"But that would be completely wasted on you, so I won't."

June 4, 2013 12:50 PM

It seems that Philadelphia CBS 3 anchor Nicole Brewer and meteorologist Carol Erickson utterly despise each other, and are not shy about showing it on the air.
posted by DecemberBoy (58 comments total)

Don't mean the "catfight" tag to be sexist, it's in the headline.
posted by DecemberBoy at 12:52 PM on June 4, 2013

It's like if all the things Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie think about Matt Lauer actually got said but through the amateur patina of local news.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:57 PM on June 4, 2013 [8 favorites]

Considering cable has a least three channels devoted to shows about hoarders the world is ready for a show with choice clips from local news shows like this.
posted by munchingzombie at 12:58 PM on June 4, 2013 [5 favorites]

Nice. Makes me remember this old-school anchorman smack-down.
posted by jbickers at 12:58 PM on June 4, 2013 [8 favorites]

munchingzombie: "Considering cable has a least three channels devoted to shows about hoarders the world is ready for a show with choice clips from local news shows like this."

My favorite part of The Soup is them watching Good Day LA and its New York equivalent for just that reason.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:02 PM on June 4, 2013 [5 favorites]

Erickson, for her part, doesn’t seem crazy about her young rival, but also, somewhat tragically, finds herself helplessly eager to please.

My take on it is more that the young anchorwoman just seems really mean.
posted by eugenen at 1:03 PM on June 4, 2013 [23 favorites]

I predict their ratings are going to skyrocket, because it's unfiltered reality TV.

I wonder how long it'll be before their producers are egging them on. I wonder whether they're not already.
posted by no relation at 1:04 PM on June 4, 2013 [6 favorites]

I don't see the issue on this? Seems to be a bit of a manufactured story. I see mild sarcasm and laughing. Is that what's called cat fighting now days?
posted by Rashomon at 1:06 PM on June 4, 2013 [16 favorites]

CBS 3 News Anchor Catfight: Nicole Brewer Really Doesn’t Like Carol Erickson

Calling a dispute between two women who are TV personalities a "catfight" is the mark of a fool who should never be taken seriously again.
posted by jamjam at 1:10 PM on June 4, 2013 [9 favorites]

Ms. Brewer had better watch out, since Ms. Erickson looks like she is plotting the most heinous of revenges behind that "manufactured halo" of hers.

(BTW, I've only seen the clip linked here once, and I'm thoroughly Team Carol.)
posted by xingcat at 1:10 PM on June 4, 2013

This FPP would seem to be completely wasted on you, Rashomon, so I won't.
posted by notyou at 1:10 PM on June 4, 2013 [6 favorites]

I wonder how long it'll be before their producers are egging them on. I wonder whether they're not already.

I sort of got that impression. I'm a lifelong fan of pro wrestling, and the first thing I thought was "bet it's a work".
posted by DecemberBoy at 1:13 PM on June 4, 2013 [2 favorites]

Has anyone called WWE? I smell a Wrestlemania main event.
posted by jonmc at 1:14 PM on June 4, 2013 [2 favorites]

There is some mixture here of smug entitlement by the anchor, forced jollity ordained by producers and actual mild dislike that makes me I would never ever want to watch this station.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:15 PM on June 4, 2013 [2 favorites]

God, I miss Philly.
posted by boo_radley at 1:16 PM on June 4, 2013 [4 favorites]

When I think of where to go to find civility, TV news in general somehow doesn't spring to mind.
posted by seemoreglass at 1:17 PM on June 4, 2013 [2 favorites]

Have they started throwing batteries yet? It's not a Philly fight until they start throwing batteries.
posted by backseatpilot at 1:22 PM on June 4, 2013 [6 favorites]

Hey, not all local news is ill-humored. On Friday mornings when there's no traffic to report, Cincinnati gets Dance Party Friday.
posted by Linda_Holmes at 1:23 PM on June 4, 2013 [13 favorites]

They're no Paul Moyer / Ann Martin (ignore the video).

