D_Raay
05-07-2005, 02:14 AM
On a day when scientists discovered a new dinosaur and a very old mummy, when a military judge declared a mistrial in the case of a female reservist at the center of the notorious Abu Ghraib prison scandal - and, oh yeah, Iraq raged on - two mediocre TV personalities had their scandals played out in primetime, during sweeps.
Priorities, you know.
With ABC touting the fact it had an "explosive" story about a controversy within Fox's powerhouse "American Idol" series, and Dr. Phil getting a primetime special just to confront "The Insider" host Pat O'Brien about his drinking problem and now infamously nasty phone messages to another woman, there was this faux feeling of import on Wednesday night.
It turned out to be more than just the transparently sleazy evening everyone expected. It was, to be kind, both exceptionally boring and manipulative.
For its part, ABC was right. It did have an "explosive" story. It would be hard to find a bigger bomb than the amateurish, irony-free, cliche-riddled "exclusive" it aired about how dim bulb judge Paula Abdul had an affair with an "Idol" contestant during the second season. Indiscretions, possible manipulation and a wanton disregard for high standards? On a reality series? Wake up Murrow, a man has bitten a dog here.
Before you can say, "Drunken Rambling Replete with Offensive Sexual Remarks Brings Down Profitable Viacom Product Aimed at Women," O'Brien, blessed by the pope of television (Oprah is queen, just to clarify), went back to work the next day.
America. Love it or leave it, baby.
Oh, in case you've been reading Proust or otherwise have been uninterested in the human fallibility of a man with a terrible mustache and a profoundly profitable way of sucking up to celebrities, here's what happened to O'Brien, in his words: "I was loaded out of my mind."
Well, yeah. Also a bit chatty. He was in a bar on a Sunday in New York and, according to O'Brien, had gone through four bottles of wine and two bottles of champagne (missing follow-up question from Dr. Phil: "Shared with how many people?"), when he called up some random woman - across the bar - countless times and told her nasty things about sex, hookers, three-ways and cocaine.
The next day it was on the Internet and O'Brien, a man with a history of allegations about improper behavior, found himself embarrassed (he's considered the king of reporting on celebrity run-ins with rehab, the law, hookers, etc.) and just possibly unemployed.
So he went into rehab. O'Brien was extremely uncomfortable listening to what he'd left on the woman's phone and fessing up to decades of alcohol abuse and cocaine use. It was like "60 Minutes Lite." But at least you didn't have to hear some wannabe pop star sing in falsetto.
And yet, as Dr. Phil did his stuck it to O'Brien in a mix of journalism- meets-therapy number on O'Brien, it was hard to believe that O'Brien, who oozes insincerity, was truly repentant.
Not that it matters. You savvy viewers are not the target audience. "I'm sitting here taking it," O'Brien said, not technically on a cross. And if that's enough for absolution by the masses, then it's good enough for Viacom, "Dr. Phil," CBS and especially "The Insider." Synergy worked. That's the moral.
Tune in next week when - wait - did somebody say something about Iraq?
Priorities, you know.
With ABC touting the fact it had an "explosive" story about a controversy within Fox's powerhouse "American Idol" series, and Dr. Phil getting a primetime special just to confront "The Insider" host Pat O'Brien about his drinking problem and now infamously nasty phone messages to another woman, there was this faux feeling of import on Wednesday night.
It turned out to be more than just the transparently sleazy evening everyone expected. It was, to be kind, both exceptionally boring and manipulative.
For its part, ABC was right. It did have an "explosive" story. It would be hard to find a bigger bomb than the amateurish, irony-free, cliche-riddled "exclusive" it aired about how dim bulb judge Paula Abdul had an affair with an "Idol" contestant during the second season. Indiscretions, possible manipulation and a wanton disregard for high standards? On a reality series? Wake up Murrow, a man has bitten a dog here.
Before you can say, "Drunken Rambling Replete with Offensive Sexual Remarks Brings Down Profitable Viacom Product Aimed at Women," O'Brien, blessed by the pope of television (Oprah is queen, just to clarify), went back to work the next day.
America. Love it or leave it, baby.
Oh, in case you've been reading Proust or otherwise have been uninterested in the human fallibility of a man with a terrible mustache and a profoundly profitable way of sucking up to celebrities, here's what happened to O'Brien, in his words: "I was loaded out of my mind."
Well, yeah. Also a bit chatty. He was in a bar on a Sunday in New York and, according to O'Brien, had gone through four bottles of wine and two bottles of champagne (missing follow-up question from Dr. Phil: "Shared with how many people?"), when he called up some random woman - across the bar - countless times and told her nasty things about sex, hookers, three-ways and cocaine.
The next day it was on the Internet and O'Brien, a man with a history of allegations about improper behavior, found himself embarrassed (he's considered the king of reporting on celebrity run-ins with rehab, the law, hookers, etc.) and just possibly unemployed.
So he went into rehab. O'Brien was extremely uncomfortable listening to what he'd left on the woman's phone and fessing up to decades of alcohol abuse and cocaine use. It was like "60 Minutes Lite." But at least you didn't have to hear some wannabe pop star sing in falsetto.
And yet, as Dr. Phil did his stuck it to O'Brien in a mix of journalism- meets-therapy number on O'Brien, it was hard to believe that O'Brien, who oozes insincerity, was truly repentant.
Not that it matters. You savvy viewers are not the target audience. "I'm sitting here taking it," O'Brien said, not technically on a cross. And if that's enough for absolution by the masses, then it's good enough for Viacom, "Dr. Phil," CBS and especially "The Insider." Synergy worked. That's the moral.
Tune in next week when - wait - did somebody say something about Iraq?