TMZ in DC
Here's a story from me about the advent of TMZ in DC. One of the folks I spoke with was Mary Matalin, who peered down her nose a bit at the idea of DC reality shows (of course, she was in K Street, but that was in a different league of shows that blurred the line of reality/fiction). “The connection between Hollywood and politics goes way the heck back, the first public diplomacy,” she mused. “I guess reality TV is something recent, just a subset of that historic connection… If people find that having TV cameras follow them around is fun, then go for it, but it's long been said that politics is show business for ugly people.”
When I asked TMZ's Harvey Levin about DC's shortage of beautiful people, he responded: “I don't think we judge things by who's ugly who's pretty: it's just a story. The better way to think about it is a lot of people think that DC is boring and it's not—these are people who are elected because they have some charisma.” Sure, that's why C-SPAN is so well rated.
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JNS -- there are some incredibly interesting people around DC, sits not just the same five people you talk to everyday. And JNS neither Matalin nor Hubby Carville would make my list.
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Dee, you hurt me, I talk to six people every day. And one of them, I'll admit, is decent looking. JNS
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The times that I have stopped at TMZ during channel surfing, it seemed that the staffers took actual delight in the misery of their subjects. My glimpses of the style of reporting did not make me a fan.
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The people got elected because they have some charisma? Is money called charisma now?
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Well as long as it's six then you are covered.
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And Jay may I suggest that instead of going for looks you go after the funny because there are a bunch of funny people in this town. I mean you got to admit that you have to have a really wicked sense of humor to get through the day around here.
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Six degrees of separation. Catchy. Very catchy.
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I'm curious. Are people in DC as fug as they think themselves to be?
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Sacred: Is money called charisma now?
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Now? Where you been?
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Paris Hilton has charisma coming out of her ears, don't tell me she'd be a nobody if she was poor. Don't say it! -
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In other news, Secretary Kardashian responded to questions about renewed North Korean development of fissile material: "You know, it's all… whatever!"
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somepeoplelikeit: That's not charisma coming out of her ears, that's her brains leaking out. Oh well, she had no use for them anyway. Tragedy averted.
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Never have Mary Matalin as a speaker at a corporate function, wedding or bar mitzvah. She'll get drunk and then just speak jibberish.
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Mary Matalin and Madame, seperated at birth?
It seems to me that the beautiful people need to be turned inside out so se can all see how shallow and ugly they really are.
By the way, Susan Boyle is one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen on line.
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Don't mistake speaking jibberish for speaking in tongues. Throw in a little tourettes and it's fun for the whole family.
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Okay..just for comparison
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At first, it sounds like C-Span just added another channel...but I guess it would be mildly interesting to see Senator Vitter buying diapers at the local convenience store. -
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Mary Matalin: "...politics is show business for ugly people."
She ought to know.
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By the way, Susan Boyle is one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen on line.
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larry,
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The singing was beautiful but the BEST part of the video for me was the look on the judges' faces after the first few bars of the song. They looked like children - TOTALLY spellbound! And the look was there for the remainder of the performance. -
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Why aren't we hearing about the tea bagging parties?
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Why aren't we hearing about the tea bagging parties?
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Cliff,
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Maybe because the numbers at the demonstrations are less than the number of people waiting to cross the street at the same location? -
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afguy, you mean like the picture here - Excitement builds at DC tea bag protest site
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or here - Hundreds of tea baggers in Boston
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or here - Teabagger of the day
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Also off topic, but a really good point. Steve Benen: It's what struck me as so strange yesterday. When DHS raised concerns about radical right-wing extremists who might commit acts of violence, Limbaugh, Hannity, Dobbs, Malkin, and others immediately thought, "Wait, maybe they're talking about us!" With DHS also concerned about "left-wing extremists," it seems mainstream liberals aren't especially concerned about being lumped in with a violent fringe. -
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Just following around Congressional Republicans and First Dog Bo should provide plenty of worthy material...
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wvng,
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Yep, you pretty well captured the essence of the "movement" there.
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Sadly, I have "in-laws" and married children who think also this is a big deal. -
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Just following around Congressional Republicans and First Dog Bo should provide plenty of worthy material...
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Sorry, Matt.
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Even working overtime, Bo could NEVER hope to match the others mentioned in either "quantity" or "quality" of the "worthy material". -
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Footage from MA state house http://bit.ly/iqQMe. It's pretty sad. Hockey celebrations at Boston University yesterday attracted at least 10x more people.
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http://www.boston.com/news/local/gallery/04_14_09_BU_parade?pg=3
- jnsmall Had to feed my dog rice this morning after I got to the store to buy dog food and realized I'd left my wallet @ work. It's one of those days - 5 hours ago
- jnsmall A primer on tomorrow's primaries to fill Teddy Kennedy's Senate seat: http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/12/07/its-election-time-again/ - 21 hours ago
- jnsmall Belatedly, was on @The_Takeaway this AM talking about Obama's Hill trip. Listen in: http://tiny.cc/Y30yV Thanks 4 hosting me! @Todd_Zwillich - 1 day ago
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