Keith Olbermann Names Katie Couric "Worst Person In The World"

On Wednesday night's "Coundtown," Keith Olbermann blasted Couric for her comments on the sexist coverage of Hillary Clinton and her remark that NBC News' Lee Cowan should "find another line of work" if he couldn't remain objective about Barack Obama.

Olbermann called Couric's allegations of sexism "a bit Kool Aid-ish," charged Couric with misunderstanding Cowan's comment, and praised Cowan's objective reporting and his ability to separate the hype from the news.

"It is sad that Ms. Couric could not have emulated [Cowan] and separated the hype from the news in her own promulgation of the nonsense that Senator Clinton was a victim of pronounced sexism."

Related: Rachel Sklar reacts: "To sit there on MSNBC and say that it's nonsense is a bit rich, considering that some of the higher-profile episodes of embarrassing sexist-or-perceived-as-sexist commentary has come from that network." [ETP]

Comments

[mamacat]

A tempest in a teapot is still a tempest in a teapot, even when reported upon at Huffpo.

Couric is pretty, but needs to be judged on her merits other than her looks, if she is going to be a reporter.
Olbermann is funny at times, and interesting at times, but like O'Reilly, who he seems to hate, he relies too much on showmanship and not enough on investigative reporting.

The reports of sexism are important, but overly touted by the Clinton camp. She did not lose because of sexism, but because she was not the better candidate.

[JDJase]

Under some circumstances, I could see Olbermann's point.

However, because of his terrible news reporting (because he clearly preferred B O over H R C, aren't reporters supposed to be objective?), I can't side with him here.

We all know had he preferred H R C, he would be 'getting his panties in a wad' as well.

[longnow]

"Don't Whine" ...Tim Russert was talking to YOU Hill, Katie, men and women everywhere.

[JDJase]

Yes you approve of Olbermann's continuous whining. That's all his show is. There is zero objective news whatsoever.

[longnow]

Seven pages long and counting. Keith went after Couric because she, of the sinking ratings,
had the nerve to tell Lee Cowens to "get another line of work"...after she shortened his quote.
Like Keith, I don't think Couric knew who she was quoting or what the original quote was.
"America's Sweatheart" probably doesn't do nuance because, being a show girl at heart ,
nuance is for lesser lights while Couric, getting ready for her closeup, wants the
main spotlight and the attention. America's sweetheart my ass.

[BayAreaResident]

That's right, we need to set the record straight, because some people are going to continue to be pulling the blanket their way no matter what the facts are. While there were in fact numerous examples of sexist remarks, overall the primaries coverage was fair and neutral, except for the right wing media which actually clearly preferred Hillary to Obama and did everything possible to help her to cling the nomination.

Anyways, let's stop whining and start working toward getting us out of the mess the republicanazis have brought us knee deep into.

Dem 08!

[CAPTAINSKIPPY]

Careful KO, or your support group will soon be much smaller than it was.

[lisac63]

I'm a woman and I'm sick and tired of all this sexist nonsense...first from Hillary supporters and now Katie Couric.....I wish they would all stop getting their panties in a wad over EVERYTHING­....oops..­..I bet they will think that was sexist too!

[longnow]

Very, actually, totally correct and right.

[ibsteve2u]

Most of the out-and-out sexism that I saw came from Fox - and strangely enough, there are a lot of angry feminists who have voiced their anger by stating that they are going to vote for Fox's boy, McCain.

This is truly an amazing world.

[plooger]

Doesn't Sklar confirm Olbermann's point by emphasizing the "perceived­-as-sexist­" qualification? Is it sexism merely if one perceives sexism?

And Olbermann's greater emphasis was on Couric's misrepresenting Cowen's statement.

[ligaya]

This is the intent vs. impact question. Is a woman right to feel offended when a man claims he didn't mean to be sexist? Is a person of color right to feel offended when a white person claims s/he didn't mean to be racist?
Yes, I think impact has to be counted, not automatically dismissed. Then the rights & wrongs of the situation can be sorted out.
As for Keith Olberman (sp?), I used to admire him a lot. I think his popularity has gone to his head - maybe he should take a sabbatical at his old sports network.

