Chronic Embellisher

I thought that I would be publishing this past it’s relevancy date but that has turned out not to be the case. Some might suggest it is a lazy blogger indeed who does not instantly comment on something they’ve just heard. Be the first on your block to get it wrong and contribute to that now infamous misinformation of the internet. In my own case it’s not so much laziness as apathy and a lack of instantaneous web connection. I also have acquired the dubious habit of seeking facts. This makes me completely unsuitable for internet publication.

So, Brian Williams is a chronic embellisher and we should care why? Be honest, we all have a Brian Williams in our life. We cringe and bite our tongue as that friend or relative tell a story that’s supposed to be true yet seems to change and become more exciting as the years go by. We remain silent, glancing side to side and thinking that ain’t what really happened. We rarely if ever call them on their bullshit. Mr. Williams has been called on his re-writes and we are told that his offenses are many and grave because he has shaken the confidence of the American people in journalism. Really? Williams influence, such as it ever was, is because of his celebrity. His trustworthiness is an illusion, as was Cronkite’s who was foolishly called by some “the most trusted man in America.” In Cronkite’s case it’s because there was only three channels and folks liked him best. He looked like everybody’s grandpa, a cardigan wearing pipe smoking chap who handed out hard candies. Williams comes from a different generation and a time when competition has been dramatically expanded. News anchors have become celebrities popping up in as many entertainment venues as possible, all in the cause of raising their profile and hopefully luring you to their network. Some, like Williams, are very good at it, natural born talkers who need no prodding to spin a tale.

All of the other “news” programs which are covering this story can bring on as many psychologists as they like to explore the possibilities but it’s quite simple, Williams was an embellisher long before he was ever famous or embarked on a career in journalism. Journalists are not supposed to inject themselves into the story, they are to be independent voyeurs reporting the alleged facts. The lines have  become blurred, chiefly among those on television. Are you a journalist just because your show looks like a newscast? As to anchors, local or national, anyone who can read a teleprompter can do the job but not everyone looks good on T.V. Brian Williams does look good, the perfect casting for his role.

Unfortunately for Williams he didn’t keep his embellishing at his own family barbecues, he went global with them. What price should he pay? Six months without pay won’t hurt him much financially but what about after that? If NBC believes it has truly been hurt they will cut ties and pay him off to go away, then what? As much as many people enjoy watching someone at the top, especially those with a whiff of hypocrisy, fall from grace, what they enjoy even more is a story of redemption and the long walk of symbolic whipping.

Will Brian Williams ever return to our living rooms? Maybe, maybe not. It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other. Williams didn’t let me down, I had no expectations of him. I get my news third hand from a guy that hangs out in the library parking lot.

And that’s the way it is…maybe!