Olbermann victimized by prank…
Page Six sarchastically dishes…
MSNBC loudmouth Keith Olbermann flipped out when he opened his home mail yesterday. The acerbic host of “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” was terrified when he opened a suspicious-looking letter with a California postmark and a batch of white powder poured out. A note inside warned Olbermann, who’s a frequent critic of President Bush’s policies, that it was payback for some of his on-air shtick. The caustic commentator panicked and frantically called 911 at about 12:30 a.m., sources told The Post’s Philip Messing. An NYPD HazMat unit rushed to Olbermann’s pad on Central Park South, but preliminary tests indicated the substance was harmless soap powder. However, that wasn’t enough to satisfy Olbermann, who insisted on a checkup. He asked to be taken to St. Luke’s Hospital, where doctors looked him over and sent him home. Whether they gave him a lollipop on the way out isn’t known. Olbermann had no comment.
UPDATE: The more I think about it, the more displeased I am with Page Six. Ok, so you guys don’t like Olbermann. Fine. But to make merriment of and to take glee in writing up this story (a lollipop?) shows just how classless Page Six is. A crime was committed here. A threat upon Olbermann’s life was made. And you treat it like a joke? Grow up…
UPDATE 2: Editor and Publisher feels the same way…
One would think journalists might not make fun of a high-profile industry colleague, in this day and age, receiving an envelope — at home — which contains white powder. But that seemed to be the case at the New York Post’s “Page Six” today in reporting on an alleged incident involving Keith Olbermann, host of MSNBC’s “Countdown.”
UPDATE 3: I see that one of the commenters linked this at Kos. That’s fine by me. But what isn’t fine by me is this misimpression being perpetuated by the linker that ICN “gleefully” posted this entry. I thought Page Six was wrong from the beginning. I may not have been as vocal as I could have been at first but I figured that, absent of any signs of glee or approval in the entry, a reader of this entry would not be able to come to the conclusion that I was supporting/approving of it. I was wrong obviously. Someone could come to the conclusion that I was approving of the story just by posting it. So I had to post an update spelling things out for people who see things that aren’t there…
Also, if the linker isn’t happy about all the “anti-Olbermann” commentors on the blog then maybe he should bring his friends over to balance the scales so to speak. I don’t encourage the anti-Olbermann group any more than I encourage the anti-O’Reilly group. Neither to I discourage them as long as they play above board with each other.
UPDATE 4: Olbermann Watch defends Olbermann and criticizes Page Six…
Whatever gripes we have with Keith this is not right - and not funny. Folks at NBC still have vivid memories of the REAL anthrax attack on Tom Brokaw. The last time I checked, Tom’s secretary had still not returned to work. I don’t think I need to prove anything about my distaste for what KO does with his show but I now find myself in the odd position of defending Keith, agreeing with Editor & Publisher and slamming Page Six. The New York Post went way over the line here in making light of this incident.
Yeah, that’s a really funny “prank.” I’d love to see the Post or Spud’s reaction if that happened to them. I’m sure the Olbermann hating crybabies will think this is just hillarious. I always wondered why this blog had such a small group of lame posters: now I can see why. I’ll stick with other media blogs from now on - this one is really like a kiddie pool.
Comment by Vaughan — September 27, 2006 @ 10:18 am
Does he not listen to his own peers in cable news? They’ve had tons of experts on in the last few years warning us to NEVER open any suspicious package or piece of mail, any item of “bulk” unless we’re expecting a package or it comes from a trusted source.
Vaughan, it’s not funny that it happened; it’s just unbelievable that someone as “sophisticated” as Olbermann would have been so oblivious to the many warnings the media has advised us on regarding this topic.
Comment by Missy — September 27, 2006 @ 10:39 am
Maybe he thought it was one of his many purchases from eBay? I would have called the police too but why insist on going to the hospital after the cops tell you it was only soap?
Comment by Jackie — September 27, 2006 @ 10:46 am
Because you want to be sure that it was soap. I think I would have done the same thing.
Comment by BlogThat — September 27, 2006 @ 10:49 am
That doesn’t sound like “fun” for anyone….
Comment by Terance — September 27, 2006 @ 10:54 am
I’d love to see the Post or Spud’s reaction if that happened to them.
I write one piece criticizing Olbermann’s over the line remarks at Chris Wallace and all of a sudden I’ve got it in for the guy, huh? Yeah, right…
Where the hell did I say it’s funny? Or even appropriate? It’s a threat on Olbermann’s life. The fact that it’s a hoax makes no difference. It’s a crime. And I hope they catch the “right winger” who did this and throw the book at him…
Furthermore I’m more than a little miffed at The Post’s apparent glee at what happened. They could have written up the story straight but they decided to have a little fun. “Whether they gave him a lollipop…”? That’s just totally classless. Which is why I tipped my hand at the top by saying that Page Six was sarchastically dishing…
Comment by Spud — September 27, 2006 @ 11:02 am
I agree that this had to be very scary for him. But he insisted on going to the ER AFTER the cops told him it was just soap powder.
Comment by Alison — September 27, 2006 @ 11:08 am
If it was your life would you trust other people with it?
Comment by Spud — September 27, 2006 @ 11:10 am
Worst Person in the World for Paula?
