MSNBC

[jjj]

So, after Brian Williams finished his extended two-hour show about the Ohio election results, MSNBC basically handed the network over to Steve Kornacki -- at least two hours on his own instead of repeats, and I would have preferred the repeats.  He was still holding forth at midnight Pacific Time, and when I woke up at 5:00 AM Steve was on Morning Joe -- they said he had not slept.  It baffles me that they give him so much air time, hours of "it's too early to tell what will happen." 

[Mumbles]

YMMV but I love Kornacki. He knows his stuff cold. He's an unapologetic geek. He used to have the 9am slot after Morning Joe and it was refreshing, just him in a pullover sweater and khakis analyzing the numbers and trends.  Before he was on MSNBC he was a very insightful writer for Salon.com.  On the rare occasions that he's on Morning Joe (rare, because in his Salon days he correctly called out Barnicle as the sleazy fabulist/plagiarist hack that he is) he calls them on their conventional wisdom bullshit.

[Kemper]

I love Steve Kornacki, too!  Yes, he kind of goes over-the-top; but I love his enthusiasm and his subject knowledge.  I wish he still had his Saturday morning show.

[Ohwell]

Kornacki knows he's hyper and he thinks that's what people like about him.  Which is precisely why I don't like him.

[Kemper]

Final two cents on Steve Kornacki...he is subbing for Chris Matthews; I will take almost anyone over Chris Matthews.

[Apprentice79]

4 hours ago, Kemper said:

Final two cents on Steve Kornacki...he is subbing for Chris Matthews; I will take almost anyone over Chris Matthews.

Steve lets people talk, unlike, Chris.

[stormy]

One thing about the Hardball set.  Who designed that crazy desk?  One guest is sitting out in left field.

[Kemper]

Could it be that Chris Matthews is being edged out?  He used to be their #1 (until Rachel Maddow) for election eve/day coverage.  Now Brian Williams does it..along with Kornacki.  He just doesn't seem to be their go-to person anymore.  Just my wishful thinking?

[Cajungirl64]

Am I the only MSNBC viewer who doesn't like Katy Tur? She seems up to have an underserved sense of entitlement about her and it feels like she's constantly trying for a "gotcha" moment... even in her hand-offs to Ari. 

*sigh* Why can't they all be like Rachel (and Andrea Mitchell... Yes, as she gets older, her cadence is halting at times, but she's still a true professional at all times and isn't trying to create a "brand" for herself). 

Edited August 16, 2018 by Cajungirl64

[Jaded]

1 minute ago, Cajungirl64 said:

Am I the only MSNBC viewer who doesn't like Katy Tur? She seems up to have an underserved sense of entitlement about her and it feels like she's constantly trying for a "gotcha" moment... even in her hand-offs to Ari. 

I go back and forth on liking her. There are times she really annoys me and then times when I don't mind her. I'm finally warming up to Kasie Hunt a bit. I hope hanging around Morning Joe gang doesn't change her too much in the long run.

Dylan Byers Jumps to NBC News, MSNBC From CNN

[Cajungirl64]

12 minutes ago, Jaded said:

I go back and forth on liking her. There are times she really annoys me and then times when I don't mind her. I'm finally warming up to Kasie Hunt a bit. I hope hanging around Morning Joe gang doesn't change her too much in the long run.

Dylan Byers Jumps to NBC News, MSNBC From CNN

I agree about Kasie. I like her a lot. Interesting about Dylan Byers... 

[car54]

I was not aware this had happened to Thomas Roberts.  Good for him for speaking out.

[BuckeyeLou]

2 hours ago, car54 said:

I was not aware this had happened to Thomas Roberts.  Good for him for speaking out.

Thanks for posting this...interesting.  I always liked Thomas Roberts on-air...

[Ladyrain]

On 8/9/2018 at 11:59 AM, Kemper said:

Could it be that Chris Matthews is being edged out? 

From your keyboard to the head honchos' ears.   He drives me NUTS.  I've taken to switching to CNN when he steamrolls over his guests.  Well, he always steamrolls over everybody, but when it's especially egregious I scream STFU at the tv and watch Erin Burnett instead.  Chris asks a question, the panelist utters two syllables, Chris decides that's not the precise answer he wants, badgers the panelist like he/she was in the witness box.  I just can't with this show anymore.

[Ladyrain]

On 8/16/2018 at 6:06 PM, Cajungirl64 said:

Am I the only MSNBC viewer who doesn't like Katy Tur?

I don't dislike her so much as get annoyed with her.  She is constantly - constantly - mangling words and names and laughs it off as if it was genuinely funny.  Everybody messes up occasionally but with her it's rule rather than the exception.  She needs to work on that because it's getting to be an internet joke. 

