For a man that is averaging a paltry 600,000 viewers an evening, he sure is full of…himself. MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann sat down with the folks from Radar Online for an interview published Monday (hat tip TVNewser), and it must have been hard to get his head through the entranceway.
First, he did what most employees learn at an early age is a no-no – he took on his boss. His interviewers asked: “Dan Abrams said recently that your program ‘could become a model for the newscast of the future.’ Are you a role model?” Olby obnoxiously responded (emphasis mine throughout):
I don't know what Dan has to do with it frankly. We've never had a conversation about the direction of the show. He's actually the—The general manager [of MSNBC], right, but we rarely interact. As far as I know he works on dayside programming. Phil Griffin runs the network. He is the vice president of NBC [News] and my original producer in television.
Then, he went after CNN’s Lou Dobbs (emphasis mine throughout):
I think Lou has basically done one comment everyday for the last three years. We get it! They've broken the borders! You're trying to sell a book called Broken Borders—at Border's! I get it!
And, of course, Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin: “This guy [Chad Conrad Castagana] obviously has a lot of problems, and one of them probably is a disturbing hero-worship of Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin.”
Certainly, no KO interview would be complete without a litany of insults directed at Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly – but you can read that repetitive, jealous nonsense for yourself. What was more telling was the following:
Ultimately, this is a news broadcast, and when the news is sufficient, we throw the jokes out the window. We will do it straight. I did the elections straight. I did the blackouts straight. I did the Pope straight. There doesn't have to be humor mixed into it. The whole idea of conveying a journalistic standard is great, but if nobody watches it, what's the point?
For the intellectually challenged – which, of course, represents the bulk of KO’s devotees – this was indeed the most telling part of the interview, and what “Countdown” is all about: if the news is compelling enough, he’ll report it. However, if that won’t either attract viewers, or keep their attention, he needs to quickly move into either comedy schtick, or Howard Beale rants. As there aren’t any warnings put on the screen when he’s made such a character change, the viewer has no idea what is news, and what is not. As such, it all becomes comedy schtick and Howard Beale rants – a fact that Olby and his drooling automatons are clearly missing. Olby almost proudly punctuated this concept:
I like to say that we are to some degree like the Daily Show, but for half an hour we're not allowed to screw with the news at all. The bar is a little higher over here. Well, the jokes don't have to be as good, but at least 50 percent of the show has to have actually happened.
Which conversely means that on any given day, up to 50 percent of this program can be made up, thereby making "Countdown" just a modern-day version of Paddy Chayefsky's vision of the news in the 1976 Academy Award-winning film "Network". For those that have forgotten, the fictitious UBS network had been seeing its ratings plummet, until one of its newscasters, Howard Beale, had a nervous breakdown on the air. Viewership spiked, and the producers realized that making the news entertaining and thereby driving ratings was more important than accurately reporting the events of the day. Sound familiar?
That said, towards the end of the interview, Beale...er, I mean KO made a deliciously hypocritical statement that right- thinking folks are sure to get a kick out of. As the discussion moved to the false anthrax letter sent to him, and the New York Post’s articles on the subject, Olby had this to say (make sure all fluids are at a safe distance, and nothing is in your mouth but your tongue): “And the Post not only wrote a mocking article but by doing so they were interfering in a terrorism investigation. They were on the side of the terrorists.”
I’ll give those of you that didn’t heed my caution concerning fluids and digestibles time to clean up your monitors. Ready? Good.
Can you imagine the gall here? This is a man that is against the Patriot Act, and applauded the leaks of both NSA surveillance programs by the New York Times. Yet, when he got a letter filled with harmless powder, and news organizations joked about it in much the same fashion he mocks everything, this rose to the level of interfering with a terrorist investigation. Talk about the height of hypocrisy.
Fortunately, those disgusted by this man's perversion of the news shouldn't be too concerned. After all, at the end of "Network", as people tired of Beale's act, his ratings plummeted, and UBS operatives assassinated him on the air. In reality, Abrams and MSNBC aren't likely to need such a drastic maneuver to shut this sad clown up, for he is destined to shoot himself, albeit in the proverbial foot.
Does anyone want to start the countdown?
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters.















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Comments Policy
I have been thinking of sendi
December 5, 2006 - 11:43 ET by MightyMouthI have been thinking of sending Keith something for Christmas, a gift certificate for skydiving lessons. Yeah, from the MightyMouth school of skydiving. I pack all the chutes myself and will take extra care to pack his right. Yeah, I think I'll do that....
