I am bummed about the whole thing–what he did (or didn’t…) do, some of the intense hatred being displayed, the fact he’ll be gone. I liked him. Watching the NBC News nightly was something we did as a family. We liked the alternating between Brian and Lester, and H appreciated Kate Snow. I liked Brian’s slightly sarcastic comments and spin. I guess I never really considered the nightly news as brand new info or in-depth reporting like the old days. No one is going to be Walter Cronkite again. Sigh, I still miss him signing off too…
Brits call them newscasters but there was a time, here, when they were more:
Credibility isn’t a cheap thing and we should all be sorry he’s lost his.
There doesn’t seem to be many veterans on this board. I did 10 years including some middle east action. What’s really unforgivable is his shortcut to honor and glory. Whereas most folks in uniform endure long tedious stretches of training and waiting with low pay and and roach-infested quarters then its showtime, Williams clearly left his NYC digs for as short a period.as possible, got a few miles from the action, and acts like Sgt. York. You want war stories to tell, its real easy: volunteer to serve, surrender a ton of rights, be away from family for years at a time, and do it all for a sense of duty to your country, not so u have tales to tell on. Letterman. (Writing on uncooperative phone, so spelling sucks)
moop-
Mentioned above that DH, a veteran, was involved with an event at Ft. Benning last weekend. I erroneously said 400 participants. It was apparently closer to 600. Regardless, he said BW was not the topic of conversation… at least not with the folks he spoke with. FWIW
I’ve been getting many emails from old buddies mocking Williams. FWIW
moop-
Just curious- were you enlisted or an officer?
Officer
My DH too
Horribly sad news that another news reporter, Bob Simon, was killed in an auto accident yesterday. Wonder if it might momentarily shift focus away from BW. RIP Bob Simon.
NBC has removed his name from the broadcast and the website. That was fast.
And he may end up on a cable network, as Dan Rather did. Who knows.
Incredibly sad. The loss of an excellent writer, reporter, and a true journalist.
I see that the media is now scrutinizing other Brian Williams war stories and am reminded of one of the most memorable Saturday Night Live characters, played by Jon Lovitz: “Tommy Flanagan, The Pathological Liar” who used the old catchphrase “Yeah! That’s the ticket!” as he, after visible effort, finally finished constructing his latest lie.
Was reading “The Ghost” &Robert Harris wrote a line that sounds like Williams:
pg 383
“He specializes in flying briefly into the world’s worst trouble spots and flying out again with moving descriptions of human suffering, usually his own.”
More on Brian Williams,
To me, he didn’t looked like someone who rolls his sleeves and gets his hands dirty. In a way, I am not surprised.
His career at NBC could probably have survived salacious scandal, but ridicule is much more devastating. When you have become an internet meme, it is time to hang it up.
The number of enhanced stories he’s told Seems to have reached that critical mass level (like when Tiger Woods’ mistresses hit double digits) where it almost can’t get any worse. He’s clearly not going to return to his former glory. Just as we now refer to someone getting a Lewinsky or some irate member of an audience doing a Kanye, dictionary writers are probably right now defining the noun " Brian Williams" : an enhancement of a story for no obvious material gain, but only to make the speaker seem more grizzled and adventurous.
As for his future…somewhere on MSNBC would seem appropriate. Some of u might not believe this but Al Sharpton actually has a nightly show there. Perhaps B W could become his Ed McMahon. “You are correct sir!”
Rudy Guiliani commented that he didn’t want to pull a Brian Williams as he walked the SNL red carpet and discussed the first show back after 9/11. I think Jim Carrey said something about him, too. Both on an NBC event - Ouch!