CNN’s resident media hall monitor, Brian Stelter, is out at CNN after his show “Reliable Sources” was canceled by CEO Chris Licht.
Stelter hosted the show for the past nine years. The program celebrated its 30th anniversary in March.
Stelter, in a statement to NPR, was thankful for the opportunity that he had been given to scrutinize and discuss “the media, truth and the stories that shape our world.”
“It was a rare privilege to lead a weekly show focused on the press at a time when it has never been more consequential,” he said.
Stelter will be sorely missed by this author, as he was a consistent source of entertainment. Not facts or knowledge. But pure, unbridled, completely unintentional entertainment.
As such, I offer you some of the best examples of Stelter providing that entertainment. Laughter is the best medicine as they say, and a necessity in these truly trying times.
Let’s all wipe away the tears and have a look …
Stelter Airs Himself Not Wearing Pants
CNN’s Brian Stelter for some reason, in the throes of the pandemic, wanted to humanize himself a bit by showing the trials and tribulations of media members having to work from home studios.
So he aired a bit showing himself wearing no pants.
why would Stelter air this clip of him doing a live shot without pants on his own show? pic.twitter.com/uiR9Y65aMm
— Watchdog (@LibWatchdog) March 7, 2021
Fox News anchors Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity had a field day with the segment.
“The footage shows the little media hall monitor—calves and thighs fully exposed—when he appeared for a television report on CNN,” Carlson said, handing his show off to Hannity.
“OK, now you just traumatized me with Humpty Dumpty and I’m going to have that image seared into my memory for the rest of my life,” Hannity replied.
Carlson couldn’t stop laughing.
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Joe Rogan Mocks ‘Strange’ Stelter
Popular podcast host Joe Rogan and his guest poked a little fun at Stelter for a consistent source of mockery – his actual age.
British author Douglas Murray began the conversation by noting he doesn’t like to make fun of anybody’s physical appearance as a rule but … he then made an exception for Stelter, who he surmised had to be about 56-years-old.
Stelter in reality is 36-years of age. He vaguely resembles a less disheveled Danny DeVito.
Murray noted that he “couldn’t stop laughing” about that fact and added, “everything about the guy is strange.”
“His pattern of communication is so strange,” Rogan interjected. “It’s like, do you listen to other people? They talk very differently from you.”
WOW. Joe Rogan just absolutely destroys fake news potato Brian Stelter and talks about the predictable demise of CNN+
Must watch: pic.twitter.com/hbjrmx2Uw4
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) April 23, 2022
Russell Brand’s Imitation of CNN’s Brian Stelter
Speaking of his strange ‘pattern of communication,’ comedian Russell Brand delivered an epic imitation of the soon-to-be former CNN anchor.
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. They’re wrong.
The clip was viewed millions of times and the term ‘sonny Jim’ became synonymous with Stelter.
“Now listen here, sonny Jim—you’re not only making people not trust you, you’re making them not trust me,” Brand mocked in a slightly lispy voice.
Russell Brand does an incredible impression of the now-fired Brian Stelter. pic.twitter.com/RV55G8q8e6
— Catch Up (@CatchUpNetwork) August 18, 2022
RELATED: Joe Rogan Mocks Brian Stelter And ‘CNN Minus’ After Spectacular Demise Of CNN+
College Freshman Gets the Best of Brian
At a forum in which CNN’s Brian Stelter and other ‘experts’ were to discuss “disinformation,” one college freshman stood up and pointed out CNN’s own habit of pushing disinformation that “magically” benefits only one political party.
The clip is hilarious mostly for Stelter’s reaction, but it’s also pretty sad when you realize the breadth of his network’s disinformation campaign over the years.
“They push the Russian collusion hoax, they push the Jussie Smollett hoax, they smeared Justice Kavanaugh as a rapist, and they also smeared Nick Sandmann as a white supremacist. And yes, they dismissed the Hunter Biden laptop affair as pure Russian disinformation,” Christopher Phillips accused CNN.
“With mainstream corporate journalists becoming little more than apologists and cheerleaders for the regime, is it time to finally declare that the canon of journalistic ethics is dead or no longer operative?”
Oof.
Brian Stelter just got called tf out by a college freshman for every major hoax CNN has pushed.
His response was “that’s a popular right-wing narrative.”
pic.twitter.com/bOvE9wDiAD— Greg Price (@greg_price11) April 7, 2022
The psychological wound was so deep that Stelter could only joke about wanting to get away, nervously responding, “It’s too bad. It’s time for lunch.”
Author Shreds Stelter and His ‘Sanctimony’
Author Michael Wolff may well have delivered the ultimate insult to CNN’s Brian Stelter, saying he is the “flip side of Donald Trump.”
Wolff explained that Stelter and his media colleagues are full of themselves, something that is part of the problem when covering the former President.
“I think the media has done a terrible job on this,” Wolff said. “I think you yourself — you’re a nice guy, you know, you’re full of sanctimony. You become one of the parts of the problem of the media.”
The author continued hammering away at the feeble CNN anchor, saying he is “one of the reasons” that “people can’t stand the media.”
“You’re the flip side of Donald Trump,” he said. “‘Fake news,’ and you say ‘virtuous news.'”
Author Michael Wolff HUMILIATES CNN’s Brian Stelter…on his own show!
MUST SEE! pic.twitter.com/y2KfmVFQPM
— Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka) July 18, 2021
Joe Rogan: ‘Hey Motherf*****, You’re Supposed To Be A Journalist’
Our good friend Joe Rogan makes another appearance on this list, as Stelter is often a punching bag on his show.
Stelter had recently interviewed then-White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, fawning over his guest and asking questions such as: “What does the press get wrong when covering Biden’s agenda?”
Rogan responded with one of the more epic tough love lines we’ve ever heard delivered in the CNN anchor’s direction.
“How about Brian Stelter talking to the press secretary, ‘What are we doing wrong? What are we doing wrong?’” Rogan mocked. “Like, hey motherf***er, you’re supposed to be a journalist.”
Viewers Repeatedly Blast Him as a Liar
Stelter made an appearance on C-SPAN in which caller after caller appeared on the show referring to him and the network he works for as liars.
“Mr. Stelter is the biggest minister of misinformation I have ever heard and I’m a news junkie,” one caller said during the uncomfortable segment.
“My suggestion is, whatever CNN says, do the opposite and you’ll do fine,” another quipped, while one caller asked Stelter to “admit he and his network are a bunch of liars about Donald Trump.”
Legendary Journalist Ted Koppel Mocks CNN’s Brian Stelter to His Face
Legendary journalist Ted Koppel in 2018 predicted CNN’s current ratings predicament, telling Brian Stelter and his network their “ratings would be in the toilet without Donald Trump.”
A flummoxed Stelter fired back at Koppel saying, “I reject the premise that these networks are making so much money off of Trump.”
Koppel responded by condescendingly stating it must be a “sensitive subject” for Stelter.
Video: To consternation of @BrianStelter, Ted Koppel contended during 10/1 Kalb Report @PressClubDC: “You would be lost without @realDonaldTrump. CNN’s ratings would be in the toilet without Trump.” Stelter: “Ted, you know that’s not true. You’re playing for laughs.” #NPCLive pic.twitter.com/XGZl9yNzqh
— Brent Baker ?? (@BrentHBaker) October 3, 2018
Stelter was frequently referred to alternately as the media’s “hall monitor” for his perpetual tattling on other networks and their material, or a potato. Both were accurate.
We’ll miss the most famous potato in the hall, for sure. His last show will be this Sunday.
God speed, Brian Stelter. May visions of Fox News continue to dance in your head.
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