"Some nights it is, Ann."
posted by benito.strauss at 1:33 PM on June 4, 2013 [5 favorites]

Wow, that's unprofessional and just awful.
posted by headnsouth at 1:36 PM on June 4, 2013 [2 favorites]

Wow, that's unprofessional and just awful.

Yes it is. I can't wait till I get home and can watch it!
posted by no relation at 1:44 PM on June 4, 2013 [2 favorites]

Kind of creepy how many times the video clip emphasizes how attractive the guy who posted it finds the news anchor.
posted by Rory Marinich at 1:46 PM on June 4, 2013 [3 favorites]

Hey, not all local news is ill-humored. On Friday mornings when there's no traffic to report, Cincinnati gets Dance Party Friday .

It's national, not local, but as a frequent insomniac, I really miss the World News Polka.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 1:50 PM on June 4, 2013 [4 favorites]

The whole local-tv-personality business is a horrible, ugly, endless knife-fight. Everyone is your enemy, and everyone is gunning to finally land a franchise position, and stop the city-to-city mercenary roaming. It's no wonder shit like this blows-up on-air.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:51 PM on June 4, 2013

I don't see the issue on this? Seems to be a bit of a manufactured story.

I didn't really think I was going to see anything that actually looked like deep-fried passive aggression, but that exaggerated sigh at 1:35 is pure shade.
posted by psoas at 1:53 PM on June 4, 2013

"The spicy Nicole!" "the former Miss Pennsylvania and her arch-nemesis!" -- the blogger seems to have borrowed the adolescent leer from the maker of the video.
posted by edheil at 1:56 PM on June 4, 2013 [3 favorites]

Well at least nobody's getting called an ignorant slut on live TV.
posted by fuse theorem at 1:57 PM on June 4, 2013

It's all talk until they whip out the chair legs and tridents.
posted by Smedleyman at 1:59 PM on June 4, 2013 [5 favorites]

Well at least nobody's getting called an ignorant slut on live TV.

Wow, not only is that video not available in my country but they won't even tell me what it is!
posted by opsin at 2:02 PM on June 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

Painful self-awareness from the same blog (different blogger), the next day:

What say you? Is this whole rivalry a product of our imaginatiions? And if it is, how gross are we?

posted by edheil at 2:03 PM on June 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

Can I be spicy too?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:05 PM on June 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

Wow, not only is that video not available in my country but they won't even tell me what it is!

Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin from Saturday Night Live. They did a parody of news show point-counterpoints where Dan would eventually say "Jane, you ignorant slut!".
posted by DecemberBoy at 2:15 PM on June 4, 2013

Oh you so spicy Brandon. Soooo spicy.
posted by Mister_A at 2:15 PM on June 4, 2013

Is that what's called cat fighting now days?

This FPP would seem to be completely wasted on you, Rashomon, so I won't.

_________         __    ___________.__       .__     __  ._.
\_   ___ \_____ _/  |_  \_   _____/|__| ____ |  |___/  |_| |
/    \  \/\__  \\   __\  |    __)  |  |/ ___\|  |  \   __\ |
\     \____/ __ \|  |    |     \   |  / /_/  >   Y  \  |  \|
 \______  (____  /__|    \___  /   |__\___  /|___|  /__|  __
        \/     \/            \/      /_____/      \/      \/

posted by CynicalKnight at 2:16 PM on June 4, 2013 [4 favorites]

Um... I think it's called "banter." They're not terribly good at it, but I don't think it's anything other than attempts at standard banter.
posted by Max Udargo at 2:20 PM on June 4, 2013 [2 favorites]

Have they started throwing batteries yet? It's not a Philly fight until they start throwing batteries.

Seriously, they are giving Philly a bad reputation. Save that passive-aggressive shit for Seattle local news!
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:21 PM on June 4, 2013

Focusing on the fun links in this thread, I so needed the Cincy Traffic Guy Dance Party today. (Here's Groove Is In The Heart ). It would almost be worth getting up early (and moving to Cincy) for that.

