Wasted Time & Money: Obama’s Media Team Screw Up TV News Coverage of UK G20
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on April 1, 2009
By Vicki McClure Davidson * Frugal Café Blog Zone
Wasted time and money… am not surprised about this latest non-frugal gaffe across the pond with this presidential administration. Time zones? Time zones? Oops… of course, there’s a time zone difference in the UK! *slap to foreheads* How could we have forgotten about that? We “Team Obama Media Minions” must be tired… ha ha ha! Silly us!
And if there is nothing to report, they, the almighty Team Obama “Media Stooges,” will report on… MICHELLE’S SUPERIOR FASHION SENSE!
Michelle Obama's black and red hourglass dress
Upon reading this, it prompted me to wonder about the media’s obsessive and annoying coverage of First Lady Michelle Obama’s wardrobe.
Is it just me, or is she being oversold as a genius fashion maven of the same caliber as Jacqueline Kennedy? I know, there haven’t been any pillbox hats perched on Michelle’s head, but it sure seems like there is so much over-the-top drooling coverage on her clothes and her choice of designers. Geez Louise, I thought former First Lady Laura Bush always looked awesome and beautiful (as did Nancy Reagan, and sometimes even Hillary Clinton), but there’s been scarcely a media peep about her “instinctive fashion sense,” her “revolutionary style.”
Laura Bush is older than Michelle is, so maybe that’s why Laura is ignored by the media. I’ve always admired how classy she looked, and definitely thought she was in excellent shape and dressed pretty cool when in the public eye during our previous Republican administration. Oh, wait… the words “cool” and “Republican” can’t ever co-exist in the same sentence. I think that’s a new liberal provision in the Bill of Rights or something…
With Michelle and her “swoon-worthy” wardrobe, I feel uncomfortable. Am I out of touch with what looks great on women?
Michelle doesn’t look like a dowdy schlup or anything, but considering how the media savagely attacked Sarah Palin every day about her classic, gorgeous, flattering outfits worn during the campaign, I just don’t get it. To me, it’s like it’s a forced attempt to sell the sizzle of “all things Michelle,” like the ill-conceived effort to push consumers to embrace the New Coke some years ago. Michelle looks nice enough when out in public, but she’s no Jackie O. She’s not royalty. And that black and red hourglassy-outfit she wore back on Election Day was downright strange and unflattering. Even a bit scary.
So, in the wake of Day 1’s disastrous US media coverage of the G20 summit, US viewers will be treated to ongoing critiques of Michelle’s fashion savvy and the G20 protests in Britain. Sigh.
A blurb from the Washington Times about the Obama Team’s TV scheduling blunder:
GREAT EUROPEAN TRIP: Obama media team blunders on Day 1; Blows schedule…
CURL: Schedule leaves Obama a media no-show
Joseph Curl POLITICAL THEATER
Wednesday, April 1, 2009POLITICAL THEATER Column:
The normally savvy media mavens on Team Obama blundered badly on the opening day of his European trip, scheduling his only open event for 5:15 a.m. EDT, which forced the mainstream and cable morning news programs to fill endless hours showing live protests in London and discussing first lady Michelle Obama’s “green pencil skirt.”
Unlike President Bush’s White House communications team, which usually timed press conferences abroad to coincide with the U.S. morning programs, the Obama operation kicked off the president’s first day in Britain while most Americans were still asleep. What’s more, the president banned most reporters from nearly every event he held on a day busy with bilateral talks with foreign leaders, and even held cameras at bay for his visit to Buckingham Palace to meet the queen.
The 24-hour cable shows began their morning programs with endless footage of hooligans clashing with British bobbies.
“They’re the only pictures being shown out of London right now,” said Christiane Amanpour, CNN’s chief international correspondent. But anchor Christine Romans assured viewers: “There’s a lot of other hard work going on behind closed doors,” although a split-screen showed only the raging protest in the streets of the city’s financial district.
With virtually no news to cover, reporters spending thousands of dollars were left with little to do. The Obama team offered up top officials to brief the bored press, but then demanded they only be identified as “senior administration officials” and banned cameras.
some reason, the press corps that loved to show thousands protesting former President Bush didn’t much want to cover the melee this time. Fox News’ Stuart Varney offered a theory: “We used to think they hated America because of George Bush, but in fact they just hate America.”
But the network producers back in New York couldn’t stay away for long. While NBC reporter Andrea Mitchell mused about tea and crumpets with the queen, pictures of protesters smashing bank windows streamed live.
By 9 a.m., TV viewers had seen the face of one bloodied street combatant dozens of times, with only scant coverage of Mr. Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown holding an early morning press conference. While the president met with his Russian and Chinese counterparts, the White House would allow only a “travel pool spray at top” – which translates as more canned remarks before the important meetings took place.
And the sprays weren’t live, anyway, but shot on tape and played later. The networks quickly abandoned them. Shortly after MSNBC began to air an earlier tape of Mr. Obama meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, the network pulled the plug in the middle of the president speaking, cutting back to live shots of the protests.
When the networks weren’t showing rampaging ruffians, there was only breathless talk of Mrs. Obama’s attire, from her mustard-yellow Jason Wu dress to her green pencil skirt and “cream-colored sparkly cardigan from J. Crew.” MSNBC even trotted out a fashion expert to discuss the first lady’s newsworthy decision to change clothes aboard Air Force One.
Despite the dearth of news, Mr. Obama decided to take two hours of downtime in the afternoon. But reporters have nothing else to look forward to on Wednesday: His visit to Buckingham Palace is closed to reporters, as is the reception there and a later dinner at 10 Downing Street, the prime minister’s residence.
And what’s with Michelle opting to wear sleeveless clothes all the time? At the G20, anything “sleeveless” is a huge step down from the formal atmosphere. More “casual summer picnic,” “at the beach” kind of clothing. A bit gauche… to me, anyway.
For the entire article in all its embarrassing glory, click here.
Michelle Malkin: Seriously: “Send in the Clowns” on Queenzbop playlist and “The acidic Asian-American columnist”
Riley Hunter, Big Hollywood: The Obamas’ Royal Mythology
Gateway Pundit: Nice. Obama’s Gift to Queen Made By Chinese Women Making Slave Wages
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