Branding Run Amok: #1,013
NewsBusters’ Matt Hadro writes about Erin Burnett giving airtime to a muppet running for President…
When asked how he would pay for the payroll tax cut as President, the Muppet answered he would “Throw rich people in jail. Take their money, and then give it to everybody else. Number one. Boom. Done. Yeah.”
“And you’re a Republican,” an incredulous Burnett answered before Quasniki fired back “Well, I’m – you know what, I’m an American. Right now I’m only running as Republican because they’re a bunch of clowns, but you never know, I’m an American. I’m for the people.”
Why was this puppet running for the Republican nomination? “I was driving in my car a couple of weeks ago and I was listening to the debates. And I’m thinking to myself this is all a bunch of bulls***, and I’m tired of it, and I’m going to change it and make America good again. Or at least get us back in the playoffs,” Quasniki ranted to Burnett.
With all that’s going on in the world right now and with Burnett’s show being so new, why on earth was time devoted on OutFront to a muppet running for President? Burnett’s biggest perceived weakness amongst her critics is operating outside of her Business news comfort zone. She needs to hit home runs outside of the Business news world with compelling journalism to sway those critics and prove them wrong. Having a muppet on and having to play straight man in an interview that serves little journalistic value, though tons of PR value for Henson Alternatives, doesn’t help things any.
Save this crap for The Daily Show and get Burnett back on track…
December 8, 2011 at 4:01 pm
Yet even a muppet can’t be critical of the messiah-in-chief – it’s only the Republicans who are bunch of clowns.
December 8, 2011 at 4:51 pm
I think it is more than a “perceived” weakness of Erin Burnett. All the press leading up to her new show was quite clear that OutFront was run by her, for her, about her. I think if the content is crap – I put the blame on Burnett. She needed a few more years with the training wheels on at NBC before getting a general news show. This show has exposed just how dim and shallow she is. I guess this is what CNN gets trolling for “talent” at CNBC.
December 8, 2011 at 5:14 pm
Wow…hold back much?
December 8, 2011 at 8:44 pm
I’d like to wring that Muppet’s neck… or wrist, or whatever the heck it is.
December 9, 2011 at 12:10 am
Erin Burnett has a lot of potential as an anchor and lighthearted stuff now and then is fine.
This, however, should never happen again. For me, watching her play the “interview” straight made me think that she was channeling Stephen Colbert.
December 13, 2011 at 5:40 pm
ICN2 – LOL!! Uh, no, I guess I don’t hold back much. I liked Burnett on Morning Joe and looked forward to seeing her show. I was disappointed, to say the least. She seems like a cool person to hang out with and I am sure she is nice but I do not think she is anywhere near the the sharpest tool in the shed.
December 25, 2011 at 8:03 am
[...] has been the year of news anchors interviewing fictional characters (see here, and here, and here), and on Friday, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper joined the club when he interviewed Santa [...]
October 11, 2012 at 10:25 am
[...] (H/t ICN) [...]