http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/3510.htm

PHONY CALLERS CRANK IT UP

By DON KAPLAN

August 19, 2003 -- ANOTHER major crisis - another attack of media hoaxers. The blackout that threw most of the Northeast into darknesss last Thursday also claimed its latest TV news victim, "Nightline" anchorman Ted Koppel.

Koppel was tricked last week by a caller posing as a Transit Authority spokesman who told viewers about a Web site where they could receive information about how to deal with the blackout.

The hoaxer was, in fact, steering viewers to a Web site, thankyoufortakingmycall.com, on which he sells a 30-minute tapes of prank calls he's made to TV broadcasts.

"To me it's amazing that this stuff doesn't happen more often than it does," says Syracuse University media guru, Dr. Robert Thompson.

"Because you have these mass media operations that go to millions and millions of people in such a staid, sort-of controlled way, the temptation and the invitation to mess around with that, to play the class clown is powerful."

From the horrors of 9/11 to the Space Shuttle disaster, the tumult of wall-to-wall media coverage can leave TV anchors, reporters and producers off guard. They become ripe for abuse from practical jokers who call in during live newscasts posing as eyewitnesses or victims.

Last February during the Space Shuttle disaster while anchoring on live TV, CBS' Dan Rather found himself on the receiving end of a prank call from Captain Janks, a prank caller made famous by Howard Stern.

With breaking news we make every effort to ensure the credibility of the witness before we put them on the air," an ABC News spokeswoman said of Koppel's experience last week. "But in live events, screening processes are not 100 percent effective."

Seasoned hoaxters have learned how navigate around overburdened and generally young producers assigned to act as gate-keepers.

To combat the jokers, TV producers employ a surprisingly low tech arsenal of weapons. The most common is simply to ask would-be callers for their phone number and make sure the area code matches up with where they say they're calling from.

"At the very least you can catch 90 percent of them by getting their number and calling them back, generally they freak or give you a phony phone number," says one industry vet.

Other techniques include grilling the caller on little known facts about the situation or organization they claim to represent.

There is little remorse among the scam artists.

"To me if a journalist isn't doing his or her responsible job, well then, too bad," says veteran prankster Joey Skaggs, whose hoaxes are typically more elaborate.

"It's all about intent," Skaggs says. "For me, it's an art form. It's a counter attack to what some people perceive as misinformation or hypocrisy."

The Koppel hoaxer even chided the anchorman for "not listening carefully" after he made several mentions of his Web site. The phony seemed genuinely surprised that he had not been cut off long before.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dallas/nation/stories/081503dnnewpowertv.5a7e1.html

CBS lucked out Thursday.

Not only was the helicopter of its New York affiliate WCBS-TV (Channel 2) already airborne for the 4:30 p.m. news, the massive blackout emerged in New York, the media capital of the world.

"We were pretty well-prepared for this," said CBS News spokeswoman Sandy Genelius. "We were able to switch over to our backup power source, which runs on diesel. ... The fact that we have crews here, reporters here – that helps you tell the story the way you want to tell the story."

The WCBS copter got some of the most dramatic pictures of the day – masses of calm New Yorkers crossing the Brooklyn Bridge on foot beside slow-moving traffic. CNN was among the competing news outlets carrying those shots.

There were reports and pictures from other cities, including Detroit, but none were as stark as the scenes from New York.

"When was the last time you saw that?" Ms. Genelius said, referring to a similar trek across the bridge on Sept. 11 two years ago.

Still, coverage was a challenge for the New York-based networks.

Ted Koppel, anchoring for ABC from Washington, fell victim to a prank call. A man purporting to be a witness in the subway talked for several minutes, telling viewers to log on to a Web site for more information. Mr. Koppel seemed not to get the ruse: He made several other queries and did not question another comment about the danger of encountering a beast in subway tunnels.

And although emergency generators allowed stations to carry on, anchor Chuck Scarborough at WNBC-TV (Channel 4) wondered aloud whether any viewers in the blacked-out city could watch.

CNN, Fox News and MSNBC began coverage well before the Big Four broadcast networks and two Spanish-language channels broke into regular programming. Throughout the broadcasts, anchors and reporters reiterated that there was no evidence the power outage was linked to terrorism.

Some early reports were called in via mobile phones. MSNBC's Ashleigh Banfield said she finally got through after about 20 tries. Another reporter called from a plane that was stranded on the tarmac at LaGuardia airport.

