All Episodes Talk: TRMS 2020 Season

[ahisma]

3 hours ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

So does Rachel see herself as someone who, with her position in media, can make a difference by shaming do-nothing politicians?  She has in the past shamed some govs into action.  It makes me wonder if, given how strikingly awful & dire the COVID situation is getting in FL & that foolish Trumper gov is reacting in such a terribly ineffective way, will Rachel start spotlighting FL?  Well, I hope she does cuz Rachel would absolutely be saving countless lives in FL if she shames the toadie FL gov into taking proper action, rather than prioritizing being beholden to Trump's dangerous self-serving views.

I think she puts all the idiocy out there on plain view, with all the outrage she can muster. Whether she expects it to directly influence elected officials, I don’t know. I do know that the day after she reported AZ Governor Doug Ducey ordered the state universities to stop working on their epidemiology models and give all the data back, he ended up rescinding that order. (He still went ahead with opening up the state, though, and look what happened.)

I do think she’s a little more overt about encouraging regular citizens o get involved. Over the past three and a half years she’s done a lot of coverage of: Indivisible and other movements to contact elected officials; movements that encourage people, especially women, POC, and progressives, to run for office; and marches and protests in big cities, small towns, and countries around the world. 

[ScoobieDoobs]

OH. MY. GOD.  No Rachel tonite!  I so hope she hasn't decided to go fishing for 2 weeks, when it seems like the world is ending.  Please Rach, Nooooo!  Maybe she's busy trying to get the first Mary Trump interview?

[freddi]

5 minutes ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

OH. MY. GOD.  No Rachel tonite!  I so hope she hasn't decided to go fishing for 2 weeks, when it seems like the world is ending.  Please Rach, Nooooo!  Maybe she's busy trying to get the first Mary Trump interview?

Yeah, I needed to see Rachel mildly restored after a weekend away from trying to rail against all that is happening.  

And Ali did not say she would be back tomorrow, which he always says when she will be back tomorrow.  

Well, a free hour I had not counted on.   But heaven knows Rachel needs a break.  

[ScoobieDoobs]

Meh, color me annoyed as fuck if she takes off for 2 weeks.  This is no time to vanish for weeks.  She can do that on November 4th, thank you.

[FoundTime]

On 7/10/2020 at 12:40 AM, buttersister said:

i loved that room in Michael Beschloss' house.

I think it's Susan Rice (?) who has a similar setup (not sure about the ladder) that looks so much more inviting and comfy than Michael Beschloss's room that I almost become emotional each time I see it. If I had that room I would spend every waking moment in it.

I think I am actually more freaked out by what Barr is doing with all the prosecutors' offices than I am about Roger Stone (as bad as that is).

Fun fact I learned recently from a local history professor: I had thought our governor in Texas was letting his (in)actions be influenced by what would make the WH happy, but it turns out that because of the way TX state government was formed after Reconstruction that it's because the Lt. Gov. (Dan Patrick, who is a far right-winger and early on suggested that older people sacrifice themselves to COVID for the sake of the economy and more recently a Fauci-basher) actually has more power than the governor. So Greg Abbott is really more invested in keeping Dan Patrick happy. Which is terrifying.

[freddi]

10 hours ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

Meh, color me annoyed as fuck if she takes off for 2 weeks.  This is no time to vanish for weeks.  She can do that on November 4th, thank you.

Yeah, you *hope* she can take time off on November 4.

Ali, sheesh, don't start a show saying "we just got some scary news".  I mean, it's *all* scary, so no need to make us hyperventilate any more than necessary.  (and best wishes to Justice Ginsberg)  

[Hooper]

No, Rachel does not get to take Nov 4 off.  My fantasy is that her Nov 4 show is an hour of cocktails.  My dread is that it's an hour of chugging tequila until we are all passed out.  But either way, she shows up Nov 4.  She can have Nov 5 off.

[FoundTime]

I don't mind Ali, but as we've said before on this thread, for frack's sake, just tell us when Rachel will be away for a prolonged period. I promise we can handle it, TPTB. Sheesh.

[ScoobieDoobs]

5 hours ago, FoundTime said:

I don't mind Ali, but as we've said before on this thread, for frack's sake, just tell us when Rachel will be away for a prolonged period. I promise we can handle it, TPTB. Sheesh.

Maybe you can handle it, but not me.  I’ll be anxious as hell for the next 2 weeks & think about the thousands of lives she coulda saved by relentlessly shaming that useless toadie Trumper FL gov.

