Ever since Dan Rather tethered himself to a lightpost to anchor the CBS Evening News live from a hurricane, reporters in the heart of a storm have been a staple of TV news disaster coverage.
NBC's Al Roker tried to get a little of the Anderson Cooper mojo working for himself in Naples, Fla., as Hurricane Wilma came ashore. The result instead sent him scrambling for cover indoors.
The Malcontent's clip is followed by a hilarious, slo-mo replay.
[Watch video – 0:51, WMV format, high bandwidth]
[Watch video – 0:51, WMV format, high bandwidth]
[Watch video – 0:51, QT format]
Nope, nope, no. You got it wrong. The crew was trying to get the slim-and-reduced version of Al Roker into a canoe that rested in about a foot of water... he didn't want to go.
And before Dan Rather, there was former newsreporter John Cameron Swayze strapping on a Timex and standing in the face of a hurricane. Dan just waited 'til the memory of JCS/Timex stunts faded before trying his stunt.
Posted by: Michigan-Matt | October 25, 2005 at 10:17 AM
This made my morning when I saw this. On an unrelated note, I recently broke my promise last Sunday to never, ever to go to the "Today Show Plaza."
I was in the Diamond District hungering for a "Doughnut Plant" doughnut. Remembered that Dean&Deluca carries them...and remembering that there is a D&D in the backdrop of the plaza, I made my way to the home of Katie & Matt, Al & Anne.
Shame.
Posted by: John | October 25, 2005 at 10:21 AM
I was there probably seven or eight years ago and Matt Lauer shoved the mic in my face and asked who I was and why I was there. The only people who would have seen me would have been those lame podunk stations without local news cut-ins at 25 after the hour.
My debut on The Today Show, however, was being interviewed in 1991 by then-host Joe Garagiola, debate-style. I was a student representing support for the first Persian Gulf War, up against a hippie who wanted Saddam to keep Kuwait.
Posted by: The Malcontent | October 25, 2005 at 12:01 PM