Staff writer Michael Precker and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

E-mail mmendoza@dallasnews.com

http://www.naplesnews.com/03/08/neapolitan/d971749a.htm

There are some strange but true things going on in the media business around the country, and it's time to fill you in on the details that are sometimes hard to find.

I'll start with ABC's Ted Koppel, who was recently the victim of the growing trend to insert pranks into news coverage. Koppel thought he was talking to a New York subway official on the phone during the recent blackout. It turns out the caller was promoting a Web site about public phone pranks. Koppel didn't catch on even though the call kept referring to the Internet address. Koppel isn't the only one who was duped by such an antic. People calling shows and pretending to be newsworthy have also victimized CNN. The networks need a better system of verifying their sources.

http://paperfrog.com/blog/archives/000146.html

(Click to enlarge image)

It’s 6:30 on the East Coast. Ted Koppel is at the helm of ABC News’ wall-to-wall coverage of Thursday’s massive East Coast blackout. It’s been a rough broadcast: a lot of missed feeds and obvious confusion as Koppel takes cues from his invisible earpiece.

Right now, he’s got someone on the phone who is telling New Yorkers their best bet is to find their way home. The advice seems a little useless. After several minutes the caller suggests that once people can get back to their houses, they should get on their computers and log onto ThankYouForTakingMyCall.com.

"Well, that might seem a little pie-in-the-sky at this point," Koppel opines, not realizing how badly he’s being burned by a rather obvious prankster.

The caller goes on, repeating the web address several times before whoever is at the other end of Koppel’s earpiece finally figures out what is going on and pulls the plug. Koppel seems confused for a moment, then movest on to the next live call.

Here’s how the ThankYouForTakingMyCall.com website describes itself:

Koppel certainly did look uncomfortable. Mission accomplished.

The phenomenon of pranking TV and radio shows is hardly new. It has, in fact, become something of a cottage industry. Prankers sell CDs and DVDs of their work on the Internet these days. Pranking has become a competitive sport.

And it’s so easy to carry off. In their race to one-up the other networks, TV news is happy to put on-the-scene callers straight on the air: live and nationwide. Sometimes the calls are compelling: a hostage, huddled beneath a desk. An eyewitness to a natural disaster. Or someone watching our national sense of security crumble with the World Trade Center.

Drama sells, and there’s nothing more immediate than someone on a cellphone. But you’d think, particularly in post 9-11 America, that TV and radio producers would learn to source their call-ins.

It’s more than a matter of good journalistic practice, or saving face for the on-air announcer. It’s a question of public safety.

Koppel’s caller was pretty harmless—just someone having a laugh at ABC’s expense. Thirty minutes earlier, Koppel was all but begging someone who’d been stuck in a subway to call in and describe what they’d seen. ABC got what it deserved.

But what if a caller’s intent were malicious? What if a terrorist or some distrurbed person were to feed a network something amounting to an "all clear," knowing a situation was still dangerous?

Until news producers put a tiny bit of common sense ahead of their drive to scoop the other guy, wackos will have an open microphone in times of crisis. Source the calls. Use delays. If a caller seems too good to be true, assume it is.

It’s all Broadcasting 101—a course newspeople should take before they move up to graduate studies in Ratings Development.

UPDATE: I see someone else noticed the scam. You’ll find another story here.

http://gandalf.ics.uci.edu/blog/

Thank you for taking my call: Ted Koppel "goofed" during the North East power outage (August 14, 2003)

Ted Koppel of ABC has been on air since the North East power outage started today. He's interviewing by phone lots of officials, mostly from New York City. Just a few minutes ago, he was interviewing someone connected to the Metro Transit Authority... or so he thought. The prank caller was able to stay on the air for a couple of minutes.

The NYC "official" was saying that people should not get off the subways and should check ThankYouForTakingMyCall.com for "instructional videos" once they get home. Ted was asking how come, since he thought that people should get off the subway. Also, where is the electricity supposed to come from for people to check the website? Ted asked a couple of times, and the called evaded answers a couple of times. ... I still didn't realize anything was wrong.

After a while though, the caller was repeating over and over that people should go to the website for "instructional videos". Eventually Ted thanked him and they cut the guy off. I wonder if Ted realized that this was a prank call. Maybe someone at ABC checked the website. Lol.

