Ad man Donny Deutsch was co-hosting with Tamron Hall on MSNBC's afternoon show Friday, I caught the final few minutes, as I awaited Chris Matthews and Hardball. I know that Deutsch is an important name in the advertising business, and he's a favorite of Matthews--he recently introduced Deutsch as "a genius at communication:" -- but can someone advise Deutsch that he needs to know what's happening in politics before taking that co-anchor's chair?
In reporting the news story that Obama's half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng -- she and Obama share a mother but have different fathers; the President's father is from Africa and his sister's father is from Indonesia -- is moving to Washington, Deutch commented on Soetoro-Ng's beauty. He then asked co-host Hall why Ng is so much lighter-skinned than her brother. Hall, ever gracious, patient, and smart, clued him in to their different paternal parentage, and Deutsch did look deeply embarrassed.
Deutsch is substituting for David Shuster this week. I'm uncomfortable with the hyper-partisan Shuster -- I'd prefer that he try harder to keep his strong views to himself -- but at least he reads the newspaper and knows his stuff.
As the Donny/Tamron duo signed off, he thanked her for being such a good "hostess."
On another note, that Tamron Hall is just smokin hot and she's spot on with her work on that show.
As for Shuster, I appreciate a little liberal fieriness. But he is just to robotic and doesn't have any of the charisma possessed by Rachel and Keith. Maybe he's compensating for his robotic nature by bringing in some fieriness.
Chris Matthews is just another white, conservative male that is just boring. Sexist, constantly bringing up the religious wedge issues of the '80s and his own religion. I especially love how he discusses issues of abortion with only male panels and constantly asks why taxpayers should have to pay for abortions.
I'd like to see MSNBC mix up its extremely pale, male line-up and add some diversity. Some diversity of color, gender, reporting, and opinions might actually turn MSNBC from mind numbing to something actually interesting and compelling. Ah, but alas, it is owned by big business so no chance of that.
It was unprofessional and uncivil. Hundreds of emails and phone calls were received. Friday -- Richard Wolffe was in the Countdown chair.
It seemed to strip any semblance of impartiality away from Schuster if I were a Fox news fan I would jump up and down and say its true the left are all elite snobs.
I miss the African American woman who used to be on MTV news "Alice Stewart" or something. She was always best at subing Countdown. She even has comic talent. But she also had a baby. So her career suffered. That is when Rachael Madow got her job.
Either way its just T.V.
Me neither. I can't stand his voice.
He is probably best known for the suspension over his "pimped out" remark during the 2008 primaries, referring to Hillary's frequent use of Chelsea on the campaign trail. I thought the response from Hillary's campaign, led by Howard Wolfson, was ridiculous and overblown and that Shuster did not deserve the punishment.
My older brother & I share the same biological parents & he's noticeably darker-skinned than I am. The younger sibling of a good friend of mine, who's also, "bi-racial," recently had twin boys, one of whom looks distinctly African-American while the other has fair skin, blond hair & blue eyes.
It seems like American media figures are the last to learn that, "White," and, "Black," are political terms when applied to human beings - they're not exactly biologically accurate. Next Deutsch or Chris Matthews or Bill O'Reilly will be wondering aloud why the President's skin is brown - after all, he's half, "Black," & half, "White," so shouldn't his skin be grey?