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).

Banderas’ “Teachable Moment”?

PETA pride: Bear bashing? Fox Report weekend anchor Julie Banderas joined her weekday counterpart Shepard Smith today in finding great delight in the pain of the Trampoline Bear. In a Fox News “Bear Alert,” Julie announced that New Jersey had given approval to its first bear hunt in five years as Fox Report producers ran the exploitative almost-seven-year-old video of a tranquilized black bear falling from a tree onto a trampoline, being bounced high into the air, and then crashing headfirst into the unforgiving ground. As the footage ran, Julie laughed, “Maybe, all they [New Jersey authorities] need is a few trampolines. That’ll take care of ’em: It’ll wipe ’em all out!”* (The floor crew roared with approval.)

Not so very funny. Perhaps, the Kardashian sisters, Kloe and Kim, should have given their apparent friend Julie a lesson on animal appreciation earlier this month during their Fourth of July yacht cruise of the Hudson River.* Both of the beauties have been given an education of their own on animal rights by PETA. In 2008, Kloe posed for PETA’s “Fur? I’d Rather Go Naked” campaign against the killing of animals for their coat after the organization told her what occurred to the animals during fur harvesting. In April of this year, Kim had to defend herself for holding a kitten by the nape of the neck in a Twitter photo after coming under fire from PETA for doing so. Perhaps, they can now help explain to Julie that the Trampoline Bear deserves some respect as well.

The author is certainly not suggesting that Julie is cold-hearted after following her copious love Tweets about baby daughter Addison. However, regardless of one’s views of PETA, one would be hard pressed not to agree that animals should be treated as humanely as possible. To find humor in the harming of an animal, i.e., the Trampoline Bear, is simply regrettable at best. Hopefully, Julie (and Shep) will soon so concur.

[As to Julie’s friendship with the Kardashian family, her sister Melissa Bidwell is co-executive producer of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” As to the aforementioned cruise, Julie, hubby Andrew, and their daughter Addison all were aboard with the Kardashian family for that luxurious outing on July 4th. The next day an appreciative Julie Tweeted, “@KhloeKardashian @KimKardashian @KeepinUpWKris It was great seeing u guys! Addison says she’ll never forget her 1st 4th!!! :)”]

*Fox Report – 07/25/10 (@7:41 p.m. ET)

Update: Citing this article specifically, Julie responded, “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”

Update2: Julie has scrubbed her Twitter page of her Trampoline Bear Tweets and reTweets, including her animal rights stand and her decision not to ever air the Trampoline Bear vid again on her weekend Fox Report.

Shep’s Trampoline Bear: PETA MIA

The exploitation of the “trampoline bear” by Studio B‘s Shepard Smith must come to an end. [Unfortunately, this almost seven-year-old video is shown periodically on not only Studio B but also other programs on both FNC (and CNN) ad nauseum–literally.] At the end of today’s broadcast, Shep aired a story about a Monrovia, CA, bear that had been tranquilized: subsequently, he joyfully ran the 2003 video of the Missoula, MT, black bear that was similarly tranquilized, fell from its tree, hit the trampoline underneath, and sprung back high into the air, and then crashed face first into the ground. Thereafter, Shep laughed uproariously and remarked, “Trampoline bear makes Monday even palatable.”*

Really, Shep? Running this story once as news on September 10, 2003 by news organizations is understandable but to air it continually thereafter seems inexplicable. It is almost as if you have a cross-species schadenfraude or perverse pleasure derived from the obvious pain of this black bear (albeit upon its awakening). Even if you and other TV news personalities have no subjective ill intent, you should reconsider your actions and remember the messages that you are sending to the children and to the general public.

Unfortunately, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), apparently, has not yet uttered a word. It should. And, now.

Studio B – 06/07/10 (@3:57 p.m.)