Update: Just got an mp3 of the prank from the website. The prank call actually lasted for 2 minutes 43 seconds. The funny part is that the prankster makes several nonsense comments on purpose, and Ted still has no clue that this is a prank. Here are some samples from the call.

http://www.projo.com/blogs/shenews/

By Sheila Lennon
'Bottom-up' journalism from the pros

Fair and balanced, too!

August 15, 2003 7:55 p.m. -- (Last week's weblog)

Ted Koppel snookered by Web wag: In a rare turn at anchor, since he could broadcast from Washington, where the lights were on, things went wacko. This is a letter (no permalink) to Jim Romenesko at Poynter.org

Did anyone else catch this?
posted by geekhorde at 10:47 PM PST on August 14


I saw it.
posted by wsg at 10:51 PM PST on August 14


Sorry. My bad.
posted by geekhorde at 11:01 PM PST on August 14


I don't mind phone pranking in theory, but I demand a bit of wit instead of the loutish and thuddingly unfunny juvenalia of the Jerky Boys, Crank Yankers, or any of Howard Stern's crowd, etc. Anyone can pull the crap they do -- what's the challenge? They remind me of the third graders who knock on neighborhood doors, scurry off to hide in the bushes and convulse in laughter when someone ...drumroll... answers the door! (Duh.)
posted by RavinDave at 11:04 PM PST on August 14


I just couldn't believe the audacity of it.

And the fact that he had them convinced that he was a SOMEBODY.

"I don't think you're listening to me Ted." I think that was my favorite part.
posted by geekhorde at 11:08 PM PST on August 14


dammit dobbs, there you go again
posted by scarabic at 11:41 PM PST on August 14


Is it just me, or is there a vague resemblance between this guy and this guy?
posted by homunculus at 12:02 AM PST on August 15


Subvert the system that perverts the mind
posted by jackspace at 12:58 AM PST on August 15


I think I will order the tape. I've heard Leroy Mercer and he is funny as hell, the East Tennessee vocabulary and accent making it all the better.
posted by nofundy at 4:31 AM PST on August 15


Bob Dobbs.
posted by angry modem at 5:05 AM PST on August 15


I don't get the reference to Mark Knopfler. A little help here?
posted by ZenMasterThis at 5:24 AM PST on August 15


Got to agree with RavinDave, there seemed to be precious little wit involved in most of these. A reasonable list of prank calls can be found here, but sadly the link to Vivtor Lewis Smith is broken.

Smith and Chris Morris, while both often quite childish, do seem to have a more political agenda for their calls. His call to That's Life (a sickening lifestyle / consumer show from the 1980's) where Smith prtended to be a wheelchair bound tuba player showed just how low TV producers would go to get something interesting on air, and his call to a New York hotel to book a room for the Queen Mother ("Does the room have a porn channel?") are wonderful. Can't find a transcipt online but will continue looking.

OK, maybe they're just childish.
posted by ciderwoman at 5:37 AM PST on August 15


Mistadobalina, Mr. Bob Dobalina, Mistadobalina
posted by jeremias at 5:44 AM PST on August 15


This was also happening on local NYC stations. Pretty juvenile.
posted by caddis at 6:23 AM PST on August 15


Praise Bob!!

(Hail Connie)
posted by devbrain at 6:36 AM PST on August 15


ciderwoman: For me Morris's best was ringing Piers Morgan (who was then editor of The Sun's 'Bizarre' gossip column) pretending to be both U2's manager & Bono. Morgan 'exclusived' the prank the next day. MP3 here, [via Virtual Arsepike II]
posted by i_cola at 6:54 AM PST on August 15


ZenMasterThis: There used to be a guy that would prank call people (late 80's early 90's) and he called himself Mark Knopfler. He wasn't the same Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits.
posted by shoepal at 7:35 AM PST on August 15


Bob Dobbs: not funny.
posted by crazy finger at 7:41 AM PST on August 15


Thanks. I am a fan of Mark Knopfler the guitarist; I won't go looking for a "Crank Calls" CD.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 8:14 AM PST on August 15


I kind of liked the sci-fi looping sounds and buzzing that signalled that Mr. Dobbs call was being 'dropped' ... I was wondering if this noise was used by ABC studios to deal with troublemakers.
posted by carter at 8:18 AM PST on August 15


bob is slack
slack is bob

all hail bob!
posted by John at 8:33 AM PST on August 15


Anyone else notice that the claimed system for communicating with the subway riders and operators was a wireless and telepathic radio?
posted by thanotopsis at 9:21 AM PST on August 15


i_cola, that Paul McGuiness & Bono call was great.

