MRC intern Joe Steigerwald wrote the following post.
You've got to give credit to Al Gore, he certainly knows how to play the mass media like a fiddle, particularly NBC.
Eight days ago, NB editor Brent Baker picked up on an NBC Universal press release about how the peacock network and its sister networks will cover the upcoming Live Earth concerts a grand total of 75 hours.
That doesn't count the gratuitious promotional pitches for Live Earth that may be embedded within NBC programming. Take last night's (June 13) "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."
In a blatant and out-of-the-blue pitch, O’Brien conjured a Live Earth question for "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert.
For some context here, O'Brien and Russert had just finished talking about one time the Sunday talk show host interviewed Russian nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky:
Tim Russert: And he says in perfect English, "you mean a cutaway?" The only English he knew was "cutaway."
Conan O'Brien: That's -- the world -- the world, that you know -- in the entire, you know, globe, everybody knows the cutaway. Yeah, that's something you can be assured of. I'm told there's this -- I've been hearing about it a lot at NBC. Maybe you're in on this. There's going to be this giant, eco-friendly concert to promote --
Russert: Oh, Fourth of July, Al Gore.*
O'Brien: Fourth of July.
Russert: Live Earth.
O'Brien: Al Gore, Live Earth. This is gonna promote the greening of the planet and efforts to be, you know, carbon neutral, the whole nine yards. Are you gonna go to this concert?
Russert: I think I have to break out the tie dye and head band and be there. I mean, I went to wood –
O'Brien: Things have changed.
*Russert and O'Brien were three days off. Live Earth will take place on July 7, 2007, a Saturday.
—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters
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Conan O'Brien is a childish w
June 13, 2007 - 14:59 ET by Mean Gene Dr. LoveConan O'Brien is a childish wannabe with ADHD. He is a media and attention whore. He reminds me of Anthony Michael Hall's character 'Ted' in Sixteen Candles. He will do anything to suck up to whoever he thinks is cool in order to somehow gain a higher level of coolness. Conan is nothing more than a phony.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." --Thomas Jefferson
The only media attention Cona
June 13, 2007 - 15:19 ET by MrListerThe only media attention Conan ever gets is during the hour a night that his show is on. Of course he's a phony. He has to suck up to everyone so that people will still go on his show. There hasn't been one talk show host that wasn't a phony. Ever.
Maybe Conan just likes music.
Conan's schtick is getting te
June 14, 2007 - 00:08 ET by stratmanConan's schtick is getting tedious. I don't see how a comedian so relentlessly childish would be rewarded with the Tonight Show spot. It's a sad comment when Jimmy Kimmel has more class than you, Conan.
O'Brien's going to tank the show like Katie Couric did to CBS News. Letterman (already tedious and old in the tooth) must be licking his chops for the migration of viewers.
I want to know why Gore isn't broadcasting from Smith County
June 14, 2007 - 00:41 ET by Carl KolchakI want to know why Gore isn't broadcasting from Smith County, TN. He should have a bluegrass band do "Rocky Top". If Gore weren't snotty, he would have some live bands broadcast from there.
"That's why all the folks on RockyTop get their corn from a jar" 'RockyTop'