Reproduced from the book "Best Musicians, Singers, Albums and Entertainment Personalities of the 19th, 20th and 21st Centuries", Volume V of World Who's Who in Jazz, Cabaret, Music and Entertainment. Pages: 2654-55-56
THE OTHER ASPECT OF ENTERTAINMENT BUT OF COURSE, RADIO, TV AND MEDIA PERSONALITIES ARE ENTERTAINERS!!
MEDIA PERSONALITIES WHO MADE THEIR MARK… THE MOST ADMIRED ONES. AND YES! MANY ARE ENTERTAINERS EXTRAORDINAIRES!!
Photos from L
to R: 1-Dr. Monica Crowley. 2-Juliet Huddy. 3-Anne Coulter. 4-Laura
Ingraham. 5-
Bill Schneider. 6- Chris Matthews.
7-Catherine Crier.
Photos from L to R:
1-Deborah Norville. 2
Judy Woodruff. 3-
Larry King. 4-Charlie Rose.
5-Aaron Brown. 6-Geraldo Rivera. 7-Jeff Greenfield.
Photos from
L to R: 1-Candy Crowley. 2-Greta
Van Susteren. 3-Judge Andrew Napolitano. 4-Bill O’Reilly. 5-Bill
Press. 6-Alan Colmes. 7-Lou Dobbs.
Photos from L
to R: 1-Bill Moyers. 2-Diane Sawyer. 3-Ted Koppel. 4-Oprah Winfrey.
5-Sean Hannity. 6-Cousin Brucie. 7-Christiane Amanpour.
Others: Jay Leno. 2-David Letterman. 3-Marian McPartland. 4-Laura Savini. 5-Barbara Walters. 6-Bill Maher.
American media is a contemplative product. A blend of autocratic ideology and individualistic interpretation of events. American journalists including an avalanche of TV commentators and talk show hosts seem to know everything. Yes sir, they talk about every imaginable topic. Mr. Bill O’Reilly, (honest and sharp!) for instance, at ease and with permissive critical approach, nightly argues about an astonishing variety of delicate subjects, topics and themes, ranging from questioning the loyalty of President Bush’s former senior advisors to same-sex marriage, and from global ecology to immigration and naturalization services, and from questioning the validity and honesty of a ruling by a judge in Florida to salty or sweet water on Mars. The two guys and “lovely” Juliet Huddy of the FoxNews morning show “Fox and Friends” have answers to all your questions. Certainly, they are entertaining and easy to follow but, their conquest and analysis of world affairs, Spanish political dynamics, President Chirac’s political ideology, Bin Laden’s underwear, Michael Jackson’s lipstick and astrophysics-outer-of-space latest technologies are a little bit “too much” for the trio. On the American tube, the host and the commentator become the news, the stars, the super duper entertainers. They are the show! They know everything and they talk about everything. Nevertheless, we rush to our TV sets to watch them and amuse ourselves. They dissect news when they occur and invent them when the world events ponds become stagnant. However, they are colorful, animated, agitated and easy to like or disregard. Watching the American tube is a rare experience at many levels. The alert viewer must begin to wonder whether he or she is listening to world events or simply watching the anchor or newscaster parading and broadcasting a personified ego. In that context, the host and the commentator become the news. Consequently, commenting on news and delicate political issues become irrelevant, for the American radio and TV program hosts will inject into the veins of the debate and analysis, their very personal conviction, subjective opinions, crafty visions and silly jokes. However, a very small number of political analysts and contributors of the American media excel in their analysis and “projected” interpretation of facts, suppositions, points of views and unnecessary eloquent prologues and monologues. Few of them invite you to think and allow you to understand “what’s really is going on”. Among the most alert, informed and credible media commentators, analysts and talk shows hosts are Mr. Bill Moyers, Ms. Diane Sawyer, Ms. Greta Van Susteren, Ms. Anne Coulter, Ms. Laura Ingraham, Ms. Monica Crowley, Ms. Candy Crowley, Ms. Christiane Amanpour, Mr. Bill Schneider, Mr. Chris Matthews, Ms. Catherine Crier, Ms. Deborah Norville, Ms. Judy Woodruff, Ms. Judy Woodruff, Mr. Larry King, Mr. Charlie Rose, Mr. Aaron Brown, Mr. Geraldo Rivera, Mr. Jeff Greenfield, and Mr. Bill Schneider. Take those names out, and the American news and TV entertainment factory becomes “Toys R US”. Probably, the most interesting and intelligent figures of the American TV cable networks are Judge Andrew Napolitano, Monica Crowley and Jeff Greenfield. Unfortunately, they are rare birds. Their commentaries are well presented, their analyses are well founded and their “persona” enjoys credibility. They never steal the show. Once again, one primordial question arises: “Why Judge Napolitano is kept in the dark?” He just appears on the screen when the main talk show host is on leave, and sometimes, when a legal advice is needed.
A “Judge Napolitano Show” would and could be a great asset and a great “BOOST” to FoxNews. Helas! Nobody is paying attention. TV in America is amusement. The viewers are glued to their sets, and they don’t think much. Bring the popcorn and Kentucky fried chicken boxes, sit and enjoy the gossip. Don’t think. Just eat! TV programs are not meant to be cultural and educational in the United States. Unless, you are watching Public Television, A&E, the Learning Channel, The Discovery channel, the Science channel, CUNY channel, and the History channel. TV programs in America are “entertainment”. For now, viewers are 50% lucky, as long as the cable networks keep on bringing Bill Schneider, Jeff Greenfield, Catherine Crier, Judge Napolitano, Cousin Brucie, Deborah Norville, Chris Matthews, Gretta Van Susteren, Bill Press, Alan Colmes and Monica Crowley. To many, Ted Turner is considered one of the giants of world news and media. However, a great number of TV watchers in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Syria, Saudi Arabia, France and Germany believe that Ted Turner was just lucky and CNN had a stroke of luck in becoming famous worldwide. They contribute the international success of CNN to the unofficial acquaintance or even friendship that existed in 1990 and 1991 between Saddam Hussein or Saddam Hussein’s regime and Ted Turner’s groupies. Who knows? In fact, CNN was the only American TV network which was allowed to remain “very active” on the Iraqi soil and to closely report the news directly from the battlefields. Iraqis trusted CNN reporters for several reasons, some we know and some we don’t. It is essential to keep in mind that Iraqis had a sort of an agreement with CNN. Some of the aspects and facets of this agreement can be summarized as follows:1-CNN reporters in Iraq and while reporting news on the war, Saddam Hussein and his cabinet should and must NOT undermine the legitimacy of the Hussein’s regime and cause any embarrassment to the Iraqi forces; 2-CNN reporters will not report news that undermine the political and military strength of Saddam Hussein; 3-CNN reporters will not use their access to Iraqi officials and “restricted military areas” to diffuse misleading information and Pro-Israeli-American news/propaganda; 4-CNN network shall allow Saddam Hussein to freely express his opinions and have access to the world community and more particularly to the American audience, when he deemed necessary. So the deal was sealed! That’s according to what many foreigners, Europeans and more precisely Arab citizens strongly believe.