FOX News vs. Celebrity Sound Bites

Let's glaze over the irony of FOX News telling people with 'big mouths' to 'shut up,' and focus on the fact that they keep railing against celebrities voicing political opinions, except when those celebrities have opinions that mirror their own political agenda. O'Reilly had right-wing comedian Dennis Miller on to discuss '08 -- I suppose his role in The Net helped him form integral views on homeland security -- and Neil Cavuto had conservative actor Ron Silver on to talk about Rudy Giuliani -- I totally loved him in The West Wing.

But what about FOX's own anchors, you ask? Well, turns out at least four members (I stopped counting at four) of FOX's illustrious news team are former pageant divas -- including Gretchen Carlson who won Miss America in 1989 and Lauren Green who lost Miss USA in 1994, but got the consolation prize of being FOX's religion correspondent. Green was not only a beauty queen, but also bears the dreaded title of 'former actress and model.'

Before FOX News anchors criticize celebrities for having opinions they should take a look in their own back yard. Is it more dangerous to have Sally Field decrying an unpopular war at the Emmys? Or 'the most watched news network' passing off pretty ladies as serious journalists? Let's not pretend the lines between commentators and celebs haven't been seriously blurred -- with a lot of help from FOX News.

Comments

[realitytrumpsbull]

FOX has never really had a serious reputation as
a news channel, only problem is, these days, CNN has dropped to their level...

[GenericBlogger]

Greta van Susteren deserves the crown as queen of trash TV news and top honors for plastic makeovers.

[KerwinMcLaughlin]

It's called fighting fire with fire.

[genseric]

Come on guys, any idiot can report the news. "Report" means to tell us what happened. A reporter is just another made up profession like being a pharmacist, some moron that counts pills and puts them in a bottle.

[GenericBlogger]

The problem with using anchorettes with telegenic, beauty pageant, Barbi Doll like features is not limited to Fox. Look at CBS' 6:30 PM EST weekday program, the national morning infotainment shows and the multitudes of local TV stations.

Most are hired for their looks, their ability to read and recite from a teleprompter. But make no mistake about it, if they didn't have the looks they wouldn't have the job. An above average brain is not a necessity. In Mika Brezinski's case, it might work against her on the MSNBC morning program.

There are three basic types of communication, visual, audio, and textual. Television provides all three. Human nature places emphasis on the visual, audio, and textual in order of decreasing importance. Hence the use and emphasis on good looks.

Anyone who wants to change the use of pretty anchorettes will have to change human nature.

[larry278]

Is Faux Snooze & its talking head talent worthy of being taken seriously? No. There is no reason to give Murdoch media free publicity on a progressive site.
Leave the coverage of Mr Mudoch & his minions to the DRUDGE REPORT & similar sites.

[The Collinbrandt]

Perhaps we need to follow some sort of philosophy regarding how we view the world such as:

I will always fight aginst evil in all it's forms.
I will insist that humanity be the central part of any governace.
I admit that I will sometimes be wrong.
I will do anything that I can to help my fellow travelers in this universe to realize their dreams and potentials.

[Rescisco]

This just in. FOX want's all of us (not just celebs)to "zip it" or just "shut up!" Free speech, and independent thought, are the tools of their "devil."

[kellygrrrl]

FAUX News is about as credible as the Miss USA pageant ... with an equally intelligent answer to any question.

"I personally believe that Americans don't HAVE maps"

[mamacat]

Why were the Emmys shown on the Fox channel?
The Murdoch crew were prepared to make any anti-war demonstration look like a mirror chandelier.
No wonder the Democrats chose not to have a debate on the Fake News channel.

[cuthbertallgood]

And not just anti-war stuff either. They censored a joke in Ray Romano's opening of the show as well, and they did it in the most clunky, heavy handed way. Not only was it censorship, it was poorly done censorship.
It looked like Albanian State TV, circa 1979.

[ozziesmom]

The media is rife with double standards, not just Fox News. But the really sad part is that the news has become entertainment, so whether it's Sally Field or Miss America is simply a matter of splitting hairs (dyed or bleached--it's all the same).

[ozziesmom]

Double standards seem to abound in the media, not only on Fox. Fact is, in today's culture, news IS entertainment. Sad.

[Angela]

OK, this entry is just irresponsible. I've worked with both of these women and they are far from bimbos. Here are the facts.
Gretchen with honors from Stanford. Last time I checked, you had to be more than a pretty face to get into that school. She worked her way up as a journalist for years, starting in a tiny market. She also won the talent contest in the Miss America contest for playing the violin. Hardly the stuff of a bimbo.

Lauren graduated from the University of Minnesota with a music degree. She then got a journalism degree from the Medill school at Northwestern University...one of the best schools in the country for journalists (sorry Columbia). She's a concert pianist with her own albums. She, too, worked her way up as a reporter and anchor.

I am no fan of FOX, but I'm REALLY no fan of someone who purports to be a journalist but doesn't bother to gather any facts. That these women were able to compete in competitions, graduate from college, excel in music and journalism is something to be proud of (the FOX part of it can be debated). These women are role models, not "pretty faces".

Next time, Alex, don't go for the cheap shots. There are plenty of airheads on TV...these two ain't among them.

[liberaldawg]

Well if Gretchen and Lauren have such
outstanding credentials, why do they
work for a hack "news" organization
like Fox. No true journalist in their
right mind would work for the Nazi
ministry of propaganda. No objective
journalist would stand for being a
mouth piece for the White House
and Republican party. Either they
are stupid or they are shills who
care more about a paycheck than the
responsibility that comes with being
a journalist. Also, being an anchor is
not being a journalist. Any idiot can
sit in front of a camera and read the
teleprompter when the little red light
flashes on. I've been in tv journalism
for 25 years and these women are there
for their looks.

[katlade]

Good point. They both have ties to a blue state (MN) home of Humbert Humphrey and Paul Wellstone and one of the states that did not go to Bush. YOu would have thought some of that good Midwestern sense would have rubbed off. I hope they are just both using Fox to further their own agenda and career.

[ang4ever]

Putting those pretty faces may help to validate their hoax/faux news. Never mind the content of the news, just that they are read by beautiful but unqualified minds.

[Apples]

It's an excellent point, Alex, and makes for fun reading, but I'm not sure that pointing out the hypocrisy of Fox Cable is worth our time. I get exhausted just thinking about the many hypocrisies of Fox.

I'm not sure that many of the bubble-headed blondes or the model-like raven haired presenters of Fox would like this old joke dredged up once again, but it still rings true, particularly after reading this blog: What do you do if you want to go out with someone who is vacuous but looks like an educated hooker? Date a TV anchor.

[jackbauer0396]

Fox "News" is all about pageantry. Just look at Hannity and Colmes. Hannity, the conservative, who is a good looking guy, and Colmes, the liberal, who looks like the crypt keeper. They must laugh themselves silly every time they say "fair and balanced".

[dadw5boys]

Heard FOX is having another CATTLE CALL for ACTORS AND ACTRESSES who want to be NEWS ANCHORS.
Thats how most of Fox Anchors got their jobs.