I have previously discussed my views about Nancy Grace and her genre of legal commentary. (here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here). This week Grace is being mocked for another controversial appearance on Good Morning America where she shouts “porn” repeatedly in an interview on the the Oscar Pistorius murder trial. She was appearing with ABC legal analyst Dan Abrams and appears upset that neither the anchor nor Abrams want to talk about porn as opposed to the developments in the case.
Grace interrupts Abrams who was making a comment on the trial record to say that Pistorius looked for porn just before the shooting of his girlfriend. Abrams has a look of utter bewilderment bordering on disgust as Grace yells “porn” over his voice when the two fail to immediately divert the segment into the more salacious detail. She then protests “I notice neither of you want to touch it with a ten-foot pole that he was up trolling the internet for porn just before he kills her, but I’ll save that for another day.”
The question is why Good Morning America continues to degrade legal coverage with such segments with Grace. The answer is clearly ratings and its shows the depths to which the show is willing to go to grab viewers. The result is not only diminishing the journalistic standing of ABC but to deny viewers an accurate account of the story. It is like inviting a comedian or contortionist to mock a reporter as he tries to explain a case.
The pathetic element to the show was not Grace who has long been dismissed by both lawyers and journalists. The pathetic element was Good Morning America striving to appeal to viewers who want to watch something akin to the WWF in legal coverage. Grace certainly has her fan base but so does Ted Nugent and Marilyn Manson. GMA appears intent on giving a murder trial the same level of serious reflection as one of its cooking segments. Indeed, the cooking segments are increasing looking like the more substantive elements to the show: they involve accurate, fact-based presentations of the subject. Few cooking guests are seen screaming “porn, porn” over the rising pop tarts. When it comes to an alleged murder however GMA brings in a media menagerie. What is truly remarkable is that the anchors actually laugh at Grace with a type of “Oh Gilligan, there you go again” response. The anchor notes that they would much prefer to “go to the weather” — as a backhand to the level of discourse. This was their chosen guest but they treat Grace as if she just walked off the street with a placard reading “The World is Coming to An End and Pistorius Watches Porn.”
In reality, GMA wants to pretend that it is above Grace’s type of graffiti commentary while shamelessly trying to appear her dubious fan base:
“A democratic government is the only one in which those who vote for a tax can escape the obligation to pay it.”
— Alexis de Tocqueville
David,
Read his farewell address… It’s very apt today…. As well as Jeffersons inaugural speech……
AY wrote: “Read his farewell address… It’s very apt today…”
Yes, but people don’t believe him anymore. For example, George Washington said in that speech, “… reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle,” and also “As a very important source of strength and security, cherish public credit. One method of preserving it is, to use it as sparingly as possible; avoiding occasions of expense by cultivating peace, but remembering also that timely disbursements to prepare for danger frequently prevent much greater disbursements to repel it; avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt, not only by shunning occasions of expense, but by vigorous exertions in time of peace to discharge the debts, which unavoidable wars may have occasioned, not ungenerously throwing upon posterity the burthen, which we ourselves ought to bear. The execution of these maxims belongs to your representatives, but it is necessary that public opinion should cooperate.”
Good ball bust. At least you don’t stalk me. Cue, stalkers!
nick spinelli
joshg, There are some free thinkers here. Stick around and contribute more often.
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somewhere there’s a walmart missing their greeter.
So long as they think like you…. Right?
joshg, There are some free thinkers here. Stick around and contribute more often.
I was going to say it’s very unfair to throw Marilyn Manson in with Nancy Grace, but am pleasantly surprised that others have done so already.
Judge Judy, Nancy Grace, Bill O’Reilly, Jerry Springer – a comment on the mentality of the majority of TV viewers? IQ’s around room temperature, I heard.
Just because you move the table doesn’t mean the chandelier is still in the center of the table…..
“… viewers who want to watch something akin to the WWF …”? WWF, the World Wide Fund for Nature (nee World Wildlife Fund)? Until 2002 the WWF also referred to the World Wrestling Federation. A lawsuit forced the wrestlers to change the group’s name to WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment. The pandas won!
Pat & dagda – I do not recall the details at the moment but some time ago I read some stories about problems with her prosecutions. There were (as I recall) ethical as well as ability gaps that caused her to have cases overturned & eventually removed. I am too lazy to google right now but it wouldn’t be hard to find I’m sure.
She should go into practice with Judge Judy, between them they would know instantly who was guilty & be demeaning to everyone involved. They manage to bring the legal profession into even lower regard than it already has.
Hey Nick,
Are there days when you feel like the maytag repairman…..