Olbermann: The Day the Muzak Died
The first days of spring are traditionally a time of new beginnings, and apparently this ancient axiom will hold true for perennial liberal gadfly Keith Olbermann. The news first came to my attention through social media, pointing to a rather stiff and formal letter from his most recent employers at Current TV. In it, they cited a failure on the part of the former MSNBC host to uphold their core values and mission agenda of “respect, openness, collegiality, and loyalty to our viewers.”
Olbermann quickly responded in kind by… threatening to sue them.
Now, if you happen to be like me — by which I mean a keen, savvy consumer of all things political across the media spectrum — you might have responded the same way I did on Twitter to my friend Ed Morrissey. “Wait… there really IS a Current TV? I thought that was a Twitter gag.”
But while many of Olbermann’s detractors — and they are legion, I assure you — will spend the weekend having more than their fair share of fun at the pundit’s expense, there are more than a few questions going unanswered. First of all, was this sudden divorce in a high profile media marriage truly all that “unexpected” as it’s being portrayed? There were some far less than subtle hints shortly after New Year’s Day that trouble was afoot in paradise. Current had tasked Olbermann with being the sole host for their coverage of the official Election 2012 campaign kickoff for the Iowa and New Hampshire primary battles. He declined.
Further, as Politico reported, there had apparently been visible friction between the network’s flagship media star and their new president, David Bohrman, ever since he arrived on the scene. Combine that with Keith’s complaints of technical difficulties, up to and including the lights in the studio cutting out in the middle of his live broadcast, and perhaps Olby had some legitimate cause for acting like there was a burr under his saddle.
Things seemed to deteriorate further as this year’s presidential campaign continued, with Olbermann repeatedly asking for time off during key phases of the primary. Reading all of these reports, I will confess that I could imagine a scenario where he simply felt too put upon to continue.
Meh, Overpaid and under talented hack gets what’s coming to him, news at 11. If he was female he would be a Kardashian.
Perhaps Paris Hilton? Didn’t one of the K’s just come out against PETA? There must be a brain cell or two somewhere in their collective heads. But, combined, none of these women are as mean as KO. He would truly make the scariest clown in circus history.
Olberman was so mentally ill he got kicked out of the nuthouse that is MS/NBC.
It will not end well for him.
I am not happy to say that, but it is true. This is not a gratuitous shot at a liberal, he is crazy.
This appears to indicate a rather rapid decline as the result of substance abuse.
Yes. And Spitzer is in. With eight scantilly clad dancing girls. Serious stuff.
Maybe Sharpton can spring the recently incarcerated Black Panther dude to cohost his highly intellectual forum. That is after leading a carjacking benefit in memory of TM. All of this is the consequence of global warming, don’t you see?
“(T)hey cited a failure on the part of the former MSNBC host to uphold their core values and mission agenda of, ‘respect, openness, collegiality, and loyalty to our viewers.’”
If these were their actual goals (other than the last in the list), why did they hire the abrasive, overbearing Olbermonster to begin with?
Of course, being AlGore’s baby, Current TCV is no more polite, or even rational, than any other progressive soapbox. Their low ratings reflect the fact that only the faithful are tuning in for a daily dose of reaffirmation of their worldview. (And before anyone makes the traditional riposte’, no, I am not a Fox News viewer.)
To me, the most amusing bit of this is that K. O. is being replaced by Eliot “Eskimo Spitz”er. Considering his previous track record, my best estimate is that he will go down in flames faster than Olby did.
Unless of course they bring in someone to put a collar and leash on him, and then say in a firm voice, “SIT!”
clear ether
eon
Current TV operates under a significant disadvantage: The “starter” packages from most cable and satellite providers don’t offer the Current TV channel. Hence unlike Fox News or CNN which are available to virtually all cable and satellite subscribers in the U.S., Current TV is estimated to be available to only about 30 million households.
Oprah is finding this out as well. These MSM stars are actually riding the ratings of their stations. If people have to hunt for them, they fizzle out. Perhaps the MSM will be a little more frugal with such prima donas in the future.
“No matter how big you think you’ve gotten, everyone has a boss. ”
This is just plain not true. Romney, for example, was rich enough after he left Bain that he could have just sat around and lived off his fortune, with the only restriction being to keep out of trouble with the tax man and the law. (It speaks well for his character that he chose to remain active.) Many movie stars are in the same position, and the heads of financial institutions often “retire” in their forties (or earlier) to live the good life and manage their portfolio. No bosses there that I can see.