Sheesh, I gotta find me a Rach support group . . .

[Robert Lynch]

Especially with the administration asking for the Covid 19 data from hospitals to be sent to them, instead of the CDC. I bet Rachel is foaming at the mouth when they made that assumption.

[QueerGirrl]

Enjoy your time off Rachel!  You deserve it.

[M. Darcy]

Rachel got Mary Trump!  Mary is going to be on the show Thursday night. 

[freddi]

1 hour ago, M. Darcy said:

Rachel got Mary Trump!  Mary is going to be on the show Thursday night. 

Well, that’ll get her out of the rowboat!  Thanks!  

[ScoobieDoobs]

1 hour ago, M. Darcy said:

Rachel got Mary Trump!  Mary is going to be on the show Thursday night. 

YAY!

1 hour ago, QueerGirrl said:

Enjoy your time off Rachel!  You deserve it.

Yes, this cannot be said enough.  As much as she’s needed now, it is important to remember she’s not a machine & she absolutely should take time off & keep her physical & mental well being intact.

Please stay well, Rachel & RBG!

Edited July 15, 2020 by ScoobieDoobs

[tres bien]

On one hand, it could be a bit anticlimatic since Mary Trump was on ABC this morning with George Stephanopoulos.

On the other hand,  George doesn't have the interview skills that Rachel does. 

[meowmommy]

3 hours ago, freddi said:

Well, that’ll get her out of the rowboat!  Thanks!  

Can she broadcast from the fishing shack? 

[ScoobieDoobs]

Sigh, I can breath now — Rach will be back Thursday & RBG is out of the hospital & doing well . . .

I suspect Rachel will go in ways George didn’t with Mary.  Not to underestimate George.  He’s OK.  But I’m sure Rach will probe further.  Mary knows a lot & she’s very bright & articulate.  Can’t wait till Thursday!

[Quilt Fairy]

7 hours ago, freddi said:

Well, that’ll get her out of the rowboat!  Thanks!  

I thought she had a canoe.

[ScoobieDoobs]

You know, as Rachel is off & I’m forced (well, sorta) to watch all the other doofuses on CNN & MSNBC yammer on endlessly about the useless polls I have zero confidence in . . . anyone notice that Rachel pretty much NEVER mentions polls?  Hmmm.

Edited July 16, 2020 by ScoobieDoobs

[QueerGirrl]

Knowing Rachel, she probably has a rowboat and a canoe! 

[freddi]

Chris Hayes showed a preview of the Rachel/Mary Trump interview that will air on Rachel's show, so she recorded the interview in advance, maybe from her fishing shack.   Probably the whole show taped in advance;  worth it, to get Rachel's interview.  

Edited July 17, 2020 by freddi

[AuntieDiane6]

Huge disappointment of an interview with Mary Trump.  Incredibly disjointed; I couldn't figure out what was going on.  Mary looks terrified and her shirt is so tight and unflattering, it looks like she got it at a Goodwill sales counter.  Whoever is her stylist, should be fired.  C'mon, Mary. There is no logical sequence to Rachel's questions.  It's like Rachel picks out an anecdote on Page 163 and asks Mary about it and then, asks Mary Trump about her childhood; then asks her about living in Jamaica; then asks her about COVID.  The book sounds very good, but not based on this interview!  

Edited July 17, 2020 by AuntieDiane6
Clarified comments.

[ScoobieDoobs]

I think she spent way too much time setting it up & I was puzzled she read from Mary’s book right in front of her.  Sorry, that made NO sense.  The one “scoop” she got was that she confirmed he uses bigoted slurs.  Is that news to anyone?  I’m not much of a George fan, but his interview with Mary was much more informative.

Still, Rachel did get in some good points — that Mary’s POV is important because it’s the FIRST time we’re getting this from a member of his family.  And I liked how Rach asked her with real concern about her safety.

[freddi]

I suspect that this was edited down from a longer interview, so that might explain the jumps. 

ETA:  The blouse is indeed unfortunate.  And it is on all the other MSNBC shows.  

1 hour ago, AuntieDiane6 said:

Huge disappointment of an interview with Mary Trump.  Incredibly disjointed; I couldn't figure out what was going on. . . There is no logical sequence to Rachel's questions. [snip]  her shirt is so tight and unflattering,

 

Edited July 17, 2020 by freddi

[ScoobieDoobs]

Idk, I think Rachel coulda brought up that Mary is gay.  She says in her book that her grandmother called Elton John a gay slur, which made her particularly uncomfortable & spoke volumes about the family's views on gay people.  The rest of media hasn't mentioned this.  Rachel should have.  What up, Rach?

