MSNBC's Tamron Hall [file photo] is a big "Us Weekly" fan. Even more disturbing: she believes that guilty pleasure is expiated by her reliance on the New York Times for her news.
Hall has been taking Mika Brzezinksi's place on this week's "Morning Joe." This morning's show opened with Joe Scarborough decrying the disparately lenient judicial treatment doled out to Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan. They have received slaps on the wrist, doing virtually no jail time for their drug-fueled escapades, whereas Paris Hilton spent over 20 days in the hoosegow.
When Joe asserted that Paris has been walking the straight and narrow since exiting the Big House, Tamron corrected the record.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: I will say this about Paris Hilton. Supposedly, from people who have talked to her since she's gotten out of jail, she's started going to charities, she's stopped the whole party-girl routine . . .
Tamron brought him up short.
TAMRON HALL: That's not true. I get Us Weekly every Thursday and I look through it . . .
Panelist Willie Geist could be heard chuckling in the background at Tamron's admission. Thus put on the defensive, Hall sought to redeem herself . . .
HALL: as much as I look through the New York Times, they're side-by-side in my house, Us Weekly and the New York Times. And there are pictures of her at Hugh Hefner's house, dancing on a pole.
This is my second item on Hall, and I actually feel a bit bad singling her out this way. I don't sense she's intentionally promoting a liberal agenda in the same way that some of her more hard-edged colleagues do. She seems a nice person from a traditional background in Texas, and if I heard her correctly yesterday, her father was a long-time career military man.
It's just disappointing, though, to learn that she obviously believes that the New York Times is the respectable place to look for news. Isn't Tamron aware that all a person needs to know can be learned by reading NewsBusters? ;-)
Aside: One final note to Tamron. When chatting with Joe, it's preferable to avoid mention of women dancing on poles.
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.
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Reading equivalent?
August 24, 2007 - 07:52 ET by Mica the MagnificentI dunno. It's kinda like admittting you read the Bozo Weekly but have the International Herald Tribune side by side on the table.
She forgot to mention that
August 24, 2007 - 08:14 ET by Senior ChiefShe forgot to mention that she believes in: horoscope, palm reading, tarot cards, ouija boards, crystal balls, majic wands and Harry Potter! That's CNN people...
Gee, seems Tamron Hall would
August 24, 2007 - 08:39 ET by drillanwrGee, seems Tamron Hall would fit in very easily to The View pecking gaggle ... And she looks to be a hell of a lot easier on the eyes than Rosie or Whoopie.
Tamron
August 24, 2007 - 08:47 ET by Sergeant ROCKWhoopie? *shudder*
It's a shame to see such a pretty face attached to an empty head.
Kucinich/Paul '09
Side By Side
August 24, 2007 - 08:52 ET by allanfHall said
HALL: as much as I look through the New York Times, they're side-by-side in my house, Us Weekly and the New York Times. And there are pictures of her at Hugh Hefner's house, dancing on a pole.
Is the quality of the New York Times is any better than US weekly? They should be treated the same.
Who would've thought that
August 24, 2007 - 09:29 ET by Hero SquadWho would've thought that by comparison, Paris Hilton served hard time.
*****
"Some people have a way with words. Other people, er, I don't know. Not have way, I guess
Tamaron
August 24, 2007 - 09:41 ET by iveseenitallTamaron--sheeze. I hope Global Warming doesn't heat the air too much as it blows in one ear and out the other. She'll get hot flashes. To be fair though, I hear she's being considered as a replacement for Katie. The MSM has got to get someone of higher intellect than Ms. Perky. Maybe the two of them should go on the CBS nightly news together. Wouldn't that be something! Did someone say Dumb and Dumber.
NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal
Mark, This post got me
August 24, 2007 - 09:37 ET by LeonMark,
This post got me thinking.
Are we really surprised that most of these talking heads are complete morons?
The skills required to that job are not rooted in intelligence. You need to be able to smile, pretend, read, and be full enough of yourself to think that you should be on tv talking to the masses.
This seems like the number one flaw of newsbusters to me. You complain about these people (often rightfully so) but what is the solution?
We can't force intelligent people to want to be on MSNBC or write for WaPo.