As long as Olby, or anyone else draws a paycheck, there’s an employer involved whether it’s a boss, or an audience. Limbaugh’s boss is the audience, and he reminds us of that often. Romney could have sat around after Bain but, he sought new things to challenge himself, in whatever context you want to define challenge. Thus, he has risen to the challenge of his efforts providing value to someone in some way. That is, in this context, the boss.
You know that’s really stretching it. So people who are their own boss also have a “boss”? The logically cleanest way to rescue the “everyone has a boss” phrase that you are so attached to is to claim that God is the boss of everyone who seems not to have a boss (because He can strike down anyone any time He pleases.)
By the way, El Rushbo’s boss is his advertisers, not his audience.
Just because a phrase like “everyone has a boss” sounds great doesn’t make it true, but it might make it dangerous. Consider the history attached to the great-sounding phrase
“From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.”
Yes and usually more than one.
(You don’t know any self-employed people, do you?)
I know a wall-streeter who, after years of really big bonuses during the 1990′s, retired in his forties to manage his own portfolio. He always does what he wants to when he wants to. There are more people like that than you might think, and a lot of them are movie stars who you probably haven’t heard about for years. Consider, for example, Bill Cosby. I read once that he was earning an estimated 500 million dollars a year (!) during the 1990′s.
Just because you earn a lot of money, there’s no law requiring you to spend a lot of money (although those who do spend a lot are the ones who attract attention).
Agree. I have been self-employed for 14 years. The term “self-employment” is a misnomer. I am accountable to my clients–more so than I ever was to a boss when employed.
I thought Keith Olbermann was fired because his last viewer died. Pity, it could not have happened to a “nicer” guy. And to have a genuine jerk like that be replaced by a deviant like Eliot Spitzer, a guy who also couldn’t get any ratings on CNN, just shows you what a nothing Al Gore’s “network” is. Next thing you know, Rosi O’Donald will fill in for Spitzer. But Rosi had better watch out. I hear Eliot likes them big! And Eliot will have as much luck with O’Donald as he did at CNN.
Your description of Olbermann is that of a typical leftist. He knows he’s smarter than everybody else and to disagree with him disrespects his obvious genius. His real problem was that he believed his own press. He forgot that he was/is a minion, a reliable idiot, and not a leader. He wasn’t giving the goose-stepping orders, he was wearing the brown shirt. In the old USSR he would have received a bullet to the back of the head, now he’s just another purged leftist with visions of raping innocents in the Occupy camps. You’d have thought he’d have gotten the Cindy Sheehan memo, given that he was one of the smartest men in the world, but he was clearly “too smart to fail”, so he missed all of the patently obvious warning signs.
KO what a scumbag
An x attorney general caught in a prostitution ring as his replacement
Only an Al Gore station could bring you this cast
My glee at Olberman’s most recent fall is almost unrestrained. Current TV got what they deserved when they hired him and he got what he deserved when they hired him. Nothing funnier than watching a bunch of nasty humanity hating leftists trying to get along with each other. They give new meaning to the word fratricide.
7. ChrisS: glad that you mentioned Cindy Sheehan. She and Spitzer would be a good combination for co-hosts with Anthony Weiner added in occasionally for increased exposure.
“… with Anthony Weiner added in occasionally for increased exposure.”
Increased exposure? Oooooh! That’s bad..
This should be good for Olbermann. He doesn’t have to waste his drinking time by going on TV and making stupid statements.
Nothing gives me greater pleasure than watching the Loony Left twist in the soup of their own insanity. We need people like AlGore and K.O. to keep the rest of us laughing and grounded.
“Current had tasked Olbermann with being the sole host for their coverage of the official Election 2012 campaign kickoff for the Iowa and New Hampshire primary battles. He declined.”
The big issue of the year, generating headlines on a daily basis. Any newsperson would kill to be the sole host. So why, exactly, did Keith decline?
I doubt he’s actually going to sue. Discovery is going to include his stints at ESPN & MSNBC. His jerkiness is going to come out and no jury will find in his favor.
Poor disillusioned Keith – he thought he was the ‘Leader of the Pack’ – so necessary. No Keith – that title goes to your Messiah ‘The Won’ Obama. You were never anything but a useful idiot who embarrassed yourself frequently (you didn’t know?). That old axiom about stupid people not knowing they’re stupid fit you to a tee – you didn’t really know how much of a jerk you came off as. I’ve seen Idiot Savants documented on Discovery etc – you displayed political Idiot Savant-ism perfectly – but then thats what you are. You are excused for being such an idiot – like most low I.Q. idiots you just don’t know when the kidding stops.
