Shep the Schlep

Shepard still wallowing in his own vomit. And, Fox News is still enabling the Ole Miss good old boy that failed to graduate–or mature. Friday, on Fox Report, Shep de Sade (er, Shep de Sad) once again exploited the black bear, ironically, the mascot of his beloved school, during yet another infamous “Bear Alert.”

After reporting on an Alaskan-black-bear-hibernation study, including video (more aptly, a “Cool Critters” segment), with potential benefits for astronauts on long missions, Shep seized the opportunity to air gratuitously yet again the cringe-inducing excerpt of the Trampoline Bear video. As he concluded his story, Shep jested that instead of aiding human astronauts, that “we could just bounce the bears into space.”* Of course, he simultaneously ran the repugnant eight-year-old footage of a tranquilized black bear’s horrific headfirst plunge into an unforgiving terra firma.

Most disconcerting was–and is–Shep’s ignoble glee in the black bear’s plight. If he treats animals so poorly on television, one may ask if he treats humans much better off of it. E.g., did Shep really stand up heroically for the Hurricane Katrina victims or did he simply Pharisaically pose for his Fox News fans.

It’s high time for FNC to tell Shep to shape up or ship out!

*Fox Report with Shepard Smith – 02/18/11 (@ 7:57 p.m. ET)

Shep de Sade: Kubrick’s Clare Quilty?

The Marquis is back! However, Studio B‘s Shepard Smith de Sade reappeared as the spent, jaded Clare Quilty as he reran his evil tired tripe, i.e., the Trampoline Bear video today. He seemed almost desperate to find anew that thrill that now eluded him and that Viagra could not even bring back. With a stone face and a monotone delivery, he announced, “Bear Alert.”*

Before polluting Fox News’ airwaves again with his favorite animal cruelty cine, he showed an adorable black bear cub chowing down on garbage in a Georgia driveway. After doing so, he cautioned, “While cute, the local sheriff is warning residents ‘do not leave food out for the bears.'” Then, as he aired once again the Trampoline Bear clip (of a black bear falling from a tree onto a trampoline, being propelled high into the air, and then crashing headfirst into the ground), Shep cackled, “And, of course, trampolines are always–ha, ha, ha, ha, ha–trampolines are always a great deterrent.”

Poor Shepard Smith was more of a sad spectacle today than even his Trampoline Bear.

Update: Perhaps, Shep changed his prescription to Cialis or Levitra after Studio B. For his Fox Report, he tried again to find his thrill and prematurely injected his “Bear Alert” at mid-show.** However, this time he seemed to, at least, fake a bit more enthusiasm as the video climaxed, as almost verbatim he repeated, “And, of course, trampolines are always an excellent deterrent.”

*Studio B with Shepard Smith – 08/12/10 (@3:59 p.m. ET)

**Fox Report with Shepard Smith – 08/12/10 (@7:29 p.m. ET)

Shep de Sade?

“Face-Planted” Trampoline Bear vid returns. Fox Report weekend anchor Julie Banderas decided to ban it from her show Monday: However, Fox Report weekday anchor Shepard Smith brought it back on his show today (after giving it a rest yesterday). To paraphrase Marquis de Sade, apparently, Smith thinks that the best way to the viewers heart is through torment–of the trampoline bear.

The saga of FNC’s Fox Report and the Trampoline Bear video continues to be a strange one. Sunday, during her Fox Report, Banderas gave a “Bear Alert” about New Jersey allowing its first bear hunt in five years with bear footage, including the approximately seven-year-old controversial Trampoline Bear clip. As it ran, Banderas laughed, “Maybe, all they [New Jersey authorities] need is a few trampolines. That’ll take care of ‘em: It’ll wipe ‘em all out!”

In response, after the show Sunday, the author Tweeted, “When will FR quit exploiting trampoline bear’s pain? https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2010/06/07/sheps-trampoline-bear-peta-mia/.” After getting no reply that evening, the author penned, “Banderas’ ‘Teachable Moment’?” before midnight.

Subsequently, Monday morning, the author Tweeted a link to Carpe Diem’s “Banderas’ ‘Teachable Moment’?” to his followers, writing, “.@JulieBanderas (like Shep) laughs at Trampoline Bear’s distress. PETA pride: Will her Kardashian friends teach her? http://bit.ly/cxzsKy”

In a direct response to the author’s article Monday evening, Banderas Tweeted, “I’d like to go on the record by saying all who know me are aware of my passion for animal rights. I would never (cont) http://tl.gd/2ou3ct.” (At the Twitlonger.com link, her entire message read, “I’d like to go on the record by saying all who know me are aware of my passion for animal rights. I would never condone animal cruelty and have informed my producers not to air the bear on a trampoline video on my show ever again. http://bit.ly/bVNExX“) Strangely, she added, “I decided to kill the video long before any writeups and PETA had nothing to do with it.” (An almost incredible statement since she had just aired it the night before on her show.) Happy with Banderas’ overall response, the author gave her kudos and asked if Shep would follow suit in his Carpe Diem article, “Banderas Responds: Bars Bear Vid.”

However, shortly thereafter, when checking Banderas’ Twitter page again, the author realized that Banderas had inexplicably expunged her message of her “passion for animal rights” and her decision to quit airing the Trampoline Bear video (as well as a follow-up Tweet and ReTweets). Nevertheless, her Tweets and ReTweets remained on the Internet elsewhere, e.g., Muckrack.com. It appeared that Banderas had recanted her apology by scrubbing her website but whether she had actually changed her mind was unclear and what the effect on Smith would be was all the more uncertain.

Interestingly, before his next Fox Report, Smith apparently opened a new Twitter account and Tweeted, “With my first tweet, you’ll join me for the Fox Report at 7pm EST, and 6pm Oxford, MS time- won’t you?” Five minutes later, seeming to hint at Banderas’ scrubbed messages, he added, “My weekend pal and colleague @JulieBanderas was on Twitter, and she’s good at it from what I hear so I had to join. You rock Jules!” Later,  when Smith aired the “Bear Alert” (with Jack Hanna) without including the Trampoline Bear video, he appeared to signal his agreement with Banderas.

Alas, Smith’s turn from his folly was not to last. Today, during his Fox Report, Smith gave another “Bear Alert” of a mother black bear rescuing an errant cub entangled in a fish net. Unfortunately, as that sweet footage ended and as the obnoxious trampoline bear clip began, Smith gleefuly proclaimed, “Then they wandered back into the woods, possibly, to find a much larger net–with some springs!” After the show, he Tweeted, “It was a great show today….How about the bear alert, and planet blago? Two of my faves.”

Maybe, it was indeed Shepard Smith who got Julie Banderas to delete from her Twitter page her strong statement in support of animal rights and her decision to bar the bear video forever from her weekend Fox Report. Happily, however, her message still got out to her followers and fans. Unfortunately, so did his: Smith still does not get it.

Update: Fox Report Thursday (07/29/10): No “Bear Alert” (with Trampoline Bear video). (However, anchor Shepard Smith did report on the serious story of a mother grizzly who killed one person and attacked two others at Yellowstone National Park in Montana.)

Update2: Fox Report Friday (07/30/10): Once again, no “Bear Alert.” (However, guest host Jon Scott updated deadly Yellowstone mother grizzly bear report.)

Update3: Fox Report Monday (08/02/10): “Bear Alert” without the offensive Trampoline Bear video (by guest anchor Jon Scott).