Every Monday afternoon, there I sit behind the anchor desk in my grown-up outfit, regurgitating a handful of mediocre quality news pieces. I'm not trying to downgrade our news content, but when I'm regurgitating, it doesn't articulate what it's really like to be a part of our crazy team.
Trust me, we really are more interesting than the news makes us appear.Here's a recap of what really happens when recording the news:
- Lexy and I sing the annoying Pizza Street commercial song about 12 times.
- When I'm on the TV screen, she pretends to pick my nose, and visa versa (sometimes it goes too far and one of us really gets a finger up the nose).
- I uncontrollably laugh at Lexy when she accidentally st-st-st-st-st-stutters (visa versa here too).
- Oh the adlibs, if only you could see some of those outtakes. One time I actually said corn eating dog contest instead of corn dog eating contest, which leads me to believe that all anchors have mild cases of dyslexia from time to time.
- And, let's face it, news anchors are super easy blooper targets anyways.
So, you get it. There's tons of good stuff that goes down and only a handful of people ever know about. I say post this secret goodness online, why not? If someone says, "You'll lose credibility! And you won't be taken seriously anymore!" I say, "Sorry to break it to ya, but we're humans and make mistakes, get over it and laugh about it!"
Video: YouTube
Bloopers and outtakes are fan-freakin-tastic if you ask me. I can always go for a hearty laugh and it's reassuring to see that "serious anchors" have personalities outside of the teleprompter.
When it comes down to it, all of us that spend most of our days in the newsroom are news nerds and I'll be the first to admit it. The thing is, we have a lot of fun and most of my "outsider friends" (that is those who are not newsies), just don't get it. I propose we share our awesomeness with the world. They'll love it, I promise because we're a hoot and a half.
I think the "you'll lose credibility" crowd needs and deserves a little more reasoned and nuanced approach than "get over it." I do agree that humor and errors ought to get consideration for posting. But what are the standards and practices that protect us and future grown up jouornalists from themselves?
I agree with Rick. There are many ways to show off your personality and humanity that don't involve staged nose-picking.
If I was a student trying to land a gig, I'd be less concerned with what the masses think and more concerned with what my future boss might think. Not everyone is in on this joke. . .yet. Mabe they'll come around but I wouldn't want to risk it.
And if the bloopers really are the best part of the news, we have a lot bigger things to worry about!
PS, I watch your newscasts -- and I say this with love: You guys are (sometimes) funny even when you are reading Prompter.
True, true, good points.
Here's the thing though, too many people are way too serious 24/7. Many of us just need to chill out for a second and take more time to laugh or enjoy our lives, in other words... not take ourselves so dang serious.
I say "get over it" because I think too many people dwell on their mistakes or funny mishaps. This world would be too tense and too awkward if no one knew how to step back and laugh at themselves.
I see what y'all are saying about the not looking professional ordeal, but in all honesty, I think a lot of people are getting sick of the anchors and reports that are nothing but straight faces with serious 'tudes. I'd rather be real and okay with people laughing with me (notice I say with me and not AT me) than too rigid to take the silly things in life as oddities or annoyances.
Perhaps we shouldn't pretend to pick each other's noses when we can see ourselves on the TV screen, but it gets boring when you sit there for a half hour while someone in the control room is trying to figure out what it is they're really suppose to be doing.
I'm just being real. No harm done.
In all honesty, I do get what you guys are saying though.