Inside MSNBC (Strictly Media Gossip) [Updated]
By NoQuarter on April 9, 2008 at 1:44 AM in Chris Matthews, MSNBC, Media, Media Bias
WED. UPDATE: The New York Times has released the full article early. The title (I wish I were kidding) is “The Aria of Chris Matthews.”
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Mediobistro.com has gotten a sneak peek at the New York Times’s magazine cover story on — why, god, why, of all the people in the world to write about, why him? — Chris Matthews. Here are some tidbits from “NYT Mag On Matthews: The Excerpts” that are uproarious (or, depending on your mood, utterly horrifying):
“Not only is it a great read (typical for Leibovich), but if you’re into media gossip…man. This has got good stuff on Matthews rivalries with David Gregory, Keith Olbermann, Tim Russert…and that’s just scratching the surface of the gems this piece unearths.”
Those rivalries?
… Matthews craves Russert’s approval like that of an older brother. He is often solicitous.
In an interview with Playboy a few years ago, he volunteered that he had made the list of the Top 50 journalists in D.C. in The Washingtonian magazine. “I’m like 36th, and Tim Russert is No. 1,” Matthews told Playboy. “I would argue for a higher position for myself.”
Friends say Matthews is wary of another up-and-comer, David Gregory, who last month was given a show at 6 o’clock, between airings of “Hardball.” It is a common view around NBC that Gregory is trying out as a possible replacement for Matthews.
According to people at NBC, Matthews has not been shy in voicing his resentment of Olbermann. Nor, according to network sources, has Olbermann bothered to hide his low regard for Matthews, although when I spoke to him, Olbermann denied any personal animosity toward Matthews and told me that he appreciates his “John Madden-like enthusiasm for politics.”
This excerpt left me speechless:
“Did you get a load of Lou Rawls’s wife?” Matthews said as he left the spin room. Apparently the Rev. Jesse Jackson was introducing the widow of the R&B singer at the media center. “She was an absolute knockout,” Matthews declared. It’s a common Matthews designation. The actress Kerry Washington was also a “total knockout,” according to Matthews, who by 1 a.m. had repaired to the bar of the Cleveland Ritz-Carlton. He was sipping a Diet Coke and holding court for a cluster of network and political types, as well as for a procession of random glad-handers that included, wouldn’t you know it, Kerry Washington herself. Washington played Ray Charles’s wife in the movie “Ray” and Kay Amin in the “Last King of Scotland.” She is a big Obama supporter and was in town for the debate; more to the point, she said she likes “Hard-ball.” Matthews grabbed her hand, and Phil Griffin, the head of MSNBC who was seated across the table, vowed to get her on the show.
“I know why he wants you on,” Matthews said to Washington while looking at Griffin. At which point Matthews did something he rarely does. He paused. He seemed actually to be considering what he was about to say. He might even have been editing himself, which is anything but a natural act for him. He was grimacing. I imagined a little superego hamster racing against a speeding treadmill inside Matthews’s skull, until the superego hamster was overrun and the pause ended.
“He wants you on because you’re beautiful,” Matthews said. “And because you’re black.” He handed Washington a business card and told her to call anytime “if you ever want to hang out with Chris Matthews.”
“if you ever want to hang out with Chris Matthews” … wow, I wish that’d been I. Don’t you?
Read all of “NYT Mag On Matthews: The Excerpts.”
There’s much more, including the fact that Matthews gets paid FIVE MILLION DOLLARS a year — for what exactly, for what? (for “suggesting that Hillary Clinton owed her election to the Senate to the fact that her husband ‘messed around’”?) — but that MSNBC wants to pay him less when his contract is renewed.
And I suppose it’s good to get this peek into Matthews’ world since I refuse — and I do mean refuse — to watch him, his show, or his tingling leg any longer.
i’m with you on refusing to watch matthews. i completely refuse to watch nbc news shows, and change the channel whenever leno or whoever has obama, an obama supporter, or any of their so-called news people on. i do occasionally watch nbc non-news programming, but only if it’s something i desperately want to see like a super bowl or whatever; otherwise, i hold their so-called news people against them and don’t even watch their sitcoms. i used to be a loyal nbc watcher, remembering the good old days when they had real journalists. but now they have the likes of russert, another person so disgusting i change any channel his face appears on. so their ratings are down by one viewer. somehow i think it’s millions more. they deserve it.
i will NEVER again watch msnbc or cnn, for any programming whatsoever. matthews is one of the absolute worst. in fact, he’s probably the reason msnbc is above even cnn on my never watch list. it’s too late for them to get me back - even if they fire matthews, borger, cooper, and all the rest. but if they fire ALL of the no integrity types and start over, maybe they’ll have a chance at getting some people back.
