"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.)
11.29.21
Legalized Press-titution – NBC NEWS
- With the arrival of a new Covid variant, Chuck Todd frets over the dangers...to Joe Biden's approval.
Surely you have noticed that the media complex is all abuzz, atwitter, and alight with excitement over the new arrival this weekend – THERE'S A NEW VARIANT, everyone!!!
Yes, after a week of joy and happiness with the family, the press could not abide us having a sustained time of merriment, so the need for more anxiety, worry, and Dr. Fauci appearances has to be served up.
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On NBC over the weekend, Willie Geist hosted "Sunday Today" and had on Chuck Todd to go over what the negative ramifications of this new Covid strain could lead to – bad news for the president!
- "Does the president use this as an opportunity to basically use the bully pulpit – push back at all this vaccine misinformation that's out there? Because Willie, the social spending bill, all of his other political problems, none of them can be solved until Covid is behind us."
“He needs to be more front and center on the COVID response than he has been so far,” @chucktodd says of President Biden’s coronavirus response amid news of the new omicron variant. #SundayTODAY pic.twitter.com/h2ekV3N75y
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 28, 2021
Body Checking the Fact Checkers – ASSOCIATED PRESS
When news arrived that this latest Covid mutation was named Omicron, many people were wondering why that clunky name was chosen. Well, the World Health Organization stated it wished to avoid having a cultural connection to the virus out of sensitivity, so they resorted to using an alphabet. Uh, that is, they used the GREEK alphabet, so culture is still seemingly attached, but what do we know – we are not trained physicians, after all.
That said, others noted that to reach this depth of the Grecian letters, the WHO had to skip past others; one of those would be Xi, which also is the name of China's revered leader. The AP saw people noting this on social media and their fact-checkers sprung into action to let us know this was done out of wisdom.
- "In a statement provided to the AP, the WHO said it skipped nu for clarity and xi to avoid causing offense generally."
That is, the WHO did not want to offend those in China by using a letter from Greek. Therefore it has used "Mu" and then "Omicron" for the sake of clarity. Ah, huh…
The WHO did skip two letters of the Greek alphabet when naming omicron, a new variant of the coronavirus. The agency said it did so to stop people confusing “nu” with “new” and to avoid “causing offense” because Xi is a common last name. https://t.co/4RJ39703Qv
— AP Fact Check (@APFactCheck) November 27, 2021
Anti-Social Media – POLITICO
- Journalists think a comedian who deals with hecklers and defeated the internet and an activist mob will be felled by cranky 16-year-olds.
Dave Chappelle continues to slay, and the media continues to wonder why they cannot generate a proper mob to bring down the avowed politically incorrect comedian. The latest manufactured outrage involves Chappelle appearing at his high school alma mater. Dave made an appearance at D.C.'s Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and according to the outlet, he did not receive 100% support from the kids.
- "Some 580 students packed into an auditorium to hear their school's most famous alumnus discuss the uproar triggered by his Netflix special 'The Closer.' With a camera crew in tow, Chappelle took the stage to a raucous reception of cheers and some boos — and the hourlong session went south from there, we're told."
The "we're told" is a solid touch that indicates this is a completely accurate report. Also of note is the media practice here of highlighting the minuscule complaints against the widespread support, but the sheer amusement comes from the implication that Chappelle – a man who professionally has dealt with drunken audiences on a nightly basis for years – was somehow put off balance by petulant school children.
NEW: More fireworks after Dave Chappelle made a surprise visit to Duke Ellington on Tuesday -- one kid called him a "bigot" and he dropped the n-word. https://t.co/cugLL8z4F8
— Tara Palmeri (@tarapalmeri) November 25, 2021
News Avoidance Syndrome – VARIOUS OUTLETS
- How to memory-hole an inconvenient news event.
Recall how for most of this month, we could not log on the web or turn on the TV without seeing Kyle Rittenhouse on screen and hearing how a white kid shooting white men and being cleared by a white jury was racist? Well, we are barely one week from the jarring event of a black man intentionally running over white parade participants, and that story has all but disappeared. Look at the very rapid evolution of this tale:
- Explain on the day of the event that it was in no way terrorism.
- Make the attempt to avoid using the name of the driver, and NEVER show his photo.
- Describe the intentional actions as "an accident."
- Erase the culprit entirely and blame the entire episode on the vehicle.
Waukesha will hold a moment of silence today, marking one week since a car drove through a city Christmas parade, killing six people and injuring scores of others.https://t.co/QMNccpBI0y
— CNN (@CNN) November 28, 2021
We can only hope this guilty vehicle is sentenced to be dismantled at a solitary confinement wrecking yard and not given a light sentence at a minimum-security impound lot!
DNC PR Firm – CNN
- With the Democratic Party in the doldrums, CNN has just the dream ticket for 2024. (Nightmares count as dreams, after all.)
With a quiet battle going on between Pete Buttigieg and Vice President Kamala Harris to see who can be regarded as the most incompetent politician, CNN offers up an editorial that makes the immensely brilliant decision that the two individuals, who together cannot constitute a solitary politician, should run together on the 2024 Democratic ticket!
Adding to the mirth is that it is suggested they would serve as a natural continuation of the Biden administration – implying this is regarded as a positive – as well as the unstated issue of why it would be that Joe Biden would not be running for reelection.
"A primary campaign between Harris and Buttigieg could pit two key Democratic constituencies against each other: African Americans, particularly African American women, and LGBTQ voters," writes @LincolnMitchellhttps://t.co/53bVIHRzgJ
— CNN Opinion (@CNNOpinion) November 23, 2021
Blue-anon – DAILY BEAST
It has been a while since we heard anything of note regarding Q-Anon and all the mystique from that wing-nut faction. So how does one get an update on the shenanigans – pore through anonymous accounts on Twitter, lurk some message boards on Facebook, or comb through the dungy digital catacombs on The Dark Web?
Nah, The Daily Beast will dutifully keep us up to speed on things we do not need to care about…
Far be it from us to criticize the conspiracy obsessives, but maybe – just possibly – the fact this was appearing in The Daily Beast would mean you can no longer describe this conversation as "secret."
The recording released by Lin Wood reveals Flynn saying he thinks QAnon is bunk and a “disinformation campaign” created by the CIA or the left. https://t.co/lE6qoUeDZR
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) November 28, 2021
Pulitzer Prize Nomination – WALL STREET JOURNAL
Anyone following the NFL knows that Aaron Rodgers has been a lightning rod of controversy lately, as well as sporting a curious injury. What had been known as a fracture may have deeper implications for the public, and the call to get our feet vaccinated may soon be the next media hysteria.
Aaron Rodgers Says His Toe Is Fractured, a Day After Referring to His Injury as ‘Covid Toe’ - WSJ https://t.co/4uKZmm5QnE
— Tony Hack (@TonyHackPhoto) November 25, 2021