When Lewis Black went off at the Emmys a couple of years ago about TV becoming obnoxious with the amount of information splayed on the screen, he hit the nail right on the head. Sad to say, things have not gotten better since that rant. In fact, they're worse. I don't know what's worse, the annoying pop-up ads on the television screen or the annoying pop-up ads on the computer screen. At least in the case of the latter, it's the equivalent of a commercial and -- somewhat -- understandable.
But when you're watching a television show and have to ignore the bug in the corner, then be subjected to a variety of pop-up promotions and reminders for shows you may or may not be interested in watching it's enough to make you turn off the set. I'd say it's enough to make you switch channels, but where can you go to avoid the intrusion? PBS?
It looks as though Lou Dobbs has picked up another spot on another cable news network. This time, he's not the interviewer. He's the interviewee.
Dobbs will appear as a guest on Monday's episode of The O'Reilly Factor where host Bill O'Reilly will grill the former CNN talking head on his sudden departure from his previous employer, his future career options and his never-ending quest to battle the invading armies of the Mexican empire aka illegal-immigrants.
Of course, the timing could not be worse. His appearance should only "fuel speculation" that Dobbs has scored a job at the Fox News Channel. The network's PR team continued to deny such speculation, something they'll continue to do until he scores a job at the Fox News Channel.
Miss California USA, Carrie Prejean, has a new book out, and she was on Larry King Live last night to promote it. Larry asked her about the lawsuit she filed against the pageant, but she didn't want to talk about that and even told Larry he was being "inappropriate." She then talks to someone off-camera and it looks like she's about to walk off the set but then changes her mind (or her handlers changed it for her). She came back after the commercial and said she didn't want questions from viewers.
In her defense, the settlement was private, and that probably includes the reason why it was settled, not just the amount. But she just looks goofy taking off her mic and telling Larry that she can't hear him (even though she can clearly hear him because she answers him). The moral: either answer the questions or just leave the show.
He hasn't announced if he's leaving for another network or even another job in or outside of television, even though he was seen getting cozy with Fox's Roger Ailes two months ago. But neither Dobbs nor the network have confirmed if he's going to be hired by the Fox News Channel. Translation? He's going to be hired by the Fox News Channel.
Here's a rather amusing clip from CNN. They were doing a story about Congressman Barney Frank's partner being arrested for having pot plants in his home a couple of years ago, and this leads to Wolf Blitzer saying he knows what marijuana smells like but not what it looks like. Lou Dobbs? He knows both.
[via TV Newser]
Poor Oscar the Grouch. Not even PBS' ombudsman will cut him a break. No wonder he's so grouchy. Well that and he lives in a garbage can. That would make me more than a little perturbed.
A clip of a two-year episode of Sesame Street popped up on YouTube thanks to conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart's on his Big Hollywood blog in which Grundgetta, Oscar's girlfriend, makes a crack about "POX News" that sounds very close to "FOX News." PBS' ombudsman Michael Getler said while the name could be construed as a "clever and appropriate title" to the "Grouch News Network," the joke about the reference "should have been resisted.
I was shocked when I saw it. Oscar the Grouch has a frigging girlfriend?!?
I don't fit neatly into any one political category. There are things I like about the Republican party and things I like about the Democratic party. I watch Fox News and CNN equally, and there are talking heads on both networks that I like and don't like.
I will say this, though: Ann Coulter has one of the most annoying voices on TV right now. It's hard to listen to what she's saying, because her whiny voice is so distracting. Sometimes when I'm just listening to her but not watching her, I almost expect to look over at the TV and see a cartoon character droning on about ... whatever.
I don't watch Saturday Night Live regularly, but surely someone must have spoofed her by now. With her nasal voice, hair fixation, and political opinions, she's like a skit waiting to happen.
Aside from their political views, what other commentators just bug the heck out of you? (Yes, I realize I'm going to be in the eye of the storm here; keep it as clean as possible!)
Everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing when they learned about "Balloon Boy." Rather, they remember what they were thinking: "Has the news media completely run out of things to cover today or was Chester the Squirrel That Can Water-Ski taking a day off?"
Every section of your TV had been preempted and saturated with coverage of what sheriff's deputies believed to be a runaway balloon that was carrying the life of an innocent boy with it. It even preempted the so-called cable "news" networks that interrupted coverage of the pending health care reform bill. That move only would have made sense if insurance companies refused to cover victims of hot air balloon accidents because they considered "gravity" to be a pre-existing condition.