(maybe they think they can survive on the ratings generated by the koolaid drinkers. that’s a sure road to bankruptcy.)
“remembering the good old days when they had real journalists. but now they have the likes of russert, another person so disgusting i change any channel his face appears on. so their ratings are down by one viewer. somehow i think it’s millions more. they deserve it.
“
I can only vouch for me. I despise Matthews and I hate Russerts disgusting guts.
$5 million for Matthews? Now if that isn’t corporate welfare I don’t know what is. Maybe the economy would do better if they stopped overpaying some of these worthless offensive shills.
Did you see Russert grilling Ed Rendell about the fact that the Clintons made millions in recent years (and ONLY recent years, after paying off millions in legal fees). He asked how that would play with people in Altoona. I was waiting for Rendell to ask Russert if he thought the fact that he was paid millions a year hurt his own credibility in Altoona…..
It’s the likes of Russert that disrespects the folks in Altoona. He implies that they are so simple-minded that they wouldn’t know that both the Clinton’s have made money from their books and in Bill’s case from speaking engagements.
Russert and his faux concern for the people in Altoona, or anywhere else out here in the real world is far more worthy of outrage than the fact the two very smart, highly educated, globally famous people are capable of making money. How dare they? People will never stand for this!
The fact that cretins like Russert and Matthews and Olbermann make millions for being purveyors of repeated talking points with little of substance is worthy of our ire. Especially phonies like Olbermann with delusions of grandeur that apparently allow him to think he has some right to pretend to be a modern day Murrow. That should outrage the people in Altoona and elsewhere.
Agree 100%. I can’t stand them and have stopped all NBC and MSNBC and GE products as well.
Anderson Cooper is another a$$.
Matthews considers himself a journalist. That is a laugh. I send him emails all the time asking if MSNBC or NBC doesn’t have someone that could do research before they go on air with their drivel. They have the audacity to say that Hillary should fact check. MSNBC/NBC should should give fact checking a try. It would be a novel concept.
It will be intersting to see Matthews and Olbermann vie for “the first interview, should Obama be the nominee.
They each have been such fawning “kiss-ups that I imagine each consider themself owed by Obama!
According to the Neilsens I have seen, they are both hurting viewer wise compared to pre-super Tuesday, when they completely “tanked” for Obama
Olbermann is losing in every demographic last I checked. His Sunday night gig, in Datelines spot drew only half normal Dateline numbers. It lost even to a Fox rerun of “Family guy”.
Following that fiasco, considering he ran fifth, and given his losing each night even to Nancy Grace, I tried to ask him on his blog: Why didn’t he “just quit”? That of course being his, Matthew’s and others’ recurring question to HRC. The same could readily be asked of Matthews.
Naturally, my comment did not appear! Adverse comments are not welcome.
I love that Olberman’s numbers are actually going down,please post this on ALL the Hillary blogs and tell them to KEEP BOYCOTTING.
And I love watching this: the many people who are going down with Obama.
Pass the popcorn……
And they are oblivious to it, everyone can see it, but them.
I mean, they have objective proof, the numbers are there, but rather than look for a solution, their weak mediocre narcissism blots it out, and forces them to place blame, elsewhere.
The solution will never come form within, I wish new, socially conscious true Americans would purchase Time Warner, or whoever owns the press, and FIRE them, they need new blood, no talent astroturf need not apply.
Doesn’t the msnbc group seem like a bunch of gossipy, whiny girls, remember the type from high school?
Kinda ugly ( if only because of their personalities), second and third tier in achievement, jealous of each other, everyone of any worth stays clear because they’re just so, oh, dorky, (though they can’t tell), lacking all self awareness and originality?
Kinda sounds like the bloggerboyz, too, come to think of it.
I mean, I look at Petraeus, say, and Olbermann, and both are clueless, and mediocre, neither capable of doing the job, caricatures, both thinking they are are the sole repository of all knowledge given their respective fields.
