The continued warm August weather seems to have taken its toll on news anchors’ sanity. That’s the only logical conclusion one can take from News Be Funny’s monthly roundup of the worst in local, national, and international telejournalism. The theme for the recent August 2016 video seems to be hysterical, stoner-like giggling at the slightest provocation.
The plague has reached far beyond America’s borders. BBC weather forecaster Louise Lear, for instance, just cannot keep it together and scarcely seems to be trying during her muddled segment. But Americans take the jackassery to whole new levels. Take the two Mensa candidates who dress up as a giant doughnut and an equally giant cup of coffee. They nearly destroy several hundred dollars worth of tech gadgets in an ill-conceived, poorly executed, and wholly unnecessary stunt.
To be fair, some TV journalists do take their jobs seriously and make a sincere effort to deliver vital information to the public in a responsible, mature way. Unfortunately, that only makes things worse. Consider the plight of MSNBC’s Alex Witt, who recently discussed the topic of racism in the Trump campaign with Cornell Williams Brooks of the NAACP. Instead of showing a speech from Hillary Clinton at that moment as scheduled, the network inexplicably aired a KFC commercial with the disturbingly tan George Hamilton as “the extra crispy Colonel.” Witt is rightfully mortified, but Brooks seems to sense the humor in the situation. And even when the reporters themselves are serious and there are no technical glitches, the public is always ready to step in and rob TV news of its last few shreds of dignity. In this video, members of the general public either ruin or greatly improve newscasts by dancing wildly, operating loud leaf blowers, and simply barging into shots uninvited and ranting. Yep, getting that journalism degree was definitely worth it.