Commentary

Frank, Sometimes Inappropriate Remarks Continue To Cause TV Trouble

by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, July 1, 2011

Is it me -- or are a lot more TV opinion-makers apologizing and/or getting suspended for off-the-cuff remarks or other bad activity?

Political analyst Mark Halperin of MSNBC apologized and then got suspended for remarks about President Obama. He called him a "dick."

We have heard about other TV blurbsters doing the same thing, most apologizing, some getting suspended for saying the wrong thing. This includes other MSNBC commentators, CNN's Anderson Cooper,Fox News' Bill O'Reilly and radio host Rush Limbaugh . Even Tony Kornheiser of ESPN got sidelined a couple of months ago after commenting about fellow ESPN-er Hannah Storm's particular taste/style in clothing.

Trouble is, in our continual craving for more entertainment, the improv of TV news/sports opinions -- always in demand -- aso has its dangers.

Over a year ago, in what was to be a feel-good exhibition doubles tennis match between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi -- with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer -- live mikes were attached to the players. Live blunders ensued, including some crazy serving. Sampras whizzed one past Agassi's head.

Don't necessarily blame the participants; blame entertainment producers for pushing the envelope. Also point fingers at seemingly desensitized viewers/entertainment consumers, looking for a bigger off-the-cuff snipe.

Daytime talk shows, especially those "silly" programs with weird "real" characters -- "Jerry Springer" is in this category -- continue in this vein. Daytime talk producers always tell participants not to hold back on their emotions.

In the heat of battle, in the heat of unscripted, highly volatile comments, a lot of stuff can happen -- especially in the plethora of opinion-heavy news network programs. Comments can be hurtful, racist, sexist, childish -- stuff many guests would rather take back.

So MSNBC -- and others -- may indeed take appropriate action by suspending Halperin for inappropriate remarks. But they also depend on walking a fine line in this area. Proponents might say that under the best possible circumstances it's just 'lively' talk.

Wait for the next slip for your thrill. But more importantly, see if TV advertisers rise to make a move.

television, tv

2 comments about "Frank, Sometimes Inappropriate Remarks Continue To Cause TV Trouble ".

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Kate Lafrance from Hartford Woman Online Magazine, July 1, 2011 at 1:20 p.m.
While such an expression from a "serious" political pundit can damage his gravitas I think that this is just one of the common "profanities" that my generation (and I'm in my late 40's) uses all of the time. However, I have an older sister @60 who has always found my use of this particular term disturbing. I did an online poll related to this story yesterday and it was almost 50-50 upset/not upset by it. Language has changed - perhaps some would say it has broken down - but this type of expression isn't so shocking to those @50 and under. BTW Jon Stewart (of course) did a really funny take on Halperin's apology with a very disapproving "Morning Joe" Willie Geist by his side.
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Douglas Ferguson from College of Charleston, July 1, 2011 at 2:28 p.m.

What made this event more amazing to me was that Halperin actually signaled to the crew that he was about to say something that they might want to bleep during the seven-second delay, but it wasn't bleeped. My guess is that the control room wasn't listening (much like the scene in the beginning of the 1976 movie Network, where no one seemed to notice that Howard Beale had announced his suicide). Should not the show's producer have also been suspended for not editing the remark? Was the crew asleep at the switch?