And both losing their asses in the game, despite being told what is happening, and why.
If you can make the connection, see why we lost Iraq, and Afghanistan?
It isn’t that it’s not doable, we have no talent, anywhere, in positions of leadership.
Ah, the culture of narcissism.
Remember that discussion we had about a month ago, the weakness of the press, the culture of the narcissistic twit? You’re seeing it’s manifestation in a time a crisis.
When it becomes about something other than them, their personalities, they cant do the job, the Paris Hilton’s of the US government.
I’ve not had cable since the 90s. TV is a wasteland. I’ll turn to PBS to Bill Moyers or Rose, when I happen to find something that interests me, the rabbit ears work fine. I’ve only watched Chris when someone posts a video on the internet. It’s enough. Most TEEVEE people ooze their importance. Having known people like that, me thinks they are terribly insecure and get angry when one does not bow to them. HRC has probably paid the price for not giving them the deference they believe deserve. Chris adores Ann Coulter because she plays the kitten to boost his ego. I would feel sorry for them if they weren’t so destructive.
The picture is enough to make one want to puke! Yikes!!
WOW - How is it possible that he can come off as even MORE of a jerk than people already knew him to be? He and Olberman really do rival one another for THE WORST SEXIST IN THE WORLD!!!!!! So, apparently it wasn’t enough that Matthews actually vocalized that horrific statement about Hillary awhile back; he now admits in this article that he, apparently, was not the least bit sincere in his apology - he was “told” to do it(what a “man”). Keeping true to form, he then somehow blames Hillary supporters for holding him accountable. We’re nothing but jokes to these people. “Hillary Supporters” is code for = Old, white, fat, female Wal-Mart shoppers - different networks have said as much and whether we are or whether we’re not - that perception is their cue to treat us the way all sexists have throughout history, as worthless scum. They abuse, mock and belittle Hillary (and us as well) because they believe THEY can. And you know what? So far they have gotten away with it. Why? BECAUSE WE’VE LET THEM. As smart as we are, as intelligent and insightful as our blogs have been, as truly substantive and valid as our information has been, we have NOT truly wielded our power wisely and effectively against this onslaught. We have not fully realized OUR power because we have not ORGANIZED. WOULD ANY GENERAL FIGHT A WAR WITH NO GAMEPLAN? We must unite and have a strategy to take away their power by taking away their money and it CAN be done, with a gameplan. I recently wrote an e-flyer for my daughter (who is studying in NYC) to spread around to incite people (in a healthy way) to attend the protest in Rockefeller Plaza in NYC. (I used part of it as my comment on the recent You Tube video “Give em Hell/Bitch”) In it I say: “13,873,246 Americans have voted and chosen HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON as the BEST candidate to lead our country. 13,873,246 Americans have watched YOUR treatment of OUR candidate. 13,873,246 Americans have listened to what you have maliciously smeared about OUR candidate. 13,873,246 HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON supporters, with MILLIONS still yet to vote say to you, the U.S. Media and Press Corps, ‘YOU HAVE CROSSED OUR LINE IN THE SAND’ … Now watch US!!!” Think about it people. We are already 13,873,246 strong with more still to vote - as the old saying goes, “United we stand, divided we fall.”
You don’t have to preach this choir member. I will be there Friday.
BTW, I never even been in a Walmart. (No offense to those who have, just the facts.)
My daughter has never put a foot into a public school, a WalMart or a cheap shoe.
Mimi - My daughter is at Hillary’s Elton John concert tonight (not sure if you’re there or not) and she called me while she was waiting to get in. She said that there were people passing out flyers about the demonstration in Rockefeller Plaza Friday morning. Yeaaaaaahhh! I pray there is a big crowd - I really do.
Oh ACK! Matthews nekkid! It’s more than I can tolerate thinking about! Those women must have cracked up! Every time I look at him I think didn’t your mother teach you hygiene? He’s so seedy looking!
So Olberman and Matthews don’t like each other? I don’t like either of them. The difference is, I once liked Olberman. I am thrilled if his shrill show has lost audience, and glad to help out with that one. The few times I watched him before I turned away, I got the feeling he really wants Barack Obama. I never liked Matthews though. To me he just looks like a homeless person hoping nobody will notice how gross he is. What was that ’sensation’ up his leg he got for Obama all about? Shiver..
