If this isn't the ultimate hypocrisy? Here we have new NBC Universal Entertainment Co-chairman Ben Silverman, a highly positioned member of the MSM, getting all huffy over the fact that an eeeevil "Blogger" leaked his important, behind the scenes company operations on the Internet. "I hate the blog world. ... It ends up interfering with people's lives," says the NBC kingpin.
This is hilarious for it's disconnectedness. The MSM doesn't seem to feel THEY are "interfering with people's lives" when they do stories that destroy people (hello Richard Jewell, falsely accused as being the "Centennial Park Olympics bomber" by the MSM -- or "Scooter" Libby for that matter. And let's not forget how the "entertainment" media dogged poor Anna Nicole Smith to her death... and after!). Nor do they worry much about the propriety of leaks of information where it concerns national security (hello New York Times' constant disclosure of National security info). None of those things seem to worry the MSM when it is they being the exposer rather than the exposed (hello Dan Rather and "60 Minutes").
IMDB.com has a news snippet titled, "New NBC Entertainment Chief Angered by Leak", on their site today reporting Silverman's lament:
Newly appointed NBC Universal Entertainment Co-chairman Ben Silverman has castigated L.A. Weekly columnist Nikki Finke, who broke the story on her website last week that top NBC executives were planning to replace Entertainment President Kevin Reilly with Silverman. On Monday, TV Week quoted Silverman as saying, "I hate the blog world. ... It ends up interfering with people's lives. It messes with the process." The trade publication said that Finke's report "sent the entire NBC dealmaking team into frantic overdrive through the Memorial Day weekend."
Pile on top of that the attack on "Bloggers" and we get a chief of the MSM that displays a dinosaur-like desire to stay in the 20th century right along with a healthy does of an inability at introspection resulting in blatant hypocrisy.
What are the sayings? Pot - Kettle - Black? Or how 'bout, "what's good for the goose is good for the gander"? Or even, "What comes around, goes around", comes to mind.
... not to mention the saying of "getting a taste of your own medicine"!!
It's even funnier that this attack on "Bloggers" is one against a correspondent from the L.A. Times who is not really a "Blogger" as much as a duly hired member of the MSM, all with the result that we get a hilarity of blindness displayed by this high and mighty "entertainment" Chief!
So, we are to feel sorry for the Silv-dude because those darn interfering Bloggers "messed" with his "process", huh?
Look at me.... I'm crying for the inconvenience of the MSM.
Or not!
Editor at Large
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What a franken crybaby
June 6, 2007 - 04:22 ET by Cool ArrowAre you sure you have the correct picture with this posting. If I'm not mistaken, that's Michael Bolton with his hair dyed.
We should be flattered. Blogs are a very big reason Americans are disgusted with the MSM.
Just another franken MSM crybaby.
Yes, I thought the picture re
June 6, 2007 - 04:26 ET by Warner Todd HustonYes, I thought the picture revealed something about this guy,too. A long haired "cool dude"... a perpetually adolescent creep! A guy not acting his age. Worse, his hair is stuck in the 1980's!
I wonder how many hours a day
June 6, 2007 - 07:05 ET by Mica the MagnificentI wonder how many hours a day it takes for him to get that 'french guy' look?
How dare you do to us what we do to you! I am so angry I want to . . .to . . .waaaaaaaaaaaa! - NBC chief
LMAO.. good one, Mica. I
June 6, 2007 - 07:11 ET by rimskyLMAO.. good one, Mica. I love it!
Richard Jewell (2 L's) was
June 6, 2007 - 04:57 ET by sarcasmoRichard Jewell (2 L's) was first accused in leaks to the media by big government -- namely the fibbies -- not big media. The Atlanta Urinal and Constipation in that case did their job, which was to put out the news the FBI had leaked to them about Mr. Jewell. Let's keep the truth factor goin' here, folks, all the media did was pile-on to a man wrongly accused by the government. Had the government conducted an honest investigation instead of concerning themselves with leaks and media before truth, we would not know Mr. Jewell's name.
JMR
Richard Jewell
June 6, 2007 - 05:04 ET by Cool ArrowYeah, Clinton's FBI overextended on that hunch. But I seem to remember a leak years before that. Something to do with the Pentagon Papers. I could be wrong.
My point wasn't leaks, it was blame.
June 6, 2007 - 05:16 ET by sarcasmoMy point wasn't leaks, it was blame. Leaks are a separate subject. Warner was unfair IMO to blame the media for what big government did to Mr. Jewell in this case. Big media's to-blame for plenty of stuff, as we all know, but when they're innocent and big government's guilty, I go to bat for the media just like I go at 'em with my rhetorical bat when they're guilty of things like antilibertarian bias -- as I've shown is frequently the case. "Fair and balanced" ain't just a slogan when it comes to this blogger's laptop. That's why NB need the likes of me around!
