says:
Actually, after having watched the Youtube video – that’s not a principled stand. That is a total fake. It’s all acting.
They only wanted to make it seem like she was taking a stand against Paris coverage – while still managing to devote time to Paris, instead of serious stories. They could have covered quite a bit of real news in the time it took to create that unfunny comedy skit.
Does anyone believe that this is real and it wasn’t arranged with the producer beforehand? Because I’ve got a bridge in Manhattan to sell you.
catbrain says:
I reckon Mika was genuine; I think the guys were playing it.
And every time we discuss anything about this woman it gives more credence to it – just like we’re doing now.
BAH
Josh says:
Real or not, it was great television.
One does need to wonder, however, why they would have a shredder on set.
Ross says:
I could use a bridge in Manhattan… How much you want for it?
Brett says:
It wasn’t clear the first time I watched this but there are actually 3 different segments in the clip – with the news at the top of the hour for 6, 7 and 8am (ET).
If the shredder was a setup, I reckon they would have put it on the side of the desk so she didn’t have to walk out of frame… Seems pretty legit but the 8am bit with her trying to burn the story appeared pretty lame.
And note, I’m not talking about what the story was about – just looking at the piece as a weird bit of telly.
Ross says:
TV banter always sounds forced and staged to me. Look at the crap Sunrise and Today pump out. Wasn’t that the downfall of Jessica Rowe? If she could have laughed more naturally maybe all would have been different.
I think Mal Walden did it better with his ‘Is homework a waste of time, like that Angelia Bishop story?’ comment some weeks back, but with this at least someone is saying something against the Hilton story rather than just reading it mindlessly.
Thursday Hilton was the main news of the world, while Tony Blair’s last day was a mere footnote. Yesterday, it was the bloody Spice Girls.
The world is just getting stupider and stupider.
dishy says:
A photo of you and Brett in the same place at the same time.
dishy says:
Nah, that would have made the setup too obvious. They also wanted the drama of her “storming” away from the desk.
Seriously why would they have a shredder there? If that’s where the shredder normally is, it’s an Occupational Health & Safety nightmare. Plus a dumb location. They are usually located in the offices. It seems pretty obvious someone’s put it there for the stunt.
Who puts desktop shredders on the floor?
MoBo says:
That looked more like a shredder that would sit on a floor than a desk – it had the bin attached to it, and I think a TV newsroom/studio would have a shredder at hand – news organisations don’t like to have documents lying around for security (of their information) reasons.
Regardless or whether it was staged I think the message is the same – Enough Paris.
For those who missed it, the Mal Walden bit:
Rob Boxcutter says:
Ahh . . . I’m starting to see the link to Granola!
Granola has SHREDDED wheat among its ingredients and can be found served at the breakfast buffets of any number of Hilton Hotels, expecially in Paris.
Oops, it’s 1.30am and I have no granola. Wrong Day. Doh. Still, nothing beats camping out in the queue to ensure you’re the first to catch that crunchy granola. Sweeeet maaate!
dishy says:
Nah, if it were designed to sit on the floor, the input area would be at a more ergonomic height – like waist-height. They’d be asking for OH&S lawsuits if they actually regularly used the shredder in that position.
Plus the fact that’s it’s sitting on the studio store amidst a ton of cables and lighting stands. There’s no way that’s its permanent position.
Of course news orgs have shredders – but not on the studio floor.
catbrain says:
Looking at it again, I think that the issue probably came up in the production meeting and they were told to run with it on the basis of their own opinions. I think the shredder is actually positioned so that if you are sitting at the desk (which appears to face the area in which they are sitting), you can lean over/scoot around on your wheelie chair to shred something.