Posted on 11/18/2007 3:55:03 PM PST by coffee260
Earlier this week, Chris and I were watching a CNN investigative report on the use of performance enhancing dugs in professional wrestling. I don't know why Chris wanted to watch it, since neither of us are wrestling fans, but I generally let her have her way with the TV.
Youtube clip #1
Youtube clip #2
The thrust of the hour-long show was that professional wrestlers use steroids and what-not (I'm shocked—shocked!—to learn of such a thing), then fly into odd fits of psychotic rage like Chris Benoit, and harm themselves or others. Or just keel over from a heart attack at 35.
Whatever. It's all Vince McMahon's fault, anyway.
In any event, one portion of the show addressed a portion to WWE superstar John Cena. When the show aired, this was the answer about the use of performance enhancing drugs that Mr. Cena was presented as giving.
When we heard this answer, I got a knowing smirk, and when I looked over at Chris, she just rolled her eyes. Obviously, Mr. Cena was evading the question—indeed, as much as admitting that he had used them, even though no one could ever prove it.
Interstingly enough, CNN wasn't the only organization that was taping that interview. The WWE taped it, too. And it's a good thing they did, too, because when you see the actual answer the Mr. Cena gave, it is nearly the exact opposite of the answer that CNN broadcast.
Looking at the two videos really brings it home to me, because I saw the original show, and I remember exactly what I was thinking, and what Chris was thinking when we saw the original show. And now I see how CNN manipulated the answer, probably to make me think pretty much exactly what I did.
And, it makes me think: If CNN can so cavalierly edit an answer in a relatively peripheral story about professional wresting, what are they doing with really important stories.
CNN, of course, has decided that Mr. Cena's demand for an apology is absurd. Is it? Watch the two videos and judge for yourself.
A little editing never hurt anything.
Lyle Alzados story should have been enough to let people know what steroids do.....
That’s disgusting. There should be an FCC investigation into them.
The correct title of this interview should be:
“John Cena, in CNN’s Own Words”
Can the media liars get any worse? Of course they can - and will.
bump
Coffee260, I couldn't get the videos, but I've seen CNN in action enough to never trust their honesty or accuracy. John, I hope you get your apology.
I wonder if the wrestler has grounds to sue?
Lyle’s cancer had nothing whatsoever to do with steroid use.
Lyle’s cancer had nothing whatsoever to do with steroid use.
sure.......just everything else that went wrong with him.....the cancer was the last straw.....and guess what.....cancer is overgrowth, the very same thing that steroid-takers seek.......
Heck, the LMSM and/or Toons'....et al, have been doing it for years 5+/- decades....selective editing....rem: from the so-called "Bomber Gap" to "Silent Spring/Global Cooling/Population Bomb" to "Global Warming"....to name just a few.
The kind of brain cancer that Lyle Alzado developed is not unusual in steroid abusers. There are a lot of other health issues that develop earlier but by steroids’ suppression of the cells’ own responses to inflammation and promoting growth simultaneously, cancer is the final solution.
of course.....the “correct” medical statement is “no medical evidence”.....and THAT is true because case/control studies attempting to produce cancer by administering steroids are unethical.......for instance:
In 1992, seven years after playing in his last regular-season game, Alzado died from brain lymphoma, a rare form of cancer. In the last years of his life, as he battled against the brain cancer that eventually caused his death at the age of 43, Alzado asserted that his steroid abuse directly led to his final illness. This assertion has been disputed by many medical experts as there is no medical evidence steroids had anything to do with his condition and his own doctors denied the claim that they did.
http://sportsbiznews.blogspot.com/2007/01/how-and-why-drugs-will-always-corrupt.html
The A=#1 reason we should be testing ALL police officers for steriod use. No spot checks, EVERY ONE.
I don’t know if this is all that poorly edited. By cutting out parts, it certainly sounds more evasive than the full answer was yet, essentially, his answer to the direct question was left intact.
It was a very odd answer to a simple yes or no question which leads you to think he probably did or does but won’t admit it. In the fuller interview, I’m left with essentially the same answer to the question although he gives you a longer explanation.
Since CNN would have bored viewers if they had allowed the entire answer to be broadcast, they had to whittle it down to its basics. While I don’t think it was a good editing job, I think it left intact his answer to the question.
Now, there have been plenty of situations (CBS News seems to be the most notorious at this) where they get the subject to say things and then edit them so that the words are entirely out of context when presented in the story. I don’t think that was the case here.
There was the story of Orville Nix who filmed the JFK Assassination with his home movie camera from Dealey Plaza and was later interviewed by CBS News for a documentary on the Warren Report. When he was asked from where the shots were fired, Nix said “from the grassy knoll”. They asked him again and Nix said “from the grassy knoll”. So the producer said “Now, Mr. Nix, that isn’t what the Warren Report says. Where did the Warren Report say the shots came from?” “From the book depository building,” answered Nix. So when the report aired, he’s shown being asked “Where do you think the shots came from?” and his answer is “from the book depository building.”
THAT’S dishonest editing. IMO, CNN took the wrestler’s ambiguous answer and cut out a lot of it that wasn’t important to the question.
This needs to live forever. Email this to everyone. Email to that frickin lib in the office next time the douche talks about how fair the MSM is. HIGHLY enlightening is an under statement.
I hope this guy sues CNN.
wow....I didn’t expect it to be so blatant. (And I never thought I would say this) Good for the WWE for taking care of their own.
Unreal.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.