In the movie “Network,” character Howard Beale famously declared on national television that “I am mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore.” CNN Anchor Chris Cuomo, 49, reportedly went full Howard Beale on Monday on his SiriusXM show in denouncing his work at CNN, denouncing both Democrats and Republicans, and declaring that President Donald Trump is “full of sh*t.” The CNN host is recovering from COVID-19 and appears to have emerged with something of an epiphany. There was a refreshing, if brutal, honesty to Cuomo’s revealing remarks.
Cuomo is quoted as saying “I don’t want to spend my time doing things that I don’t think are valuable enough to me personally,. I don’t value indulging irrationality, hyper-partisanship.”
He was clear that his future plans do not seem to include his CNN gig: “I don’t like what I do professionally I don’t think it’s worth my time.” He said that he was through “talking to Democrats about things that I don’t really believe they mean” and “talking to Republicans about them parroting things they feel they have to say.” He also said he had enough with Trump “who we all know is full of s–t by design.”
The part that many of us might relate to was Cuomo’s frustration with the life of a celebrity in not being able to tell off rude people, though he never seems to have been particularly chaste in such encounters.
He recounted how he was confronted for going outside with his family on Easter Sunday: “I don’t want some jackass, loser, fat tire biker being able to pull over and get in my space and talk bulls–t to me, I don’t want to hear it.” He wants to be able to tell such people to “go to hell” again and “That matters to me more than making millions of dollars a year … because I’ve saved my money and I don’t need it anymore.”
Returning to his profession as an anchor, Cuomo declared “I have to tolerate people’s opinion about me because I’m a public figure. I don’t want to do that, I don’t think it’s worth it to me.”
I do not think that he was longing to be intolerant as much as unrestrained I can respect that. I have seen past confrontations with Cuomo and it continues to amaze me that people feel that they have license to be absolutely rude to people who they see on television.
The question is how all of this goes down with CNN if Cuomo seeks to return, which certainly did not seem in the cards. There is also a question of his contract and what penalties and continued restrictions would be incurred from an early and unilateral cessation. Cuomo hosts one of the flagship primetime shows. A mutual withdrawal can certainly be arranged if both parties are willing. Otherwise Cuomo would be under continuing exclusive limits on his appearances under the standard talent contracts.
However, radio just does not cut it for such moments. Any break really should be done alive and dripping in a raincoat for the full Beale effect:
Chris Cuomo: arrogant COVID infected bully breaking quarantine in public
NYPost:
David told The Post he was stunned that Cuomo verbally attacked him the way he did.
The 65-year-old longtime resident said he was just out for a bike ride before Easter dinner when he spotted who he thought was Chris Cuomo on property he says the CNN anchor bought in East Hampton last year. The acreage is still being developed; a steel frame for its future house is all that’s up at the moment, David said.
David said Cuomo was with his wife, another woman and three kids who were playing around on the property.
The resident said he stopped and sat on his bike “well over a hundred feet” from the property.
“I just looked and said, ‘Is that Chris Cuomo? Isn’t he supposed to be quarantined?”
Cuomo has been regularly airing his TV and radio shows from his family’s home in Southampton — although from the basement as he stayed quarantined from them.
David said the woman who looked like Cuomo’s wife came over to him and said, “May I help you?”
He said he replied, “I’m riding my bike” — then started asking why Cuomo was there out of quarantine and not social-distancing from the group.
He said Cuomo then started toward him, coming to within about 40 feet.
“He said, ‘Who the hell are you?! I can do what I want!’” David said. “He just ranted, screaming, ‘I’ll find out who you are!’
“I said to him, ‘Your brother is the coronavirus czar, and you’re not even following his rules — unnecessary travel,’” the resident said.
“He just began to boil more.
“He said, ‘This is not the end of this. You’ll deal with this later. We will meet again.’ If that’s not a threat, I don’t know what is,” David said.
The man said he waited till Monday afternoon to call East Hampton cops to report the incident.
“I hate bullies,” David said.
At first, the resident said, he got “huge pushback” from police about filing a report.
But by Tuesday morning — after The Post and other outlets reported Cuomo’s meltdown, including about his run-in with the bicyclist — the police “had a whole different attitude,” David said.
The man said he asked the investigating officer, “Any chance you saw the report” about Cuomo’s radio rant?
“Yes, we have,” the cop said.
“I think you’ll like what we’ve written,” the officer added, according to David, referring to the police report that was being prepared.
David — who said he is a lifelong Democrat and voted for Andrew Cuomo for governor — added that he doesn’t plan on pressing charges against Chris Cuomo unless “I get any more feeling that this guy’s a threat to me,” adding that he just wanted to get something on the record.
