I see that S.E. Cupp is rapidly becoming the Jennifer Rubin of cable news; specifically, MSNBC's embarrassment to the Washington Post's embarrassment. This, on MSNBC's part (as well as the Post's), is a peculiar circumstance of network degradation whose avoidability was as completely possible as its rejection was utterly incomprehensible.
I recall the first time I ever laid eyes and ears on Cupp. She was interviewing a distinguished historian of American conservatism, Prof. Corey Robin, for C-Span's Book TV, and it was my instant impression that this woman had in her young life read perhaps one whole book on the general subject--Hayek's, no doubt--causing within her a passionate romance with the idea of conservatism, whose complexity she had since abridged and encapsulated into stock phrases and sentimental platitudes.
The hour spent with her was excruciating, bearable only in the knowledge that it would be my last--and singular--hour with her.
I was living in innocent ignorance. Little did I know that MSNBC's Phil Griffin was out there, somewhere, stalking the airwaves for some "cute" right-winging abomination sans a penis. Damn! He must have been flipping through the snob channels just as Ms. Cupp appeared, and thereupon screamed to some network lackey: Get me that witless foxy thing with the neat glasses!
LACKEY: But Sir, she's an idiot.
GRIFFIN: I'm a cable news executive. Do you think I care? She's foxy, so the witlessness doesn't count.
The rest is permanent history. Now we'll never be rid of her, or her hysterical superficiality.
Because Paddy Chayefsky was prophetic.
Phil Griffin committed a major error in choosing S.E. Cupp as a host. Cupp seems to know very little about politics and little to nothing about what being a conservative means. I don't think the program will last very long. I think it'll go the way of Cenk Uygur's program. I've spoken to quite a few people who watch MSNBC, and after hearing that Cupp would be on the program, they admitted that they were never going to watch the program (I'm in this group,) or they tried to watch the program, but changed the channel within five minutes. If The Cycle is a ratings loser, it won't last very long. I hope the hosts hammered out a good contract with the network. They just might need it in the very near future.
Posted by: majii | July 08, 2012 at 11:24 PM
Well if you are going to use a foil you want it to very very blunt lest someone be injured. Intellectually they don't get much blunter than Cupp. I think you are wrong. At the very most she read part of an article about Austrian School economics.
Posted by: Peter G | July 08, 2012 at 11:26 PM
This is what was reported for "The Cycle" by TV By the Numbers for the week ending July 5, 2012:
"Due to its time slot we don't usually report the numbers for MSNBC’s new show, Cycle, but it scratched (audience failed to meet minimum Nielsen reporting levels) in the demo on Thursday with only 50,000 in adults 25-54. It was not only the lowest demo in all of MSNBC’s programming for the entire 24 hours but it was Cycle’s lowest demo since it debuted about two weeks ago. The only show that did worse (excluding CNBC) in the demo on Thursday was CNN’s Early Start with 49,000."
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/07/06/cable-news-ratings-for-thursday-july-5-2012/140676/
Yep, the hosts had better have negotiated a good contract that included the compensation they would receive if the program is canceled.
Posted by: majii | July 08, 2012 at 11:29 PM
But the up-side is that perhaps NOW won't have to have Cupp guest!
Posted by: M.C. M. | July 09, 2012 at 09:30 AM