Comment by Lurker — September 27, 2006 @ 11:24 am
Ah, the schadenfreude of it all! Please allow me this moment of joy when I learn of this windbag’s reaction to a personal crisis.
I certainly don’t want anyone to be harmed, absolutely not, nor does anyone else.
But this weasel who thinks he is omnipotent came off as unstrung when the chips were down.
Comment by cella — September 27, 2006 @ 11:36 am
Should I feel sorry for Dobermann? Okay, One question. What was Dobermann saying/doing when Cheney accidentally shot his lawyer friend? Anyone know?
Comment by Lurker — September 27, 2006 @ 11:43 am
Spud: Page Six is a gossip column, and not straight news.
IOW, who knows if this story is even true or accurate?
Comment by Ira — September 27, 2006 @ 12:27 pm
Lurker, who is Paula (post #9), and what did she do? Paula Zahn?
Comment by Missy — September 27, 2006 @ 12:54 pm
Page Six by Paula Froelich. I’m guessing that’s her who wrote the Dobermann piece.
Comment by Lurker — September 27, 2006 @ 1:53 pm
I agree with what you’re saying, Spud. It was classless and wrong for the Post to frame the story the way they did. But there’s one caveat: we’re assuming that the story is accurate as presented.
Could all of this be a publicity stunt? Probably not, but considering Olbermann’s recent behavior, I wouldn’t put it past him. And something about this story doesn’t make sense. If he received a suspicious package like this, why the hell would he open it? He knows better.
Comment by William — September 27, 2006 @ 3:44 pm
If it isn’t accurate, Page Six will get WPITW….
Actually, it’ll probably get it anyways…
Comment by Spud — September 27, 2006 @ 4:30 pm
Yeahhhh…righhht…a “publicity stunt” to open a regular envelope from your home mail, and have no intention of releasing the information to the media…until it was leaked to that rag. A “publicity stunt” is claiming you are on a fictional “Al-Qaedda hit list”.
Comment by David — September 27, 2006 @ 4:39 pm
Just imagine the front page HEADLINE and STORY if Bill O’Reilly had gotten the powdered envelope.
Terrorist threat. Raise the threat level to red. You all know the drill.
Comment by drdave — September 27, 2006 @ 5:11 pm
I heard him on Dan Patrick’s radio show today and he made a comment about “knowing what it’s like to have an incident involving the police leaked to the press” or something along those lines.
No matter who the recipient, whoever sends a package like that is a sick person. I hope they catch the responsible party and throw the book at them. And that’s coming from a defense attorney…
Comment by OverHere — September 27, 2006 @ 5:43 pm
I don’t like Ann Coulter, but I would not condone anyone sending a letter with white powder enclosed to her. This is an act of terrorism and should be investigated as such. Since we have had actual anthrax attacks in the past, I believe I would take the same precaution that KO did.
Comment by Marty King — September 27, 2006 @ 5:59 pm
Keith Olbermann was not involved in a prank.
He was involved in a terrorist incident.
Just as mentioning the word ‘bomb’ on an airplane can get one arrested, receiving white powder in mail directed to one’s home, should be treated and investigated seriously. It is not a prank.
Of course, the people who take glee in ‘pranks’ are sub-human and should be treated as such. Unfortunately, this type of behavior is lauded in certain right wing circles.
The next person who says, “No big deal” deserves nothing from us but scorn.
Comment by disgusted — September 27, 2006 @ 6:30 pm
I read the thread at Daily Kos and I’m speechless. The thinking seems to be that the NY Post writer is wrong to be sarcastic in her reporting of this story in any way, shape, or form. Isn’t being sarcastic what Olbermann bases his entire career on? I’m not saying that this hoax is funny, far from it, but the people at Kos are calling on their readers to send hate mail to the writer at the Post. Is that really productive?
Comment by Alison — September 27, 2006 @ 6:37 pm
“knowing what it’s like to have an incident involving the police leaked to the press” or something along those lines.”
So who does KO think he is? T.O.? :)
Comment by Ira — September 27, 2006 @ 7:33 pm
Ira, that was the context of the discussion :)
Comment by OverHere — September 27, 2006 @ 7:46 pm
First, Olbermann did not say on the DP show that he knew what it was like to have an incident involving the police get leaked to the press. He said he knew what it was like “recently” to deal with the police. He then went on to point out that some police have a sense of humor and know when you’re being sarcastic about something you say and others do not and take everything dead seriously. (He used as an example the idea that TO might have been asked “Did you try to kill yourself?” and said, “No, aliens from outer space forced me to swallow lots of pills-what do you think??” and at least one cop would have written down dutifully “Says ‘aliens from outer space’ forced him to swallow the pills…”)
Anyway, I suppose it shouldn’t have surprised me to come here and see people yukking it up at a CRIME against Olbermann.
Disgusting. Especially when you consider that the Post itself received one of the real anthrax mailings in 2001. They should have known better than to laugh at this. And whoever did it? If that person thinks they’re not looking at jail time because it was just a hoax? They can think again. Sending people powder in the mail hasn’t been a “prank” since then. This was NOT a prank. It was a CRIME.
Comment by tanne — September 28, 2006 @ 7:36 am