29 replies to this topic

[JRC]

If you haven't heard about it yet, Here:
http://news.yahoo.co...illion-contract
(there was a really good recap in yahoo news the day after, but I can't find it now)

So, the Juan Williams goes on foxnews as the token liberal, and--taken out of context--says a really dumb thing . . . maybe on purpose to cause all this jibbajab.

Gets fired, waaaaaay too off the cuff.

Now he's a hero . . . to . . . some demographic apparently.

At the very least he made NPR look like the right's worst left-wing stereotype/chiche.

[skeksis]

my $0.02 - is that the guy had it coming for some time, but that NPR should have handled the firing more discretely. that's where they screwed up (plus it was right during fall pledge drives all over the country, oops!).

but basically I agree with the folks that say Williams lost track of the difference between analyst vs commentator. he'd been slipping further and further from NPR standards and closer and closer to the Fox norm (if on O'Reily, say something obnoxious) for quite awhile. this particular incident wouldn't have justified dismissal, except that it provided an excuse for NPR to act on what's been a bigger pattern.

[jeremx]

yeah.. i think it's shitty how it went down. obviously the guy coulda phrased it better. and you would have expected him to do so being a professional journalist where his words are his bread and butter. i mean, it's cool to be honest and say, "yeah, when i see a turban on an airplane, i think about 9/11." but you have to be as subtle as possible in putting something like that out there. because that show is going to run with that like crazy and make it look like you're some jingoist racist like they are. "hey man, welcome to the team. oh, your employer isn't going to like that we have something in common? our bad. good luck." so they win either way.

[bob]

Talk Show with Juan and Helen (Thomas). REAL TALK!

I think both sides get to blow this out of proportion and six months from now no one will remember it.

[donald]

aren't most of the critics of the firing of Juan Williams all on Fox Payroll?


I really liked Juan Williams on NPR, and was baffled when I found out he had a semi regular presence on FOX. I agree that it went down pretty shitty, but he did have it coming if he had been warned multiple times before for the same thing.


I have more respect for NPR on trying to keep things on the right track. It irks me to hear them called Leftwing media by representatives of Fox News, especially when Fox news should just be called Fox Entertainment.

[weener]

I guess this is a good place to link to this awesome Tumblr, Muslims Wearing Things.

My favorite:



I'm not so into froofy skirts usually, but I would so wear that if the occasion were right.

[JRC]

I didn't know there was a ban on NPR folks providing opinions of FOX.
It seems odd to me on one hand, but I do understand not wanting one of your reporters to go around spouting off opinions either (how those opinions can be seen to cast shadow over objective news reporting).

However, if you're going to let someone provide analysis on other networks, personal opinions are going to factor into that no matter how much you don't even mean for it to--esp when people like Orielly turn everything into a personal argument, and work to gode one out of their guests.

I like Williams on NPR too, and truthfully I didn't mind is personal statement.
It felt honest, and in the larger context made lots of sense.
I think a lot of people would--if being honest--admit to having the same initial gut reaction.

NPR on the other had really bungled this, made themselves look like intolerant ideologues—very much the flipside of the FOX coin.
. . . somewhere, the cynical conspiratorial minion in my mind can’t help but feel this whole little thing was somehow scripted by everyone involved.

Also: pink docs = cool. Giant single pink dot = weird.

[joe.distort]

i dont say this simply to be contrarian or smart ass (moreso to say that, for me, it doesnt change the way i thought about NPR at all), i do not care in any way about this. i actually cant stand a lot of NPR simply because it is often the spineless douchey liberal cariacture that makes left leeaning people seem like a bunch of weiners.
keep FOX and NPR away from me. they both make me want to sock myself one right in the ole kisser

AND i will also say that no matter how far left i am, and how much i think racial bias is fucked on every conceivable level, i personally dont get excited when i see middle easterners on my plane. you may say im a victim of the media, you may think im a bigot, but im just being honest. i bear no ill will towards anyone of any different creed or nationality but when you look at the statistics of airplane related terror/hijackings/etc you cant say im not looking at the numbers.

i dont trust white people when im on the street either. mainly because im still looking at numbers: i dont expect some Pakistani homeless guy to try to shank me: i expect the grizzled ass white dude. so suck it.

