Posted on 09/18/2005 3:53:04 PM PDT by infoguy
Los Angeles Times' media critic Tim Rutten has long had a somewhat troubled relationship with reality (for just a few examples, see here, here, and here). He also has never been shy about letting his liberal political views get in the way of doing what he actually should be doing: Analyzing the media in a fair and objective way.
However, his liberal slams on conservative media reached a new low in his weekly column, "It's hard to feel bad for Geraldo" (Sat. Sept. 17, 2005) (reg. req'd), which begins as follows (emphasis mine):
"IT would be comforting to believe that Geraldo Rivera is inexplicable.
"Sadly, when we consider Rupert Murdoch's ceaseless schemes for global domination and the venal blood lust that pulses through Fox News, Geraldo is easy to explain — which makes him simply inexcusable.
"Seeing him descend bright-eyed and sweaty on wretched New Orleans, as he did in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, was like watching a vulture on crystal meth. The word that came to mind was not 'reporting,' but 'feeding.'"
"Ceaseless schemes for global domination"? "Venal blood lust"? Vultures on crystal meth? Is Rutten talking about a television network or a murderous, communist dictatorship?
And that was just the beginning of the article!
Rutten's article then relays Geraldo's ongoing battle with the New York Times surrounding critic Alessandra Stanley's apparently false claim that Rivera "nudged" a rescue worker in order to capture video footage. Rutten's conclusion? Well, Geraldo has had a couple troublesome episodes with reporting in his own history, so he basically deserves Stanley's smear. Nice, eh? Then, in a laughable example of hypocrisy, Rutten lectures his readers on the utmost importance of "a critic's credibility." Puh-leeze.
It's nearly impossible to imagine Rutten taking such a cynical and mean-spirited approach towards CNN or any other news network. (For example, can you imagine?: "Sadly, when we consider Ted Turner's ceaseless schemes for global domination and the venal blood lust that pulses through CNN, Anderson Cooper is easy to explain — [it] was like watching a vulture on crystal meth." Uh-uh. It would never happen.)
IMO. the MSM collectively lost their freaken minds during post Katrina days.
It is a given that Geraldo tends to get emotional. Hell, I would to in 95 degree heat and 95 % humidity. But, from what Isaw, he was just pointing out the obvious.
If the L A Times is his enemy--I'm for Geraldo.
Geraldo had a Sally Struthers moment, crying while holding a black diapered baby.
Whoraldo's histrionics, pretending to be knocked down by the wind during prior hurricanes, opening Al Capone's safe, and that Egyptian tomb thing: Why, FoxNews? WHY? He has never quite succeeded in making me forget his being akin to Jerry Springer.
Sounds like ol Hunter was describing the US Senate.
Yeah, it works for them too.
Absolutely spot-on! :) Very eloquently stated. I tried to watch some of his stuff and it was just too unbearable.
It's a shame individuals feel the need to defend him just because he's whoring for FauX News. It may do SOME things right; but definitely not ALL things.
"Vulture on Crystal Meth"
The perfect description for ALL the media in the NO area - you can add FOX in there as well - their reporters come from the same DUMBED-DOWN school as all the rest.
Geraldo is worthless - I'm sad that Fox pays him for his antics.
It's a despicable thing to say and totally untrue.
Whorealdo can go straight to hell.
Only Jerry knows for sure.
My problem with Geraldo and a lot of the other reporters throughout this disaster is that they were all caught up in making an emotional, dramatic story, but they didn't step back long enough to make it factual.
They showed all the drama of things like the civic center, and just aired it immediately, without checking for facts and finding out why these people were there without food and water being delivered in the city. Look how much longer it took us to find out the basic truth that the Red Cross was being kept out of the city. And then, look how long it took us to find out that it wasn't FEMA, as was first reported, but the state that was keeping the Red Cross out.
Geraldo acted like an actor in his own reality series instead of a reporter. He gave us a story, just a story.
We have had to be our own reporters throughout this disaster to find out the facts.
So he was his normal self, yes?
A vulture? Is he speaking of Geraldo or Michael Moore?
Like Greta Van Sustren...
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