I read that the host of a tabloid television show, The Insider, is leaving the show. Pat O’brien has been on The Insider since 2004 he was the host until he had a couple of stints in rehab for addictions. He made tabloid news himself when he left recorded messages sexually harrassing a female person on the phone. Before he was the host of the Insider, he was on Access Hollywood for something like seven years. Some people watch those shows regularily.
So, he is leaving the show now. It has been said that the decision to leave is a mutual one. Yet, no real reason has been disclosed for the leave taking. However, there has been speculation from; he slipped in his sobriety again, to, he is leaving because of an email that he sent to the staff at The Insider. The email supposedly alledges that the staff of The Insider is out of touch with their real life viewers; who are struggling with day -to- day financial survival, and are not interested in the elite Hollywood fashions and over-indulgences of the stars.
If it is true that he was let go from the show for holding that opinion…i would tend to agree that the powers that be, are indeed out of touch. However, I am sure that Mr. O’brien could have gotten that message across in a much more effective way than sending an email. It is a valid point to say that mainstream America is struggling to maintain some semblance of financial stability…hearing about celebrities who toss away untold amounts of money on non-essentials is a bit of rubbing it (their wealth) in the viewer’s faces.
In general, i think the viewers would much rather hear about celebrities who are doing “good” in the world, with some of their “excess money”, than to hear about the latest mansion they bought or, how much money they spent on their last shopping spree! In that, i agree in the theory behind the alleged email.
I think that there will be a backlash in the sports world, the celebrity arena, the political figures, and other areas of our culture that continues to endorse reckless handling of money. Reality for most people is not financial wealth; after the collapse of our banking systems, the mortgage crisis, the credit card crunch; and, the constant raising of prices of gasoline, home heating prices, and necessities such as groceries. The American public is fighting to regain a financially secure life. The impact of that is going to carry over into all areas of life including entertainment shows!
If Mr. O’brien has had a change of heart over the types of stories that he felt his show should cover…he has to acknowledge that he also contributed to the environment of that show, for quite a period of time. That however, doesn’t mean that a person can’t change their actions and raise awareness. Good luck to everyone involved. Let’s get real in our expectations and our actions…stop living in a fantasy world that very few people experience. If the television executives cant do that…then, let those select few be their audience!
The Insider is supposed to be about the entertainment world…and it isn’t entertaining to their viewers to watch those who have been blessed financially live in ways that are wasteful when they are struggling to live above the poverty level.
Write where you are 