The fact is that CNN, in the interest of diversity, has an unprecedented number of black faces on the air. This is good. But too many of these anchors and pundits are Boring. Have they been coached to tone down their personalities, in order to seem newsy? Perhaps. But they do so at their own risk:
My sources tell me that over 20 contracts are up the day after Barack Obama's inauguration. (Expect unemployment figures to soar when the Election Center's army of pundits is decommissioned.) So jobs really are at stake.
With that in mind, this post is meant not as an attack -- but as constructive advice to those less than scintillating personalities on how they can stay on payroll during these trying economic times.
First, those African-Americans at CNN who have it going on. They don't need any advice:
DONNA BRAZILE
She puts the Cajun in CNN. Raised in Louisiana, this saucy Earth Mother became involved in local politics at the age of nine and has been "Cooking with Grease" (the title of her memoir) ever since. She can be funny. She can be ferocious. And of course she occupies a permanent seat in the Election Center's front row, thank you very much.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX
CNN's stunning and icy cold White House Correspondent hearkens back to Hollywood's greatest Noir Bad Girls. A black Bacall. A sexier Stanwyck. Rhonda Fleming with a reporter's notebook. But as great looking as she is, her sex appeal comes from her smarts. A warning to any male interviewee who thinks he can play Malveaux: she will play you. Every time. (The title of her inevitable biopic? Basic Cable Instinct.)
T.J. HOLMES
The studly Razorback with the shaved head used to report from the street. Now he's brought street to the anchor desk: "I'm gonna throw it over to my man Ed Henry at the White House. Ed, buddy, what's up? ... (and after the report) ... Aight, we'll check back with you later on." Unorthodox? Yes. And thank goodness.
ROLAND MARTIN
CNN's most operatic pundit is never afraid to chew the scenery. But his aria on the night of Barack Obama's victory was pitch perfect. Like any great diva, he is either loved or hated -- but never ignored!
(SOLEDAD O'BRIEN is not included in the list above since she is half-Cuban. She will be included in my upcoming list of "CNN's Best and Brightest Blatinas.")
OKAY, now for those anchors and personalities who need help:
DON LEMON
He's an Emmy and Edward R. Murrow award winning journalist, the latter for his coverage of the D.C. Sniper. (As someone with family in the area, I thank him!) But as a daytime co-anchor alongside peppy gal-pal Kyra Phillips (the network's Gidget), he seems overly restrained. Come on, Don, let that personality shine. Let's turn a Lemon into Lemonade!
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD
I remember the Fredericka Whitfield of NBC. A hard news version of Jayne Kennedy, she reported fearlessly from the field - throwing to anchor Tom Brokaw ... and leaving him breathless. Now she's CNN's Saturday morning anchor/babysitter -- and as bored as a Real Housewife of Atlanta. Phylicia Rashad without the fire. And her wardrobe? As edgy as Murphy Brown's. My advice: get out of the weekend morning ghetto, girl -- and back on the street. Bring back "Fred"!
AMY HOLMES
With her corkscrew curls and megawatt smile, this conservative commentator should be riding the goodship lollipop to her own show. But perhaps in a bid to seem like the "nice" conservative, she all too often comes off as bland. (It doesn't help that she worked for Bill Frist, the blandest Majority Leader ever.) Amy is smart - and her background is fascinating. For heaven's sake, she was born in Zambia, though you'd never know it from her performance. C'mon, Amy, give us some zip, some zing. Show us some Zambia!
TONY HARRIS
Harris began his career as a radio disc jockey -- and you hear that in every story he reads. He's the only anchor who can report on a genocide and make it sound like a Barenaked Ladies concert ticket giveaway. He's likable and goodness knows he's got energy. So no, he's not boring. He just needs to lower his voice once in a while.
Reader Comments ( Page 7 of 14)
91. Hahaha. I hope no one takes Mo Rocca seriously. Another wonderful piece by him. A great comedian.
James J. at 10:51PM on Dec 1st 2008
92. Fat people having sex is better than listening to all this...
henvilagdill1 at 10:51PM on Dec 1st 2008
93. Wow, what a racist journalist. Go figure!
RepIsRight at 10:52PM on Dec 1st 2008
94. Hey the White has never been allowed race cards, well that over. I got me a deck of race cards today, I can say Black, White, Red, Pink, any color I choose.
The Blacks think they can call us names, whitie, honky, cracker, etc. Now I can call the Black, lazy, nig--rs darkies. etc. Hey this feels good. To be able to defend yourself.