"For all intents and purposes U2 have been a black dance band since the beginning."
posted by john1800 at 9:27 AM PST on August 15


Last night, I predicted that unless this was terrorists at work, Rush Limbaugh would find a way to blame this on liberals. And, as I'm typing this, I'll be damned if he isn't.
posted by alumshubby at 10:39 AM PST on August 15


Praise Bob!!

(Hail Connie)

Drats, ya beat me to it. No slack there. ;)
posted by dejah420 at 10:40 AM PST on August 15


Of course, the potential outcome of this is that national news shows will be less likely to take calls. Very few news shows in the UK take live calls. In fact, I can't think of any off the top of my head. Shame, I love the pranks.

And bravo for the Chris Morris reference, ciderwoman. Tons of Chris Morris stuff up at Cook'd and Bomb'd.
posted by wackybrit at 3:55 AM PST on August 17

http://www.tonguebutnodoor.net/monica/

hah! ted koppel was just talking to who he thought was an official in the subway tunnels. that guy kept saying, "we just want everyone to know that once the power comes back on, to log on to thankyoufortakingmycall.com". That website is a repository for prank calls to call-in shows. apparently ted koppel wasn't talking to an official at all. it was a hoax plug for some guy's website. ted koppel kept saying "i understand what you're saying, but what about the people trapped in the subway cars?" and the dude just kept saying "we just want everyone to know to go to thankyoufortakingmycall.com when the power comes back on." it was hilarious. after about 2 repeats of that exchange, the dude got cut off and ted koppel went to talk to the mayor of detriot.

http://www.alienjesus.com/

Ted Koppel was on live last night covering the blackout, and the highlight was a phone interview with "Bob Dobbs" from the New York MTA. The most amazing thing about this phone prank is how long it took before someone realized it was a prank. Both mp3 and wmv versions are available from "Bob's" home page.

http://destinyland.blogspot.com/

"All armed robbers should cut their power until instructed by their supervisors to restore that power." (…not what was said)

That's the actual advice Ted Koppel received on Nightline last night. A prank caller, who yammered on for another two minutes, posed as "Bob Dobbs" of the New York Transit Authority.

Ted also received this warning. "If people start wandering around the tunnels, they might discover certain reserved areas where Beauty and the Beast might be waiting..."

http://www.smoothysmooth.com/

Ted Koppel Goofed (Funny Stuff)
Ted Koppel, reporting on last night's Northeast blackout was goofed by the operator of Thankyoufortakingmycall.com. If you listen closely to the clip you'll hear the caller plug his web site multiple times, metion that Beauty and the Beast may be in the tunnels, and other great bits.

Some people may not find this funny, but I find it hilarious. I think TV news has gotten way out of control in the search for the unique angle to every story. There was no unique angle to the blackout. It was what it was and that's all it was. Besides, if Koppel had even halfway listened to the guy, he could have figured out it was a prank.

Posted: Aug 15, 2003 | 10:27 am

http://franklinavenue.blogspot.com/

Koppel Yankers
Phone prankers continue to embarrass news outlets while covering live events, yet these networks can't resist putting unscreened callers on.

Ted Koppel was pranked last night during ABC News' coverage of the east coast blackout, although as you can see and hear [here], it doesn't seem like Ted is even ever aware.

The prankster, who claims to be "Bob Dobbs" from the New York Transit Authority, manages to work in a plug for his website, thankyoufortakingmycall.com, a stunning four times.

On the site, "Bob" actually sells videos of his prank phone calls to various news outlets both local and national. The Koppel goof appears to be his most impressive stunt yet.

http://www.techtv.com/news/shownotes/story/0,24195,3492677,00.html

• Smart-aleck "Bob Dobbs," posing as a New York City subway authority, called in to talk to ABC's Ted Koppel as news was breaking Thursday during the power outage. During the call, "Dobbs" plugged his website several times before producers noticed they were being duped. On his site, you'll find several streaming clips of the prank-caller confusing other television anchors.

http://reason.com/hitandrun/002515.shtml

Last night "Bob Dobbs" prank-called Ted Koppel, live, to deliver a peculiar set of blackout instructions. In a refreshing change from other recent media pranks, Howard Stern was never invoked.