And the really funny part is now it starts getting weird. The Larimer County Sheriff's Office said the family faked the whole thing just so they could get on TV.
The latest celebrity death rumor that turned out to be false was the one about Scrubs star Zach Braff. He didn't kill himself by taking pills. To prove it, Braff has made the video below. He calls the guy who started the fake rumor (he even created a fake CNN page to make it more believable) a "douchebag" because the story upset his mom.
I've never noticed how often the hosts at CNN - almost all of them - say the phrase "we'll have to leave it there" when they run out of time when interviewing a guest. But The Daily Show noticed it, and last night they were all over CNN about it.
Earlier today I posted a video from last night's Daily Show where Jon Stewart took FOX News to task for flip-flopping on their coverage of protestors. But let's be fair. Here's Stewart from the night before, dumping on CNN for their ridiculous new segments.
The TV talking head and former right side of CNN's political cluster#*$& Crossfire has passed away.
Robert Novak died Tuesday morning at the age of 78 from his bout with brain cancer.
The right-wing pundit was a journalist first as evidenced by his long stint in the ink stained world of newspaper reporting from his days as an Illinois sports stringer to his columns for the Chicago Sun-Times. But he's probably best remembered by audiences' eyeballs for his work as a TV pundit and his uncanny ability to make news as he reported it.
If I was to make a list of ten things I hate on television, I think polls would be one of them. The news channels (cable and local news) are always asking us to text or call in with our opinion on some poll question. But you can't believe the numbers, as Jon Stewart showed last night on The Daily Show. (Video also here.)
The daytime segment of cable's first day concluded with four Turner-related panels: Joy Behar on her new HLN talk show; a CNN panel with John King, Christiance Amanpour, and Soledad O'Brien; a panel with Jerry Bruckheimer and the cast and producers of TNT's Dark Blue; and George Lopez, who is starting a new late night talk show on TBS.
Behar and Lopez bookended the session, and they were an interesting contrast. Two comedians, both opinionated, both with things to say about current events. But while Behar's gentle jabs played to mostly silence among the cranky writers in attendance, Lopez got more than a few of us to laugh. I've never been the biggest Lopez fan, but I have to admit, he was ready for us: he made most of us stand up to talk to him, he jostled us on our reluctance to be enthusiastic, and he was able to make pretty quick comebacks with ease. Must be the years of dealing with hecklers.
Anyway, after the jump, some details of Turner's day in Pasadena, including audio of an interview with O'Brien that I started with the word "cankles."
Walter Cronkite's passing didn't mark the end of an era in the TV news business. The era he helped produce and prolong died long before he did.
It's hard for me to ever imagine a time when people considered a major network news anchor as America's most trusted source for anything. Claims of bias and political persuasion being injected into every story with a meat syringe created a thick fog that made it very hard to cover anything with a modicum of honesty.
Cronkite, however, was the man people turned to when something blew up, exploded, imploded, launched, landed or any other number of descriptive verbs, because his goal wasn't to make news every time he stepped in front of a camera. His goal was just to report it.
When Lewis Black went off at the Emmys a couple of years ago about TV becoming obnoxious with the amount of information splayed on the screen, he hit the nail right on the head. Sad to say, things have not gotten better since that rant. In fact, they're worse. I don't know what's worse, the annoying pop-up ads on the television screen or the annoying pop-up ads on the computer screen. At least in the case of the latter, it's the equivalent of a commercial and -- somewhat -- understandable. 
It looks as though Lou Dobbs has picked up another spot on another cable news network. This time, he's not the interviewer. He's the interviewee. 
If you thought CNN's ratings could not sink any lower, here comes a gaping hole in the ocean floor. 
I don't fit neatly into any one political category. There are things I like about the Republican party and things I like about the Democratic party. I watch 
Everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing when they learned about 
The TV talking head and former right side of CNN's political cluster#*$& Crossfire has passed away. 
The daytime segment of cable's first day concluded with four Turner-related panels: Joy Behar on her new HLN talk show; a CNN panel with John King, Christiance Amanpour, and Soledad O'Brien; a panel with Jerry Bruckheimer and the cast and producers of TNT's Dark Blue; and George Lopez, who is starting a new late night talk show on TBS.
The TV Squad Podcast: The Prisoner, '80s TV, soap news and more
Let's talk about spoilers ...
The Prisoner -- An early look
