WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2024
An elegy for Troy: How clownish is the American discourse, in ways which generally go unreported and undiscussed?
How clownish is it? Consider two recent snapshots of the American "cable news" landscape.
We'll start with the latest viewer ratings—the Nielsen ratings for July. Below, you see the start of Zachary Leeman's report for Mediaite. We're even going to leave in the part about "the key (and coveted) demo:"
Fox News Earns Highest July Ratings Ever During Bonkers News Month, More Than Triples CNN Viewers
Fox News posted another ratings win for the month of July, which marked its most-viewed month ever with Jesse Watters taking the top spot, according to data from Nielsen Research Center.
The gain in viewers occurred during a month filled to the brim with breaking news...Fox was by far the most watched program in cable news for all of these events. Out of the highest 100 cable news telecasts, Fox News scored 99 and MSNBC scored one.
Overall, Fox brought in more than triple the viewership in daytime and primetime that CNN did.
In daytime programming, Fox News averaged approximately 1.9 million viewers, more than 260,000 of those in the coveted 25-54 demo. CNN meanwhile averaged 523,000 viewers and 111,000 in the key demo.
In primetime, Fox averaged around 3.5 million viewers (approximately 500,000 in 25-54 demo), while CNN brought in 856,000 (a little over 200,000 in key demo).
On MSNBC, daytime programming averaged 721,000 viewers (82,000 in key demo) and primetime shows brought in about 1.2 million viewers (82,000 in key demo).
In primetime, Fox had roughly three times as many viewers as MSNBC (AKA, Court TV).
With respect to individual programs, Leeman really knows how to make it hurt:
Jesse Watters Primetime earned its highest rated month since Watters premiered in the 8 p.m. timeslot, bringing in 4.4 million viewers...[Watters]' program beat The Five’s running streak as the number one watched Fox show. The Five averaged 3.9 million viewers...
[...]
Greg Gutfeld’s Gutfeld! continued posting big wins, pulling in its largest audience for the month. Primetime hosts Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity also nabbed a large portion of the audience, bringing in 3.3 million and 4.3 million viewers, respectively.
Full disclosure! We find it so painful to watch the cleverly packaged but fatuous Watters that we rarely do so at this point. As for the brilliants newsery of the 10 p.m. Gutfeld! program, this was the lineup this past Monday night, with the termagant himself on vacation:
Gutfeld! program: July 29, 2024
Tyrus (guest host): Former NWA heavyweight professional wrestling champion
EC3: Current NWA heavyweight professional wrestling champion
Kat Timpf: performs as a comedian
Joe DeVito: performs as a comedian
Reagan Charleston: Reality television personality known for appearing on Southern Charm New Orleans
It was the perfect lineup for primetime news! Two professional wrestlers, two comedians, one reality TV blur.
In the program's opening segment, it fell to this collection of yokels to pretend to discuss a hot allegation—the allegation that Google has been deliberately trying to keep us the people from reading about the recent assassination attempt.
Of one thing you could feel sure—none of these flyweights had the slightest idea what they were talking about.
They did know what they were doing! As a group, they were delivering propaganda messaging on behalf of the corporate entity from whom they receive their checks.
This is the state of our flailing nation's primetime "cable news" culture. Also, is Jill Biden f*cking Hunter yet? Gutfeld explicitly asked that question last week, though his producers did step in to bleep the termagant's verb.
This is the state of our nation's failing political culture. We almost think we hear an elegy, but nobody says a word!
Millions of people watch this show. The Last Word, not so much!
Yet to come: Has anybody seen Jason Zinoman, he of the New York Times?
This is a free country. No one is forcing Somerby to watch Fox News.
ReplyDeleteThis is a free country. No one is forcing you to read this blog.
DeleteSomerby whines about how unwatchable Fox is, while watching Fox obsessively. He seems to be unaware of his 1st Amendment rights. Isn’t it your job the remind him of Freedom? Or do you only care aboutguns?
DeleteThere's no harm in calling out stupidity and vulgarity.
DeleteAnd your 1st Amendment concerns are way off the mark. Criticizing what someone says is very different from saying they shouldn't be allowed to say it.
Talking about letting Somerby know he can watch other shows besides Fox. This IS America and we still have more than one.
DeleteMaybe Bob doesn't have cable, and Fox is the only channel with clear reception.
DeleteOof. Fox News is a cable channel.
DeleteDon't you mean Fox News IS a cable channel?
DeleteFox News is a CABLE channel.
DeleteFox vs CNN, MSNBC, CBS, NBC, and ABC. The math is not that impressive.
DeleteYes, we already know that there are a lot of stupid people in America.
ReplyDeleteBig EC3 fan. Could never figure why McMahon never signed him.
ReplyDeleteWord is he was not gay enough for McMahon.
