Most of you know that the dapper, dashing news legend Peter Jennings has shucked his mortal coil in favor of something a little more permanent.
Some of you already know this, but when I entered Emerson College as a Freshman in 1995, I was a broadcast journalism major. This is how I was very fortuitously matched up with le Muppet, as Emerson assigned roommates by common majors. Or whether or not you were a smoker. Or gay.
Anyway, I luuuuuuurved Broadcast Journalism. I lived it and breathed it. I had an internship when I was 16 with my town newspaper during the summer, and the following fall I had a radio news internship with the AM NBC News affiliate in Philadelphia. Emerson College was the natural choice if I were going to continue with it as a career path.
I lasted one year as a Journalism major before I bailed. News was just too depressing. Having to be on top of that many murders, rapes, bombings, and plane crashes took its toll on me. I switched to Film in the fall of 1996.
During my last semester as a Journalism major, my News History instructor assigned us the task of researching and writing about a News personality. Since Maury Povich was already taken and I would never DREAM of purporting to being worthy enough to entertain the THOUGHT of researching and writing about BROKAW (no one must touch BROKAW...EVER), I chose Jennings.
This is what I retained: born to a wealthy family in Canada, started in radio, was a total PLAYA.
I always liked Brokaw best, to be honest. Mostly because I thought he was hot. I also respected him more as a news anchorman. Something about the air of "Actually, I DON'T shit" Peter Jennings exuded always put me off. Also, he broke my dreams in 2000 when I was watching the election coverage. He effed up big time on that. He almost got me back with his 9/11 coverage, but once a Brokaw girl, ALWAYS A BROKAW GIRL.
So, that's it. The last of the Big Three. Brokaw retired. Rather retired amid shady circumstances. Peter Jennings has died. Brian Williams looks the part, but lacks the sheer cockitude it takes to read the prompter and make me BELIEVE THAT SHIT.
There are no more news anchors. There's a possibility Katie Couric will take Rather's spot, which fills me with a disgust rivaled only by my hatred for Will "Kevin" Fraggle. It sickens me that the world's news will now spew from the greedy mouths of infotainment whores. However, this isn't anything new. The change has been slow but sure. I just feel like with Jennings' passing came the final nail into the coffin. Network news can't even pretend to take itself seriously anymore. So, on that note, why even try?
Help us, Jon Stewart! You're our only hope!
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4 comments:
Unlike you, I'm not a fan of the Gilmore Girls, so whatever that joke was, it would have gone straight over my highlighted head.
It was good seeing you, too, BIATCH!
I have a surprise for you.
It's crazy! I was really sorry to hear about Jennings death. He was too young, and besides, always seemed way too vital for this kind of passing. I would have liked to see him write a dry social history like all of his peers in his golden years.
My dad worked for NBC so growing up we were a Brokaw household, and I think I liked him the best anyway.
Now the networks are thinking that maybe the way to go is to have a rotating roster of personalities bringing us the news, which I think is a BIG mistake. When really bad news comes across your screen you want a constant who will navigate through the stories and give you a steady perspective. That's how Paula Zahn became a CNN superstar during the aftermath of 9/11.
I'm not sure about Katie Couric for evening news...it's the flip side of the cheerful Today host gig, but I guess despite that people like and trust her.
I don't really worry too much about people saying she is a UBERdiva...as if Jane Pauly, Barbara Walters and the type aren't?
It seems to be a prerequisite that if if you climb to the top of the newcaster heap you are MEGAsomething, and I guess that is true of most of the top posistions of the media field (advertising of course included.)
I just want whoever the person is to be real and earnest in thier reporting.
I think we may have seen a passing of the old school anchor generation. It will be interesting to see what pops up. 3 anchors out within about a year!
P.S. I loved when I read his BIO in his obituary that he A) started out as the Canadian Dick Clark, and B.) became that articulate and successful despite not being a HS grad!
I would like Yoda and/or Darth Vader to take over the news. Thats what I'd like.
It would have been cool to see KC...
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