JMR
Libertarian
June 6, 2007 - 05:27 ET by Cool ArrowHard to sell a concept like that given the government's penchant for providing a safety net for all who engage in risky behavior.
Little doubt our founding fathers were libertarians at heart. Charity was a temporary thing the government didn't engage in., Illegitimacy wasn't openly promoted, and certainly not something the government supported.
We'd have to push the action triggers back to the States before we could begin to consider anything like personal responsibility.
It sells better every day.
June 6, 2007 - 05:49 ET by sarcasmoIt sells better every day. Seems to go along with the growth of government...We all found out last election what happens when Republicans think they can entirely-abandon fiscal conservatives. Wanna lose again? Do it again. Republicans tend not to remember the Paul Coverdell wins we Libertarians gave you in the past, but those go right along with the losses-by-the-Libertarian-vote margin. You can learn the easy way, or you can learn the hard way. And as for states' rights, you can either be "Justice Thomas consistent" on the issue, or you can expect continual rhetorical barbs from those of us who believe that Constitutions aren't always politically convenient "pick and choose" documents. Y'all's choice! But take a look at American history, and what happened in the USA vs the rest of the world back when things operated more-like what the founders said. Life can not be a risk-free proposition, and in various ways these days, people seem to think it should be. It needs to stop.
JMR
To clarify... big government
June 6, 2007 - 06:23 ET by Sergeant ROCKTo clarify... big government = Klinton and democRATS = MSM
Birds of a feather Do flock together...
I wonder if Reilly and Silver
June 6, 2007 - 07:09 ET by rimskyI wonder if Reilly and Silverman are best buds, or something. Perhaps they had din-din together of a recent evening, with Silverman acting like nothing was in the offing, and then BAM!, out comes the leak and all of a sudden Silverman is looking pretty sheepish. What to do now? How can he face his friend. Damn those leaks.. must have come from some blogger.. look how this has ruined our (Reilly and Silverman) lives (forget that they are drowning in big salaries and were it not for their pampered lifestyles, they wouldn't really need to work another day for the rest of their lives). Just a thought.. I could be all wrong here.
Aww Poor NBC.. NOT!
June 6, 2007 - 08:55 ET by Six String SpiffWow. This is a glimmering gem that one has to stand in awe of the sheer hypocrisy. A blogger ruins peoples lives? Puuhhleeaazzzzee. How abou tthe ENDLESS barage on Christians in this country by the MSSM? How about Imus getting canned for telling it like it is? How about all the CIA leaks they have had a hand in just they can get the "story first". I could go on for hours, but my disgust would take over.
Islam should have it's religious status revoked until it can prove it's not a hate group.
You can't connect this guy
June 6, 2007 - 09:49 ET by balboaYou can't connect this guy to the MSM / news / blogger world. He's in entertainment. It's a whole different world.
You're dreaming there! They a
June 6, 2007 - 10:08 ET by Warner Todd HustonYou're dreaming there! They are one and the same. The Main Stream Media is NOT just "news" sources. It includes Hollywierd, etc. We call them that Main Stream Media not the Main Stream News.
But in the context you're a
June 6, 2007 - 10:27 ET by balboaBut in the context you're applying, it's different. Entertainment inside news, which is what Silverman is referring to, is notoriously being leaked by the internet. He is not speaking with any kind of hard news context. He's not being a hypocrite because he has nothing to do with the hard news division.
I guess I just disagree. I se
June 6, 2007 - 10:38 ET by Warner Todd HustonI guess I just disagree. I see no difference between any aspect of the MSM. They all do the same stuff and they always whine when it is returned to them, as if THEY deserve more consideration than they give.
WTH...I agree
June 6, 2007 - 10:43 ET by LionKingWTH, for what it is worth, I agree. MSM is Main Stream Media..Unless I am mistaken, entertainment is part of the world of media.
If I am wrong, PROVE IT !!! ;-)
I know what you're saying,
June 6, 2007 - 11:11 ET by balboaI know what you're saying, but this guy's world is nowhere near the same as, say, NBC News'. This guy's trying to figure out how to 1. cause millions more people to watch Friday Night Lights (and they should!), 2. find a way to spread Thursday's comedy goodness to other nights, 3. find the next Cosby/ Cheers/ Seinfeld, American Idol, or CSI-type franchise.
I don't think there is such
June 6, 2007 - 10:41 ET by lnthompI don't think there is such a thing as "hard news" any more. If there were, CBS would never have considered Ms. Perky to be their anchor, and George Stephanopolis would never have seen a guest anchor spot at ABC.
Lee T.
U.S. Navy (ret.) / Vancouver, Washington
The history of the race, and each individual's experience, are thick with evidence that a truth is not hard to kill and that a lie told well is immortal.-- Mark Twain