I’ve seldom reveled in another humans demise and I’ve tried not to revel in your demise Keith. But I simply cannot – its like when you were a kid and your kid brother/sister and you are sharing one of those funny moments of the day at the dinner table and you just can’t help but burst out laughing.
My God – help me – I’m laughing so hard I think I’m gonna pee my pants!
Goodbye Keith – I seldom watched you when you were performing your stroke-inducing act on
MSLSD– er – MSNBC. I never did see act II over at Current TV (from a dislike of your boss The Goracle AND you) I always imagined you were pretty much the same there as you were elsewhere – an Idiot Savant. Which is to say a One Trick Pony – more or less. Too bad – your act got old and the world got bored with it but you were just too damned stupid to know when the world had moved on and you could not recognize how thin was your material. Anger only gets you so far – seems you’ve run out your string.And make no mistake Keith – this is goodbye – at long last the looniest of the loonies is done – and I’m laughing!
It’s like Douche v. Gore all over again.
There’s still cable access channel 996.
Keith Olbermann: Born breach and spending the rest of his life leading with his most descriptive body part.
What, that guy that used to be on ESPN? Haven’t seen him since he left that job.
Who will Gore hire to replace Spitzer? My money is on Charlie Sheen.
Is this the new Onion? The post revile that site.
Actually, this might be a boon for Keef since it frees him up to run for office. As a Democrat of course. He would fit in perfectly well as one of their standard bearers.
My disgust with my fellow citizens runs so deep that I am being only half sarcastic. “Keef in 2016″. Hooray.
“When your country needs to be destroyed – absolutely, positively overnight – vote Democrat”
I, too, was thinking a book followed by a run for office would be the usual route. But Olbermann is plain lazy — all those days off work, and my god, did you ever see his show? The man did zero reporting or field work or research. He never broke a single story or interviewed an actual newsmaker or held a debate; he did NOTHING but opine, talk to like-minded fellow commentators, and report the same news everyone else was reporting.
I can’t imagine what his next act is. His much-vaunted FOKnewschannel.com (FOK standing for “Friends of Keith) started redirecting to his Current TV site when he got hired there, and still does (when will Gore’s crack IT department get on that?). As of August 2011, Rick Sanchez — remember that ass from CNN? — was calling Florida International U football games — for free. He’s got, uh, something scheduled http://ricksancheztv.com/schedule.html. Just found that site, but I bet it’s been “Coming Soon” for over a year.
Also, as for everyone having a boss, that includes Current TV, and by “boss” I don’t mean Al Gore. I mean the customers. I’ll be amazed if Current TV exists three years from now.
Queef Olberman.
I’m no fan of lefty showmen like Olby; the screen door is closing rapidly at my place.watch your butt Keith.
Yet I remember Olby as edgy,kinda funny,sportscaster on local TV in Los Angeles years ago.
Course I was 30 then.And KO didn’t evince a political bent then.
Peter principle strikes again.
A lot of leftists admired Olbermann because of the way he raged against Republicans and conservatives. But once some of them hire him–as Current TV did–they soon find out that Olbermann rages at *everybody*, including them.
Olbermann is like a political Doomsday Machine, capable of wrecking both sides in a political conflict.
There are a few reasons Keith can’t go the Glenn Beck route and start his own network:
1) Beck put nearly everything he had of his personal wealth into the venture — something on the order of 20 to 25 million. It wasn’t like Current or OWN, which took a lot of money from the cable companies to set up their vanity networks. Keith certainly has the funds, but I can’t see him putting up his own money to do it. Because like Gore and Oprah, he probably doesn’t think it should cost any of his personal fortune to set up a network. Of course the trouble with going the Current/OWN route is then that the cable companies get to play God with your fate.
2) As another commenter noted, Keith’s a lazy SOB. Beck has ADHD — he’s constantly working on projects. Often several at once. The only way Beck got his network going was his own drive, which inspired many others to support his efforts. I can’t see Keith inspiring that much support or confidence from others. Particularly when he couldn’t even be coaxed to come to work in order to earn his $10 million/yr salary.
3) Keith bitterly complained often about how cheap the quality was on Current. Maybe if he’d taken a smaller salary, Gore and Co. could pay for better equipment. But Keith’s ego wouldn’t allow him to suffer at the network’s expense. Meanwhile, Beck was on the brink of financial failure after sinking his fortune into his venture. For the first couple of months, he’d remark every once in a while about that, and his concern that he’d lose everything. I don’t see Keith taking that kind of personal risk.
4) Keith’s fanbase are a fickle and cheap bunch. Back when he left MSNBC, they said they’d never watch MSNBC again. Now that he’s left Current, they’ve not only sworn they’ll never watch Current, they’ve also said they’re going back to MSNBC! Further, I doubt most of them would cough up a monthly subscription rate (like Beck’s fans do) to support Keith and his network. It’s just not going to happen.
