I know some news organizations tend to rush in whatever direction the wind blows, but do they have to send their reporters there, too? I'm watching the "on-scene" coverage of the hurricane with the cute name "Hello, Dolly!" all over the channels.
Aren't you tired of watching the "weathernauts" defy fate and logic by leaning into Mother Nature's knock-out punches during big storms? I know I am. I am cringing watching reporters on the network, news cable and weather outlets "braving" hurricane winds to "bring us the story".
PULL-LEEZE! Do they think we are incapable of understanding the force of a storm unless we see a happy-go-lucky TV personality in a world where no amount of hair spray or make up will help? Are we doomed to witness the weather witless chancing death (from some anti-media 2 by 4 or sheet of metal roofing) in order to demonstrate that they can function in the face of soggy underwear?
It reminds me that when I first arrived at WTCN (the old name for KARE) in the horrendous winter of '84-'85, we were not ALLOWED to wear hats on the air! I mean any kind of hats in any kind of weather. It could be (and sometimes was) 20 or 20 below zero with a wind chill that would send polar bears screaming, but we shivered through "live shots" bareheaded. Worse: we were constantly telling our viewers to bundle up to the cold, while we stood there in defiance of our own advice! Why? Because the then news management (long gone, probably blown away in some other storms) thought reporters should always appear "uncovered". Nice. Now, granted some reporters like that rugged look: "Look at me! I can take anything!" There will always be reporters (and anchors) who delight in exaggerating their situation for "effect" on TV. In fairness to some of my colleagues in the biz, the guilt can lie with unseasoned producers. Calling the shots from their air-conditioned offices, it's easy to order insecure field reporters into the eye of the Tiger in the name of "being competitive". I know I've had to settle a few of those Emmy-wannabes down through the years, for the sake of my own safety and that of my crew. I had one producer who wanted me to fly a small plane into the path of a hurricane in Northern Minnesota. Not a helicopter, mind you, but a small plane, with fixed wings and in need of a runway to land. You bet I refused and happily endured her childish insults to my professional manhood. By the way, nobody else went either. But back to the hats. After a couple of years, we (reporters) finally extracted a moderation to the "no hats" policy. We would be allowed ("allowed", like little children begging clothing from Mommy) to wear a hat if, IF the temperature as below zero! Guess what? Anytime we wanted to wear a hat we simply declared that it was below zero WHERE WE WERE! Sanity was restored.
Somebody in news management needs to tell those weather nuts to stop acting like debris targets. I don't care if it's Dan Rather clinging to the tree or Al Roker being blown down on a hotel balcony. Get them out of the line of fire! It's a bad example to kids and adults alike. And let's be honest. It makes all of us in the TV news business look just that much more stupid. It's the old "do as I say, not as I do" hypocrisy. I fear it will take somebody being decapitated "live" by a flying "Slippery when wet" road sign to finally put a stop to this craziness.
Of course, then, it will be most watched video on YouTube! I guess that's one way to be immortal or, at least, viral.
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