I don’t usually agree with Megyn Kelly but that interview was dreadful. It was cringeable. I felt sorry for Eric Holder. I was embarrassed for both of them. Melissa Harris-Perry usually does better than that.

What am I missing here? It didn’t even make sense. Why would anyone call Eric Holder a duck? Asking him to quack was just mortifying. She needs to find another line of work.

36 Thoughts to “The”cringeable” interview”

  1. Steve Thomas

    When our elected leaders and senior officials are doing comedy shows, and softball interviews on shows that are simply “Us Magazine” disguised as a news program, things like this happen. You have them doing the ‘Daily Show” which is a parody of news programing, why not have a news program parody of a comedy show?

    These elected leaders and senior officials want to raise their pop-culture visibility, and gain a certain familiarity to the viewers. One drawback to this is “familiarity breeds contempt”.

    It used to be a bid deal when one of these electeds or officials appeared on the tonight show, Dick Cavett, or anything other than a true news program like 60 Minutes, or 20/20. Times have changed, for better or worse.

    1. Maybe its because the reality of who is really running is comedy.

      Steve, I think we are both old. I already admitted that I get an F in pop culture. That’s where it’s AT (I know, I know….).

      People used to go to revival meetings for the social end of it also. Spelling Bees used to be community events–a way folks got to get out and see their neighbors. Things change.

      That interview was just embarrassing.

    2. I am not sure that our elected officials entering the pop culture world is a bad thing. Clinton was probably the first to make the full leap (along with his saxaphone) when he appeared on MTV. I think Al Gore was his side kick. I first saw the Clintons at the University of Richmond before he was ever elected. Just having a presidential candidate on campus is a security nightmare and it costs a fortune nowadays. Every time PWC has a presidential visitor it cost the county at least $100,000. While that might seem like chum change, it really isn’t when municipalities are on a tight budget.

      One of the reasons why pop culture might be more popular now for politicians is security. You sure don’t see presidents riding down the street in open air convertibles any more, waving to adoring crowds. In person appearances are very guarded and limited.

      How many presidents have won because of the young person vote? That’s just one way to reach your intended audience.

  2. Steve Thomas

    @Moon-howler

    I don’t even watch broadcast or cable news, or tv, and I don’t listen to pop music either. I do watch series on Netflix and amazon, but that’s it for viewing. Gave up the “angry talk” radio too. I listen to John Bachelor on terrestrial radio, and podcasts on topics of interest. I get my news from a couple of websites. Don’t do social media anymore, except linkedin.

    So, I wouldn’t know if the interviewer usually does a better job. I’ve pretty much given up on TV news altogether. I’ve seen a dumbing down across the board, whenever I think of the “Giants” like Chet Huntley and David Brinkley. I think the decline started with 60 minutes (a good show, but a departure), then came 20/20, then the today show and only got worse with the plethora of 24-hour news channels. Bad interview or just a symptom of overall decline? A tree is known by its fruit.

    1. I think having access to news 24/7 destroyed journalism. There seems to be no standard.

      I think Melissa Harris-Perry has had enough gaffes now and she probably needs to find a new career. The Duck interview was just unbearable to watch.

  3. BSinVA

    I hope both of you are drawing conclusions regarding this interview on your first hand viewing rather than relying on a Fox News analysis.

  4. Jackson Bills

    Isn’t this the same ‘news’ anchor on MSNBC who wore tampon earrings? Go figure…

    1. These youngsters!!! I just don’t know about these young people!

      From the dailycaller.co.uk:

      MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry came up with an unusual way to protest against recent abortion legislation in Texas on Sunday morning – by wearing tampons as home-made jewellery.

      Before the laws were passed on July 12, security at the Texas Capitol in Austin temporarily banned tampons from the building in the fear that abortion rights protestors would hurl them at lawmakers.

      Harris-Perry drew attention to this on her show, putting the accessorized hygiene products on her ears live on air with the words: ‘My producer Lorena made for me last week some tampon earrings.

