When one watches the news almost 24/7 one cannot help but glean the personality of the one reporting and/or editorializing about the day's current events.
Another Blogcritic, Scott Butki, has written some excellent articles on Larry King and Art Buchwald. Thus I was inspired to take keyboard in hand, toothpick in teeth and tongue in cheek. For the mighty news anchors/commentators cause me fury, laughter, disdain and anger, sometimes all within a one-minute time span.
Let us begin with John Gibson of Fox News. John can be seen hosting Fox's 5 p.m. The Big Story. I often ponder that this news show was titled after Gibson's hair. This fellow has the biggest hair of any of the news anchors. Indeed a Fox viewer found a vegetable shaped like Gibson, big hair and all. It was a tomato I think, so go figure.
Gibson does a passable job of reporting the day's events but he is by no means impartial. I'd argue that Fox is known far and wide for its conservative slant on the news, so this should come as no surprise. Every day John presents what he calls "My Word" and it's a bit of biased editorializing and most times I agree with "John's Word."
In fact, beginning or ending a show with personal editorials is not at all unusual for Fox but I appreciate the effort to stipulate the commentary as personal opinion only. Bill O'Reilly is the anchor of The O'Reilly Factor seen nightly on Fox in the coveted 8 p.m. slot.
I cannot stand Bill O'Reilly. Period. And that bit about talking dirty over the telephone that was all the embarrassment last year for good old Bill doesn't help my dislike a bit. O'Reilly too features a segment called "Talking Points," usually at the beginning of his show. I am so glad that O'Reilly doesn't write the talking points for the Republican party as I've never heard such a ridiculous mish-mash of nothing.
Although O'Reilly is featured on the Fox News Network, he is anything but a conservative. In fact, O'Reilly is a traitor to conservatives, frankly, and will suck up to any Hollywood loon who would guest on his show. O'Reilly is also a terrible interviewer. He tends to cut people off in mid-sentence and although he often promises to give his guest "the last word," he seldom does.
.jpg?t=20130517094513)
Article comments
1 - Victor Lana
Nice overview of the talking heads, Pat. I really don't like any of these guys and long for the world of Cronkite, Huntley and Brinkley, Harry Reasoner, and the like. The last true news person I admired was Peter Jennings (class all the way), and he is gone now. How sad for us all.
2 - NancyGail
Thank you for the hatred of O'Reilly. He turns my stomach. A couple of items for claification: Anderson Coooper's mom IS Gloria Vanderbilt. Make no mistake, he got where he is through hard work. Contrary to what some might believe, he was in news before The Mole aired. He can be tough, but I've always thought him fair. Plus, I think he cares, which is more than I can say for some other anchors. Nancy Grace at 10pm is a repeat of her 8pm CNN show. Watching other shows at 10 most days, though.
3 - Bliffle
No mention of Jim Lehrer and his crew?
Brit Hume strikes me as an unctuous brute. He interrupts other people relentlessly and is so glowering and rude that no one can interrupt him back.
4 - Ty
Don't forget Rita Crosby. Cute as hell (seriously, major news hottie), but the most annoying voice on television.
5 - Victor Lana
Okay, Ty, if you're going to throw Rita Cosby into the pot, I'll see that and raise you with Laurie Doo-Doo.
6 - Steve.Stewart
Gee... are your biases showing???? You are far to biased to make objectives evaluations of anyone you've written about. If you can't face the truth just accept your own lies... and lie in it.