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Can I mark the target? I'll u
December 5, 2006 - 11:51 ET by FastEdCan I mark the target? I'll use a combination of cross, star of David and a cresent moon, (diversity y'know) and a sign, "KO's Underground Bunker!"
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad
Keith: "Why is this para
December 5, 2006 - 11:58 ET by MightyMouthKeith: "Why is this parachute so heavy?".
Me: "Oh, we use a new type of material, it's called plumbum . Makes for a softer landing."
Keith: "kewl!"
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Mighty Mouth
December 5, 2006 - 13:53 ET by fosstenWow. Haven't heard a plumbum reference since high school. How'd you yank that one out of your hat?
Very impressive, MM. I am now wiping off my monitor again.
"Very impressive, MM&quo
December 5, 2006 - 14:14 ET by MightyMouth"Very impressive, MM"
Thanks, you might not believe it from this picture , but I was actually somewhat of a "geek" in high school. :-)
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
The 82nd element
December 5, 2006 - 14:27 ET by UnsaneIt's not hard to remember plumbum. It makes GREAT water-pipe material! Just ask the Romans.
"Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance and the gospel of envy." -Sir Winston Churchill, British statesman (1874-1965)
Hey, maybe old Keith has be
December 5, 2006 - 15:22 ET by MightyMouthHey, maybe old Keith has been drinkin that plumbum piped water? Might explain alot.
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
I've said it before and I'll
December 5, 2006 - 11:53 ET by CaringwhiteguyI've said it before and I'll say it again; and today's pic makes it all the more obvious to me too . . . .HOWARD BEALE! But let's remember where poor old Howard ended up :-)
More media incest. These pe
December 5, 2006 - 11:55 ET by mattmMore media incest. These people think the world revolves around themselves.
Noel,Olbermann has a history
December 5, 2006 - 12:01 ET by Chris NormanNoel,
Olbermann has a history of self-destruction where he has worked, doesn't he?
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
Chris Norman
December 5, 2006 - 12:04 ET by Noel SheppardCN,
Yep! And, history has an interesting way of repeating itself, albeit less frequently than the pompous KO! ns
Noel, some personalities, lik
December 5, 2006 - 15:01 ET by Chris NormanNoel, some personalities, like Rush Limbaugh, seemingly act pompous and egotistical as their schtick - tongue firmly in cheek. However, Olbermann seems to be genuinely both pompous and egotistical - and very thin skinned. I would guess it's just a matter of time before history repeats itself and he crosses the line - and off the cliff...
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
some personalities, like Ru
December 5, 2006 - 15:05 ET by balboasome personalities, like Rush Limbaugh, seemingly act pompous and
egotistical as their schtick - tongue firmly in cheek.
However, Olbermann seems to be genuinely both pompous and egotistical
I know you don't think so, but liberals say the same thing, with Rush and Olbermann reversed.
dear balboa
December 5, 2006 - 15:13 ET by tumblerSo? Liberals say the same thing, with Rush and Olbermann reversed.
But check it out; Rush is not misrepresenting himself as an objective, impartial journalist. Oldroid does that, every day. He's a freak'n hypocrite and liar.
I was addressing the egotisti
December 5, 2006 - 15:22 ET by balboaI was addressing the egotistical part of the last post, not anything regarding impartiality.
Bal, I'm sure they do. Howev
December 5, 2006 - 15:39 ET by Chris NormanBal, I'm sure they do. However, Rush has been successfully doing his schtick for twenty years straight, while Olbermann has bounced around from one gig to another. Further, his bounces weren't always completely voluntary or happy, as I understand.
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
And may that history repeats
December 5, 2006 - 12:10 ET by Dave RAnd may that history repeats itself right soon, as I have nearly exhausted my store of printable comments about that jerk.
ok then, the secret is out
December 5, 2006 - 12:24 ET by tumblerSure! Why hadn't we seen it? He let out a secret:
"Phil Griffin runs the network. He is the vice president of NBC [News] and my original producer in television." --Abrams doesn't give Krazy Keith orders; Phil Griffin speaks through the Olbermouth. And that's what he was hired for and gets paid for. To play the abrasive, numbskull golem. It figures. He's an absurd dingaling without the talent to invent schtick.
Olbermann
December 5, 2006 - 13:00 ET by pocomocoNoel,
Why do you continue to waste time and pixels writing about Olbermann???
It seems as though NewBusters has become excessive/compulsive over him. Take a Paxil, and call me in the morning.
Because Keithie is so much fu
December 5, 2006 - 13:25 ET by Dave RBecause Keithie is so much fun to mess with. I mean, it's great entertainment and, best of all, it's free.
Free Advertising
December 5, 2006 - 13:29 ET by Celumnazpush the right KO buttons and get free advertising?
