ABC News presents: "This Week with Bud Abbott"
Today George Stephanopoulos began “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” his Sunday ABC current events show, with 15 minutes of a pointless, irrelevant, unfunny interview with Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert, who, in the proud tradition of Pat Paulsen, is again running a fake presidential campaign.Such stunts have always been about cheap publicity, ratings and entertainment, and have as much pertinence to public affairs and national politics as Taylor Swift’s recipe for chili. For ABC News to devote a full 25% of its weekly overview to this nonsense is disrespectful to viewers, who do not tune in to George, Paul Krugman, Peggy Noonan and the rest for yuks. I know how to find Colbert, who is a talented satirist and an engaging performer, when I’m in the mood for him. For Stephanopoulos to waste my time with his failed audition as the next Bud Abbott—his attempt to riff with Colbert was painful to watch, and essentially killed the comic’s act—was a breach of journalistic integrity and responsibility, not to mention comedy malpractice.Does the New York Times, just for the heck of it and for funsies, spontaneously devote a quarter of its front page to knock-knock jokes, because it’s their paper, and what the hell? No, because it has a job to do, and people depend on the Times to do it.
So does George, and he just took over the show again last week—he hardly needed a change of pace. A lot of important events occurred this week, and he chose to use up the already inadequate time available to him for enlightened analysis for a failed comedy routine.
Such is the arrogance of our news media and its “stars.” Our needs and interests are subordinate to their whims.
All we can do is tune out.
Ethics Alarms 
Yes, it’s disrespectful, but probably for different reasons than you’ve suggested. The news media is a business, the Sunday Morning talkers need an audience, Stephanopolous is new to the slot and Colbert has a lot more people watching him out of choice than does, say, Janet Napolitano.
Ergo: simple, callous business decision in an attempt to build audience. Glad to hear that Steffie sucked in the role of straightman.
Well hell, why not just show girls in bikinis then? Funny videos! Seinfeld re-runs! The Kardashians! Why do news at all, since it is always low-rated?
Ever see “Network?” Trust me, it’s coming. As a matter of fact, it may be here already. Who needs bikinis when we’ve got Fox News Babes with cleavage?
Oh, I agree, it’s here. In fact, have you seen “Network” lately? It’s horrifying to think we laughed at such things as TV psychics and ranting newscasters in the 70s. Beck and Olbermann and Schultz and Sharpton ARE Howard Beales. Reality shows would even be beneath Faye Dunaway. Kardashians weren’t in the film because Paddy thought they would be too ridiculous even for satire. Robin Meade coould have been invented by Ned Beatty.
Great, now I’m depressed.
Another “way-out” movie that seems disturbingly normal now: “A Clockwork Orange.”
And by the way – it may be low-rated, but it’s super-cheap to produce, draws a wealthy audience interested in “performance enhancing” drugs and incontinence products, and is therefore profitable.
Taylor Swift MAKES CHILI, too?! That’s it: I’m in love.
If George is Bud Abbott, does that make you Lou Costello, Jack? I’ll admit to the passing resemblance!
No, that would make Stephen Lou. The people who have seen me on stage who compare me to anyone good generally chooseJohn Cleese. Or Bertrand Russell.
Ahhhhhh! I stand corrected.