[freddi]

6 minutes ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

Idk, I think Rachel coulda brought up that Mary is gay.  She says in her book that her grandmother called Elton John a gay slur, which made her particularly uncomfortable & spoke volumes about the family's views on gay people.  The rest of media hasn't mentioned this.  Rachel should have.  What up, Rach?

I completely trust Rachel to know when it is welcomed to bring gender identity into an interview.  Some interviewees are comfortable about talking about their identity in public, and some are not.  If anyone knows where those lines are, it would be Rachel.   

[meowmommy]

48 minutes ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

I think she spent way too much time setting it up

She spends way too much time setting everything up, most of the time.  She apparently assumes her show is the only source of knowledge any of her viewers reference, and feels the need to provide complete context for every.single.thing.  Like all the times she does a big setup, then asks the guest if she got anything wrong...instead of just asking the guest to provide the explanation in the first place.  And of course she did that with Mary Trump, too.

36 minutes ago, freddi said:

I suspect that this was edited down from a longer interview, so that might explain the jumps. 

And maybe without the interminable setup, more of the footage could have been aired.  Clearly the throws to commercial were edited in later.

1 hour ago, AuntieDiane6 said:

Mary looks terrified and her shirt is so tight and unflattering,

It looks like the same shirt she wore for the George Stephanopoulos interview, just in a different color.

Rachel already read enough of the book to us last week that I didn't really need to hear the whole story of how Mary Trump got involved with the documents that went to the NYT.  I didn't gain anything by hearing it in Mary Trump's voice.

So far, the only takeaway in the media from the interview is the confirmation that her uncle used the n-word.

 

 

[ScoobieDoobs]

1 hour ago, freddi said:

I completely trust Rachel to know when it is welcomed to bring gender identity into an interview.  Some interviewees are comfortable about talking about their identity in public, and some are not.  If anyone knows where those lines are, it would be Rachel.   

Blind trust is not something I'm up for, even with Rachel.  Mary is pretty open about being gay in her book.  I'm curious why Rachel avoided any mention of it -- particularly the story of her grandmother calling Elton John a gay slur & how it affected her.  In general, this interview was just OK.

Oh look, I'm not questioning Rachel's motives, it's just this interview seemed lacking & incomplete.  George's interview was much tighter & more probing.  It is possible, while Mary has been out for many years, she did not wish to discuss it.  But I'm curious if her being gay was yet another reason for her outsider status in the family & I was hoping Rachel would go there, while George never did.

Rachel wasted too much time -- not just with the overly dramatic unnecessary opening.  She also asked her a very long question about the lawsuits now pertaining to his recent finances & Mary quickly responded she knows nothing about it.  So what was the point?  This was not one of Rachel's better efforts.  Well, at least she'll be back tomorrow, so that's good.

Edited July 17, 2020 by ScoobieDoobs

[Robert Lynch]

I don't want that scenario...four more years? Heck, no!

[tres bien]

I turned the show off after 30 minutes.  I learned nothing new, suprising or news worthy. Because by the time Rachel's interview aired, she'd already spent a good half hour reading excerpts from the book last week, Mary Trump had been interviewed by George Stephanopoulos and by Ashley Parker of the WAPO.

This was sadly hyped up by MSNBC.

[KayVeeTeeVee]

On 7/15/2020 at 4:54 AM, FoundTime said:

I don't mind Ali, but as we've said before on this thread, for frack's sake, just tell us when Rachel will be away for a prolonged period. I promise we can handle it, TPTB. Sheesh.

Yes, like Mika?  Where is Joe?  Not that I want him back but sheesh!  What's happening?

[ScoobieDoobs]

When Mary started talking about what’s going on with COVID & made clear what her political views were, I was really puzzled by her & where this was going.  But then she offered her insight as an analyst & as someone who knows Trump as a family member, which is a clearly unique perspective worth hearing, so that was interesting.

But here’s the thing that really confuses me about Mary, which Rachel barely touched on by asking her briefly why she hadn’t written the book 4 years ago — Mary describes visiting Trump in the White House & being supportive & encouraging.  Er, huh?  Doesn’t that conflict wildly with what she was saying about her views on Trump & COVID?  The more I reflect on this interview, the more I think this was such a missed opportunity for Rach.  Does the fishing dull Rachel’s sensibilities rather than recharge her?  Hope not.

