That's not journalism

Hey folks.. There aren't any real burning issues on my mind today, but someone notified me last night that "ni-&as in the streets" check MBT on a regular basis [yeah, right] and when there isn't a new post they feel.. less than. Or like an ass for wasting their time. There there.. I'll talk shit about someone for those who enjoy reading it.

Today, broadcast journalist/lawyer Chris Cuomo of ABC's "Good Morning America" tops my shit list. I watch GMA every day.. it's just my thing. Even when they piss me off or bore me to death with non-news coverage I rarely turn the channel like I should.

I have a like/hate relationship with Chris Cuomo, who's kinda new to the team. He first pissed me off with his highly-opinionated coverage of the Duke Lacrosse team Rape case. Oh, he just new stripper girl was lying and that these kids had done nothing wrong. At least, that's what his coverage of the event implied.

This week he's going at my boy, the Oscar winning documentarian Michael Moore. He did an interview with Michael that's being broken into segments and today was the second one. In case you haven't heard, Michael's new movie Sicko medical is hitting theaters soon. He's taking on the health care industry and the media's coverage of it. Anyway, Chris is going at Michael all hard in the interview like he's releasing a sex tape starting the Cuomo clan. I mean, tell us why your mad, son. Chris is like "Why'd you take sickly 9/11 clean up workers to Cuba?" and Michael's like, "I didn't take them to Cuba, I took them to Guantanamo Bay, where detainees receive free health care." These people were sick and he wanted to make a point that people we should assume are criminals (or have thought about committing crimes against the U.S.) are receiving treatments for free and the 9/11 workers who have respiratory illnesses from the clean up can't afford health care.

Chris was like, that's a stunt. You knew they weren't going to let you in. Michael was like, it's not a stunt, I'm making a point. Chris retorts, "But that's not journalism." Whoa. Who are you to define what is and isn't journalism?? He's a documentarian and opinionated interviews like Chris Cuomos aren't shining examples of journalism either.

I like Mike Moore. I don't agree with everything he does or says, but he's entertaining and very effective at exposing the problems within our democracy that's supposed to be an example for all nations. We bring freedom, justice and democracy to the world, meanwhile I just watched a news story about a lady who died in the waiting room at a hospital after spitting up blood for about 45 mins. She died in front of her husband and other poor schmucks waiting for "emergency care." They were calling 911 and 911 operators were like, "Um, you're at the hospital. Tell them she's dying." That's not really the point, but Mike is trying to expose the problems with our health care system at a critical point in the election process. Good for him.

Chris Cuomo is just jealous that people don't listen to him like they do Michael Moore. And because he doesn't have any facial hair. That's not Mikes fault, Chris! He's also probably jealous that he isn't able to share his political opinions fearlessly like Moore. Moore is my friend, if he were sick I'd bring him ice cream like Forrest did for Lieutenant Dan. (Since he's trying to lose weight to cut down on the cost of health care, maybe I'd bring him frozen yogurt.) If I were sick, Moore would probably bring me ginger tea, which always makes me feel better. And then he'd rub my forehead and tuck me in and read a book while I slept.

Then today on GMA, Michael is defended whatever statements he made in the film about the media's coverage of health care issues and the war in Iraq. I'm not clear on what he said and refuse to pause and research right now, but the point is that Chris got all puffy and told Michael not to talk about "this house." "This is the house of Bob Woodruff." Chris defended the honor of the many journalists who've been injured and killed while covering the war in Iraq. Michael didn't say shit about Bob. And Chris knows good and damn well that wasn't what he was trying to do. Michael made his disclaimer and paid a compliment to Woodruff's specials that have ran since he's feeling better.

Anyway, it bothered me to see Chris go at my friend like that. I mean, next time I have Michael over for dinner, we're SO going to make jokes about Chris. I'm going to set up a large picture of him and we can use a magic marker and draw little horns on his head and a funny mustache. It'll be great.

But then, the interview was over and the show moved on and Chris made a funny and I laughed. Chris also made funnies while talking with Michael Moore and Michael laughed. So I think, sometimes, he's not such a prick. But any time he tries to be all "big time exclusive interview journalist" he goes all bitchy with it. I'm like, who's your idol Bill O'Reilly? And while I'm on the subject. Does any one else who gives a shit notice how his posture changes when he does cooking segments with TV One chef G. Garvin? "Hey, you Jive Turkey, this chicken wing is dynomite! Who taught you to cook so good?" lol. It's actually not that bad, but he could tone it down a little.

That's how I feel about that. ... So there. I blogged