Posted by Jesse Walker at August 15, 2003 02:27 PM

Comments

I guess saying your name is Bob Dobbs gives you a better chance of getting through than claiming to be Eris Discordia.

Posted by: Madog on August 15, 2003 02:44 PM

Fnord !

Posted by: Tom_T on August 15, 2003 02:46 PM

Gee, I didn't realize Koppel was such a bonehead. Thank You, Jesse, and Thank You, Reason!

Posted by: DamStrait on August 15, 2003 02:58 PM

Ted couldn't tell this bullshitter from all the rest of them he talks to.

Posted by: Lefty on August 15, 2003 03:15 PM

There's no one easier to bullshit than a bullshitter.

Posted by: Jim Walsh on August 15, 2003 03:39 PM

It's spelled "Bob" you goddamn pinks.

Posted by: J-Nenslo on August 15, 2003 03:42 PM

I just couldn't believe the audacity of it.

And the fact that he had them convinced that he was a SOMEBODY.

"I don't think you're listening to me Ted." I think that was my favorite part.

Posted by: From another board... on August 15, 2003 03:45 PM

HA HA HA HA HA,
Ever since 911 I can't take the spewing heads during a major news event, so I missed this. Thank you for bringing it to me.

Jesse you rock!

Posted by: Warren on August 15, 2003 04:04 PM

Were there no funny prank calls from yesterday?

Posted by: Shady O'Grady on August 15, 2003 04:12 PM

This morning on CNN, the anchorwoman was chatting with a Con Edison representative who said the power would be back on in 3-5 hours. Then he said "Will you bang Howard Stern?"

A "Con" indeed.

Posted by: Eric Lindholm on August 15, 2003 04:20 PM

When we hear the familiar "babba booey" we know the news is fake. But what happens when we don't hear it? I especially liked the beauty and the beast in the subway tunnels reference.

In order to be first, broadcast news doesn't care if its wrong.

Posted by: Ayatollah Usoe on August 15, 2003 04:24 PM

Yeah, gee, really funny when people abuse the trust of other people. Hilarious.

Posted by: Chris on August 16, 2003 12:59 AM

Thank you for appreciating my call!

You all have echoed many of my feelings. I despise live TV coverage and feel obligated to "reach out and touch someone". It's easy to get on. I figured the door would be closed thanks to all the disciples of Stern et al, but I just called the ABC number given out by directory assistance. I told them the reporter who was currently speaking had told me to call them. They transferred me several times, and after sitting on hold for an hour I was live with Ted. I don't think he was catching on.

I'm glad to see people were catching on to some of the more subtle comments. I mumbled that stuff so Koppel wouldn't take notice. Lucky for me he wasn't paying attention at all. The networks will do anything to get the scoop, including taking a risk with a caller with no credentials to back up his claims. Eris inspires me to fuck with the facade of modern media.

Posted by: "Bob" from Chattanooga on August 16, 2003 01:08 AM

There's no "facade of modern media." It's simply human beings trying to communicate information to other human beings -- in this case, during a time when information was crucial and important.

You hindered that process. You got in the way. You didn't provide some sort of useful service in the name of postmodernity; you're just an asshole who hasn't learned how to be a grown-up yet.

In that sense, you're no better than a computer hacker or a kid who dials 911 because it's "funny": You disrupt the important communication of adults. And because of that, you suck.

Posted by: Chris on August 16, 2003 03:44 PM

Chris, loosen up that sphincter muscle a bit.

Media "people" -- especially liberal talking heads like Koppel need to be spoofed once in a while, to knock them off their high horses. Actually, the more often the better.

Besides, computer hackers or kids who dial 911 because it's "funny" do so for FREE -- in socialistic fashion.

Bob Dobbs not only gives pompous pinheads like Koppel what they deserve, but EARNS MONEY in the process by sending internet traffic to his site -- in true capitalistic fashion.

For that he is to be commended. It's not him, but whining anal retentives who suck.

Posted by: Bruce on August 17, 2003 05:23 AM

Anal? No, what's anal is contorting oneself to come up with convoluted ways to justify abusing the trust of others.

Posted by: Chris on August 17, 2003 03:48 PM

Seems to me that's rather CREATIVE. Anal retentives have a hard time being creative.

Posted by: on August 17, 2003 06:11 PM

(Let's do that again.)