I won’t comment on Mary’s appearance, but I will say this format gave her a Chris Christie hostage look, whereas in the interview with George, she looked relaxed & naturally attractive.  Too bad.

[meowmommy]

I think we know that Rachel is not the best interviewer, despite the sucking up by her colleagues.  (Chris Hayes running a clip, plus calling it "an exclusive prime time interview."  When it's not exclusive and is only aired in prime time but recorded some other time.  How hard would a live interview have been?  This isn't "60 Minutes."  And then LOD, like he always does, spending his time playing footage from Rachel's interview as if she'd gotten the scoop of the century and as if his viewers hadn't already just seen it.  Ugh.)  I think she actually does better in the live settings, like when she talked to Kellyanne Conway and got good marks for not letting her off the hook.

We didn't learn a damn thing.  And the pre-publication shows followed by the interviews, because they've pretty much told us everything in the book, have actually made me less eager to read it.  I debated buying it versus getting on the waiting list at the library.  I'm #86 on 31 copies at the library and I can wait.

I've said it before and it's probably not popular, but I really feel like Rachel has grown so in love with her ability to read out loud, from reading all those court transcripts, that she's lost her ability to edit herself.  We don't need her reading us irrelevancies, like the times she narrates the pleasantries between the judge and the litigants that pass before she gets to the meat, and we don't need her reading every single detail from a book she's read that doesn't add to our understanding. 

[BradandJanet]

In fairness to Rachel's reading out loud, I don't think Mary was legally cleared for interviews and might not have been, so it was a way to get the book's contents out.

 

[ScoobieDoobs]

29 minutes ago, BradandJanet said:

In fairness to Rachel's reading out loud, I don't think Mary was legally cleared for interviews and might not have been, so it was a way to get the book's contents out.

 

This particularly annoyed me as a fail in Rachel’s interviewing skills. She has the author right there, waiting to be asked questions & Rachel wastes this opportunity reading her own book to her, when she can do this anytime.  Seriously, Rach, what the what?

Rachel had the second exclusive interview with Mary after George. That was a big deal.  Now she’s gonna be on CNN & The View & everywhere.  Rachel should have torn thru that interview with George & made sure she delved into what George missed.  She didn’t do that.  Learn from this meh/forgettable interview, Rach — stay sharp & please don’t let the fishing dull your keen sensibilities.

[tres bien]

Really after thirty minutes, I was annoyed. 

I felt like Rachel's demeanor was meek.  I felt like Mary, what's your point. Any of us that would read the book or listen to an interview? You're preaching to the choir. 

I'm sick of the tell all books. 

[BradandJanet]

3 hours ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

This particularly annoyed me as a fail in Rachel’s interviewing skills. She has the author right there, waiting to be asked questions & Rachel wastes this opportunity reading her own book to her, when she can do this anytime.  Seriously, Rach, what the what?

Rachel had the second exclusive interview with Mary after George. That was a big deal.  Now she’s gonna be on CNN & The View & everywhere.  Rachel should have torn thru that interview with George & made sure she delved into what George missed.  She didn’t do that.  Learn from this meh/forgettable interview, Rach — stay sharp & please don’t let the fishing dull your keen sensibilities.

I meant the short interval between when the book came out and the author was cleared to do interviews. Reading to the audience made sense then. However, reading to the author was unnecessary. I wanted questions about updates or post-publication insights. The question about whether Mary was afraid was interesting. 

[Medicine Crow]

Nicolle is filling in for Rachel & Cuomo did a great interview with Trump's niece.

[freddi]

1 hour ago, Medicine Crow said:

Nicolle is filling in for Rachel & Cuomo did a great interview with Trump's niece.

I thought Nicolle was going to play more of Rachel's interview, so tuned out -- did she show an interview with Cuomo?   I think Nicolle is a great replacement for Rachel, glad to see her.  

[Medicine Crow]

3 minutes ago, freddi said:

I thought Nicolle was going to play more of Rachel's interview, so tuned out -- did she show an interview with Cuomo?   I think Nicolle is a great replacement for Rachel, glad to see her.  

Nicolle had a bit of the interview, but was primarily focused on other news.

[ScoobieDoobs]

4 hours ago, Medicine Crow said:

Nicolle is filling in for Rachel & Cuomo did a great interview with Trump's niece.

