MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski, on "Morning Joe," refuses to do Paris Hilton story, tears up script

[DeepModem Mom]

TV Newser: Paris: Tearing Up The Script


Mika Brzezinski refused to talk about Paris Hilton on Morning Joe this morning.

"Give her the Paris Hilton story," Joe Scarborough joked during the 6am news update. "No, I will not read that," she said, before tearing the script into several pieces.

"It's an awful story. We shouldn't cover it," Mika said a couple minutes later.

In the 7am hour, Mika pretended to light the Paris script on fire. "This is a bad call to even be covering it," she said. "We're not covering it, we're mocking it," Scarborough replied.

When her producer set Paris as the lead story again at 8am, Mika walked over to a paper shredder and destroyed the script. Willie Geist called it a "statement about the state of journalism in our country..."

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser / (Scroll down.)

[slj0101]

1. If this was a genuine act of defiance, and not a work,

then good for her! About time something like this happened.

I think it was scripted, though.

on edit- I agree with all of you. Even if it was scripted, it's a symbolic gesture. Good on MSNBC.

[Richard Steele]

4. I'll bet you're correct. nm

[SmokingJacket]

63. Hm, I don't think it was scripted.

Scarborough and the other guy were real assholes about it. She seemed genuine.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

67. I don't think it was scripted.

Mika said she was "about to blow" and was trying to light the paper on fire, and the guy next to her took it away from her, and he and Scarborough were really bullying jerks about it.

I've seen the clip on MSNBC. Good for her!!!

[wildhorses]

8. and good on them for scripting it

[slj0101]

9. Exactamundo.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

11. Scripted or not it still makes a point

A point I that happen to agree with and don't mind seeing driven home.

Edit for clarity

[donco6]

24. I agree.

If it was scripted, then it's a network statement. If not scripted, then a journalist's statement. Either way, it's a good statement.

[Orsino]

53. Cynically sold to us, I suspect.

Along with your all-Paris channels, Big Media is willing to pipe you a Paris Fatigue channel, and will make damned sure that they simulate your favorite outrage.

[pacalo]

12. Definitely scripted, & I hope it's because it was an MSNBC statement...

that they've had it with fluff non-news stories, that they're introducing a pivotal moment & will serve as an example in the news industry.

I hope.

[malaise]

46. Very cool

Go Mika!

Sp.

[Nickster]

2. Good for her. I can't believe anyone would be interested in that terrible story anyways.

[LisaL]

43. The US news basically turned into tabloid journalism, and not

much else. You rarely see international news. It's gotten simply ridiculous.

[bdamomma]

60. they are continually dumbing us down.

no wonder they are some citizens out there, who are walking in the haze of deception.

[loudsue]

52. THEN IT'S TIME FOR DU TO SEND E-MAILS!!!!

Does anyone have a link to send e-mails to the show, and voice our DEEPEST APPRECIATION???

Let's do this, and support this kind of symbolic action....scripted or not.

[Highway61]

55. BINGO.......I'M IN!!! That was great!

email address anyone?

[kwyjibo]

3. good.

I am astonished that anyone would think the "paris story" is news. She is nobody.

So.. what did they talk about instead?

[DeepModem Mom]

10. All I know about Mika is that she is the daughter of Zbigniew Brzezinski. nt

[Morgana LaFey]

35. Ah,I'd thought so. Thanks.

[seemslikeadream]

41. That's why she doesn't want to talk about Paris

more time to talk about her father

[glitch]

18. They talked about not talking about it.

I kid, I didn't see it.

[City Lights]

5. Go Mika!

I've always liked her.

[wildhorses]

6. wo0t and 3rd rec!!!

[The Cleaner]

7. KUDOS! Down w/the infotainment establishment.

n/t

[greyl]

13. It's hard to believe that was a sincere event. nt

[Ganja Ninja]

14. Try doing that the next time you get a story about Iran supplying

the Taliban or insurgents Mika. Dick Cheney will have you in a cell in Gitmo so fast it will make your head spin.

[ComerPerro]

15. common tactic. Act like you are above discussing something, then discuss it for ten minutes

[onenote]

38. is that what they did, or did they just move on?

