Could someone please explain this to me? And why is he on MY AIR? I've used MSNBC exclusively as my Cable News Network for over 10 years. I work at home, and I keep it on in the background, or on Mute, as I go about my day. I was thrown off this week, when suddenly there was an unrecognizable voice, hosting coverage of the Pope's very auspicious visit. Who was this unfamiliar voice I was hearing? Oh, no, it's bad boy transplant, Brian Williams, masquerading as an upstanding and believable MSNBC newscaster! Cripes!
Am I the only one who was disturbed to hear our air invaded by a "foreigner"? I've never realized how soothing it is to hear the regular hosts' familiar voices in my living room, and how unsettling it would be to hear an unfamiliar voice in my personal space for all those hours on end. It has been very disorienting.
Let's face it. NBC really FAILED on this one. Williams was a monumental Cash Cow for them. Rather than having some integrity and cutting Williams loose when his indiscretions were revealed, they chose to slap his hand, put him on a forced vacation for six months, and reinstate him on their "lesser" network (the one I am loyal to, for all these years, MSNBC).
It was a demotion for Williams, but at least he got to still have a job at 30 Rock. I guess NBC figured that if his image could be rehabilitated with a stint on MSNBC, then maybe they'd take him back on their "real" network, and he'd be able to once again be their Golden Boy.
There was probably not a moment of consideration given to how the loyal MSNBC audience might feel about having him foisted upon us. Yes, you heard me, foisted. Do we really need him hosting "Breaking News"? They have a million reporters already. Is Williams, with his damaged reputation, really any better than if this event had been anchored by Tamron Hall, Chris Matthews or Rachel Maddow? I don't think so.
If you are ecstatic that the prestigious (but fallen) Williams is now on MSNBC, why are you watching MSNBC in the first place? I find it a travesty.
Boy, if I was Chris Matthews (whose voice, as a practicing and known Catholic, I had expected to hear as the lead anchor for the Pope's visit), I'd be monumentally PISSED. How does Williams, an admitted news "fabricator", get to be lead anchor, especially for a visit from a man as honorable, humble and unassuming as the Pope?
This gig was SO up Matthews' alley - and he's been there through it all - the rise and fall of Keith Olbermann, the comings and goings of so many now defunct shows, and anchors, from Dan Abrams to David Gregory, from David Shuster to Joy Reid, from Ronan Farrow to Ed Schultz. Matthews has outlasted them all…and for good reason. I don't always manage to catch his show, but I respect the man, completely. He is very unassuming. I KNOW he has integrity. I KNOW I can count on him to give me his honest opinion on any political issue, I KNOW he wouldn't fabricate a story to augment his ratings. Hearing his voice is like hearing the voice of a beloved uncle or grandpa. He must have been so disappointed to hear that Williams got the gig.
Don't get me wrong, I find Williams charming, good looking, poised and with a pleasant speaking voice. Unfortunately, that's not the first and foremost duties of a reporter. They are there to report the news…not to fabricate it! He'd be PERFECT at pretending to be a News Anchor as host of The Daily Show, once Trevor Noah fails. Now, THAT I'd watch! No, seriously, I would.
Keeping him on the job as a bona fide News Anchor, after he failed at his job, would be like hiring a painter for a second time, who did a totally terrible job, the first time around. If a dentist screws up your teeth, do you just put him in a different office, and then go back to him? NO! You don't continue to use the services of anyone who screwed up when you hired them…not a hairdresser, not a doctor, not a lawyer. There is virtually no occupation where you don't lose your position and/or your customers if you do a terrible and dishonest job!
Why is Williams any different? His only job was to report the news. He failed at it, and the consequence was that the public lost trust in him. As they should have. But, why has he resurfaced, now? Well, I guess NBC thinks he's just too damn charming to be kept off air forever. Plus, they wouldn't want to fire him, in fear that some other network would snap him up, and he would become their competition in the future. And maybe, just maybe, his reputation can be rehabilitated...or there's always the possibility that the public will forget about his foibles over time...
But why dump him on MSNBC viewers? Do we not matter? Did they think that we wouldn't notice that they have given us NBC's sloppy seconds? Well, I, for one, did notice. What's more, I felt insulted, and I did not appreciate it!
And while I'm on the subject of MSNBC, can someone tell me - what have they done to my favorite network? It is almost unrecognizable! They've cancelled some very thoughtful, important progressive shows, that have really changed our political landscape (i.e. Ed Schultz was the ONLY one reporting on Wisconsin, originally, and he, alone catapulted it into a national news story). They've replaced those shows with fluff "Live News". And they've also started hiring many more GOP strategists and party members. Tim Russert would turn over in his grave to know that his precious MTP is now hosted by that lackey, and softball pitcher, Chuck Todd! And now they've replaced an hour of Kornacki on Sunday morning with Rev Al? Well, that's one less hour that I need to tape each weekend!
But, I digress! This post is about Brian Williams. I am not trying to start a war. In fact, I LIKE Brian Williams very much. I just don't want him "stashed" at MSNBC until he's ripe enough to return to their actual network, NBC...
EPIC FAIL NBC! I, personally, don't want your decomposing leftovers. (Too harsh?)