Couric's Rice interview "borderline offensive, childish, vaguely sexist"

[DeepModem Mom]

Columbia Journalism Review: Couric Tosses Softballs, Rice Knocks 'em Out of the Park
Paul McLeary

Anyone holding their breath waiting for Katie Couric to emerge as a hard-hitting reporter -- or at least one who doesn't dumb down a good story to bubbly morning-show levels -- should exhale immediately. While Chris Wallace's Sunday night interview with Bill Clinton continues to delight, enrage and entertain, Couric's big sit-down with Secretary of State Condi Rice on CBS' 60 Minutes has been getting the short end of the stick.....Consider the incisive nature of these Couric inquiries: "Do you ever lose it? Do you ever lose your temper and get really mad?" "Do you ever cuss like a sailor?" "Do you consider yourself an emotional person?"...

***

After looking at some photos of Rice's parents and retracing the story we've heard repeatedly during the last six years -- Rice plays classical piano, she grew up in pre-Civil Rights Birmingham, etc. -- Couric finally sidled up to politics, asking, "Do you ever draw parallels between bigoted bombers in Birmingham and suicide bombers in the Middle East?"...

***

There was little in the way of follow up, and even less that appeared unscripted. Too many heavy questions could make anyone a little sleepy, after all, and Couric, never wanting to be a party pooper, needed to get down to brass tacks. What Katie wanted to really know -- and who doesn't? -- is whether Condi has a crush on a boy. "How does one go about asking the secretary of state out on a date?" she cooed.

Rice again skirted the question (this time to her credit), but the interview as a whole was borderline offensive in the childish -- and even vaguely sexist -- way that Couric went about it.

We weren't looking for Couric to hammer Madame Secretary, but we did have an expectation of seriousness that Couric so far has almost totally failed to deliver. Case in point is Couric's CBS News blog, where, in writing about her interview with Rice, says that the Secretary is "a woman who is "scary smart" - so intelligent, it's scary," and is "much warmer, more "girly" and fun than the disciplined, controlled stateswoman you see on the world stage." To the head honchos at CBS News, we have one thing to say: Good night, and good luck.

http://www.cjrdaily.org/behind_the_news/couric_tosses_softballs_rice_k.php

[BOSSHOG]

1. That wasn't an interview

that was two girls chatting about makeup and shoes. Neither one is professional in their fields. CBS obviously cares not about its journalistic integrity and rice doesn't know a fucking thing about diplomacy or national security. It was disgrace squared.

[Jade Fox]

16. "Neither one is a professional in their feilds"....

Exactly. Rice was picked because she makes Bushco look inclusive, just like with Colin Powell. They didn't even bother to let Powell in the clubhouse door because he actually knew stuff. Not so with Condi. Her singular qualification is that she is a compliant fan of George.

As for Katie Couric posing as a journalist: hers is another promotion of an unqualified woman (as opposed to the many qualified women out there) to a position she can't handle.

[Fridays Child]

2. Katie Couric: Vacuous Twit Extraordiaire

Dating and cussing. And Katie wants to be taken seriously?

[shadowknows69]

11. Someone can go their whole lives

without having the opportunity to call someone a vacuous twit. I'm glad Katie was around to give it to you. ROFL.

[Fridays Child]

26. LOL!

[Straight Shooter]

3. So scary smart, she couldn't imagine planes being flown into buildings.

Whatever you say, Katie, whatever you say. :eyes:

[otohara]

7. Bingo

Ms Couric seems to be more concerned with maintaining her friendships with those in power by fawning over them. So much hype, same old Katie in the AM.

[myrna minx]

14. So scary smart that she forgot that the CIA had the Niger

allegations pulled from Bush's Cleveland speech, and then plum forgot that the claims were so dubious, so she didn't see anything wrong with adding them to the SOTU, scary smart?

Er, I guess we shouldn't care about that, we should just care about her Tiger Beat crushes! Like oh muh gawd, she is like totally scary smart! And she has a super big crush on, like, Peter MacKay. She like totally has a Peter McKay kissing poster on her bedroom wall. OMG!

[Toucano]

20. That happens when you're "scary smart".

Things just fall out of your head, I guess.

I really don't know since I've never met anyone who's "scary smart".

In fact, if Couric thinks Rice is "scary smart", that might say more about Couric's intellect than it does about Rice's.

[myrna minx]

22. Heh. Too true. n/t

[walkon]

4. Ms. Couric

Has always been horrible at interviews. I, though not watching her every act, have never seen her do more than a) make a statement followed by something like "Right?" b) pose a question and offer a number of responses like multiple choices the interviewee can select from. The best interviews are when the subject ignores her paltry "skills" and says what they have to say in spite of her.

[glitch]

5. CBS and ABC have turned themselves into sick and not funny jokes.

I guess NBC doesn't have to, what with all the war profits and all.

[Warren DeMontague]

6. Yes. These are questions the world NEEDS asked.

"I was going to bring up the fact that the Iraq war is an irredeemable clusterfuck, and question what this administration plans to do about it in the next two years besides sacrifice more American lives needlessly... but instead, I simply have to know- What do YOU think about Brad and Angelina?"

[Kingofalldems]

8. Did she ask Condi about shopping?

That would have fit right in.

[Bunny]

9. It sounds a little sexist, yes. Bringing up the difficulty of Ms. Rice

getting asked for a date is just bizarre. If the Sec of State was a bachelor male, would she ask him how he "makes out with the lay-dees"?
How utterly weird, but coming from Katie, I'm not surprised.

[Bluebear]

10. "What's your fave color? If you were a season, which would you be?"

:eyes:

[Horse with no Name]

12. What a fun slumber party!

ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz....
On the other hand...perhaps they wear the same shoe size. Do you suppose Condi would loan Katie her Katrina shoes?

[Imagevision]

13. I use to like Couric, but I now see what you all mean... buh-bye Katie

[Greyhound]

15. The last gasp of amerikan "journalism"...

I feel sick. :puke:

[Uncle Joe]

17. Gee whiz Wally! Did she ask Condi what her favorite color was?

I heard it was peach, and I have been having a big argument with my Republican co-workers in the office who claim it's magenta, so somebody is lying!:grr:

[Ino]

18. Jon Stewart's "Moment of Zen"

He played a clip of Chris Wallace hammering at Clinton, followed by Katie's "How does someone ask you for a date?" question. I LMAO!

Oh yeah... they ask BushCo the hard questions, all right!

[Toucano]

19. Couric: Graduate of "Tiger Beat" school of journalism.

Good night and good luck, indeed.

[Marr]

21. God, what an embarrassment.

Katie Couric is the mascot for the dumb-ass, know-nothing, infotainment media. What a fool. What a perky, upbeat, twittering fool.

[Tyler Durden]

23. MORE "GIRLY" AND "FUN"?????

JESUS TAP DANCING CHRIST ON A CRUTCH!
Who in the FUCK gives two shit in HELL whether or not THE SECRETARY OF STATE IS GETTING DATES????

If Jesus came back and saw what we do, he would never stop vomiting. Woody Allen was soo right.

[freethought]

24. Offensive? Yeah I can see that.

I saw that interview myself. I didn't think of it as offensive at the time. I just kind of thought that is was little more than fluff. One Couric should have asked Condi-"Would you have been for or against the bombers in Birmingham being tortured?"

[judaspriestess]

25. Note to katie, you cant bring a dead soul back to life

her soul is gone, gone, gone