Keith Olbermann v. Edward R. Murrow
I just watched one of Olbermann’s better rants. It’s a good one because most of it (apart from his comparison between the Administration and terrorism - little that the current administration is doing is terrorist by the standard definition; a better comparison would be between Bush and Putin or the House of Saud - wearing the cloak of respectability while steadily undermining democratic progress) was cogent.
As right as Olbermann often is - and as… eloquent (if not articulate or well-spoken) as he often is - I don’t really like him. It may be small of me to stare in disbelief at the bushy eyebrows accentuated by eye-brow paint. But that isn’t all. I know he is serious and sincere, but his sincerity about the topic is overshadowed by his seeming habit of taking himself all too seriously. There is no doubt that he thinks himself the Edward R. Murrow of the 21st century. He even gives the comparison an un-asked-for “awe shucks” in closing one of his rants. But he isn’t the new Murrow. Maybe he is the closest we have in the media right now - at least among doing the climactic “at long last, have you no shame, sir” schtick. If so, it’s a pity. It’s a pity that Bob Edwards of NPR hasn’t saddled up, or even Bob Woodruff. We could use an Edward R. Murrow right now.
I wouldn’t dream of asking Olbermann to shut up. His message is usually very close to correct. His language is only a little too harsh - and then, only usually because he is forgiveably convinced that the situation goes beyond the possibility of hyperbole. But he would do well to compare his career as an underachieving sportscaster with that of Murrow, who broadcasted live by telephone from the rooftops of a London during air-raids, then went on to establish himself as a journalist of the first order in terms of integrity and acumen for long years before he uttered his most famous words to Senator Joe McCarthy.
And after that reflection and after retooling his tone to bring an honest and down-to-earth feel to his broadcast - fire his make-up crew.
Well I don’t think that we need to wait until that “little” becomes “a lot” do we? Terrorisim is kinda like Brylcreem. A little dab will do ya.
Do you think you would appreciate Olbermann more if he were limited to radio broadcasts? That would eliminate the problem with the eyebrows.
I know Olbermann reads it but is he in fact the guy who writes it?