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

16. I can't help myself. I respond, HOOORAYYYY!!!

[salinen]

17. Did Paris get ripped?

That's nothing new.

[Javaman]

19. has paris jumped the shark? I hope to god. nt

[K8-EEE]

20. CNN dumped Micheal Moore for Paris interview (Larry King Wed)

Disgraceful....maybe she's as pissed at that as me. I think the health care crisis is a LITTLE more important than "how she grew as a person" in jail or whatever....

[LisaL]

42. Good for Mika. I think it's absulutely shameful what media is doing there.

What's more important? State of healthcare in US, or a socilate spending time in jail? Well, we know what CNN thinks.

[nickinSTL]

21. good.

I'm so sick of hearing about Paris Hilton.

As far as I can tell, she's famous for being a stupid rich girl who had a sex tape disseminated on the Internet. What a waste.

[patricia92243]

22. Keep her and lose Joe then the AM show might be allright.

[lisa58]

23. Good for her!

[AndyA]

25. Good! I'm sick to death of hearing about the spoiled child.

She's not pretty, she's not talented, she really has no claim to fame except for the family she was born into.

Enough with the spoiled child already. She put other lives at risk by driving drunk, and pretended to not know she wasn't supposed to be driving. If she's really that stupid, she should not be allowed to drive at all.

[dkofos]

26. Is there a video yet???

[originalpckelly]

31. Here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036789 /

The link is in the upper right corner.

[loudsue]

61. I sent an e-mail, and told them "Good for Mika!!"

[spooky3]

27. "mocking it"? Joe S. LIVES for stories about PH and friends.

He enjoys them and thinks they brought him ratings on his nightly show.

He wouldn't know how to get an audience without his "bad girls."

[originalpckelly]

28. We have a new hero! That's cool!

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

29. Willie Geist called it a "statement about the state of journalism in our country..."

Willie Geist even knows what journalism is?

[TreasonousBastard]

30. That's part of Mika's job on the show, and..

I've seen her toss releases or read such "news" news with a scowl and a sneer.

I don't watch it that much, but it seems to have started back in the early days of "Mornin' Joe" when she did something and then "looked for a job" on her terminal, constantly asking if she was fired yet. Methinks she got a ton of "attagirls" over that and some serious encouragement to keep up the good work.

It's a fun bit and I hope they keep it up.

[samq79]

32. Good Job, Mika

Before she made the jump to network news, Mika was a local reporter for CBS here in Hartford, so rock on!

[Lugnut]

33. Whoa!

Maybe there really is one tiny sliver of hope left in the vast wasteland of the MSM.

[Supersedeas]

34. But they are still filling the news slot with 'statements' about Paris instead of N-E-W-S

[Bucky]

39. .

But... but...

it was ironic

[unc70]

36. Joe was nearly having a Basil Fawlty moment, too

Don't know if it was scripted or not.

Joe kept going on and on about Germany and why did the Germans have any right to claim that Scientology is a cult and then deny filming rights to some movie with one of the clams in it (T.C. maybe).

Joe seemed so hyper, I really wanted to share my Ritalin with him.



"Don't mention the war."
-- B.Fawlty

[wicket]

37. Good for her

n/t

[Wednesdays]

40. Uh-oh. She's now officially on The List.

KKKarl will be making some phone calls tonight. In a month or less, everyone will be saying, "Mika who?" She will quietly be moved over to do weekend front-line reporting in Baghdad.

[aikoaiko]

44. Paris Paris Paris

[annabanana]

45. I think that graphic can give you fits!. . . n/t

[brettdale]

47. Is their a video link?

If it wasn't scripted, then hats off to her, I would like to see a clip though before I make up my mind.

[Uncle Joe]

48. Kicked and recommended for being mad as hell and not taking it anymore!

Thanks for the thread DeepModem Mom

[KeepItReal]

49. Hmmm... methinks Mika Brzezinski will be among the ranks of unemployed after a bit

Just a hunch...

