Trampoline Bear Abuse or Cool Critter Celebration? As Shepard Smith‘s beloved Ole Miss progresses forward with its mascot pick of the Rebel Black Bear to replace Colonel Reb, the Studio B and Fox Report anchor continues to be conflicted about moving forward from his signature segment “Bear Alert” to a more animal-friendly “Cool Critters.” As a case in point, last Thursday, Shep reported the very same story (about a newborn Atlanta panda cub) under the respective rubrics differently on his two daily FNC programs: To wit, on Studio B, Shep narrated the tale as the “Bear Alert,” accompanying it as usual with the cruel Trampoline Bear video (showing a tranquilized bear falling from a tree onto a trampoline, being hurled high into the air, and then crashing headfirst into the unyielding ground) whereas on the Fox Report, Shep retold it as a “Cool Critters” story without the repugnant Trampoline Bear clip.
Unfortunately, Shep’s recent setback occurred just a mere week to the day that he showed significant promise on Studio B during his “Bear Report.” On that show, he aired the Trampoline Bear clip but he elided the offensive frames of the black bear crashing into the concrete-like earth albeit jesting about “bear trampoline safety.” Optimistic that Shep may have turned a proverbial corner, the author penned, Carpe Diem‘s “Hope Springs Eternal” that he would not “return to his vomit.”
Unfortunately, Shep did just that as he returned to his folly Thursday on Studio B‘s “Bear Alert.” But, did he repent a mere three hours later on Fox Report‘s “Cool Critters”? Hope may spring eternal, but its flame is dimmed with each passing day.
Colonel Shep, walk into the light!
Update: Eight days later (last Friday), Fox Report producers took a different tack. Instead of choosing between the rubric “Bear Alert” or “Cool Critters,” they did both basically. As guest host Jon Scott previewed the FR‘s final segment entitled “Bear Buddies” (about an older female polar bear at Highland Wildlife Park in Kingussie, Scotland, being introduced to a twenty-three-month-old male as a companion), Jon commented, “Now, Bear Alert and Cute [sic?] Critter Alert, Britain’s only polar bear getting a new friend but don’t expect cubbies anytime soon.” The odious Trampoline Bear video did not run after this conflated alert. More progress?
*Fox Report with Shepard Smith – 11/12/10 (@ 7:54 a.m. ET)
Carpe Diem 