Maybe you can call it Dr. Laura syndrome (DLS), but it's a trend that hopefully will not catch on, where broadcasters and other public figures see the handwriting on the wall that they are no longer considered viable at their place of work and rather than go quietly and with dignity, they flame out in an ugly, public way, lashing out at others as they process their own rejection.
The latest person to catch DLS is CNN Anchorman Rick Sanchez. He recently did a loose-lipped radio interview with Pete Dominick, a former warm-up comic for the Daily Show, in which he made several comments that, within hours, were the buzz on blogs across the internet and prompted CNN to have him permanently seek other career opportunities outside of their studios.
Here's the thin-skinned rant that brought a respectable career to sad end:
"I think to some extent Jon Stewart and [Stephen] Colbert are the same way. I think Jon Stewart’s a bigot."
Pete noted that Stewart is his former boss, and pressed Sanchez to explain himself further. "How is he a bigot?" Pete asked.
Sanchez:
I think he looks at the world through, his mom, who was a school teacher, and his dad, who was a physicist or something like that. Great, I’m so happy that he grew up in a suburban middle class New Jersey home with everything you could ever imagine.
Pete pressed, "What group is he bigoted towards?"
Sanchez replied: "Everybody else who’s not like him. Look at his show, I mean, what does he surround himself with?"
And then, later in the interview:
When Pete suggested Jews (such as Stewart) have at least some sense of what it’s like to be an oppressed minority, Sanchez seemed to make the claim that Jews run CNN and the news business in general and that Stewart thus did not in fact know what it was like to feel the sting of prejudice.
"Yeah," Sanchez snickered sarcastically at the idea that Jews are as much minorities as Latinos in the US.
Very powerless people... [snickers] He’s such a minority, I mean, you know [sarcastically]... Please, what are you kidding? ... I’m telling you that everybody who runs CNN is a lot like Stewart, and a lot of people who run all the other networks are a lot like Stewart, and to imply that somehow they — the people in this country who are Jewish — are an oppressed minority? Yeah. [sarcastically]
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/...
Here's a prime example of Jon Stewart's skewering of Rick Sanchez that prompted him to lose it:
Transcript:
Video of Rick Sanchez: "Let me bring Jackie in -- Chad's standing here -- I'm looking over here side at the other side of the room now -- Switch that camera over there -- Look at all the guys we have over here -- Over there -- Go back to your original map -- Put the map back up."
Video of other anchor: "Dude, I have so many maps, I just have to find it."
Video of Sanchez: "I'm not even sure who's directing . . . "
Video of other anchor: "You are!"
Stewart: "CNN, the most trusted name in overcaffeinated control freaks. That's the thing about news in a disaster. You need the information fast. And inaccurate."
* * *
Stewart: "I just realized something. Rick Sanchez delivers the news like some guy at a party who's doing a lot of coke and traps you in a corner and explains really intensely how an ant is the strongest animal on earth. [Stewart begins imitating that type of guy]: 'I'm telling you, man, they're tiny, but they carry a stick! Like 18 times their own size! It's like you picking up a car! Can you pick up a car? Answer? No! You can't! Now, I'm going to go to the bathroom for a second, but we're not done talking about how crazy strong ants are. All right buddy?' The truth is, when Sanchez gets like this, there's really only one way to handle it. We're going to have to do this." [Pulls a lever]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Besides Dr. Laura Syndrome, Rick has another unfortunate affliction, Tucker Carlson Syndrome. TCS is a rare affliction that makes you think it's wise to diss a comic. TCS is particularly dangerous when the comic is as quick-witted, acid-tongued and widely-respected as Jon Stewart.
Jon Stewart responded to Rick Sanchez' self-inflicted demise today as the host of Comedy Central's "Night of Too Many Stars." Apparently David Letterman and Tom Brokaw joined in on the pile on.
Jon Stewart's response will get airplay today and possibly next week. The show will air on Oct. 21 and then Stephen Colbert (who he also dissed) and Jon Stewart will have a national forum on Oct. 30 as the emcees of competing rallies in Washington, D.C.
Poor Rick.
NEW YORK - Jon Stewart and David Letterman joked about the Rick Sanchez controversy here Saturday evening as host of Comedy Central's "Night Of Too Many Stars."
CNN fired former anchor Sanchez Friday after he let loose on "The Daily Show" host and Jewish people in the media while appearing on the "Stand Up! with Pete Dominick" Sirius XM radio show.
Stewart brought up the issue in his opening monologue to "Stars," which he hosted at Manhattan's Beacon Theatre.
In talking about how people should donate for autism education, for which the show raises money, Stewart said: "If you went on radio and said the Jews control the media...you may want to hold on to your money."
But if Sanchez was right about the Jews, Stewart also suggested, "All he has to do is apologize to us, and we'll hire him back."
The Sanchez topic came up again when Letterman made a surprise guest appearance. The late-night host told Stewart that he was just in the city "helping Rick Sanchez clean out his office."
Even Tom Brokaw got in on the fun in an appearance later in the evening in which he took a jab at Sanchez as well.
The "Night Of Too Many Stars" will air on Comedy Central on Oct. 21.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/...