East Hampton police did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment, nor did a CNN spokeswoman
Maybe Fredo was so hostile because he was embarrassed to be caught out of quarantine.
One wonders if he had the Kathy Griffin variety of the virus.
Young – I want to see a dr. note for Fredo.
According to N above Fredo still has an active case. Just “taking a breather” to infect others. Assuming he doesn’t have only the Kathy Griffin “Look At Me” virus.
Young – my problem with Fredo is that I don’t trust him to tell the truth. Therefore, I don’t trust him to actually have the ChiCom flu. His Easter trip to the Hamptons with his family and a fight with a neighbor is a tip-off. He also has anger management problems.
Fredo will manage his anger just fine when he leaves CNN; he will slug anyone who annoys him or calls him Fredo.
I wonder how he is with staff, “the little people”, at CNN? I am guessing not very nice.
Hey, I have started liking the pouting, backup nincompoop’s pressers. Pressed by female journalists, he just wets his knickers! It’s such fun to watch.
I wholeheartedly suggest people watch it – the backup emperor has no clothes (well, the knickers may be…)
Foo. Poster d is me.
🐧
From
https://phys.org/news/2020-04-flamingos-firm-friendships.html
in the 2nd video we see the Demorats arguing with the Republicants.
Is he a dumb smoker?
FREDO is a thrd-rate HACK. If his last name wasn’t COOMO, he couldn’t get a gig on a TV station in Poduck City!
I don’t think it’s worth your time either.
What a riot..Chris Cuomo goes full Trump. He just wants to “say it like it is”.
It seems a bit jaded for Chris Cuomo to trash his network and his job after he made enough millions that he can conceivably retire on it. Seems a bit convenient for him to have suddenly grown a conscience.
And what did his newfound conscience direct him to do? Go outside his residence with his family while positive for Covid-19. Does he hope that epiphany is contagious? He appeared resentful at the person who criticized him for being outside with a contagious disease responsible for a global pandemic.
I will be happy to hear if Chris Cuomo uses his second chance at life to do good for the world and humanity. He could create a heartwarming show like Huell Howser’s California Gold, focusing on his own home state. He could create a show of heartwarming, uplifting stories at a time when people need it. He could be the next Mike Rowe, and showcase jobs that are low risk for Covid-19 that are hiring. Make a difference.
Somehow, I think he’s going to spend his energy, and his precious time, fighting and virtue signaling.
“Cuomo hosts one of the flagship primetime shows.”
Really? I’ve never watched Cuomo. It’s not worth my time.
Chris who???
Professor Turley, for reasons unfathomable, is attempting to surreptitiously lend credence to Fredo (and, by extension, his bizarre, narcissistic, “TV star” brother, Andy, aka Col. Walter E. Kurtz) by associating him with the revered, historic and truly American character, Howard Beale.
That’s like nominating Larry, Moe and Curly for appointment to the Federal Reserve Board.
I would inquire if these are all “made men” but I don’t want to sleep with the fishes or land a horse head in my bed.
Translation for Fredo’s rant: “No matter how much or how often I carried CNN’s water and spewed leftist propaganda, I still didn’t get a raise.” And Fredo, for the record, you don’t get raises when your network is LOSING MONEY. That’s a little thing called capitalism, supply and demand, and the marketplace speaking. No matter you guys hate it.
Cuomo rhymes with homo. Is he bent?
If he leaves his job he will be WithOutPapers or respectfully referred to as a WOP.
This has nothing to do with him being Sicilian.
Oh dear, Fredo is whining and crying again, it is all about him.
Will its that time again folks. The Italian Meat Ball takes on the Russian.
Those Cuomos bros grind my gears but I have related to what he’s going at right now. I have been the CEO of two failed companies and many people look at my life and think it is great. But clear as the moon shining in Fort Worth, I destroyed the first company and I’m leading this current company to bankruptcy. It’s taken time but I’m not cut out for business so I’ll be stepping down and turning the business back over to the founder. Gary is the rightful leader of my company and I can finally admit that after years of failure. So good on Chris Cuomo for realizing this now, that CNN is a failure and he doesn’t want to be a part of it. It sounds crazy, but I’ve found a lot of piece in getting out an old loom and knitting some face masks for people. A title and money don’t nothing much matter when you’re just trying to knit masks. I hope Chris Cuomo goes on to find his calling and make the world a better place. CNN and 5G is making everything worse. Some dogs won’t hunt.
Him and Rhianna..they’re “just trying to save the world, fool.” 🙂