‘Olbermanns’: The New Measure Of Media Stupidity
By K. Daniel Glover | May 18, 2009
Bill Whittle of Pajamas TV put a well-deserved smackdown on MSNBC last week in the latest episode of "Meet The Blogs."
Near the tail end of the 21-minute segment, Whittle ridiculed Keith Olbermann's latest vulgar tirade, this time against Miss California Carrie Prejean for her opposition to gay marriage. Olbermann ranted as a photo of Prejean with the cutline "WTF!?! Moment" was displayed in the background.
Olbermann's not-so-subtle embrace of the f-word to illustrate a story came just weeks after MSNBC (and other liberal media networks) repeatedly made sexual innuendos about "teabagging," a previously obscure term for oral sex, in reports about the "tea party" movement against excess government spending and taxation.
"You have to be a pornographer now to follow some of the language and some of the attitude that's going on on MSNBC," Whittle said. Indeed.
He ended the segment with this poke at Olbermann:
Someday they're going to have to find a way to measure stupidity, and I recommend that the unit of the measurement of stupidity be designated as Olbermanns. And I think that last statement was pushing 9.7 Olbermanns, and I don't know if the country can take another seismic shock quite like that one.
Measuring all journalists against an unhinged commentator like Olbermann may seem unfair, but by setting the scale that high, it ensures that only the worst quakes of journalistic stupidity will be noticed.
K. Daniel Glover is a project manager for Accuracy In Media. He has worked as an editor, writer and new media specialist in the Washington area since 1991, spending most of that time at National Journal and Congressional Quarterly.
29 Comments | Post a Comment
I can think of a view Olbermanns that could be used on ESPN, most notably AOL Sports (and former “Chicago Sun-Times” sports) columnist Jay Mariotti in a March 2004 ESPN’s “Around The Horn” calling for the shutdown of FOX Sports Net (FSN)or “Pardon The Interruption”‘s (and former “Monday Night Football” TV and “Washington Post” sports columinst) Tony Kornheiser’s relentless support of Dennis Kucinich during the 2004 Democratic Presidential primary.
Note: Olbermann worked for both ESPN and FSN before he got his MSNBC gig, and he was just as annoying and obnoxious back then.
Olbermann is not a journalist, just a lunatic leftist who is so limited in his vocabulary that he has to use explicatives. He was stupid in his sports gig and is even more so now. The man can’t even think on his own.
Click on YouTube.com and “Olbermann ESPN” or “Olbermann FSN”. He did appear on both cable networks. This was before he went off of the deep end.
“teabagging” actually had nothing to with oral sex, or any other kind of sex. Its a reference to something completely different Kids used it in online gaming to describe a revolting act.
I have never had a need for MSNBC so honestly never heard of the idiot Olbermann. I’m not a sports fan (at all) so have never been subjected to his brand of stupidity in any way.
Until he was allowed to HAVE AN OPINION, instead of just reporting the News. His opinions are programmed, he hold to what he has been told.
I here by support the Use of “Olbermanns” as a measure of stupidity.
The unit to measure treason, has MANY more options…
G`Day 
t
Apparently in some circles, “teabagging” has sexual innuendos. Like I said before, I’d never heard of such garbage prior to Olbermann (and a few so-called “journalists”) making these comments. You are so right, Terence, about the unit to measure treason having MANY options…..
Also, to “Former Democrat” You are correct—Olbermann is NOT a journalist and not even a very good commentator. He’s a jerk.
You people fail to realize that the liberal media types are morally superior to us and know what’s best for us.Kind of like the Obamanistas. Now, shut up, pay more taxes, and do what you’re told.
ACK!!
C. Roy, If it were not for you, I would have continued to wander around believing I was a free man and an American Citizen!
Thank you ever so much for the reminder!
I’ll find my checkbook and send a fat “please forgive me” check to DC right away.