Seems to me that such contorted convolutions to earn a buck are rather the expressions of A CREATIVE MIND.

This — as opposed to the dull, static, lack of creativity (and imagination) on the part of anal retentives.

Posted by: Merlin Chant on August 17, 2003 08:11 PM

This ...

... was intended to apply to the poster "Bruce." Not to the person who made the phone call.

Anal retentiveness is a red herring in all this anyway, a red herring introduced by "Bruce."

Posted by: Chris on August 17, 2003 08:39 PM

That so, Chris! And how, pray tell, does "Bruce" abuse the trust of others?

Posted by: on August 17, 2003 11:35 PM

Good Lord, there are some comprehension problems around here.

I didn't say "Bruce" abuses the trust of others. I said he justifies it.

Let's replay this whole deal:

* There was a post about "Bob" pranking Ted Koppel on national TV.
* I wrote that such pranking abuses the trust of others.
* "Bruce" responded by justifying the pranking, and calling me anal rententive.
* I wrote that true anal-retentiveness was doing what Bruce did -- justifying the pranking.

You get it now? "Bob" abuses the trust of others; "Bruce" justifies it. Bruce and I were having a nice and simple "You are"/"No, you are!" moment, and you got yourself all confused.

Posted by: Chris on August 18, 2003 12:31 AM

Chris,

Yeah, I'm with you all the way, man. There is no such thing as media culture, just honest transfers of information from people who take important stuff, like, SERIOUSLY.

Thank God we've got human beings in the media trying to communicate important information to us other humans about Shandra Levy, Robert Blake, Elizabeth Smart, Laci Peterson, Kobe Bryant, etc. And when we move from the human side of things to the "hard" news, thank God we've got video feed of a guy standing in front of a building to establish the proper atmosphere to tell us he has no new information. Let's give thanks, too, for the foreign correspondents who write copy in their hotel rooms from government or U.S. embassy handouts, and for the majority of column inches taken up by material generated by corporate and government PR departments. It's all just information changing hands.

The corporate media whores are all about information. Because they CARE, you know. Just like the guy who says "Take your $50 off the dresser and get the hell out--I'm done wit ya" really loves you. Really.

Posted by: Kevin Carson on August 18, 2003 12:48 AM

Calling it a "media culture" is simply a way of describing how you observe the bigger picture from a distance.

In the simple context of two human beings interacting one-on-one -- a guy named Bob and a guy named Ted Koppel -- Bob acted like a jerk.

He says he did it to "fuck with the facade of modern media." That's not what he did. What he did was abuse the trust of another human. It just happened to be in front of an audience. And because that audience exists -- because there is what you call a "media culture" -- you and others here seem to think it's OK.

Posted by: Chris on August 18, 2003 01:07 AM

So the media doesn't abuse the trust of other human beings -- abuse our trust -- when they "report" that gasoline tanks on trucks can explode spontaneously, and actually show you rigged video footage in the process!? (BOGUS STORY.)

The media doesn't abuse our trust when they "report" that army generals gassed thousands of innocent Vietnamese!? (BOGUS STORY.)

The media doesn't abuse our trust when they "report" that coalition troops point their guns at innocent Iraqis!? (BOGUS STORY.)

On and on and on . . . Not to even mention how the New York Times abuses our trust, our how CNN abuses our trust, along with the entire network alphabet soup, including NPR.

Give me a fricking break!

With champions like "Bob" on the scene, the media gets exactly what it deserves once in a while. I only regret that the "Bobs" of the world don't do this more often.

Posted by: spinfree on August 18, 2003 01:42 AM

I have been waiting for two days for someone to make this most obvious of retorts. Congratulations, "spinfree."

However, you're implying that what Bob did somehow mitigates or counteracts what you perceive to be an abuse of trust by the media. When in fact, at best he simply added another layer of mistrust to the whole scenario.

ABC may abuse the trust of its viewers; Bob certainly abused the trust of ABC and viewers.

What Bob did was wrong. It's not to be applauded.

Posted by: Chris on August 18, 2003 01:48 AM

Well, you only beat me to the punch by posting just before I was about to add a significant PS.

And that is that at least "Bob" -- during his spoofing -- kept referring viewers/listeners to his website:
http://www.thankyoufortakingmycall.com

He did this several times throughout the prank -- at least 3 times, if I counted correctly. So in that sense, Bob devised his own "retraction" of sorts. We were NOT deceived, because the minute we accessed his website, we could clearly see that it was a prank.