The one who really bugs the sh*t out of me is Hallie Jackson, who I actually used to like in the beginning.  Speaking of sense of entitlement, that's the vibe I get from her.  But what drives me crazy is her super-speed rat-a-tat speaking style, to the point that I can't understand her.  All the words run together like RRRNNNTTTTMMMM!!!  That's all I hear.  Not good from someone who literally talks for a living.  And she's got a master's degree in interrupting, must have learned that at Chris Matthews U.  It's as if she needs to prove that she knows more than her guest, before the guest even gets to finish a thought.

[Eliot]

I don’t like that “Your Business” show that airs at 7:30 a.m. on weekends. The anchor, whose name escapes me, is annoyingly, relentlessly perky and the businesses she profiles are universally dumb.

That is all.

[Tom Holmberg]

14 hours ago, Eliot said:

The anchor, whose name escapes me,

J.J. Ramberg.  It's odd that MSNBC has only been hiring cute young women as hosts.  Maybe they think they need to to compete with Fox's blonde bimbos. It's not that the MSNBC women are totally untalented, but they seem to have been jumped ahead of where they should be in this stage of their careers. Where's the Barbara Walters of the industry (not that I actually liked Barbara Walters, but she paid her dues to get to where she was).  

[stormy]

Katie really has a great show.  

She honestly deserves a better time slot.

[car54]

MSNBC just announced they've hired Maya Wiley as a legal analyst.   Good, I love her.

[Milburn Stone]

13 hours ago, car54 said:

MSNBC just announced they've hired Maya Wiley as a legal analyst.   Good, I love her.

Is it possible she was on last week before her official hiring? She looks familiar. If so, I agree, she was very impressive. Maybe that appearance last week constituted an audition.

[freddi]

3 hours ago, Milburn Stone said:

Is it possible she was on last week before her official hiring? She looks familiar. If so, I agree, she was very impressive. Maybe that appearance last week constituted an audition.

She has been on the air a number of times -- Ari Melber showed several of her past pieces of commentary as he made the announcement (while she was on set).  

[car54]

Maya has been on Ari's show almost every day as a guest since it started but now they're making it official, and hopefully she'll be on more.  I've loved her ever since her on-camera intervention with Sam Nunberg where she finally got through to him that refusing to testify for Mueller's grand jury would only hurt himself and his family.      He had been on tv going crazy the whole day and she quietly talked him down and got him to listen to her advice.

[freddi]

Chris Jansing has had many daytime guest hosting slots in the past half-year; today she is filling in for two shows (Stephanie Ruhle earlier, and Katy Tur's hour now).  The closer we get to this holiday Friday, the more guest hosts I think we will see.  Jansing is a good interviewer, and I wish she had a regular time slot.   

[Apprentice79]

9 minutes ago, freddi said:

Chris Jansing has had many daytime guest hosting slots in the past half-year; today she is filling in for two shows (Stephanie Ruhle earlier, and Katy Tur's hour now).  The closer we get to this holiday Friday, the more guest hosts I think we will see.  Jansing is a good interviewer, and I wish she had a regular time slot.   

 I too love Jansing, she is smart, asks good questions and she is always in control.. I think she would be good on the weekends in the evenings.

[freddi]

I see some daytime hosts are moving to guest spots as evening hosts this week!  Now Mike Barnicle is filling in for Nicolle Wallace on her show, so I hope that means she is filling in again for Brian Williams this evening. (Ugh, Barnicle seems nice, but he is no Nicolle; and I so prefer Nicolle to Brian Williams, so hope she gets to move to evening permanently at some point.)  

2 hours ago, Apprentice79 said:

 I too love Jansing, she is smart, asks good questions and she is always in control.. I think she would be good on the weekends in the evenings.

Edited August 28, 2018 by freddi

[Apprentice79]

2 minutes ago, freddi said:

I see some daytime hosts are moving to guest spots as evening hosts this week!  Now Mike Barnicle is filling in for Nicolle Wallace onher show, so I hope that means she is filling in again for Brian Williams this evening. (Ugh, Barnicle seems nice, but he is no Nicolle; and I so prefer Nicolle to Brian Williams, so hope she gets to move to evening permanently at some point.)  

True, I do think that they need to revamp their weekends.   Their lineup leaves a lot to be desired.  

[Medicine Crow]

3 hours ago, car54 said:

Maya has been on Ari's show almost every day as a guest since it started but now they're making it official, and hopefully she'll be on more.  I've loved her ever since her on-camera intervention with Sam Nunberg where she finally got through to him that refusing to testify for Mueller's grand jury would only hurt himself and his family.      He had been on tv going crazy the whole day and she quietly talked him down and got him to listen to her advice.

I think that's what got MSNBC's attention!!!  She was so kind & smart.  Well-deserved "promotion"!!??

