That was KO's special comment last night (summary and link to video below).
I saw this last night, but then have not seen any comment or reaction to it until I read the tvnewser piece (I don't count the comments below the video). This captures what makes Olbermann both fascinating and somewhat repelling to watch. I agree with everything he says here, and I think his father's situation is directly relevant to the health care debate. Like him, like do doubt many on this list, I have had to make these same end of life decisions, and they are not easy. We don't want the government to make them for us - we do want the government to just make it a little easier, by making sure that everyone has access to basic, quality medical care and information. But I am not comfortable with this kind of intense, first person subjectivity, even a show that is a hybrid of news and opinion, and that marks off the intentional opinion sections from the news. Even if I were comfortable with it, Olbermann is so melodramatic, hyperbolic, so self indulgent, that it gets in the way of what he is trying to say. It is good television, but I am not sure how persuasive it is. This piece is 13.5 minutes long - which is to say, by the standards of TV news, pretty freaking long. KO is a excellent writer - he needs an editor who is as good. I can't watch Countdown regularly anymore (I just happened to be watching it last night because my tv was tuned to it after Curling). When he puts his mind to it Olbermann can do a damn good job (he did during the early months of the Iraq war), But he also contributes to the kind of tit for tat, dueling screaming that makes cable news obnoxious, even when you agree with one of the screamers (and, to be clear, I am not one of those mythological "moderates" or "independents" - I agree with KO ideologically on almost everything). Right now he has most value as a bargaining chip - I will agree to taking KO off the air if they will agree to taking over Glen Beck and Bill O (has to be 2 for 1 because they have so many more to begin with). Best wishes to the Olbermann family... ************************** http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/msnbc/keith_olbermann_off_tonight_following_last_evenings_special_comment_153268.asp#disqus_thread Keith Olbermann will not co-host the special edition of "Countdown" on MSNBC tonight as previously announced. Instead, Chris Matthews will host a special "Hardball" with Chuck Todd and Savannah Guthrie. Last evening, Olbermann delivered this difficult special comment, which he began by saying, "Last Friday night, my father asked me to kill him." Olbermann said his hospitalized father had not awoken since that day and that he is prepared for the possibility his father will not recover. "If he does not recover you will not see me here for a while," Olbermann said. We're told he is with his father this afternoon. -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
