Usually I don’t make comments regarding ‘news’ programs these days, since most of them just make me want to reach out for the pink bottle of Pepto-Bismol, but I felt an urge to state my opinions on Olbermann’s recent ‘resignation’ (or what I believe is more likely) his dismissal. Like Olbermann, I have an opinion… though I’m not looking for my own segment on MSNBC.

            I believe this sudden departure might have had something to do with the defamatory remark he made regarding Cornell University, which aired (coincidently) the night before Olbermann announced his last day at MSNBC. It was somewhat ironic due to the fact that he himself is a graduate of Cornell (What happened Keith? Did your son just receive a rejection letter from their Admissions Department or something?) He came on rather arrogant that particular evening (which honestly isn’t a real big departure from his usual behavior) regarding a topic on intelligence and diligence, or at least, that’s what the overall topic seemed to be.  As a woman, I actually felt pretty insulted when he mouthed off about who he considered poor role models in this county. What came next was either the result of an honest journalistic ‘faux pas’ or Freudian slip: he decided to single out only females for his examples. Targets included Snooki and Lady Gaga as well as many others. Wait a sec, Lady Gaga? Sure, she dresses sort of bizarre-like and I’m by no means a die-hard fan or anything, but she was accepted to New York University’s Tisch School for the arts at only 17! She has won two Grammys as well as being nominated numerous times, she learned to play the piano at 4, wrote her first piano ballad at 13, and started performing for live audiences at the age of 14! A bad role model at the same level as Snooki?

[cue the sarcastic undertone] ‘Fer sure Keith-Obie, NYU is like sooo totally easy to get into. So anyha, ya wanna grab an orange julius at the mall?’  

             Mr.Obermann went on even further, perhaps wanting to make absolutely sure that he didn’t leave out anyone in his audience that he could possibly degrade, stating his theory that students who end up having to go to more than one college are the product of a Palin-esque ideology. This is when I nearly threw my plate of spaghetti at the tv.

To be fair, he did briefly and intelligently point fingers at our country’s lack of an education system as a probable cause for some of the problems we face, including the pressing debate on the legalization of Snooki.

              Olbermann failed to clearly establish an argument and organize his ideas to support it. He was all over the place. First it was that our schools are suffering, then it was that our generation is lazy and stupid, then it was that our media is rotting the minds of our youth, and then somehow he blamed a fragment of our county’s students, making a generalization that we all must be siding with a statement Sarah Palin made (although I don’t see any proof of her ever making the so-called statement he made reference to). Speaking of references, he had none! He started out the topic with a personal story and then a ‘study’ for which he had no citation, no references to ‘when, what, where, how?’ *I will say I just looked at the transcript and it appears that there was some reference though I swear when I watched the show this part of the source was omitted:

“The study is in a book called ‘Academically Adrift.’  In it, two sociologists studied over 2,300 undergrads at two dozen universities.  Their conclusion: during the first two years of college, 45 percent of students, quote, ‘demonstrated no significant gains in critical thinking, analytical reasoning and written communications;’ 36 percent show that same lack of improvement upon graduation.”

What I find here is no real source. It’s from a book written by two sociologists. Let me say this, the academic advisor at my old school told me I didn’t have enough credits to finish my theater arts major, and that I would have to be ‘accepted’ into the school before I could take the upper-core division classes (which were what I needed to take to graduate). Instead she advised me to “just get a sociology major, it’s the easiest out of all of them.” This should pretty much sum up my feelings on his ‘source.’ Not to mention it reeks of vaguity. Most everyone I know who has gone to college says that their second year is probably the WORST year out of the four. And here we have these sociologists and Olbermann trying to prove that because the freshman transfer to the sophomore shows “no gains in critical thinking” etc, we should cast this generation off as idiots? Heres what I found:

According to the University of Central Arkansas’ website, the sophomore slump can be defined as a “period of developmental confusion,” where students may face difficulties in academic, social, and personal development. A student’s second year is usually the time to pick a major, when classes become more difficult and professors expect more. In addition, after the novelties of college social life have worn off, nothing seems quite as special.

The only other back up for his ‘argument’ was some Hollywood writer who was a guest on the show.  This all led to a very messy outline of a show that ended up hurting people’s feelings. It’s sad because I think that somewhere underneath all that garbage was actually a good topic that needed to be addressed: “a need for improving America’s schools.”
            I am not a tea party member. Nor am I a right wing republican. I am fairly liberal and was a fan of “Count Down with Keith Olbermann.” I spoke up in support for him in conversations (why I did this now seems like a complete mystery) regarding his suspension after he was caught breaking his network’s rules on campaign contributions. But after he started showing his true colors that one night on his show, I finally completely lost all my respect for the man. I truly prayed that he would lose his spot on the network after that show. I guess a higher power must have been listening, or maybe it was an exec from the network who also graduated from Cornell, because the next night Keith was packing up his pencils and mugs.

            So if you are reading this right now Mr. Olbermann (even though it is more likely that you are currently skiing down some snowy slope in Aspen, drinking hot buttered rum) this is what I’d like to say to you:

 You went after Bill O’Reilly which is one of the things that attracted me to your show as a viewer, but it turns out that you really are no better, no different than O’Reilly. The only difference is you are holding another political party’s ‘membership’ card. You and O’Reilly are like two chess players using the same moves just with different colored pawns, coming from opposite ends of the game board.

All I have left to say to you is: Goodnight and Good luck.

Here is the transcript from the show in case there is interest.

The segment in question is near the bottom.  I still say it is a bit different from what actually aired that night.

JAN 19th 2011 “Count Down With Keith Olbermann”

littlestbuddha:

I just came across this recipe for Hummus Pizza and it looks DELISH! I’m going to make it next week!!!