[Eliot]

18 hours ago, Apprentice79 said:

 I too love Jansing, she is smart, asks good questions and she is always in control.. I think she would be good on the weekends in the evenings.

I agree. She strikes me as someone who has paid her dues, learned on the job, and sees things objectively. I'd rather see her sub on MTP Daily than Katy Tur, who I think still has some growing to do.

[Apprentice79]

15 minutes ago, Eliot said:

I agree. She strikes me as someone who has paid her dues, learned on the job, and sees things objectively. I'd rather see her sub on MTP Daily than Katy Tur, who I think still has some growing to do.

I go back and forth with Katy. Some days she is on point and other days, not so much.

She is better in the field, sharing her thoughts about what she has seen and heard.

I love Kristen Walker. She has really surprised me in the few times that she has subbed for one of the hosts..

Edited August 29, 2018 by Apprentice79

[Carmen Sandiego]

On 8/19/2018 at 8:08 AM, Ladyrain said:

I don't dislike her so much as get annoyed with her.  She is constantly - constantly - mangling words and names and laughs it off as if it was genuinely funny.  Everybody messes up occasionally but with her it's rule rather than the exception.  She needs to work on that because it's getting to be an internet joke. 

The one who really bugs the sh*t out of me is Hallie Jackson, who I actually used to like in the beginning.  Speaking of sense of entitlement, that's the vibe I get from her.  But what drives me crazy is her super-speed rat-a-tat speaking style, to the point that I can't understand her.  All the words run together like RRRNNNTTTTMMMM!!!  That's all I hear.  Not good from someone who literally talks for a living.  And she's got a master's degree in interrupting, must have learned that at Chris Matthews U.  It's as if she needs to prove that she knows more than her guest, before the guest even gets to finish a thought.

Hallie Jackson is the worse, she thinks in her mind she is all that and that she is hardcore journalist. I am no fan of Omarosa but I saw how Hallie Jackson acting like she outsmart Omarosa and she just laughed at Hallie.

Hallie is the worse one, she is rude, not that smart and talks way too fast. The women on Fox News are better presenters then the MSNBC women. 

[annzeepark914]

Is anyone else bothered by Chuck Todd frequently clapping his hands?  It's getting on my last nerve.  Something tells me he's trying not to do it (maybe people complained?) and then he forgets. When he gets going w/ the clapping, I switch over to CNN.  But I must say that during these interesting times, I'm sure glad to have MSNBC and CNN.  MSNBC seems to have cut back on those prison shows on the weekend, thank goodness.  Too much to cover today!

[Kemper]

I have to wonder what criteria the network uses when deciding what reporters to send to hurricane-impacted areas.  Ali Velshi is one of my absolute favorites; but he seems a little out-of-his-element standing on a beach clad in a long-sleeved plaid shirt and what would appear to be dress pants.  !!    And another poor female reporter is absolutely drenched.  Do we really need this? Live updates with Weather Channel personnel would be maybe better.  But not as entertaining.  I am not meaning to sound like I find this whole thing humorous; we lived at the beach for almost 10 years so know how serious and devastating these storms are.  It just seems that the networks go to ridiculous lengths; I guess it brings in ratings.   I could actually watch Velshi on a beach for hours.

[izabella]

I don't understand why MSNBC, and other networks for that matter, think we need to see windblown reporters non-stop before the storm.  We are getting no new information with the constant, live coverage, so why not have them check in for a few minutes every hour to note anything that has changed, and then report the other news in the country?

[Tom Holmberg]

9 minutes ago, izabella said:

I don't understand why MSNBC, and other networks for that matter, think we need to see windblown reporters non-stop before the storm.

It's a news cliché.  Every time you get a big snow storm, some reporter has to stand outside, point at the sky and explain that it's snow that's falling.  I think the weather reporter can do the same thing from the warmth and safety of the studio, and more usefully.

[Kemper]

MSNBC has changed it's morning lineup today.  Maybe due to storm coverage?  But that would not explain Stephanie Ruhle's presence.  The caption says "live" - or would that just be the hurricane track picture in the lower corner?  

[Jaded]

17 minutes ago, Kemper said:

MSNBC has changed it's morning lineup today.  Maybe due to storm coverage?  But that would not explain Stephanie Ruhle's presence.  The caption says "live" - or would that just be the hurricane track picture in the lower corner?  

Stephanie is in studio doing live coverage today and Alex Twitt was on before her. I've been meaning to say that it seems like someone at MSNBC knows a lot of people are tired of Alex since they've been doing what they can to have her not be seen during times when more people would watch on the weekends. I wonder if they are waiting for her contract to expire and have decided not to renew it? It really has been nice not having her on when I've taken the time to watch on the weekends. Now if they could clean house when it comes to their weekday morning show....