[Wednesdays]

50. Or, she will quietly be pulled into an exec's office...

for a one-on-one meeting, maybe with Jack Welch himself. No one will know what was said at the meeting, but the word is they will have come to an "understanding." After that, she will still appear on the air...but seem very meek. And every once in a while, smiling, she will ask (completely ernestly), "So, what's the latest on Paris Hilton?"

[tiptoe]

65. sounds like a scene from "Three Days of the Condor" :

Joe Turner: I'd like to go back to New York.
Joubert: You have not much future there. It will happen this way. You may be walking. Maybe the first sunny day of the spring. And a car will slow beside you, and a door will open, and someone you know, maybe even trust, will get out of the car. And he will smile, a becoming smile. But he will leave open the door of the car and offer to give you a lift.

source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073802/quotes

Joe Turner played by Robert Redford
Joubert played by Max von Sydow.

[bagrman]

51. Wow, She's got a bigger set then her male counterparts.

[npincus]

54. "Morning Joe" is a suck-a-thon that should end NOW.

It is NOT interesting, informative or entertaining. Good for Mika. Give her the whole show.

[Catchawave]

57. I like it.

It's better with Joe, John Ridley and Mika though. Have a feeling John's off because he won't move from L.A. He was great at smacking Joe down.

The interviews are great, so that's why I watch.

[ieoeja]

56. I've never paid any attention to Paris, however what if she blows the lid off a popular myth now?

It'd be great if Paris started talking seriously about prison conditions in this country. Typically, rightists go unchallenged when they assert how wonderful our prisoners have it with three square meals a day, cable TV, etc. Paris may not be the person I'd choose to tell the truth about those lies, but if it works....

[DarbyUSMC]

58. I wish that KO would put his foot down about this crap as well.

Keeping Tabs (as well as the last story on Countdown) is usually about Paris or one of the other tabloid "stars" ---- or for weeks about American Idol. Why? What place do they have on a program like Countdown? None. What audience are they attempting to reach with the Paris Hilton news flashes and updates. Teenagers? People who live vicariously through celebrities? What a waste of time and energy for alleged reporters to be falling all over themselves around these "stars" and then networks, news channels and magazines making fools of themselves with news of this girl who is famous for nothing much of anything. Even if she were ----- what the heck are they thinking? I'd say "who cares?" but obviously someone out there cares or the media wouldn't be catering to their obsessive curiosity.

[bdamomma]

59. this should happen more often.

[dg1955]

62. KUDOS to Mika Brzezinski !!!!!!!!!!!

HOORAY for Mika Brzezinski for refusing to talk about Paris Hilton !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMG!!! I won't even make a trip to Paris now!

[tiptoe]

64. Scarborough apparently considers "journalist" as one who does what the producer wants.

Mika: "I have an apology as well...for our lead story [Paris Hilton]: I didn't choose it..."

Scarb't: "Oh, my God...She's not a journalist anymore, is she?"

Mika: "No, I hate this story, and I don't think it should be our lead."


(Dan Rather held himself ultimately responsible for whatever stories he put on the air.)

[Disturbed]

66. I watch the 1st 10 minutes of Count Down then go back

Online. The rest of the program is filler.

[tiptoe]

70. good policy!

[Lucinda]

68. I am soooo in the miniorty on this one

I think its just theatre...and bad theatre at that.

[iloverhetoric]

69. Just Remember ... She's Still a Shill for Scarborough

Before you print up those bumper stickers for what might
appear to be a stand-up broad, remember how she laughed like
the perfect little shill she is to Scarborough when he was
insulting all the "losers," "morons," and
"left wingers" who were e-mailing him Thursday
morning protesting his defense of Ann Coulter (who was slated
to appear on his program that morning).  I was one of those
who was insulted.  I deliberately watched her response to his
name-calling rant.  She continued to laugh and chuckle at his
name calling, then responded to his defense of providing a
context to Coulter so she could explain her
"misunderstood" ad hominem attacks by saying,
"I understand your point, Joe."  Understand your
point, Joe? When does providing "context" to
insults become "understandable," let alone
acceptable? And she laughs when people protest?  Had she
stood up to Scarborough and the powers- that-be at that
point, I would be lauding her.  Paris Hilton?  Too safe. 
She's a shill.