Also, I need to find out if my local channel still even carries the overnite ABC News. I seem to recall other crazy stunts they’ve pulled.

There’s something so fun about the goofiness of off-hours, live TV/ radio broadcasting. I just realized I’ve become somewhat removed from that as I get so much info/ entertainment online these days.
posted by NorthernLite at 2:26 PM on June 4, 2013 [2 favorites]

This is also a good time to remind everyone about Jennie Stencel, who is sadly off the air.
posted by mudpuppie at 2:38 PM on June 4, 2013 [5 favorites]

I miss WHDH Boston's morning pair of Anne and Adam. It was a daily multipart question of
1) Do they hate each other?
2) Is Adam just that awkward?
3) Maybe something happened between them at the Christmas party?
4) Maybe something didn't happen because Adam isn't in to girls and is now awkwardly trying to make amends?
posted by robocop is bleeding at 2:40 PM on June 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

man, I haven't been around that much hate for a long time. Not to say my life is great, but at least people are not sighing at me on television
posted by angrycat at 2:44 PM on June 4, 2013 [2 favorites]

benito.strauss: "They're no Paul Moyer / Ann Martin (ignore the video).

"Some nights it is, Ann.""

Oh, benito.strauss! This is just...just, wow. "You want to get Harold Greene, you'll get Harold Greene." What did Harold Greene do?! I can't wait to read up on what this was about.
posted by Room 641-A at 3:10 PM on June 4, 2013 [2 favorites]

One of my local news stations has a segment every morning that i think of as the daily conformity bullying segment where they pick some youtube clip and laugh at some idiot. Never with them. Always at them. I figure this is a public service announcement to all tall nails out there they will be hammered down.

I think these newscasters are mean and wish the station would hire nice people instead because I don't need to be reminded of high school when I wake up in the morning.
posted by srboisvert at 3:36 PM on June 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

Those are insults? Seriously? So mild I had to watch twice to catch any of the slights.

If you want insults and dislike, then your best starting point is the psychologically destructive game of cricket.
posted by Wordshore at 3:37 PM on June 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

Room 641-A, I'm pretty sure that took place during an ad break but was recorded and leaked to friends by someone working there; it did not go out over the air.

I first heard it on the April Winchell show and don't know anything more about it. But Moyer's petulance is really just something else, isn't it?
posted by benito.strauss at 4:04 PM on June 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

Pff. This is what we call "politeness" in Philly. It's not "despising" unless someone's bleeding or spitting.
posted by supercres at 4:08 PM on June 4, 2013 [2 favorites]

Rashomon: "I don't see the issue on this? Seems to be a bit of a manufactured story. I see mild sarcasm and laughing. Is that what's called cat fighting now days?"

Exactly my take. I get the strong, nigh inescapable, feeling that this is all a gimmick they cooked up for the sake of eyes. Young attractive anchorwoman, and a not so young, not so attractive (sorry, it's all about context) second string player snipe at each other to amuse the audience and attract viewers. I even suspect the supplied "viral" video and webpage to be part of it.
posted by Samizdata at 4:19 PM on June 4, 2013

The fact that this is still available on youtube and has not been DMCA'd at least once makes me suspicious...

(Man, the internets have made me cynical)
(or reinforced my native cynicism, it's hard to tell somedays...)
posted by madajb at 4:30 PM on June 4, 2013

Lame & Tame. As for it giving Philly a bad rep, I don't think it could have any worse rep than it already does.
posted by evilDoug at 4:35 PM on June 4, 2013

In the south, that would indeed be considered a catfight. We excel at subtle down here.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 5:12 PM on June 4, 2013

I just had an epiphany. Having lived in both Cincy and Philly might help explain why my fantasy alter-ego resembles Malcolm McDowell in Clockwork but the soundtrack is pure Hamster Dance.
posted by CincyBlues at 5:19 PM on June 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

Ouch. That was painful to watch.
posted by arcticseal at 7:02 PM on June 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

Reminds me of Chris Morris' The Day Today, wherein Chris would introduce the financial correspondent, and as the camera cut over to her you could hear him saying "Turn my monitor off, I can't stand the sight of her face."
posted by rifflesby at 8:32 PM on June 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

If people think the linked video is bad, the way my friends and I treat each other when we're pretend fighting would make them call 911.

