Segregated Baseball Is Proposed

Well, there was supreme comedy as the "CNN This Morning" show gave its rundown of the awards, and when it came to the portion noting the Yeoh win, some very selective editing was seen. They opened with her final words, "Never give up!" Then, after some mention of her win, they cut back to her at the beginning of her speech and stopped ahead of her most stirring quotes, completely eliding any reference to Lemon's quote.

Utter - Hilarity
Everyone realized in her Oscar acceptance speech Michelle Yeoh referenced Don Lemon's words about women past their prime.@CNNThisMorning began with Yeoh's final words, then after played the start of her speech, but edited out her "prime" comments.
What a dodge. pic.twitter.com/2i8uiikU4b

— Lie-Able Sources (@LieAbleSources) March 14, 2023

Gilded Reframe – USA TODAY

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Police at UT Austin Had the Perfect Response to a Pro-Hamas Activist Flipping Them Off Matt Vespa

• Positivity is such a triggering negative these days.

At USA Today, Hanah Yasharoff saw a very troubling component. At one point in his monologue, host Jimmy Kimmel made a joke about a trendy product in Hollywood these days: "When I look around at this room, I can't help but wonder, 'Is Ozempic right for me?'" 

He was referencing the hot new weight-loss drug making the rounds, and Yasharoff was very bothered enough to pen a column on the matter. She was not concerned about the use of the drug that warranted only one sentence of recognition, but she fretted over possible shortages for those with other uses of the drug. The entirety of her piece is that Ozempic is successful in its use, and all of the fit celebrities will lead to negative body impressions.

• "Discussions about body image have evolved over the past few years to celebrate different body types. But many have worried in the past few months about a regression. The concept of an 'ideal' body type can trigger 'feelings of shame and lack of self-worth, anxiety and depression.'"

Jimmy Kimmel opened the #Oscars with a joke that represents an uncomfortable and unfortunate reality for many: A new drug (Ozempic) that has been found to induce weight loss is sweeping Hollywood and reigniting the idea that "thin is in." https://t.co/kxO9q0hkRu

— USA TODAY Life (@usatodaylife) March 13, 2023

Reporting on the Mirror – ABC/DISNEY

• Hard to believe this is the company that lost half its value last year.

There were plenty of the usual oddness and awkward moments during the Oscars. One was when Melissa McCarthy and Halle Bailey came out on stage to basically introduce a commercial. It was the premiere of the trailer for the live-action version of "The Little Mermaid." This was a paid promotional spot that was pre-sold for the show, with payouts made for both stage time and broadcast slot.

Despite Disney owning the ABC Network, the outlay for this promotion comes in at $10 million. This was actually much higher than Disney purchased ad time during the Super Bowl. The NFL championship drew 113 million viewers, while The Oscars had an audience of only 18.7 million.

Disney Paid Itself $10 Million for That Awkward ‘Little Mermaid’ Oscars Moment https://t.co/MWesHPNCM4 pic.twitter.com/03uMQBtp6b

— IndieWire (@IndieWire) March 14, 2023

Reporting on the Mirror – CNN

• Usually, rats are fleeing a sinking ship.

Speaking of Don Lemon and the foundering CNN morning show, it was recently announced that the network was bringing on TWO new producers to try to save this flagging enterprise. One producer will be there for live operations and guiding the program, and a second will be working the off-hours to compile content and secure talent to come on the air with the bickering trio. 

• "While every morning show has producers (including a senior-level producer, CNN previously had a vp who filled that role) working the evening before to ensure a smooth program the following day, having a dedicated EP suggests a deeper commitment to developing packages and segments for the show, or as CNN described it in a release: 'bolstering the show's 24-hour infrastructure and editorial operations so it's best positioned for the following morning.'"

In Unusual Move, CNN Taps Two Exec Producers to Help Revive Morning Show (Exclusive) https://t.co/OMaZ9OQx4f

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 13, 2023

Anti-Social Media – BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION

• Maybe they are considered unbiased if people on all sides are made at the broadcaster?

In some ways, there are lessons for our own PBS to learn. On others, there are mistakes most of our journalists can look at with a chance at a lesson being learned. Currently, much of England is in a dander over the BBC making a move recently to pull a soccer announcer off the air, and it looks like no matter what the broadcaster does, it cannot win.

The public-supported broadcaster strives for impartiality from its presenters, so much so that it restricts what personalities are permitted to say even on their private social media accounts. Longtime soccer presenter Gary Lineker was suspended after he sent out posts critical of new immigration law. His on-air colleagues refused to go on as result, and the weekend's soccer coverage took place without any commentators, and then the BBC saw itself in a no-win scenario.

People on the right opposed Lineker's comments, people on the left were mad his private messages got him in trouble, and no one seems to be able to agree on what the proper approach for the network should be with its talent as more of them depart for private broadcasters granting them more leeway.

• "The BBC, as it so often does during moments of crisis, managed to anger almost everyone across the political spectrum during a days-long fit of self-flagellation."

Britain's treasured BBC is engulfed in an impartiality storm of its own making https://t.co/tk1jPPRQqa

— CNN France (@CNNFrancePR) March 13, 2023

Race to the Bottom – ESPN

• Making segregation cool again…really?!

It used to be that segregation was regarded as a dark shame on this nation – but we are seeing proposals on college campuses for everything from racially designated classes to clubs and even dorms. The Negro Leagues are looked at with disdain as a period when some of the finest players were relegated to play in anonymity.

Now, one of ESPN's verticals, Andscape, looks over the start of the World Baseball Classic and ponders how grand it might be to have one team from America that was comprised solely of black players.

column: here's what an all-Black American World Baseball Classic team might look like https://t.co/laMGYN2FY2

— Clinton Yates (@clintonyates) March 10, 2023