Delete"is Jill Biden f*cking Hunter yet?"
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard Gutfield was writing Right-wing economic policy, now. This is much better than supply-side.
There's a little too much irony dripping from your pen, bro.
DeleteThat anonymouse drips from several places.
DeleteI didn’t get the joke, but I sense that it was very funny.
DeleteCecelia is a creepy weirdo.
DeleteCecelia is a creepy weirdo, don’t feel bad if you don’t get his “jokes”.
DeleteAnd don’t feel bad that you don’t get things in general. You are anonymices.
DeleteCecilia has a thing for the Oedipus complex.
DeleteDo you know what Freud’s mother said to him?
Delete“Oedipus…schmedipus…who cares? As long as you love your mother.”
Yes. Of all the complexes, it’s my favorite.
DeleteOedipus was odious, unlike Odysseus, who was delicious.
DeleteI feel guilty over liking the Oedipus complex more than the rest. I should put God first.
DeleteI rebuke you in the name of Jesus.
DeleteAnonymouse 8:03pm, I rebuke you right back
Deletein the name of Corby
A bit touchy, I see. Still, pretty meager comeback, but on par with the Republican flailing in the wake of Kamala.
DeleteNow you’ve resorted to blaspheming Corby. Nice….
DeleteLet’s not rebuke each other.
DeleteTrump goes before black journalists and questions Harris' racial identity. He really is weird and creepy, isn't he?
ReplyDeleteYes, but he’s also a racist and is attempting to appeal to that sentiment.
DeleteThere can be a silver lining to even something as abhorrent as Trump’s racism.
DeleteAt least Trump didn’t rape anyone there; no one there looked like Ivanka, and everyone was older than 13yo.
Over 20 women/girls have credibly accused of sexual assault, but nary a Black woman, Trump’s racism seems to preclude them from being considered worthy of sexual assault.
You probably meant “credibly accused Trump of sexual assault”.
DeleteTrump is weird, but he’s even more so creepy, and really that’s not a strong enough word for his depravity.
Men don't watch MSNBC or CNN
ReplyDeleteThat was so funny I forgot to laugh.
DeleteSomerby indirectly points to the contemporary circumstance that most Americans, and even more so with younger Americans, no longer get their news from corporate media, primarily due to the democratization of media. Fox News is king in cable, but pales in comparison to the viewership and influence of independent media.
ReplyDeleteIndependent media has played a significant role in the momentous eruption of support for Kamala Harris, and in making Trump/Vance look like sad clowns wallowing in misery and hate.
Hoo boy. Trump’s appearance at the black journalists get together ought to lead donors and elites and the media to demand he withdraw from the race.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, a recent poll shows a majority of Americans want Trump to drop out, now 57% and climbing, up from 50% a couple of months ago.
DeleteI watched it. His superpowers include shouting 10 lies in response to one question, a rapid fire gish gallop of totally nonsensical claims, talking over the few follow-up questions he ever gets, and being an immoral prick. Can't believe it works for him and his minions, but it does, and will in this instance. He is the epitome of the privileged white Mid-west Regional Sales Manager who never does any work on the account, never works with the account team to identify strengths and weaknesses, makes a total ass of himself at the renewal meeting, and takes on the credit when an account renews, and passes all the blame when lost. Really have no idea how people don't see this loser for what he is. Oh yeah, he pretended to be a successful businessman on a stupid ass TV show reading a script on a teleprompter.
DeleteHe’s from the East Coast, not the Midwest.
DeleteYes, Trump may as well withdraw.
Deletehttps://jabberwocking.com/harris-is-way-ahead-of-where-biden-was-two-weeks-ago/
7:35 people do see what a loser Trump is, as someone notes above, a majority of Americans want Trump to drop out, and Harris is starting to blow him out of the water.
DeleteCecelia and David will vote for Kamala.
DeleteThey can demand what they want but the Republican convention is over, he has been chosen, and barring an unforseen major health event he ain't going away. The MAGA cult would write him in if his name wasn't on the ballot, thus sabotaging any other Republicans that is chances. He's cooked.
DeleteThe sooner Trump pulls the plug on Vance being his VP choice, the more days before the election the media can ask him about how he could make such a terrible mistake in choosing him, and if this is the kind of judgement we can expect in his Presidency.
DeletePaul looks at Trump’s latest tactic:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2024/07/theyre-going-all-in-with-the-kamala-harris-isnt-really-black-thing
9:08 When Obama was nominated, Trump launched birtherism and his racist followers lapped it up like pigs at a trough. With Harris, he offers them up a win-win situation. They can hate her because she is black or they can hate her because she isn't.
ReplyDeleteObama was born on an island in the Pacific Ocean.
DeleteBiden and Putin are exchanging prisoners. Trump can’t claim that only he can do it.
ReplyDelete