I saw two women who seem to have extremely dry senses of humor ribbing each other. Of course, women aren't allowed to be deadpan in this world - a thing that causes my jokes to bomb all the time.
posted by winna at 9:14 PM on June 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

I must be one of the few who doesn't find any of these antics even slightly entertaining. The last thing I want to see in the morning is some ex-sorority/frat dummy being a wacky-zany-fun clowwwn yuk yuk!!!! Talk about obnoxious, even if it is an act. No wonder the internet is kicking TV's ass.
posted by hellslinger at 9:27 PM on June 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

My take on it is more that the young anchorwoman just seems really mean.

Yeah, in all of these it starts out as typical newscaster banter, and then the anchor just ads this sort of bitterness to it that seems to come out of nowhere, particularly in her tone of voice. Seems personal and unprofessional, while the weather person seems to be trying to maintain professionality. But who knows what the backstory is.

There was one bit where she kind of 'loses' her cool, in the exchange at 1:58 where she says "then you don't know me at all," and then with more passion says "you don't know..." followed by "that was an interesting exchange, I'm sure she regrets, along with that last glass of whatever". It's out of context but I would guess they'd just been talking about the Reece Witherspoon arrest where she tried to get her husband out of a DUI arrest by saying "Do you know who I am?".

I don't see the issue on this? Seems to be a bit of a manufactured story. I see mild sarcasm and laughing. Is that what's called cat fighting now days?

No, it does seem like they don't like eachother to me, but are essentially being forced by the fact that they're on TV to fake like they're not.

That doesn't mean they're not being egged on. But I feel like it's way to subtle and ambiguous to be a total put on, if you were going to do it pro-wrestling style you'd do it pro-wrestling style. Go over the top, only the "You don't know who I am" line really qualifies. It's also possible they are trying to make 'friendly ribbing' banter and they just fuck it up occasionally and make it look mean spirited when it isn't intended to be. It could be the anchor sighed because she was having a bad day and thought she was off screen.

But obviously anything is possible.

Painful self-awareness from the same blog (different blogger), the next day:

From the article:

Thing is (and I actually think this is quite obvious in the video), it was all taken way out of context. Several folks at CBS tell me that former Miss Pennsylvania Nicole Brewer and Carol Erickson are actually good friends and that this is all part of the ongoing on-air banter between the two. Claims of their chumminess are backed up by Tweets like these:

Sure, sure. I'm sure people at NBC talked about how much Ann Currie and Matt Lauer loved eachother before they fired her too.
posted by delmoi at 11:51 PM on June 4, 2013

This is what it looks like when the production crew doesn't like the weather lady.
posted by Purposeful Grimace at 12:47 AM on June 5, 2013 [8 favorites]

Um... I think it's called "banter." They're not terribly good at it, but I don't think it's anything other than attempts at standard banter.

I'm afraid I don't quite follow you, Squadron Leader.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:47 AM on June 5, 2013 [1 favorite]

Part of it, actually, is that the attempts at standard banter are being flubbed, like "I don't expect any monkey business [with the weather]", which should lead to something like, "Well, the kids should go ape for this sunshine!" or whatever. That is newsroom banter. So for the anchor it seems like she feels she's trying and her overtures are being coldly rejected.

I mean, the whole point is a sort of forced chumminess and feel-good audience massage, so while this may be tolerated to a degree, I don't think it's a "work" when they actually reveal this much dislike.
posted by dhartung at 6:43 PM on June 5, 2013