(anyone see where I put that last case of ammo…)
t
I’m glad that I’m noat alone in see Olbermann as extraordinarily obnoxious and ignorant. I was dismayed to see him on Sunday Night Football. I thought we had at least gotten rid of him as a sports announcer, where he was just inept as he is on the news. While we can change the channel on the news, it’s harder when he’s commenting on a football game we don’t want to miss. Long ago, I used to turn the TV sound off and listen to the game on the radio simultaneously when Howard Cosell announced Monday Night Football. Maybe I can find Sunday Night Football on the radio. I guess his mother loves him!
Olbermann is not very different from the other overpaid “infotainers and provacateurs” like Hannity and Limbaugh, et al. They all laugh all the way to the bank - Olbermann with $37.5 million; Hannity with $100 million; and Limbaugh (and Howard Stern) with $200 million contracts. And - they can ALL be equally obnoxious - and they’re all certainly equally partisan. Each’s program is not much more than an “informercial” for each’s partisan agenda.
TK, you’re right. All those you named are in the shock business, but Olbermann gets first prize for the blatant lies and the vitriol he spews night after night. I’ve never heard the right wing purveyors of political commentary resort to sexual innuendos and the “in the gutter” nastiness that Olbermann uses. He even has a satanic grin and a gloating demeanor as he tells his fat lies.
Olbermann is a moronic homosexual who has suffered from cranial rectal inversion all his life. He would know truth if it walked up and slapped his face. Why TV networks of any sort, even knowing that few if any have morals or scruples, would have this ranting piece of human excrement on the tube is beyond normal human comprehension. The guy is a fake. He knows, like Schultz, “nothing.” He ought to be relegated to pimping for gays in drag.
Re: Post 12;
I make no excuses for Olbermann - and I think he has gone to extremes especially over the last year or so. BUT - if you want to hear right-wing “nasty” and “in the gutter” - not ALWAYS - but a lot of the time - check out Michael Savage’s 3-hour radio program every day! Sometimes - he rants and raves in ways that are so personal and so nasty - I find it hard to believe such stuff is actually broadcast on the radio!
All-in-all - I think both sides are way too far out of line.
Re: Post 13;
Geez! Olbermann doesn’t happen to be a student of yours, does he?
Just what is it that Progressives (Liberals) have against pretty women and Christian family values?
A Muslim, on welfare, social reject births six brats in a single downlosd and gets raves and praise because the kids are almost guaranted to be Liberal (Progressive) voters in 18 years?
TK, I must admit that I’ve never listened to Savage, but I’ve heard others say that he’s “over the top,” too. I’ll take your word for it. If he’s the right’s answer to Olbermann, then I hope his ratings dwindle to nothing, and he gets canceled. The right should NOT stoop to that low level of the left. That’s for The Huffington Post, Daily Kos, and MoveOn.
I have listened to Savage and he is informative compared to Olbermann and the rest of his loony ilk in the press. This includes Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow, Jack “Ass” Cafferty, and Lou Dobbs.
Savage is in the fight of his life thanks to Jacqui Smith and the British Labour Party for branding the San Francisco-based talk show host as a terrorist.
For the good of Savage and this country, please support this fight because if he loses, we as Americans will lose.
There is no comparison between Hannity, Limbaugh, et al, and der Olbermann. For one thing, they identify themselves as commentators from the git-go. They do not pretend to be disinterested news reporters. For another, they deliver their spiels with humor and class, rather than rabid anger. People who don’t like them are really liberals claiming to be “moderates”. They can dish it out but they can’t take it because they’ve had it all their way for far too long.
The majority of the time, Hannity, Limbaugh, O’Reilly begin discussions based on facts and
figures and present conclusions based on facts, whereas, the Olberman, Mathews, Rachael whatever-her-name’s presentments are personal attacks and emotional solicitations.
“The truth normally lies(“is”)somewhere between two sides of an argument”.
From this context, the reality of the American public is much closer to presentments of the Hannity’s, O’Reilly’s, Limbaugh’s, and yes, the
Savage’s of this world.
The emotional solicitations and personal attacks from those “people” are meant to obfuscate, confuse and intentionally divert attention away from what the current administration is doing to us as citizens.