“PETA Pan”: Sorry

Fox & Friends Weekend co-anchor Clayton Morris has apparently seen the light and apologized for his PETA Pan performance Sunday.* After mockingly mourning the death of Gus, the 2008 World’s Ugliest Dog, Sunday, Clayton received a Tweet from a less than amused Twitterer ImBrendaO who declared, “[D]isappointed in u drng dog segmnt don’t make fun of Gus. Losing a dog is tough.”** Clayton aptly responded, “I know. I’ve lost plenty of animals in my life. Sorry if I made fun.”***

Back in the castrato chorus. On second thought, it took a few kahunas to admit that he was wrong. Bravo, Clayton!

*https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/clayton-peta-pan/

**http://twitter.com/ImBrendaO

***http://twitter.com/claytonmorris

Clayton: PETA Pan

As Michael Jackson leaves behind his title of America’s Peter Pan, Fox & Friends co-anchor Clayton Morris has assumed its “evil” homophonic honorific, PETA Pan. Today after a segment featuring the newly crowned World’s Ugliest Dog Pabst and during the subsequent “memorial” vid of the 2008 winner Gus, Clayton mockingly mourned the poor pup’s passing.*

Unfortunately, Clayton failed to follow the lead of his recently chastened colleague Dave Briggs.** As Gus’ pictorial dirge began, Dave commented, “Unfortunately, Gus is no longer with us….We miss Gus dearly but I got to say that [Gus] is an adequate winner of the World’s Ugliest Dog. I mean, we love Gus though.” A seemingly less compassionate Clayton mirthfully emoted, respectively, clownishly crying, broadly smiling , and gleefully grimacing at Gus’s “ugliness.”

Clayton, today’s eternal child: F&F’s PETA Pan.

*F&F (06/28/09) – 9:40 a.m. ET

**After saying that his wife Brandi’s cat wanted “to be punted” and a subsequent Carpe Diem article suggesting that he make peace with the cat,” Dave Tweeted an indication that he had done so.

**Links:
https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2008/12/21/briggs-no-cat-lover/
https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2009/04/04/mamas-boy-briggs/
https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2009/04/10/briggs-catty-tweet/

F&F Goes to the Dogs

Today Fox & Friends co-hosts Dave Briggs, Steve Doocy, and Gretchen Carlson provided a playful paean to F&F’s puckish past with the homemade dog food segment. As the cook, Planet Green’s Wa$ted co-host Holter Graham, opened the segment with Dave and Steve, one of the doggie tasters (a producer’s pet) began to disrupt him with his bark: Taking the lead and continuing to make his peace with PETA, Dave went over to the offending pooch, petted him affectionately, and then planted a big buss on the mutt’s mouth. Shortly thereafter, Steve crazily cajoled Graham to eat some of the food out of the doggie dish with him: After Steve downed an ort, he began to sillily scratch behind his ear. Later in the show, when he told the audience he had also had other off-camera side effects like kicking his leg vigorously, Gretch goatishly goofed, “Hopefully, you weren’t doing the other thing that accompanys that sometimes.”

Wa$ted or Beneful?

Briggs’ “Catty” Tweet

No need for a naked PETA protest? Fox & Friends co-anchor Dave Briggs appears to be making peace with his wife Brandi’s feline at last.* Last Saturday Carpe Diem’s jested that Dave, romantic family man and self-proclaimed “mama’s boy,” needed PETA to help him not to want to punt the cat.** However, late last night Dave Tweeted, “Back from Denver…to NY….to work….and to my cat, ahhhhhhhh.”***

Is Dave making that final transmogrification into the all-around nice guy? Or is he gently jabbing the author?

*https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2008/12/21/briggs-no-cat-lover/

**https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2009/04/04/mamas-boy-briggs/

***http://twitter.com/foxdavebriggs

F&F’s Scary “SIN”ior Moments II

Commando Cloris? A much too Franken Frau Blucher? Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy serendipitously solicits some of the most lubricious details from his senior interviewees. E.g., when he asked film legend Ernest Borgnine his secret to looking twenty years younger, Borgnine replied, “I don’t dare tell you!”: Then, of course, he did.* Today, was no different.