  5. Jackson Bills

    BTW Moon, I don’t get the quack like a duck thing either. It reminded me of something along the lines of a giddy 15 year old freshman interviewing her crush captain of the football team. Kinda like most MSNBC interviews with the president. No hard hitting questions and then the awkward fawning, flustered and blushing flirty wrap up.

    1. It seemed very inappropriate to me.

  6. Jackson Bills

    A side note since we are talking about news anchors… I remember this one: https://www.moonhowlings.net/index.php/2014/05/22/ah-how-the-mighty-have-fallen/

    And Brian Williams?

    1. I guess they all just get too big for their britches. Its ok for fishermen to exaggerate but not news anchors!

  7. Jackson Bills

    The sad obituary of the end of an ear… John Stewart leaving the daily show in 5… 4… 3… 2…

  8. Jackson Bills

    Ear=era

  9. Jackson Bills

    Moon-howler :
    I guess they all just get too big for their britches. Its ok for fishermen to exaggerate but not news anchors!

    Brian Williams wasn’t just the face of NBC news, he was also the managing director of NBC/MSNBC news. Ah, yes… Faux news indeed I suppose

  10. Cargosquid

    @Jackson Bills
    “he was also the managing director of NBC/MSNBC news.”

    I did not know that.

    1. I guess he fired himself for 6 months then. Good trick.

      I am trying to figure out what difference it makes. Hint: it doesn’t. He embellished. He got caught.

      There is no comparison to Faux News. They are what they are.

  11. Steve Thomas

    @BSinVA

    BS,

    I don’t watch Fox, CNN, MSNBC, NBC or any other of the myriad news shows. I don’t have cable or broadcast TV. I am tired of spending just as much time trying to peel back the agenda onion to get to the truth, as I do trying to understand the “report”. This includes FNC.

  12. BSinVA

    I have to admit that I get my news from Yahoo, the Washington Post, InsideNova,

    1. I also read Huffington and Politico routinely. throw in a little Bristow Beat.

  13. Jackson Bills

    Moon-howler :
    I guess he fired himself for 6 months then. Good trick.
    I am trying to figure out what difference it makes. Hint: it doesn’t. He embellished. He got caught.
    There is no comparison to Faux News. They are what they are.

    Your kidding yourself if you think this was all over this one embellishment. Apparently he has lied… sorry, embellished for years about all sorts of things. From watching dead bodies float by his 4 start hotel room window (where there was no flooding) to “staring down the barrel of an RPG tube” as it was fired at him.
    If it was just him as a reporter doing this then fine, he is a lying jackass. But he isn’t just some reporter, he is the face of NBC news and he IS the managing director of NBC/MSNBC news. This is much bigger than just ‘he embellished and got caught’.
    This truly brings a whole new meaning to faux news when it comes to NBC and MSNBC when their managing director is a proven liar. He didn’t fire himself for 6 months, the higher ups see an avalanche of “embellishments” coming over the next few weeks while people dig into this ‘reporting’ and are trying to save what little credibility those two ‘news’ organizations have left.

    1. You once again missed my point. Let me be more blunt: I don’t give a rat’s ass.

      Embellished means lied.

      I don’t care about him. He got caught and he got removed. What’s to talk about?

      You are trying, once again, to argue with me. There is no argument. He got what was coming to him.

      Faux news is based on lies and hating any Democrat or Independent. I try not to talk about most of them also. They aren’t removed because the owner and managers doesn’t care if they are lying POSes. It makes money and all sorts of archies sit around hanging on every word. They don’t listen to a variety of news from a number of sources which makes most of the listeners just plain ignorant.

      If your bosses don’t care if you lie, and in some cases even instruct you to “embellish” (there, is that better?) then of course you won’t get fired or disciplined.

    2. He isn’t the boss. Get over it.

  14. BSinVA

    CBS, NBC, MSNBC, Faux, ABC, Military Channel, etc. make money by selling ads. The price of the ads is directly related to their ratings. The higher the rating the higher the price of the ad. We, the people, run over each other to watch explosions, pregnant teens, the Kardashians and Bruce Jenner, Duck Dynasty, and the Price is Right. We rarely watch C-Span where actual impactful discussions happen.

