Sometimes you see something that is so ludicrous, so ridiculous, that you simply feel compelled to get up and walk away.  And so I just had to turn off my television.  No more.  I could stand no more.

I truly wanted to watch some sensible coverage of Hurricane Ike as the monster storm slammed into the Gulf Coast.  And with that in mind I stayed up late, scanning the news channels for information.  So I found Geraldo Rivera, he of the handlebar mustache and strange connection with Fox News.  There he was in Galveston, standing upon a dock in the middle of the storm.  The winds swirled, waves dashed, and the video feed blinked on and off.  He was standing at about a 45 degree angle, explaining the coming devastation as the winds were reaching 127 miles per hour!  Then, the next thing I know, SPLASH- he lost his balance and was blown into the water.  Crew ran to his rescue as I viewed his cheesy smile emerge from the surf.  And I could stand no more.  Time for bed.

Surely these guys do not need to wind surf in a hurricane to report the news?  Besides, if I am a network executive who feels the need to send a newscaster to report from the point of impact of Hurricane Ike, I would want one with a bit denser center of gravity, like maybe Al Roker.  Or Willard Scott.  At this point, he's expendable.

Please.  For the sake of some shred of professional decency and dignity, bring back the television weatherman in the bad suit, the one who stands afront a blank screen and pretends to point to a weather map.  He may be boring, but he does not fall into the surf, and he manages to convey the needed information in about five minutes.  It does not take Geraldo to do that.

---

posted by: LadyG (reply)
post date: 09.13.08 (2:08 am)

It's very stupid PD, one station does it and then the other follows suit.

---

posted by: fractalmom (reply)
post date: 09.13.08 (5:30 am)

its the whole MTV generation thing. you sit plastered to the tv, letting life go by while you are mesmerized, unable to disconnect. they keep you involved with new flashes (of nothing at all) and new images.

it makes me want to vomit.

i try not to watch more than 1/2 or so a day, in the evening to catch up on what the hell is going on.

hannity says 2008 will go down in history as 'the year JOURNALISM died and MEDIA took over".

---

posted by: PastorDave (reply)
post date: 09.13.08 (10:13 am)

Reply to: madmel
I'm thinking, with the machismo, they are encouraging reckless behavior. Overlooked is the fact Geraldo has a dozen-man rescue crew about ten feet away. If only he would get siphoned into a tornado, only once, then maybe a few less people would stay and brave out the storms.

---

posted by: PastorDave (reply)
post date: 09.13.08 (10:15 am)

Reply to: kurtmaddox
Now, what do you guys call those surf boards with sails? That's what I want to ride-out a hurricane.

---

posted by: PastorDave (reply)
post date: 09.13.08 (10:16 am)

Reply to: LadyG
Once again, especially can network personalities bring together the words "stupid" and "news".

---

posted by: PastorDave (reply)
post date: 09.13.08 (10:17 am)

Reply to: fractalmom
Indeed, there is a mesmerizing effect to all the flashing and changing of the video. And it is planned. Yet more reason for a smart person to limit his/her television time.

---

posted by: bawdy (reply)
post date: 09.13.08 (11:47 am)

Idiots. They feel it makes for more compelling television, but it is totally unnecessary. A remote, unmanned camera could give an equal sense of the devastation if they really felt the need to be on the scene.

---

posted by: pineapples (reply)
post date: 09.13.08 (7:07 pm)

idiots.. why do people feel the need to put themselves in danger .. like do you seriously have to put ur self in harms way to improve the network ratings.. so stupid ...

---

posted by: auntconi (reply)
post date: 09.13.08 (7:16 pm)

Reply to: bawdy

Bawdy said it ~ a remote "unmanned" camera would do the job ~ perfectly ~ and if it gets blown off and you can't see anything ~ well, "it is REALLY terrible and STAY AWAY!"

:)

---

posted by: surrogate (reply)
post date: 09.14.08 (10:40 am)

LadyG hit the nail on the head.

Monkey see? -monkey do. And now, they need to fill 24-7 worth of air time on all these channels... I was watching MSNBC yesterday and they had some tiny female reporter out in the storm wearing one of those loose fitting ponchos. I thought she was end up being a human kite a couple of times, but lo and behold she was there today too, now, of course, standing in flood water up to her waist, pointing out damage and telling us that it's really wet there in the water. I thought, "Really? Say it ain't so."

---

posted by: OldSchool (reply)
post date: 09.15.08 (10:38 am)

They are putting themselves and the crews in danger. They are also making other viewers feel like the danger might not be that bad if these guys are reporting live from the evacuated areas. Seems so unnecessary, but has become commonplace nowadays.
I could see possibly posting a camera remotely controlled to record the events, but to put actual people in harms way seems foolish and unnecesary.

---

posted by: brandonpages.co.cc (reply)
post date: 09.16.08 (1:10 am)

can you tell me how to insert ads in our tblog

Your Name:


Your Comment: