I was a high school student volunteering in a campus radio station (KANU, the public radio station at the University of Kansas) when I knew and really really liked Steve Doocy. He was always nice to me, and that was all I knew to judge him on. He wouldn't remember me, but I always have remembered him. But now I am letting go of those pleasant memories, and you know -- it is kinda painful, and really pretty sad.
Steve must have been about five years older than me. He tolerated me hanging around (I really didn't have any job, just was allowed to hang out in the evenings and rip and sort copy as it came off the AP machine), and he was funny, nice, and pretty cool, frankly.
I have tried and tried and tried to think that his job at Fox was just a job, that he was not the guy he played on tv, that he had not "drunk the koolade," as they say. But I think I have to give up this belief in his innate goodness, and I just wanted to mourn the passing of my nice memories of Steve Doocy.
I guess it really is true that he is a wingnut. So the guy who had a clever ability with words, and a cheerful smile and a nice "hello" when he saw me, and the patience to deal with a 16 year old who at the time was absolutely certain that she wanted to be in radio for the rest of her life, isn't the guy he turned into. Now he is smug, not supportive of those who are behind him in line. Now he is snide, not gently (or even not-so-gently) ironic. Now he is not what I thought he was.
I wonder if he ever was.