    Jackson, you need to understand that MSNBC is the same as Fox News, for bull baiting and you are the bull.

    1. Much of it is. I would say that Morning Joe does not serve that purpose, even though he made a giant jackass of himself recently. I also think Rachel Maddow is a good commentator. Other than that, its mirror image of Faux News. Wait…maybe the blonde lady gets a pass also. Older lady…married to Alan Greenspan. Andrea Mitchell. Sorry. Old age. She is very thorough and attempts to get it right rather than throwing out raw meat of undetermined sources.

  15. Pat.Herve

    Brian Williams wasn’t just the face of NBC news, he was also the managing director of NBC/MSNBC news. Ah, yes… Faux news indeed I suppose

    Please cite the source – I do not believe he was the managing director of NBC News.

  16. Steve Thomas

    BSinVA :
    I have to admit that I get my news from Yahoo, the Washington Post, InsideNova,

    I will admit to reading the WaPo. I’ve noticed a gradual shift to the center, and a slightly higher degree of professionalism, since Bezos took over. That, and being a Kindle prime member got me a free subscription, so what the heck? Who am I to turn away a small blessing? I also discovered clipboard. Love it. I get a feed that is very balanced, as it pulls from everything from Drudge to Mother Jones. I like the Blaze too, mostly because of the many positive personal-interest stories they publish, but ignore the political ones. I get my political stuff from RealClearPolitics.com. Now that is a balanced site.

  17. Pat.Herve

    I did not watch the video – nor either program.

    But – what type of a ‘news’ programs airs clips taken from other programs on other networks?? Really is it news of what another program aired? I can see the Daily Show – it is a comedy show about nothing – but a news program airing it… really? I am surprise I do not see the ‘Alert’ banner in the lower right.

  18. Steve Thomas

    Not “clipboard”. Flip Board….stupid autocorrect. Flip Board is a great app You can pick from established feeds, or create your own, based on a particular interest. I built one on organic gardening, and every day great articles. On this topic appear in my feed.

    1. Thanks for reminding me about Flipboard, Steve.

  19. Cargosquid

    @Steve Thomas
    “That, and being a Kindle prime member got me a free subscription, so what the heck?”

    Me too.

    I’ll have to check on that.

  20. middleman

    Jackson Bills :

    Moon-howler :
    I guess they all just get too big for their britches. Its ok for fishermen to exaggerate but not news anchors!

    Brian Williams wasn’t just the face of NBC news, he was also the managing director of NBC/MSNBC news. Ah, yes… Faux news indeed I suppose

    My research shows that Williams was the managing EDITOR of the Nightly News. I would take this to mean that he had at least some editorial oversight of that particular news broadcast. I don’t see where he was the “director” of anything, to include NBC or MSNBC.

    1. I discovered the same thing, middleman. Not sure what point JB was trying to make.

  21. middleman

    From what I’m reading, JB’s point is that Williams was the “managing director” of NBC AND MSNBC news and as such had a lot of control over what and how the news was presented to the public, meaning he could slant the news to his liking as Fox news does.

    The fact that he was only an editor of one broadcast- the NBC Nightly News- is only one fact that would negate that assertion. Another factor is that Williams basically lied to make himself seem more brave or interesting or intrepid as a reporter. There’s no evidence I’ve seen that portrays him as overly partisan or biased that would lead to him airing slanted Fox-style stories even if he DID have that kind of power.

    As an interesting side-note, a reporter who really DID have the kind of reporting chops that Williams can only dream of died last week- Bob Simon. This guy was the real deal- he was one of the last off the roof of the embassy at the end of the Vietnam War, he was held hostage and tortured in Iran- he went for the story despite, or even because of, the danger. All to die in a cab crash in NYC at age 72. Irony is a bee-atch!

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