The back room dealings and real analysis of bills being rammed through Congress and the affect it is going to have on us and our children is only being shown from the likes of O’Reilly, et al.
The Demos/Libs with B.O. as the Major Domo are
leading the U.S. into 3rd world obscurity and are trying to saddle us, our children, and their children with a crushing debt and at the same time killing the small business sector.
Olberman, et al…,are complicit in perpetrating the theft of America’s future.
Re: Post 17;
Savage certainly goes more “over-the-top” than does Olbermann - yet - Savage claims to have the largest right-wing audience of all - and I’ve heard that he and Limbaugh more-or-less share the distinction with each having some 10 million listeners weekly. The only schlock jock with a larger audience (in his heyday some years ago) was/is Howard Stern. The radioheads are definitely MUCH schlockier than the TV talking heads.
Personally, I see Olbermann as MSNBC’s version of Fox’s Hannity; Matthews is MSNBC’s version of Fox’s O’Reilly; and Maddow is MSNBC’s version of Van Susteren.
Personally, I often tend to go along with much of the commentary of Lou Dobbs and Pat Buchanan - although I do sometimes listen to Savage to get a few chuckles - and I do go along with some of the sentiment expressed in Bill O’Reilly’s books. Recently, however, it seems they’ve ALL turned up the volume - trying to recapture the higher viewership/listenership they all had during last year’s election campaigning.
Remember me? My name is Julius Rosenberg (Code name “Liberal”). I headed an organization of spies. The people who worked with me were refered to as “Liberals”. I would say I was very successful before I got caught.
Today my legions of Liberals are thriving.
“Liberal” has little to do with any recognized political party today though many of us prefer to be described as either indipendant, Libertarian or Democratic, whichever is conveniant at any given moment.
Now you know where the colloquial/slang term “Liberal” Originated from. That is if on did not know this before…....
Good day,
Liberal
Anyone smell troll? Get me a stick, I think I have some stuck on my boot…
Thriving? LOL, OK…
What does this have to do with a sorry “journalist”.
BTW, you missed the Socialists, The Communists, The Nazis and several other forms of “MEism” Fascist Partys.
Funny, my Captcha word is children82… how fitting
“Facts” like “Crosses” Hurt!
Some one is a little oversensative here…....
Liberal media like Olbermann’s is nothing but Liberal Propaganda. Trash.
I don’t care if you love them or hate them,, just remember those of us who paid the price this
Memorial Day, so that we CAN say what we want about them , before the Obamanistas come & take away THAT right ,too! If you can read this , thank a teacher,, if it’s in English, thank a Veteran, OK??
Media Stupidity is when Veterans are termed “Troll” in this site by “Rosenberg Liberals”.
Sometimes media will act stupidly.But most of the time we need them for some situations.I think media has to make people free to them.
oil drilling,
Are you telling us that the Mainstream Media is needed? The MSM are news from; ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, even CNBC has been forced into talking points of left political speech, NYT and other far left newspapers.
Olbermann is a classic hater of everything, with the exception of all things Socialist.
He wanted and got a Sports show on Fox News (he was a former Sports Reporter), but kept going on rants, so Fox fired him, his ratings were dismal.
Partisan liberal politics have been indoctrinating our students (Media, K through 12, and especially Universities) for years now, more slowly at first, now it has become full blown. For over 200 years of this nation, calling someone a Socialist, the fight was on…Now they embrace the term.
As for the Rosenberg’s, they got just what they deserved, since around the Jimmy Carter era, Capital Punishment for Treason was negated, now they only serve a short sentence.
May 19 at 9:38 am | #1 | Link
It just amazes me how MSNBC is so “up to date” on all the latest pornographic vocabulary. I had never even heard of these terms until they brought it to light for all of us. It tells me a lot about their character. How digusting and UNprofessional can they be?? Measuring stupidity by “Olbermanns” seems like a great idea to me! I would just love to see supposed journalists for ONCE report the news AS IT IS, not as they would like it to be. Even those who are commentators and not journalists should try to maintain some form of professionalism without mean and lewd comments - don’t you think?