Headline News “Showbiz Tonight” host A.J. Hammer began a Jan.14th segment [1] with this little number: “So is Ann Coulter the worst guest ever or is she just plain good TV?” The question was plainly rhetorical, because Hammer's mind was already made up. His two guests unambiguously disliked Coulter, and the three launched immediately into a brutal session of name-calling, never once entertaining a different opinion on the popular author.
Lisa Bloom, anchor of CNN's “In Session” and PR flack Howard Bragman, author of the book, Where's My Fifteen Minutes?, were unabashed in their disdain for the conservative pundit. Bloom called Coulter a “mean, nasty person” and likened her to the Grinch, saying her heart is “three sizes too small.”
Bragman was no fan of Coulter, either. “She's the most obnoxious woman on TV; she relishes in her obnoxiousness.”
This segment comes after Coulter's recent high-profile interviews on CBS's “The Early Show” [2], NBC's “Today” show [3], and ABC's “The View.” Since Coulter's interviews have made headlines all over the media, it should have been easy to find a dissenting opinion on the 'disruptive' guest. But instead, Hammer just hosted an echo chamber.
“Let me show you a perfect example of her being a rude guest,” he said, introducing a particularly nasty clip [4] from “The View.” Hammer didn't bother to give the clip any context. He might have explained, for example, that the part he showed was late in Coulter's appearance, which she'd spent fending off yammering attacks from around the table. Or he might have mentioned that from the moment Coulter appeared, Whoopi Goldberg had been relentlessly hostile towards her. Or that Sheri Shepheard had accused her of having no compassion, and of “judging, judging, judging.”
Hammer did bring up two points worth noting; that TV shows may be “just as guilty” for booking Coulter as a guest, and he also mentioned that she is a best-selling author. “People just keep buying her books,” Hammer mused. “I don't get it.”
Well A.J., maybe you would get it if you invited a guest with a differing opinion.