[patmancando]

KO is getting to be holier than now.......WTF does he think he is. KO, CM and David Schuster are the most sexist of them all. What a jerk KO has become, a pompous ass to be sure. Anyone know how to look up the TV market audience share. He is not as popular or as honest as he once was. He is more like Billo than his wannabe ERM. His sign off, Good Night and Good Luck is very pretentious. I stopped watching him months ago.

[GeorgeKaplan]

To bad McCain is not a woman... than we'd have something going here. I guess we miss Hillary.

[FreeThinkn1]

Isn't it sexist to say that a woman cannot be criticized for idiotic actions/words because she is a woman? Katie said that a journalist should get another line of work because he spoke about the dangers of losing objectivity while traveling with the subject of his reporting. Please...where was Katie when the MSM were cheering on the build up to war? She lost all credibility when she interviewed Sen. Obama during the nightly news and used the sound "uelch" and a facial expression to ask how he felt about Sen. Hillary Clinton. Giving her immunity for bad reporting and stupid words because she's a woman is sexist.

[Bulbul]

Soooo...sorry Katie...
That fool does not get it...how embarresing...

[ENK727]

I just watched the video and this is what people are all upset about? oh geez.. people please there's more important things going on in the world than this.

[j0hnwi11iams]

After Shuster was suspended for his "pimping" comment, and I learned that Hillary was behind it, I dropped all support for her. I am tired of the gotcha politics these people play. I wasn't against Hillary because she is a woman, I was against her for punching down at reporters. Politicians should leave reporters alone. Hillary got off light.

Far more troubling was the media's complicity in aligning the US population to invade Iraq.

[ornovscot]

I should say that Hillary Clinton's campaign has been no more affected by sexist tendencies in the media, than Senator Obama's campaign has been affected by racism in the media and in the Clinton campaign (e.g., Bill Clinton's references to Jesse Jackson or Hillary Clinton's allusions to "white working class voters".)


For someone who has enjoyed many educational and social benefits most persons never know in their lifetimes, I should say that Senator Clinton has been treated rather well, and has enjoyed a plethora of advantages. And, for whatever sexism she experienced, those advantages far outweighed any misogynistic comments that were made from time to time. In many instances Senator Clinton enjoyed the votes of many white male voters.

That she did not secure the nomination is more a reflection on how she has behaved and how her campaign has conducted itself during the past several months. Her petty lies and the financial scandals lurking just beneath the surface were aspects many found unsavory.

For many, her words about obliterating a whole country simply were too disturbing. Blaming sexism for Hillary Clinton's failure to secure the nomination might be an anodyne for some persons committed to Senator Clinton, but it scarcely begins to explain that, for many voters, the idea of Hillary Clinton as President is too frightening a thought. That fear is a result not of her gender. Rather, that fear is born of experience witnessing how Ms. Clinton conducts herself in public life.

[StephenDedalus82]

To your first point, I disagree. The whole problem is that sexism is still acceptable in various degrees of subtlety, while racism is utterly taboo. That is, Obama benefited, rather than succumbed to harm, because of any perceived racism on the Clinton's part. His team knew this and that's why they exploited it. The sexism I perceived in the campaign was a general sort. Despite Hillary's almost robotic poise through most of the campaign, every single little gaffe was blown way out of proportion. For some reason women aren't allowed to be anything other than shiny and perfect, or they're tarred as evil bitches.

[research]

misandrony, sexism against males, is also still acceptable. Women also claim all sorts of special rights, like "hell hath no fury like a woman" . You American women have gone back to "The Rules", back to the conservative man hunts woman paradigm. Men pay to date women, how messed up is that? Men live in a identity straight jacket, women are free to do and be whomever they want. Men still make more money, but old women end up with most of it. Take a look at divorce and child custody laws if you want to see oppressed men. Or take a look at your typical "yes dear" submissive husband.

But I voted against Hillary because she is pro war, DLC.ORG conservative, win at any cost, tall tale telling and deceptive and dishonest. I'm also wary of the duopoly of Bush Clinton families.

[Hare]

To your first point, I disagree, and to your second and third and face it Hillary is done and it was all her doing, no because of sexism. She was lying big time, behaved badly and was utterly un-presidential