Okay, I hate to bring this up, but it has come to my attention that certain CNN anchors have been interrupting Michael to a ridiculous extent of late. A couple of times he himself has even pointed it out, saying something like, “As I was about to say…” after you shut up and let him finish the point he was making. And at least three times in the past week I have seen him literally biting his tongue when someone cut him off.
Is it just because you are used to talking to him with the satellite lag? Do you have new producers yelling in your ears? Have you suddenly forgotten how the whole I-ask-you-answer thing works? What the hell, people?
Do you really want to make him regret spending more time in the studio? Isn’t it already bad enough that he no doubt has to put up with pointless staff meetings and memos from the HR department and bulk email letting him know when the fire alarms will be tested and the refrigerators cleaned out and all that other nonsense that goes on in offices? Must you make him long for the good old days in Baghdad when he and Tommy could edit a piece in peace and then all he had to do was head up to the roof, hit his mark for a three minute Q-and-A, and then go downstairs for a smoke and a beer?
I know I’m being selfish here but, personally, I’d like to keep him out of the war zones for a little while. So could you domesticated types please stop making the bureaus — the very distant bureaus — seem so appealing?
And could you anchors try to forget that it’s YOUR show and let the expert guest actually explain what is going on, even if that guest is someone you were chatting with in the lunchroom earlier? Are you guys paid by the word? No? Then zip it, people!
And I’m begging you, don’t start pushing him to wear a tie. I really don’t want to see him heading for the hills… in Waziristan!