Before Leachman’s Cyprian revelation,** F&F had intro’d her interview by showing her on “Dancing with the Stars” lying on the floor, as Steve said, “showing her underwear.” Then Gretchen asked her about her account in Cloris: My Autobiography of successfully inducing Ed Asner, Mary Tyler Moore’s Lou Grant, to lose weight by offering herself to him literally.  After Leachman had confirmed this naughty account, Steve asked Leachman about her being practically “naked wearing a salad in an ad for PETA.”

She risquely responded, “Well, I had a bra on and I don’t wear underwear anyway.” Steve guffawed, “Okay, then!” Giggling, co-anchor Gretchen Carlson saucily interjected, “Oh, Fox News Alert!” Laughing, Leachman exclaimed, “Sh, sh, sh! Erase that last part!”

*https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/ffs-open-mikes/

**F&F (04/06/09) – 8:56 a.m. ET

http://www.cloris.com/

“Mama’s Boy” Briggs

Dave Briggs is a “mama’s boy”! Is the author insulting the Fox & Friends Weekend co-host? No. Rather, sports guy Dave himself, evidencing that he is not a Chauvinist, * dubbed himself the very appellation with which schoolyard bullies often peg their weaker breathren.

After co-anchor Alisyn Camerota reported a study that indicated that sisters make their brothers “more grounded, more emotionally healthy…[and] more physically healthy,” Dave declared, “I think that the sensitivity thing has to do with your relationship with your mom more so than a sister. He elaborated, “I’m a bit sensitive and it was because of the mom relationship there: Mama’s boy!”

Dave: “mama’s boy” and romantic family man.** All around good guy. Now if PETA can just help him not want to punt Brandi’s cat!***

*https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2008/12/27/briggs-i-dont-let-my-wife-drive/

https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2008/12/27/briggs-responds-my-wife-can-do-whatever-she-wants/

**https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2009/02/14/romantic-dave-family-affair/

***https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2008/12/21/briggs-no-cat-lover/

“Lovely Gourd, Jeanne”

American Morning co-anchor John Roberts was channeling a naughty Kyra Phillips this morning. When Jeanne Moos ended her segment on a rejected PETA Super Bowl veggie sex ad, she suggestively blew on a phallic-shaped gourd: Laughing, Roberts ribaldly riposted, “Nice gourd, Jeanne. (Roberts seemed to be not so subtly paraphrasing Kyra Phillips “nice melons” comment to Zain Verjee in a grocery segment which was highlighted by Comedy Central comic Jon Stewart.) A smiling Kiran Chetry merely stated, “Butternut squash!”

No double entendres.

Doocy: PETA, Investigate Soledad!

Today Steve Doocy, dog lover and Fox & Friends co-host, called for a PETA investigation of CNN reporter Soledad O’Brien’s treatment of a mastiff in two different segments. According to Doocy, the former American Morning co-anchor (and other co-op board members) signed a lease termination notice to a tenant because of his mastiff who allegedly drools, sheds, and stinks. Doocy declared, “The dog is a part of the family: She’s trying to evict a part of their family.” He added, “I have a 100 lb. dog at home: I love my dog.” Then he concluded, “I suggest that PETA do an investigation: Let’s find out what’s going on down there at Soledad O’Brien’s [place].

Later, of Soledad’s attempted eviction of the dog, Doocy opined, “Seems a little heartless to me.” He proclaimed, “I am calling for a PETA investigation into the Soledad O’Brien treatment of the neighborhood dogs: Are you with me? Reluctantly, Brian right hand and replied, “Alright, I’m with you.” Gretch, however, demurred, “I don’t know: I got to figure it out.”

Doocy, you may have a little trouble recruiting the weekend crew, too, esp. Dave.

https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2008/12/21/briggs-no-cat-lover/

Briggs: No Cat Lover Nor PETA Pal

Usually nice guy Dave Briggs, Fox & Friends co-host , is not exactly fond of his cat. During an F&F “Understand Your Pets?” segment today, Briggs remarked that when his cat meows, “Mine wants to be punted.” Later, in an F&F “Talking to Cats, Canines” story, Briggs explained, “My cat, he just wants to be annoying all the time; that’s all he wants to do; [and] I understand that.”

Briggs, no cat lover. Definitely, no PETA pal.