Poco
December 5, 2006 - 13:31 ET by Noel SheppardPoco,
First, I don't do antidepressants. Second, as the MSM continue to focus attention on this abomination, and promote him as the second coming of Edward R. Murrow, I believe it is incumbent upon us to refute such assertions whenever possible. If we don't, their attempted self-fulfilling prophecy will come to fruition...and then where will we all be? :-) ns
Noel,I stand corrected.
December 5, 2006 - 13:34 ET by pocomocoNoel,
I stand corrected.
Speaking of huge head. I flip
December 5, 2006 - 13:34 ET by nicksmith112Speaking of huge head. I flipped over to Krazy Keith while Bill O. was in commercial.
They had an obnoxious closeup of Krazy Keith.
It was a giant 42 inch tan-melon-head intruding on my living room.
It was frightening!!!
Perhaps you should consider a
December 5, 2006 - 13:37 ET by Dave RPerhaps you should consider a smaller TV when viewing KO.
He has a lot of nerve going
December 5, 2006 - 14:21 ET by mlongHe has a lot of nerve going after Lou Dobbs for selling a book with the same comment each night..after pimping his own book for the last 6 months and doing the same Bush bashing "special comment" every week.
Keith Olbermann is an American hero.
December 5, 2006 - 15:20 ET by TexasOptimistKeith Olbermann is an American hero.
Yes, you read it correctly. I believe that Keith Olbermann is an American hero.
He is a national treasure. Why? Because he is showing us just how paranoid, loony, and irrational the left is in this country. Each and every night, live on national TV.
Keep it up, Keith. The more whacko you are, the more we know that WE (the conservatives) are winning the battle of ideas.
BTW, maybe he isn't a hero in the classical sense. ;-)
The Reagan conservative formerly known as Texaswolf77.
I am not a Trot, that was an act.
I'm waiting for the day when
December 5, 2006 - 18:07 ET by Clear thinkerI'm waiting for the day when KO comes right out and sides with the terrorists. I wonder what his Muslim name will be? How about... His Eminence Keitho Bin Laden Olbi-je-zeera?
The Shehada
December 5, 2006 - 18:54 ET by UnsaneActually, I can't wait for the day when he converts on the air with a recital of the shehada, followed by instructing all of his viewers how they can do the same!
"Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance and the gospel of envy." -Sir Winston Churchill, British statesman (1874-1965)
MY Tivo Makes Me Ashamed
December 5, 2006 - 17:57 ET by hbestEvery now and then, I have to jump over to MSNBC or Neverland Ranch as we call it around here, to see and hear the latest drivel from KO. Since I participate in Tivo's viewer tracking program, which is a step above their normal tracking and is identified to you, I'm afraid some good conservative there is going to look at my viewing and wonder about me! I watch solid, good programming, news, family, talk, but about twice sometimes three times a week, I just have to see what KO is spouting off about. Does that make me a bad person? I mean worse than a normal conservative? (Almost all the "media" tells us Conservatives and Conservatism is bad). Somebody reassure me I'm OK.
Hbest
I always found it smart to
December 5, 2006 - 18:32 ET by MyKindaSpamI always found it smart to insult a boss, and even better openly slight him by claiming he doesn't do anything successful. This kind of strategic maneuvering is vital if you want to move up in a business' leadership structure and always gives me an advantage over those who just work hard and suck up. This method is so productive, that today, I "work for myself!"
I agree MKS.....My boss marri
December 5, 2006 - 22:06 ET by bigtimerI agree MKS.....
My boss married me! LMAO!....<sarcasm for those in Rio Linda>.
Seriously though.....Ubermann is really and truly nuts if you ask me...he is a goner...give him time and it will be proven.
Nothing last forever...even insanity. Next step....commitment.
"Once the coffers of the federal government are opened to the public, there will be no shutting them again." - Grover Cleveland
Commitment
December 5, 2006 - 22:12 ET by BlondeBT....
Next step.....commitment.
I'm without words. That is the funniest thing I think I've ever read!
A true classic!
Th3 Bridg3s of Insanity
December 6, 2006 - 01:37 ET by Unsane"HAV3 TH3 BRIDG3S OF INSANITY B33N CROSS3D AND FOR3V3R R3TRACT3D???"
- M3shuggah, "3ntrapm3nt"
Odor? new flasher jacket
December 6, 2006 - 04:46 ET by foolnomoreO'dor'ie , my good buddy , take it from some body with a lil inside knowledge,please take the med's or you be getting a jacket with sleeves in the back an lil tazer'ing in the morn'n before coffee,,