MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann delivered an emotional special commentary on August 17 about the mislabeled “Ground Zero Mosque” in which he was on the right side of issue, wrong to inject too much emotion into his comments, and delusional – thinking he was Edward R. Murrow.
See for yourself:
Keith Olbermann\’s Special Commentary
Olbermann ends his intelligently crafted, emotional diatribe with Edward R. Murrow’s legendary sign-off, “Good night and good luck.” Was this a reverential attempt to evoke the memory of Murrow or a delusion that he had transmogrified into Murrow?
Having a sense of Olberman’s gigantic self-absorption, I suspect the latter, which creates an equally gigantic dilemma. I want to despise Olbermann for being so egotistical as to compare himself to the rational journalistic icon and crusader Murrow, but I also want to love him for his brilliantly crafted and argued commentary in which he correctly debunks the simplistic, stupid, polarizing, intolerant, repressive wing-nut label and position on the Lower East Side community center.
As a New Yorker, it’s so offensive to have wing-nuts from Alaska and Georgia trying to tell us who can worship where in our city. Their position is so blatantly anti-Obama, anti-religious freedom, anti-American partisan and political as to be ridiculous. But of course, calling wing-nuts’ positions ridiculous is an oxymoron.
Olbermann’s commentary would have been more effective and persuasive if it had been delivered in Murrow’s calm, rational, authoritative style. When you watched Murrow, you didn’t know he was angry by the tone of his delivery but by the force and logic of his argument.
On the other hand, Olberman’s most obvious and visible message is rage – raw emotion that becomes the message and which means, unintentionally, that he is playing the O’Reilly, Beck, Hannity, wing-nut game. Therefore, when a viewer looks at Olbermann’s commentary, the first reaction is to the anger, to the emotion (after all, it’s TV) and not to the rational argument.
And that’s the problem with TV, the medium and, thus, the emotion is the message. The wing-nuts have mastered the medium with their simplistic, stupid, polarizing, intolerant, repressive messages, and when Olbermann plays their emotional, angry game, the logic of his words is lost.
Too bad, because he’s absolutely right on the issue.
Hi Charles,
Olbermann has been using Murrow’s “Good Night and Good Luck” sign-off since he began the COUNTDOWN program I believe. (I know it’s been his sign-off for over 3 years now) So that wasn’t something he did just to end this special comment.
His logic on this subject was spot-on. His emotionally delivery can get in the way of his well crafted message. On that point, Murrow would be the master. But then, it seems, that was the state-of-the-TV-journalism in that day. Cronkite, Sevareid, Brinkley all possessed this ability to deliver the message and leave their emotions at home.
Dick
Actually, it is my understanding that the “Good NIght and Good Luck” thing (which he has been using for many years) is a deliberate tribute to Olbermann’s broadcast news hero, Murrow. I don’t think KB is trying to claim it as his own.
The Today Show is on in the background this morning and of course they are in New Orleans. They are continuing to try to rewrite the history of George W. Bush’s unforgivable bungling before, during and after Katrina. They are taking the same approach they always have. Laura Bush. She’s extremely likeable person, capable of thoughtful introspection unlike her husband. But in this case she’s just a shill.
In his January 2006 State of the Union speech, Bush failed to mention Katrina, He didn’t have a speechwriter skillful enough to figure out how to mention it without reminding the nation of his ineptitude. Karl Rove sent and email that was intercepted that basically said that Bush could always count on the Today Show to help his image in a pinch.
Having Laura Bush on the Today Show remembering Katrina is an insult. They showed a small snippet of Spike Lee who have produced stinging HBO documentary about Katrina and the government’s part in the disaster. If they included an interview with Harry Shearer whose documentary premiered Monday – I missed it.
I don’t expect to find serious journalism on the Today Show or any morning show, but its love of W is hard to explain.
Charles,
I just completed a four-day tour of Southern Illinois. My mother and I lived in Murphysboro, near her parents, while my dad was fighting WWII. So, I stopped in “Murphy.” I found Smysor Plaza. While there I Googled the name and found your hilarious description of Dean Smysor. I actually met him when I was a kid. He was a friend of Jim and “Hottie” Blackwood, who were friends of my mother. Hottie always talked about Smysor, but I don’t remember much of what she said. It was always with a certain wryness.
Your blog caused me to detour to Ava. I drove around the town. Nice.
Hope you are well.
Bill