Yes most of us did like Olberman especially when he was on sportscenter. It comes down to something we all do. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Keith HATES Bush and so do we, so we watched with glee as he ripped into W and called him a liar. Unfortunately it turns out he hates us too. The same thing will happen with our current view of Fox news.
Our government has been playing both sides of Iran and Iraq as long as I can remember.
Well, no Scott, none of us ever really like Keith.
And the more he revealed himself to be nothing more than a K$$, an empty no talent, the more disgusted people became.
I’m so amazed at how those idiots think they’re center of the universe.
But I guess that’s what happens when you have no talent, and you have to compensate.
Used to watch Hardball occasionally but not as a regular because Matthews is so disgusting. This is what passes for a journalist these days? We certainly don’t care much about quality anymore. Guess the products for our minds have become as much mass-produced junk without creativity or craftsmanship as our shopping habits for everything else are.
Olbermann was watched in our household every night at 7cst like clockwork. Now, never. I just got bored with him. He’s as much an egomaniac as O’Reilly. And then once he went in the tank for Obama it was clear that he didn’t have any more integrity either. He just hid it better for awhile. Now I wouldn’t watch either and give them one more viewer to help their ratings.
I hope they all at MSNBC implode.
MSNBC = PORN NETWORK
It’s blocked on my tv.
Oh, ewwwww….Chris Matthews is truly a disgusting greaseball, isn’t he? He’s the guy in the bar trying to pick up women with his smooth lines, and the women laugh about it later because he’s just too disgusting for words.
His behavior is embarrassing. No wonder they want to cut his contract and waste less money on him. He’s nothing but a greasy, lecherous, used car salesman.
He’s become a joke, but nobody’s laughing anymore.
Every time he talked about Obama, he looked like he’s having an orgasm in front of the national tevee.
Snort. That’s so true.
GMC “According to the Neilsens I have seen, they are both hurting viewer wise compared to pre-super Tuesday, when they completely “tanked” for Obama
Olbermann is losing in every demographic last I checked. His Sunday night gig, in Datelines spot drew only half normal Dateline numbers. It lost even to a Fox rerun of “Family guy”. ”
GMC-How are ‘ratings’ measured? And the demographics?
I liked the comment about Chris Matthews’ age [62]affecting his analysis and presentation, compared to Jon Stewart-droll and satirical. A very telling comment.
Remember the “tone” of the NYer article on Michelle Obama-very critical and personal, but objective at the same time? If the tone of the NYT Mag. piece is the same, it could bode trouble for Chris.
What do you guys think?
If MSNBC along with Olbermann, Tweety et al is going down all I have to say is that it couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of people.
I must reserve one accolade for the Obama channel though in that I believe that the segments about Don Seigleman by Dan, whateverthehellhisnameis, is outstanding.
Yes Dan Abrahms tried to be equitable. I don’t personally agree with some of his assessments, but he seems to be one of the most unbiased as far as hosts go. He has come to the defense of Hillary quite a bit and has really torn into the majority of the media and press in their calling for her to stop down, etc. (I haven’t seen his show in a few weeks though as I’m boycotting -lol). I guess I’ve missed all the stuff on Seigelman
- what’s it been like?
It’s not his age, it’s the fact he’s an asshole and always has been. Unless it’s the fact he’s the age he is and is STILL a asshole.
Dig-Ding-Ding!!!
We have a WINNER!
Chris Matthews is 62? I had no idea!(Not that I want to give him a compliment or anything.) I just thought he was younger than that. I haven’t read the article yet, so I can’t say as to the tone, but I’m just so thrilled that their ratings are tanking…so glad you shared that - that takes away some of their power.
Sorry to be so late responding to your question. The information can be found at the following links.
Enjoy!
O’Reilly vs. Olbermann Through Wednesday, April 9
http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/04/11/oreilly-vs-olbermann-through-wednesday-april-9/3285
Cable News Ratings through Wednesday, April 9/Plus “click-able” links
http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/04/11/cable-news-ratings-through-wednesday-april-9/3287
I just sent this letter to the guys at the top of NBC.
Dear Mr. Griffin and Mr. Capus,
I have always been a big fan of your network and tuned in nightly to watch MSNBC and visited your web site on a daily basis.
Over the last months, however, I find that the coverage given to the two Democrats running for president has become blantantly biased in favor of Obama.
