You can count on the cable-news networks highlight the big stories. As it happens, I happened to have The Big Story in the background at the top of 5:00 hour. Anna Nicole Smith’s embalment shockingly fell to the third story. But she still got a mention in the real story of the day, poor Britney Spears bald breakdown. During the Fox report we see footage of Spears at a Hollywood tattoo parlor, during which the reporter helpfully notes that the shop is a custom tatoo parlor and so you can’t go in now and get the Britney tattoo. Folks at The Villages watching before dinner had to be especially bummed. The reporter then added that Anna Nicole Smith had been a customer of the same tatoo place. To which the anchor then comments, “Let’s hope she doesn’t follow in Anna Nicole’s footsteps. Give that gal a raise — who would click away, knowing they’ll be on top of the story? I bet they’ll even break into Geraldo’s Anna Nicole special tonight if Britney ventures to get a nose ring!
I don’t mean to pick on Fox — that also has a (Geraldo again) special on Iraq tonight and has a lot going for it (Brit Hume’s show…great reporting from a whole host of people like Carl Cameron, Jim Angle, and Major Garrett. Some terrific anchors including David Asman….and the list actually does go on and on– including Rich Lowry!). I’m not so much mad at Fox as sad for us all: It’s sad they do have to do these things for ratings. Michelle Malkin had to do an Anna Nicole segment last night when she filled in for O’Reilly. Rich has done the same when he’s been in Sean’s chair. It’s the business — which suggests we have some issues.