So while it’s theoretically possible Keith could go the Beck route, he won’t…
I have heard that an alcoholic’s bodily response to his first taste of booze is often a “where have you been all my life?” feeling of being completed.
I imagine Olbermann’s experience of politics in the same vein. Driven by his predilection to anger, and by the psychological need to feel the superior, he found his perfect drug of choice in Leftism, the very Academy of Outrage.
But the more you use, the more out of control you get, you wreck your relationships and your work, and deeper and deeper the spiral sucks you down…
$50,000,000. Fifty million dollars. On a backwater cable channel, run by an enviro-scam artist.
Tell me again, Keith baby, how Conservatives are greedy, selfish bums who only think of the money.
I have to re-post this hilarious Keith Olbermann interview with Casey Anthony that somebody linked yesterday. I laughed my ass off. http://www.thedailyrash.com/keith-olbermann-lands-first-interview-with-casey-anthony
Spitzer screws another asshole. Meh.
This Olbermann episode is eerily reminiscent of Charlie Sheen when he was “Duh-Winning!”
Now The Current is the Worst Employer In The World?
I have a vision of Keith sitting alone, in his underwear, unshaven, unkempt, in a shabby hotel room in New York City, with a cheap bottle of gin nearby and a loaded pistol in his lap, repeating to himself, over and over, “Al Gore is the Worst Person in the World”….”Al Gore is the Worst Person in the World”………
As near as I can tell, the problem’s pretty simple. The various networks want “respectable” journalists, like Lawrence O’Donnell and Rachel Maddow. Ed Schultz, Spitzer, etc. They’re biased, yes, and they’re nasty too. But they do maintain a veneer of objectivity, and a pretense of being a journalist. You may be able to see through it, but the veneer’s there. Olby got tired of it, and in a weird way I sympathize. Remember just about 4 years ago, when Olby and Chris Matthews covered the RNC for MSNBC, or was it NBC? I can’t remember. Anyway, they squabbled on the air, because Matthews wanted to act as if he were unbiased, and report about the convention; Olby was just pissed off by everything he saw, everything the Republicans said, everything that happened. He wanted to just repeat that he hated all the Nazis, and no one should vote for them, over and over again. The network wound up apologizing for their coverage.
Fast forward to last winter, and Current tried to get Olby to cover the Iowa caucus. He’s just bored. He doesn’t care which of the fascists wins the Nazi primary. We all know all the Republicans are evil, so why do any reporting on which one holds which evil posiition on an issue? Why bother, you just declare each one, in turn, the “Worst Person in the World” and leave it at that. Besides, to cover the Iowa caucus he’d have to go to Iowa. Can’t he hate them just as effectively from New York City?
So he stopped coming to work, and they fired him. Now he’s threatening to sue. I seriously doubt it’ll happen, because my guess is they have enough evidence to support their case. I gather he repeatedly didn’t show up for work, other things of that nature. His ego was all that was carrying him along, and I doubt he’ll be able to find someone else to hire him. Unless he winds up with a blog somewhere (which would involve actual work, writing) he’s going to just fade into obscurity.
More than likely, he’ll end up in rehab somewhere and the news will fawn over him and give him the attention he craves and then he’ll go back to obscurity.
I don’t much pay attention to people like him and since I don’t have “subscribe” TV, I really can ignore him, but he’s a poster-child for drug addiction/alcoholism. Watch and see.
As a longtime Olberman watcher his weight goes up and down. He has trouble with personal relationships. He is isolated by his height 6’4″. He creeps women out bigtime. He is socially awkward.
He is a talented broadcaster. He should have stayed at ESPN.
I think Olbermann is standing on solid legal ground here…He’s got a strong argument should he sue. Current states that it terminated Olbermann for being absent on 19 of the 41 broadcasts in January and February.
Olbermann can easily prove that since no one was watching those broadcasts, nor the other 22…Current lost no viewership, nor was the public even aware of his absence.
Karma.
Olbermann can always get a soap box and take it to the streets, or gutters.
Any doubt that the man is deranged? No wonder he was an idol of the left, screaming and hysteria are big in that part of the world & the standards are low.
A critical rule when leaving an employer is don’t make the employer look bad. Lie if you have to, but don’t embarrass them.
Why? Cause no one will hire you if you do. No one wants to take on a loose canon.
Olbermann, for all of this vaunted intelligence, couldn’t see even that far down the chess board.
Ego is a blinding force.