Posted by
Shogrensus on Tuesday, June 12, 2007 3:32:15 PM
June 12th show continued
Joy gets really worked up about the Dan rather comments about Katie Couric:
***
Joy: Dan Rather has said something to MSNBC that I thought was a little tacky about Katie. You know every day they are after Katie because her numbers are down and so they are relentless against her- She's working hard
EH: Yes they are
BW: She's working hard. I like Katie very much and I think it's just mean of them to keep going after her. To add on top of that, Dan Rather, who used to work for CBS, he said to MSNBC "I want to make it clear that I have nothing against Katie Couric at all. She's a very nice person, however it was clear at the time, and I think it has become clearer that the mistake was to try" now listen to this "to try to dumb it down and tart it up in hopes of attracting a younger audience." This totally insults young people and stupid people and tarts.
EH: Right
JB: I mean that's so wrong of him
EH: It is. I thought let me see where you could have possibly went- so I went and broke down what he said word for word and under tart it came "to tart something up" it started in 1938 I found out at dictionary.com tart was used as the word prostitute in some cases in 1887 sometimes said to be the shortening of sweetheart but ...(she goes on with her dictionary definitions of tart)
BW: In other words, it isn't a good thing
EH: Not at all
Syler: She was trying to bring eyeballs to the TV set, as was CBS and younger people but that is a day part that is resistant to change and so she has unfairly been the target of some criticism
***
First- the dumbing down part is right on, in this situation. Katie Couric is not the best example of a high intellect newscaster. Maybe her morning routine was interesting to some, but really- she is mediocre, at best. I have never understood people who thought she was talented- never seen it in her...
Next- "Tart it Up" and Katie Couric do not belong together in a plan to attract viewers. At the risk of offending someone, Couric is no tart- she has been pegged the girl next door but to say she could tart anything up... If CBS wanted to tart up the evening news, there are countless women much better looking (although not necessarily less intelligent) and more talented.
If CBS wanted to attract a younger audience, CBS needed to put an intelligent person in the spot. Many young people are engaging in politics and current affairs and they want substance. Looks are neat but they can't articulate a policy, or ask a hard question.
I am not sure why Elisabeth had to look anything up in the dictionary but I don't want to go there as a part of a discussion about dumbing things down...
Finally- any television show, news or otherwise, is made or broken by ratings and then ultimately advertising. Couric is playing with the big boys now and if she can't cut it she needs to get out. She should not whine about it. Her job was to bring in ratings. She's not getting the job done. People aren't watching her. The truth is in the numbers, no matter how likable she is or isn't.
Couric is a bust in the evening.
I would suggest she go back to daytime but am afraid they might try to put her on the View...