It was a good interview -- way better than Rachel's, as much as it pains me to say it.  There was also the interesting undercurrent that Chris Cuomo comes from a well-known NYC family considered the total opposite of Mary's -- and their families have a connection & there was the shared knowledge of Queens, given they're both from there.  Also, Rachel's interview was taped & had on oddly stilted feel to it.  Mary seemed much more comfortable with Cuomo (and she looked better) and his interview was better produced.  And Cuomo was able to ask her about the vicious tweet Trump directed at Mary, since it was a live interview.  Oh Rach, I'm so not used to being disappointed by you . . .

Edited July 18, 2020 by ScoobieDoobs

[tres bien]

ITA  as much as I like Nicolle she didn't seem to be as sharp as usual and I turned to CNN.

And, wow big surprise there's Mary with Chris Cuomo.  But it was actually a very engaging interview. 

[Morrigan2575]

Just starting the Mary Trump Interview. Holy Shit, Rachel is riled up/pissed off over that Nephew Story...can't say I blame her, greedy little shits doing this to their nephew while his son is fighting for his life?!  

It's just unusual to see her get some emotional

[hypnotoad]

Quote

Rachel barely touched on by asking her briefly why she hadn’t written the book 4 years ago — Mary describes visiting Trump in the White House & being supportive & encouraging.  Er, huh?

Well maybe she was hoping with encouragement, he might actually decide to rise to the occasion. That maybe he would realize how important this office really is and should be.

I never watched Trump's reality show. I never paid any attention to him. Every now and again I would read about his lame feud with Rosie O'Donnell but I mean I didn't care about him. Now I caught up real quick during the primaries and so forth. When he was elected? Not going to lie I cried more than once the next day. But I don't want a president to fail - that's never helpful to the country. And I hoped he would actually hire people who would help him learn the job.

Of course we all know how that turned out. So maybe Mary was hoping against hope that he might manage to not mess everything up. I'm sure her hopes were dashed pretty early on into his term and she probably started writing the book. Covid has just amplified her fears about him.

[ScoobieDoobs]

17 hours ago, hypnotoad said:

Well maybe she was hoping with encouragement, he might actually decide to rise to the occasion. That maybe he would realize how important this office really is and should be.

I never watched Trump's reality show. I never paid any attention to him. Every now and again I would read about his lame feud with Rosie O'Donnell but I mean I didn't care about him. Now I caught up real quick during the primaries and so forth. When he was elected? Not going to lie I cried more than once the next day. But I don't want a president to fail - that's never helpful to the country. And I hoped he would actually hire people who would help him learn the job.

Of course we all know how that turned out. So maybe Mary was hoping against hope that he might manage to not mess everything up. I'm sure her hopes were dashed pretty early on into his term and she probably started writing the book. Covid has just amplified her fears about him.

Yes, this is all possible & interesting, but did Rachel get this outta her?  No!  And Cuomo did.  Ugh, Rach, ugh.

If you do eventually get to interview Biden, ya better do better than this one, Rach.

[tres bien]

An ambassador is pressured to ask for a favor of a foreign government by the POTUS.

Big surprise. And yet the Ambassador didn't do the right thing because like all the rest of them, their duty to the country means nothing. 

[ScoobieDoobs]

Glad Rachel explicitly avoided trying to elicit ANY sympathy for Micheal Cohen, cuz EVERY time I see that pathetic mug of his, I wanna barf.

[ScoobieDoobs]

Rach does have a knack for getting just the right guests, doesn't she?  How perfect was it that she got Jeh Johnson?  He seemed to know exactly who those "mysterious" fed police were in Portland.  And I loved that she got the Times reporter in London who wrote the story on the corrupt ambassador (in spite of the time diff) and not that stinkin' Maggie Haberman, who's yet another one who makes me wanna barf . . .

Lots of head shaking & deep, deep, deep sighing from Rachel tonite.  When she said it's exactly 15 weeks to the election -- was that supposed to be of comfort to us or herself?  Maybe both? 

Rachel looks like she's gonna break down any second & just say directly to the cam -- Jeez, I've so had enough of discussing every fucking nite the endless corrupt shit of this crooked asshole & all the crooked assholes around him.  I mean, seriously, doesn't she?  She just had no patience for his bullshit press conference when people are sick & dying.  Me too, Rach, but skip the Trump clips -- please?

[tres bien]

I hope she has Chicago Mayor Laurie Lightfoot on. As far as I can tell, she's got some explaining to do.

[ScoobieDoobs]

OK, so Rach ended the show last nite with a quick note that a fed judge was gonna rule on Michael Cohen being thrown back in prison.  Did she have a feeling something juicy was gonna happen with this?  If she did, she was right.  I suspect she’s gonna be a very happy puppy to discuss this story tonite . . .