[bob]

I don't get nervous when I see people that look middle eastern or muslim or whatever getting on my plane. i get nervous because i'm getting on a plane and i'm about to be FLYING THROUGH THE AIR. as far as terrorists, i get way more nervous when i see military dudes and women at the airport. like a terrorist is going to dress like some guy from 'the Temple of Doom.' give me a break. i fear the soccer moms.

[donald]

i dont say this simply to be contrarian or smart ass (moreso to say that, for me, it doesnt change the way i thought about NPR at all), i do not care in any way about this. i actually cant stand a lot of NPR simply because it is often the spineless douchey liberal cariacture that makes left leeaning people seem like a bunch of weiners.
keep FOX and NPR away from me. they both make me want to sock myself one right in the ole kisser

I am not sure how NPR is spineless and douchey, could you elaborate? It won't change my view, but I would like to understand why you think this so I maybe get a better idea of where this mindset comes.

[joe.distort]

i said OFTEN spineless and douchey, and if you like it, thats fine. if you dont see how thats self explanatory, then thats fine too. every time i hear NPR its some soft voiced borderline whiny person talking about the most uninteresting thing i can think of. or WAIT, WAIT where everyone just sounds like a smart ass, and not in the funny way.

there is at least real news on NPR, which i support, but it seems like everytime someone turns it on its the epitome of upper class liberal crap. ie: lets shop at green stores and drive prius and pretend its going to save everything.

[donald]

i said OFTEN spineless and douchey, and if you like it, thats fine. if you dont see how thats self explanatory, then thats fine too. every time i hear NPR its some soft voiced borderline whiny person talking about the most uninteresting thing i can think of. or WAIT, WAIT where everyone just sounds like a smart ass, and not in the funny way.

there is at least real news on NPR, which i support, but it seems like everytime someone turns it on its the epitome of upper class liberal crap. ie: lets shop at green stores and drive prius and pretend its going to save everything.

fair enough


I guess there is a guy with kind of a lisp or hair lip who occasionally reports on there, and Diane Rheem(spelling?) can be a little painful to listen to at first, but the content of her show has always been cool with me. Other than that, I never considered anyone on there whiny. I don't really listen on the weekends so I don't really listen to this American Life. They aren't yelling at the audience, like some other stations do, so I can understand how you could take it as soft voiced.


I guess I don't need people yelling at me to give me the news. I also DON'T want opinions when I get the news, I only want the facts. Side comments can be ok if it's non-political. I read that CNN is losing ratings because they aren't opinionated like FOX news which I think is lame.

I like spineless and douchey News and I have no issues with that as long as I get my facts.

[weener]

it seems like everytime someone turns it on its the epitome of upper class liberal crap

I generally like listening to NPR, but I have to second this. It's the douchey lifestyle pieces that assume that the listener has a zillion dollars and wants to hear about fashion and cars and $80 cuts of meat from upscale butcher shops. What about us liberals that make $23,000 a year? Huh? I don't want to hear some numbnuts blather on about what wine to drink while you're watching a DVD of Eat Pray Love.

It's not as bad as the NY Times or anything, which just ran an article about rich New York assholes giving their babies iPhones:

THE bedroom door opened and a light went on, signaling an end to nap time. The toddler, tousle-haired and sleepy-eyed, clambered to a wobbly stand in his crib. He smiled, reached out to his father, and uttered what is fast becoming the cry of his generation: “iPhone!”

Because there's no toddlers in this generation whose parents either can't afford an iPhone, or know better than to hand it to a 2-year old. FUCK YOU, New York Times.

[joe.distort]

fair enough


I guess there is a guy with kind of a lisp or hair lip who occasionally reports on there, and Diane Rheem(spelling?) can be a little painful to listen to at first, but the content of her show has always been cool with me. Other than that, I never considered anyone on there whiny. I don't really listen on the weekends so I don't really listen to this American Life. They aren't yelling at the audience, like some other stations do, so I can understand how you could take it as soft voiced.


I guess I don't need people yelling at me to give me the news. I also DON'T want opinions when I get the news, I only want the facts. Side comments can be ok if it's non-political. I read that CNN is losing ratings because they aren't opinionated like FOX news which I think is lame.

I like spineless and douchey News and I have no issues with that as long as I get my facts.

no, im saying that the news segments i am fine with-thats what news SHOULD be like. its everything else on there that is just so annoyingly fey.