[Kemper]

I did love seeing Stephanie's spark of energy this morning; still feeling sorry for Ali Velshi.  Does the network make the reporters/anchors draw straws to see who goes to storm-ravaged areas?  

[Apprentice79]

On ‎9‎/‎15‎/‎2018 at 8:50 AM, Jaded said:

Stephanie is in studio doing live coverage today and Alex Twitt was on before her. I've been meaning to say that it seems like someone at MSNBC knows a lot of people are tired of Alex since they've been doing what they can to have her not be seen during times when more people would watch on the weekends. I wonder if they are waiting for her contract to expire and have decided not to renew it? It really has been nice not having her on when I've taken the time to watch on the weekends. Now if they could clean house when it comes to their weekday morning show....

Why is there so much dislike for Alex Witt?  Did she do something scandalous?  

[Orillia]

It's too bad they didn't sent Hallie Jackson to cover the storm. She'd have no problem talking over it.

[rcc]

I like Hallie but her rat-a-tat way of speaking is too much most of the time. She was pretty bad this morning on her show. She must be conditioned in a press conference environment when she needs to get her question in before someone else does.

[Ohwell]

Joy Reid does the same thing, with the rat-a-tat, too fast way of speaking.  I think they think that it makes them sound more professional than speaking in a more measured, thoughtful way.   

[Medicine Crow]

3 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Joy Reid does the same thing, with the rat-a-tat, too fast way of speaking.  I think they think that it makes them sound more professional than speaking in a more measured, thoughtful way.   

Totally agree with about Joy ... sometimes I can't understand chunks of her sentences.  Just sayin'.

Edited September 17, 2018 by Medicine Crow
Let's try to use the right word!!

[Eliot]

On 9/13/2018 at 4:39 PM, Tom Holmberg said:

It's a news cliché.  Every time you get a big snow storm, some reporter has to stand outside, point at the sky and explain that it's snow that's falling.  I think the weather reporter can do the same thing from the warmth and safety of the studio, and more usefully.

When I lived in Boston I used to joke that Channel 7 kept Victoria Block around for the sole purpose of wheeling her out and standing her on a seawall in Scituate every time there was a storm.

A few years ago, I caught her on an episode of the Today show...standing on a seawall in the middle of a storm.

[Ladyrain]

On 9/16/2018 at 1:15 PM, Apprentice79 said:

Why is there so much dislike for Alex Witt?  Did she do something scandalous?  

Ah, where to begin......   Scandalous?  Yes.  Several years ago a good friend of hers had to take her to court to recoup the thousands of dollars she'd lent to her to finance her children's school trip to Europe. ($10,000 maybe?)    Alex always seemed to have some sob story as to why she couldn't pay it back.     Aside from that, I can't stand her verbal style, so overly dramatic and emphasizing the 'wrong 'words in a sentence, for no reason than to be different.  It's like watching a bad school play.  And the 5 pounds of fake hair cascading down her shoulders is just the frosting on the overbaked cake. 

[Jaded]

@Ladyrain it was a $65,000 loan. I've never been able to find out what the outcome of that lawsuit was.

I leave MSNBC on at night while I sleep and have gotten half woken up a couple times this week before Morning Joe. I say that because I've seen Alex co-hosting that First Look show both times. 

[Ladyrain]

8 hours ago, Jaded said:

@Ladyrain it was a $65,000 loan. I've never been able to find out what the outcome of that lawsuit was.

Yikes.  Six + times worse than I was remembering. 

I truly don't get her appeal.  MSNBC has so many up-and-comers that could do her job far better.  Yasmin is on maternity leave so I guess why Alex is there.  And apparently she's "good friends" with Mika.  Now that's water seeking its own level.  Wonder if she'll be hitting Meeks up for a loan too.

[Kemper]

I think the weekend morning lineup could be improved upon.  Alex and Joy are automatic remote grabbers.

[stormy]

Toure' was on this morning  :)

He was introduced as an MSNBC contributor.  That's nice. Wish we saw him more often.

[Ladyrain]

 Love Toure. 

 Joy -- That Jailhouse Rock sweater; that wig.  No no no.   Are all the dressing room mirrors broken?  You were looking so good in that longer bob - as to the wardrobe, it's pretty hit and miss.  Sometimes stylish, often not.  All this is shallow, I know.  But it is television, after all; we look at it. 

Edited September 22, 2018 by Ladyrain

[Ohwell]

Yeah, Joy's sweater.  My eyes!  Also, I don't understand the wigarama mess that she goes through.  Just stick with one wig that looks good.

And speaking of hair, I just want to grab a large pair of scissors, chase Alex Twitt around, catch up with her, pin her down, and whack all those extensions off.