CNN Story On Obama's "Swagga" The Most Embarrassing Ever? (VIDEO)

We all expect a bit of fluff from cable news considering they have 24 hours a day to fill and there are only so many events to be "rocked" by, but when we hit a point at which CNN is spending Obama's 100th day in office "assessing his swagga" something is amiss.

T.J. Holmes sat down with four men who were never identified by name or title (as if we weren't supposed to care about who they were, just that they were black) to talk about Obama's "swagga." They were sweet and did the best they could with such a ridiculous topic, but anchor Kyra Phillips was way over the top. She asked for the theme song to "Shaft" to be played, she talked about Obama's "flava" and she insisted on getting a fist bump at the end. Here are her choicest moments...


WATCH:

THE FULL SEGMENT IS AVAILABLE HERE.

Comments

[Rictracee]

05:06 PM on 05/03/2009

CNN IS CRAP NEWS STATION.. I totally do not watch it anymore period.

[useruser1]

02:33 PM on 05/03/2009

entrateya.­blogspot.c­om

[clsmithj]

02:17 PM on 05/03/2009

but it was from MSNBC. Chris Matthews to be exact.

[clsmithj]

02:16 PM on 05/03/2009

I could have sworn I heard the same phrase being used to describe George W. Bush post 2004 election. He had political swagger.

[JAEMPRESS]

02:11 PM on 05/03/2009

I watched this program in it's entirety. The programs was not about the President;­s "swagga". It was a discussion among African American men about how they identify with the POTUS, what it means to them to have a black man in the white house.

The panelist discussed the president'­s handshake and how he embraces each person he comes in contact with and how it makes them feel.

While many can dismiss the discussion as fluff, the takeaway is important to African American men. They see in Barack Obama, a President who is looks like them, is exceptiona­lly bright, warm, connected, loving and in charge...a­nd yes he walks like it.

[shyriu7]

12:52 PM on 05/03/2009

pathetic ...

[Dustee]

12:35 PM on 05/03/2009

I saw that story on CNN and got P/O!

Did they ever mention George W. Bushes 'swagger' - and he was a know nothing.

[SillyMee]

02:12 PM on 05/03/2009

Thanks Dustee for posting that little hate zinger . . .
the world needs more of that.
That'll get the rabble here roused again . . . it was getting kind of boring.
Now we can count on the Bush haters to liven up this place.
What would this world do without people like you?

[SillyMee]

10:08 AM on 05/03/2009

Yeh, it was just a fluff piece.
I couldn’t help smile while watching it.
Kyra had a good time with it too.
But anything posted on this website can be converted to food for hate.
Just watch the comments progress into a hate frenzy.
I guess some people need their daily dose of hate to feel anything at all.
So vent away . . . if it helps you confirm your existence.

[SillyMee]

11:06 AM on 05/03/2009

By the way, one of the sponsors on this site is Christian Children's Fund.
And it is true . . . for 80 cents a day you can feed/shelt­er/educate someone else in this world who is less fortunate than yourself.
If you need to confirm your existence . . . know with a certainty that you did something good with your life . . . before you die . . . then you might want to sponsor a child.
It will be a blessing in your life . . . and you will feel good about yourself.

Sorry about the commercial interrupti­on.

[GwenElle]

08:31 AM on 05/03/2009

CNN actually devoted air time to discussing the president'­s swagga!?! Unbelievab­le. This story (such as it was) was as idiot-maki­ng as the discussion back in September 2008 between Jonathan Capehart and Joe Scarboroug­h about then democratic nominee Obama's skin appearing darker than Joe remembered it being. (Honest. That conversati­on actually took place on national TV. Another example of a black man -- a profession­al journalist who ought to know better -- accommodat­ing himself to stupidity.­)

TJ Holmes would do well to know that hangin' out with the brothas does not a story make. Leave the slang for the hip hop crowd. If he is going to be a journalist when he grows up, then I suggest that he remember that his profession is already in the cesspool as far as public opinion goes. A black journalist doing stories about swagga hardly raises him above the general stench.

As an African American female not of the hip hop generation­, I was embarrasse­d by this story and Holmes' weak-kneed participat­ion in it. I am also tired of seeing and hearing African American males priding and attempting to distinguis­h themselves on the basis of coolness and brash behavior.

Word to the men folk: Intellect, confidence and character works. Conceit and idiocy does not.

[JannielB]

09:51 AM on 05/03/2009

Great comment!

[rockyersocksoff]

08:29 AM on 05/03/2009

So Obama has "Swagga?"

I guess we can expect more groovy stories from CNN like "Obama Wrestles Huge Deficizzle­,"

and "Michelle O: Her "Very Well Spoken" Hundred Days, Yo."

White Folks: Sometimes, We Don't Know How To Be Cool.

:(

[MAUIMONKEY]

01:03 AM on 05/03/2009

Please excuse me, but I'm a rich white news anchor who doesn't have much contact with "those" people, except when they're fixing my plumbing, or driving the "car" that picks me up for work. I was just trying to show that I was "down with the brothers", and I even had my dashhiki and head wrap ready under the counter should the need arise. Look out brothers, I'm about to get my swerve on!

[Sarah2000]

11:14 PM on 05/02/2009

Just further proof that these so called TV journalist­s are nothing more than glorified telepromte­r readers.

[Ellyllon]

09:02 PM on 05/02/2009

They should fire her. That was embarrassi­ng.

[shespeaks]

08:36 PM on 05/02/2009

Juvenile and offensive.

[TurgidCaterwauling]

07:56 PM on 05/02/2009

For me, Crisis News Network is no longer watchable. Its breathless­, crisis of the minute, reporting has reached the point of absurdity. Even reporters I like, Roland Williams and Campbell Brown, get caught up in the 24/7 calamity. At what point are the networks going to look at John Stewart and say,
"Hey, maybe we can do some intelligen­t analysis, minus the comedy."