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As I've mentioned before, when she has these confrontations I feel so tense myself. My co-dependency is showing. Last night, at the height of the interview, my phone rang and I jumped a foot. I am wondering if this harsher tone is here to stay. I don't know if I can take it. Last night, after the show, someone tweeted that Keith Olbermann confronts through the camera, and Rachel does it face to face. That seems accurate.
I LOVE and adore Rachel, but I'm disappointed she got so personal and ugly, calling him a parasite. So much for her much touted ability to keep it civil, you know? He pushed her buttons and got her to lose it a bit. I am NO Tim Phillips fan, believe me. I totally agree with RM and the points she has to make about him and what he does, but she let it/him get to her and she lost a little of her luster there.
ReplyDeleteThe idea is that people she vehemently disagrees with will get a fair shake on her show if they have the balls to show up. The responsibility for keeping it civil is hers because it's her show...she's supposed to lead by example. She certainly didn't here. Like I said, she made some great points and exposes this guy's duplicity and deception, but she got emotional/personal and lost it. Sorry, Rachel, love ya big, but you can do better.
Yeah, I was surprised, and am still not sure how I feel about it. When she paused, and then let go with the parasite comment, I did wonder if maybe she should have thought about it a second longer. I think the pause is telling. The whole thing made me squirm. I'm still on the fence about the personal remark. I suspect I will have more to say about it.
ReplyDeleteAll is forgiven, Rachel. Everyone deserves a little slack now and again. Blame the cold medicine. I know what you mean, CEP - holy shit is right! I honestly don't know how she can hold her own in such confrontational situations - I couldn't be as strong. But, you have to admit, it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking we really ought to get her hopped up on cold meds more often! You combine Rache not feeling good, a little on the sick and cranky side, and throw in a real jerk who is trying to come off as an innocent, and presto - she got a little in his face. I think we should cut the girl a little slack. And I actually agreed with everything she said. EVERYthing.
Her calling card is civility, true, and I love that about her. But everybody has their moments, especially when we're a little under the weather. I gotta say, it was truly refreshing to see someone take that sleazebag apart. In person, yet. Frankly, it needed to be done, and if she hadn't laid into him, someone would have panned our girl for not standing strong enough. You know it's true...
Terrific post, Girl. You always get us talkin' - nice work.
Well, apparently October 16 is "Rachel Maddow Day" in the calendar for LGBT history month.
ReplyDeleteSorry; the distinction isn't civility; it's allowing the other side to make its case. Limbaugh and Beck are too intellectually weak to allow someone to debate them. O'Reilly shouts them down, and Chris Wallace sandbags them. Rachel welcomes them on, asks if her introduction was accurate, gives them the opportunity to correct it if not, then has a spirited debate. "Parasite" may be a little close to the line, but I don't think it makes it less a fair venue. This is my issue with Olbermann; he says something outrageous, then gets his "usual suspects" to weigh in. I vastly prefer Rachel's approach; it's gutsier and more intellectually honest. I'm not looking for the mirror-image of Fox; I want as close to truth as I can get.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, I'm a fan of Rachel, but if she starts to go down the path of calling guests on her show parasites and similar things, even if personally she believes it, she runs the very real risk of being taken less seriously and becoming a caricature of a reactionary...just like at Fox. That's what they do there. Granted, Rachel backs her stuff up with facts, but interjecting insults begins to skewer the truth meter and her credibility as someone who can differentiate and deliver said truth. I honestly wouldn't continue to watch her or take her seriously if she did this often. She would become like Olbermann, who is his own worst enemy.
ReplyDeleteHaving said all that, she is really super hot when she loses her temper. Oh sweet lord.
ReplyDeleteI'm a few days late but I agree...she called her guest a parasite, something shes never done before. He was there to push her buttons and she finally broke lose and said something that goes against what the show is about. I really hope she thought about this after the show and agrees that she went a tad bit too far. She needs to keep her cool like she has done with other guests like Pat or David Frum.
ReplyDeleteOther than the ending of the interview, she did a good job.