"Riffed from the Headlines" is Townhall's daily VIP feature with coverage on the deeply flawed aspects of journalism in the nation. We'll look to bring accountability to the mishaps, malaprops, misdeeds, manipulations, malpractice, and manufactured narratives in mainstream media. (For a VIP discount, drop SLAGER in the signup form.)
11.02.21
First Amendment Strike Force – NBC NEWS
Watching the media losing their collective minds over the "Let's Go Brandon" trend has been beyond amusing. Reporters who are the most bothered by this and turn it into a dramatic reaction publicly fail to grasp they are perpetuating the use of the phrase. A journalist is upset by this, you say?!
The fragility of these self-proclaimed firefighters for democracy is best displayed by how many of them resort to reporting to the authorities when people use the chant. There has been concern over congressional members violating House rules for uttering the phrase, and this weekend, reporters turned to the FAA when a pilot allegedly said it on a Southwest Airlines flight. Now, NBC's Ken Delanian has stepped up the practice.
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In a report where a gun manufacturer is laser-printing the meme on an internal component, Ken decided to do the proper thing – he went and tattled on the company.
- "The company did not respond to NBC News requests for comment. A spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service, which investigates threats against the president, declined to comment."
Printing an innocuous phrase is now being hinted at as a threat against the president. Keep up the screeching, Ken, we are certain this will get people to stop saying the offending words which would have died off naturally weeks ago.
I called the Secret Service about this. They had no comment. https://t.co/CmcATXY5DV pic.twitter.com/vD7dblz9JG
— Ken Dilanian (@KenDilanianNBC) November 1, 2021
Matching Media Memorandum – VARIOUS OUTLETS
- Sure, the tiki torch fiasco on Friday was a bust, but THIS will surely work!
Last night, Glenn Youngkin was holding one of his final campaign appearances, speaking to a crowd of thousands. (Note that Terry McAuliffe has been generating rabid interest in front of dozens of supporters.) In the mass of people, one garment, in particular, seemed to catch the interest of reporters. Interesting how many news outlets managed to fus in on the lone particular item that could be construed as offensive.
NBC News:
LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — pic.twitter.com/3pdnUHyQtT
— Gary Grumbach (@GaryGrumbach) November 2, 2021
Salon:
— Zachary Petrizzo (@ZTPetrizzo) November 2, 2021
WUSA 9 News:
Nov. 1, 2021 – Glenn Youngkin takes the stage here in Loudoun County — the final rally of his campaign… pic.twitter.com/CJLqZUN7lS
— Mike Valerio (@MikevWUSA) November 2, 2021
They all dutifully shared their snapshot of the individual, and yet we get no other information about this racist Youngkin supporter. In the past, any time the press sees a racist display like this, the individual is interrogated, exposed publicly, and shamed nationally. Yet neither Petrizzo, who touts being an investigative reporter, nor Grumbach, who brags about being "always curious" in his bio, could be bothered to delve into the matter beyond the suggestive photographs.
It is not like the person featured was tough to find. This crowd shot shows how conveniently placed they were in their racist jacket – directly up against the press pit at the event.
Yeah I’m sure the guy just *happened* to stand right in front of the press in his confederate jean jacket at the Youngkin rally.
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) November 2, 2021
Imagine actually falling for this? You’d have to be a journalist. pic.twitter.com/aCbqUrn3XJ
Anti-Social Media – CNN
- Jim, you should never perfectly replicate a meme.
Joining in on the Brandon melodramatics is CNN's Jim Sciutto. He is concerned with what our nation's youth might be learning as a result of this chant being uttered. Apparently, teaching them to NOT use a crude vulgarity, much we saw for the past four years, is considered wrong, somehow.
Of course, he works for the same network which recently featured a glowing interview with a 14-year-old student who flipped her middle finger to anti-mandate protestors. So yeah, Jim is probably unaware of a lot of things, such as the fact he has perfectly replicated a meme mocking this media reaction.
Well done, @JimSciutto.
— Brad Slager - Gourd Of Thunder (@MartiniShark) November 2, 2021
This is the EXACT same energy. pic.twitter.com/YZII8OIrdK
Low Octane Gas Lighting – VARIOUS OUTLETS
I saw the video cuts and instantly wondered if it would happen. Donald and Melania Trump attended Game 4 of the World Series, and from their skybox, they participated in doing the signature fan gesture for the team. The media have been desperate to turn anything about this series into a controversy, so this reaction in the press just had to take place.
You just knew it was going to happen.
— Brad Slager - Gourd Of Thunder (@MartiniShark) November 2, 2021
43,000 people were doing the 'controversial' tomahawk chop at the Atlanta Braves game, but only one person managed to be offensive and racist while doing so. pic.twitter.com/sH0szUK1Cc
Prose & Contradiction – CNN
- It's not wrong when Tapper refuses to follow the science.
The Covid scolds in the press continue to act astonished that people ignore medical professionals and refuse to follow the science. It is clear by now that when they invoke these charges, what they really are saying is how offensive it is that we do not follow the directives from the press.
A perfect example of why their pleas for us to obey go ignored is displayed by Jake Tapper, as he was promoting some food segment on his show. He gave us a picture of those on staff involved, but then had to scramble with a follow-up, once he realized how he had committed a grievous error.
(for anyone concerned, we took off our masks just for the photo, but generally we all wear masks around the office. also, we're all vaccinated.)
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) November 1, 2021
The message here apparently is that masks do not work against Covid nearly as well as cameras. As long as you are being photographed then the virus will not affect you.
There is a remarkable dichotomy of science in play. When it comes to those on television, they wear masks until they are on camera, but politicians like Joe Biden and many others always go maskless until they are on camera, and then they pull them on. We will leave it to the readers to decide which side is violating the medicine and the science with their behavior.
Pulitzer Prize Nomination – NBC NEWS / THE TODAY SHOW
There was apparently some social upheaval recently when it was reported that Disney Channel fixture Olivia Rodrigo had visited the White House and was given a gift from President Biden of a shoehorn. Well we can put hearts and minds to rest as the truth has come out and a severe correction can be made – it turns out it was NOT a shoehorn, but Rodrigo actually received an ice cream scoop, with the Presidential Seal emblazoned upon it.
Olivia Rodrigo just learned Biden’s gift to her was an ice cream scoop, not a shoehornhttps://t.co/gRe23W0W4D
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) October 29, 2021
