We have all become used to the punditry of cable television hawking books. It has become standard operating procedure for guests to appear on Fox or MSNBC and hawk their books. Usually the host will do this for them so it is not so awkward. And we have become used to Bill OReilly hawking his books every show and Glenn Beck hawking his books and novels. They do have the platform and it is just another way for them to cash in. But Chris Matthews unfortunately seemed to bring it to a new low.
I like Hardball. Chris is a little over the top but he generally uncovers something worth knowing. He has written a book on John Kennedy. This we know. He had talked about his book a few times on his show and left it at that. But last night Cable book punditry hit a new low. I was watching him on my phone when he started talking about his book tour. He began to mention numbers. He said he was giving speeches where over a thousand people showed up. He said he was speaking in the prestious blah blah hall and there had been eighteen hundred people. He said people were lined up outside to see him and hear his talk on Kennedy.
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I was watching all this on my phone in the car. Not something I recommend but I looked at the small screen because this was odd. Then Chris set the new low for humility and crassness when it comes to using your own show to promote yourself. "I recommend you buy this book because it will make a great gift for loved ones at Christmas." He said this looking at the camera and the self serving nature of his announcement, said almost like he was talking about someone else, made me pull over.
In that moment he had destroyed the credibility of his show. All that followed bounced away. I am sure the publisher suggested this to him or maybe Chris just figured he'd go for the gold. But he was hard to listen to after that one. He is a rich man and it is amazing he would throw his own show under the bus and turn it into a one man commercial for himself. But these are the times we live in right?
Maybe, I'll go back to network, you know, where they give you the news, and don't sell books.
http://www.billhazelgrove.com/
Rocket Man...the Suburban nightmare
I like Hardball. Chris is a little over the top but he generally uncovers something worth knowing. He has written a book on John Kennedy. This we know. He had talked about his book a few times on his show and left it at that. But last night Cable book punditry hit a new low. I was watching him on my phone when he started talking about his book tour. He began to mention numbers. He said he was giving speeches where over a thousand people showed up. He said he was speaking in the prestious blah blah hall and there had been eighteen hundred people. He said people were lined up outside to see him and hear his talk on Kennedy.
\
I was watching all this on my phone in the car. Not something I recommend but I looked at the small screen because this was odd. Then Chris set the new low for humility and crassness when it comes to using your own show to promote yourself. "I recommend you buy this book because it will make a great gift for loved ones at Christmas." He said this looking at the camera and the self serving nature of his announcement, said almost like he was talking about someone else, made me pull over.
In that moment he had destroyed the credibility of his show. All that followed bounced away. I am sure the publisher suggested this to him or maybe Chris just figured he'd go for the gold. But he was hard to listen to after that one. He is a rich man and it is amazing he would throw his own show under the bus and turn it into a one man commercial for himself. But these are the times we live in right?
Maybe, I'll go back to network, you know, where they give you the news, and don't sell books.
http://www.billhazelgrove.com/
Rocket Man...the Suburban nightmare