I expect to hear both positive and negative stories about both candidtaes but unfortunately, I rarely hear any positive coverage of Mrs. Clinton. Even coverage that appears to be positive is in reality negative. Your hosts and commentators may think they are clever but alas they are very obvious.
Monday night I gave the new David Gregory show a try. There is a segment where viewers can ask a question. There were five that evening. One about McCain and four about Clinton (hair and prep time, taxes, Penn and another I can’t remember now). There are three candidtaes in the race but four out of five questions were about Clinton and there was a negative twist to each.
Then there is Andrea Mitchell and her comments such as:
On last night’s telecast of MSNBC:
Summary: After noting the title of Dee Dee Myers’ book Why Women Should Rule the World while discussing with Myers the resignation of Mark Penn as Sen. Hillary Clinton’s chief campaign strategist, MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell asserted: “I don’t know — this campaign, right now, is not the greatest example of why women should rule the world.”
As your reporter covering the Clinton campaign she always has the most dismal of projections. What in the world is going on? She is always inserting opinion into the news. She finds a way to turn even good news into bad.
Then you have Olbermann almost spitting at the camera in his anti Clinton tirades with never a word about Obama’s inconsistencies which are many. Russert, who is more interested in his self promotional “gotta questions” than in fairness of any kind, and then of course there is the old “tingle up my leg” Matthews who appears to be having a meltdown each evening.
Fair-minded Americans and women in particular are turned off (hate to use this term right after the disgusting tingle up my leg comment) by these talking heads (can’t in good faith call them journalists). More and more I find myself turning away from your coverage of all things. If there is so much bias in your political coverage, it just stands to reason that the rest of your coverage is loaded with bias as well.
Ok, for fun, as metaphor, the anti Clinton press, the bloggerboyz, are in reality, Paula Jones:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/images/daily/jones_keyap.jpg
The anti Clinton press is to Hillary as Paula Jones was to Bill when she filed suit against him for harassment.
But it destroyed Jones in the end, remember?
So, MSNBC is Paula Jones.
Ah, Simon…you’ve allowed me to dust off my old Paula Corbin Jones jokes for a new century!
Thanks.
I’m in need of a few jokes, let her rip…
Q: What’s the difference between Paula Corbin Jones and a trampoline?
A: Most men remove their shoes before jumping on a trampoline.
well MSNBC and the non Journalists there..have been on my child block since Iowa..
but last week i sent a c orrection to Jack Cafferty at CNN about the bill in Fla that dean stripped our delegates for , as he reported it all wrong..so nice me send a total correction to him, and within a minute i got a reply…the reply was..
YAWN
yep..he doesn’t give a rats you know what.. if he lies and gets alll the FACTS 100% WRONG.
then yesterday he lied again about Hillary and the gal in the hospital story..and Wolf tried to correct him , and he wanted no part of the correction…
so if you want to go after this liar..here is his email…
Jack.Cafferty@turner.com
i will be out of the country for the next 12 days..so go for it..go after that pig!
oh and he was all over the Dems and not stopping the war yesterday as well..and i know my memory is good on this..Jack had his own show on the run up to the war..and he was the biggest cheerleader for this war..he was disgusting..i shut his sorry a$$ off then..now he the biggest war cheerleader wants the Dems to stop the war..calls them names because they won’t..
well where was his responsibility before this war..oh yeah making money to send our soldiers to die.
see ya’ll in a couple weeks..
au revior..
fly
He is a nasty piece of work. I think even the word curmudgeon is too kind for him.
Needs a subtitle -
INSIDE MSNBC: the proctoscopic view.
Its a good thing we can’t see his hands in the picture.
He must be thinking of his dream boat Barry.
Is that a photo of Matthews, or of a braying jackass? Or maybe both?
Every time Chris Matthews speaks, the ghost of Tip O’Neill breaks wind.
Susan..
Nice change of Pace…good for some Hee Haws..
You’ve got to admit..Chris has a nice set of Dentures..
Chris Matthews is suffering from a serious illness. Please give what you can… before it’s too late.
http://tinyurl.com/3wp3p8
I’m amazed that Matthews allways looks so pale,(there again most drunks do) considering the fact that he’s got his head so far up Obamas a$$. After all, isn’t that where the sun is shining from?