I want to clear up one thing, Obama is not any blacker that he is White. Black and White makes Tan. So the Black people that don't like it, to bad, I have a race deck now and I am going to use it to the MAX. I am White you are Black, Obama is TAN.
Black dogs and White dogs of difference breeds, produce MUTES
This was a post about CNN, what happens, they start with the racist crap.
I AM WHITE AND PROUD OF IT, CALL MY RACIST, YOU CAUSED IT.
Missy at 10:55PM on Dec 1st 2008
95. CNN SUCKS AND THE PEOPLE WHO WATCH IT ARE NOT TO SMART EITHER..THEY ONLY REPORT THE NEWS AS THEY SEE IT NOT WHAT IT IS..MOST PEOPLE US SMARTONES GO TO FOX..WHERE WE GET BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY NOT ONE AND THAT ONE THEY DO REPORT (CNN)ON IS HALF WAY MADED UP.
noobama at 11:09PM on Dec 1st 2008
96. cnn is over doing this black thing.its like if ur black cnn will hire you regardless of qualifications.we viewers are sick of this discrimination gainst whites, orientals or other minorities...no wonder cnn is at the bottom of the national polls on news or anything else that matters in this world...
brad at 11:09PM on Dec 1st 2008
97. I'll add my opinion on a few of those you've mentioned. Don Lemon is a favorite--an excellent journalist. Kyra Phillips is almost unprofessional with her "peppiness." Tony Harris behaves like a bumpkin. I can't believe he's still on mornings, while Don Lemon has been banished to weekends! Let's do away with the foolishness, and return to serious reporting!
Blair at 11:10PM on Dec 1st 2008
98. I agree- some folks feel the black thang- "Chocolate City" citizenry- is what America should run away from...Leaving the looting monkeys left to their own after Katrina ( and filmed!) we see what most Americans do-
We need leaders- not dividers- we need rebuilders not more press...And color should take no place in our American system- we all work together- and E PLURIBUS UNUM- Our culture is still very young-we need to work on what we all stand for...and educate our citizens to support our country- or suffer the consequences.
sally garrett at 11:20PM on Dec 1st 2008
99. YOU AIN'T SEEN NUTTIN YET. JUST WAIT UNTIL HUSSIEN OBAMA ISSUES ONE OF HIS EXECUTIVE ORDERS THAT WILL REQUIRE NETWORKS, GOVERNMENT JOBS, AND COMPANIES UNDER GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS TO INSTITUTE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION(REVERSE DISCRIMINATION)PROMOTING LESS QUALIFIED BLACKS OVER WHITES.
Charlie at 11:21PM on Dec 1st 2008
100. Don't you have anything else to write about??? Seriously, you're white!! It's OK to be white without worrying that black people are being represented fairly. Work on your career...enough said.
ERIK at 11:24PM on Dec 1st 2008
101. ISN'T ENOUGH THAT A BLACK AMERICAN WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT,SOME PEOPLE JUST DON'T GET IT. "IT'S ABOUT TALENT NOT SKIN COLOR" NEXT THING YOU KNOW OPHRA WILL BE REPLACING LARRY KING.
ED at 11:26PM on Dec 1st 2008
102. Mo, there goes another person who's trying to stereotype Black people into one category. All those Black men and women on CNN and elsewhere are individuals with different personalities, likes and dislikes but of course you expect all of them to act a certain way. Some of us actually like them just the way they are so let them be, just like there is diversity among the Whites on CNN and elsewhere like the mean Campbell soup, oops, Brown, ever sour faced Lou Dobbs, or angry man O'Reilly of Fox. My point, let everyone be who they are because I'm sure most viewers don't want programmed robots thanks very much.
Emmy at 12:33AM on Dec 3rd 2008
103. why do most of the black reporters you show look white?
mark at 11:36PM on Dec 1st 2008
104. Why can't we replace Mo with a really cool black chick? Why stop at CNN? AOL needs to get on the bandwagon. That would cover the race and gender quota for AOL! Two birds with one stone. Yo Mo! YO ASS IS FIRED!!!
libsrscary at 11:35PM on Dec 1st 2008
105. CNN needs more than black anchors. They need real diversity - in reporting the news. I don't mind the bias in the opinion shows but the hard news shows should report all the facts in an unbiased manner. CNN has been in the tank for the Democrats and liberal left for years, which is probably the reason their number of watchers has dropped so much.
JimmyT at 11:36PM on Dec 1st 2008