The immediacy of such a "retraction" is important, laudible, and if I might say, all-American.

However, can you say as much for the network alphabet soup? Is there EVER a retraction on their part from their scheming, sinister, bogus reportage? I can't recall any. Only goes to show that their intentions are obviously TO DELIBERATELY DECEIVE.

Contrast that to "Bob's," whose intentions are to deliberately make you laugh while having all his cards on the table.

Posted by: Spinfree on August 18, 2003 02:05 AM

But of course, there was nothing intrinsically funny about the call itself. Removed from its context -- the abuse of trust where we normally don't see trust abused -- it wouldn't have made anyone "laugh" at all. Its context is the only thing that made it "funny."

Most of us adults would like our news delivered without bozos jumping in and getting in the way, thanks so much. If viewers wanted to watch a circus, we'd tune in to cartoons at that hour instead of Ted Koppel.

I don't like things that impede the flow of communication, or make the world spin less efficiently, or make life more confusing. Maybe you do. Maybe that's why you liked Bob's phone call, and why I thought it was disgusting. You actually want it to happen "more often." You want the presentation of information by adults to other adults to turn into some kind of postmodern hall of mirrors.

Talk about a facade of modern media.

I'm sure Bob fancies himself as just hee-lar-ious. He'll likely never understand why he not only isn't funny, but is dangerous.

As for his hawking the web site: It's awfully generous to describe that as a "retraction." Which is why it's a good thing you kept quote marks around the word.

Posted by: Chris on August 18, 2003 02:40 AM

Hey, Chris, I tune in to ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN all the time as a "viewer wanting to watch a circus."

Posted by: couchspud on August 18, 2003 04:02 AM

"the abuse of trust where we normally don't see trust abused --" ??

By WHICH media?

You couldn't be serious!

(Either that, or you're not writing from this planet.)

Posted by: agape on August 18, 2003 04:06 AM

Removed from its context, no form of humor would make us laugh at all. Context is the only thing that makes it funny. (Duh!)

Posted by: Bailey on August 18, 2003 04:15 AM

Yup, Chris Ratchet, we definitely see the symptoms of sphincter muscle contractions here. But don't worry, there is a cure (heh-heh.)

By the way, you aren't by chance related to a certain nurse we know, are you?

Posted by: Dr. Killum on August 18, 2003 04:56 AM

I still think "Bob" was telling the truth.

Posted by: on August 18, 2003 09:40 AM

"Most of us adults would like our news delivered without bozos jumping in and getting in the way ... I don't like things that impede the flow of communication"

Like network news bozos and prefab ideological filters?

I heard this same prank retailed over the Chicago radio stations, and I just about crashed my car laughing at how stupid anyone could be, to believe that a website called thankyoufortakingmycall would be an outlet for emergency information. I didn't even have to dial it up to know someone had pranked somebody in the incestuous media chain and it had spread like the virus it was.

Gimme a break. If the Koppels of the world weren't so puffed up with self-importance they might recognize a joke when it bites them on the ass.

Posted by: R.C. Dean on August 18, 2003 10:06 AM

Maybe 'Chris' isn't his real name - could be Ted?

Someone sounds a tad bit bitter...

Posted by: Jim on August 18, 2003 01:40 PM

Chris,

You're missing the point that the alleged human whose trust was abused was Ted Koppel. The whole point of this stunt was to demonstrate the humorless, non-critically thinking nature of the average media talking head, as represented by Koppel. The fact that Koppel was suckered by such a scam made "Bob's" point.

Posted by: Kevin Carson on August 18, 2003 03:42 PM

Hey, why are you guys hammering Chris so much?

I sent him here, as my chief executive, to defend the wonderful socialist media (including my ex-baby, CNN) and you simply pummel him.

What's go on? Am I missing something?

Ted.

Posted by: Turner on August 18, 2003 09:21 PM

Anytime someone can stick a balloon on the prick that is Ted Koppel, I say buy that man (or woman) a round. Hell, buy 'em two!

Posted by: J Canuck on August 19, 2003 04:50 AM

http://bbs.post-gazette.com/boards/viewtopic.asp?topicid=2438

Thank You For Taking My Call
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Posted on: 8/14/03 7:10:00 PM

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Re: Thank You For Taking My Call
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