Idiot Box

Ellen Degeneres reacts to the news of the end of the Oprah show.

"They're curing their heartache with big doses of man medicine," reports Mark Thompson. "Smokin' hot firemen... sizzling old west cowboys... steamy bare-chested soldiers... and hot cops, in and out of uniform. The kinds of guys that really get these women's horns up."

A very thorough and objective investigation of a strip club. Is that man sweat we smell or an Emmy?

Harpo, the production company behind Oprah Winfrey's talk show, sent a memo to staff today announcing the end of the program. "The sun will set on the 'Oprah' show as its 25th season draws to a close on September 9, 2011," explained Harpo president Tim Bennett. Oprah will make an official announcement live on her show Friday.

Read the full text of the letter - found at TMZ - after the jump.

continued...

"Going Rouge" is a book written by editors at The Nation. "Going Rogue" is a mavericky, romp through why everybody but Sarah Palin is "making stuff up."

It can get confusing.

Via The Nation

Mallary Jean Tenore at Poynter Online interview The Daily Show's writers and producers. No surprise to us, they're a very serious bunch. Serious about fearlessly critiquing media.

Tenore writes:

When both sides are represented, writer Elliott Kalan said, there needs to be more fact-checking and deeper questioning: "A senator or governor will be on the news and will say something completely biased, and newscasters won't call them on it. They should be checking these people. Instead they don't want to alienate them and they let them say whatever they want."

He argued that the news media -- and political commentators -- need to look more critically at both sides of an issue, and spend more time breaking down complicated talking points for news consumers. Too often, Kalan said, journalists adhere to neutrality to the point where it paralyzes their ability to ask tough questions and undermines the power of objective, informed opinion.

Kalan described objectivity as having opinions that are pro-facts, and neutrality as meaning you have no stake and no say. "The Daily Show," he said, aims to be objective. And funny.

Read the whole post here.

Previously on FBLA:

Pageant politics correspondent Kent Jones discusses Carrie Prejean's possible political future on The Rachel Maddow Show.

Samantha Bee doesn't think the media could handle a KSM trial in New York. "Yes, that's right, Geraldo Rivera is now the voice of reason!"

Katy Upton goes from beauty queen to investigative reporter with a little help from Octomom.

We found the Lou Dobbs brand of batshit particularly entertaining, so we were a bit sad when the codger quit his show yesterday. CNN was quick to produce a replacement - the network announced this morning that his time slot will be filled by John King, who seems to have a slightly more reliable fact-checking department. From the LA Times:

King, who anchors the network's Sunday morning show, "State of the Union," will start his daily show early next year and give up the weekend program. The network this morning described the program as a "definitive political hour" in which King will interview newsmakers, political reporters and elected officials.

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