Wow, is Jessica's post-firing blog a car wreck.
Mixing metaphors a bit, it's part pity party, part love notes from barely literate fans and it's all mixed with just a dash of her traditionally off-base observations on subjects ranging from immigration to ... well herself (for someone who alleges to be "sick of her own story," Jessica sure is wallowing in it).
Here she is, griping about how WTMJ is replacing her, true conservative Jessica McBride, with purported faux conservative (actually the term is "has been comedian in search of a new schtick") Dennis Miller:
Dennis Miller is a good person. But he's just not me. You know, maybe things happen for a reason. If that's what the marketplace wants (which I doubt), they are a business, so go for it, I guess. But don't confuse it with principle.
Could the marketplace "want" Dennis Miller even less than it wanted Jessica McBride? That's a challenging question, given Jessica's ratings were well into negative integers. But if the marketplace "wanted" Jessica McBride, we wouldn't be having this discussion.
But seriously: Her narcissism appears to be borderline clinical.
And Jessica: The Brawler suspects the reason the station asked you to talk more about "lifestyle" issues and less about Bush and Doyle isn't because you're a woman. He suspects it because your ignorant rants were getting to be too embarrassing even for WTMJ! Though not, apparently, for UW-M.!
"Dennis Miller is a good person. But he's just not me."
Well, given the choice between his snide commentary and obscure references, and her nasal monotone and perma-ego-stroke, I'd have to go with Dennis. He switched sides once, maybe he'll do it again. And there's always the hope of a Miller/Carlin head to head.
And you're right, for all the "I'm sick of my own story" she's been spouting, maybe she should take the next logical step and just shut up about it already.
Posted by: will | May 24, 2007 at 01:11 PM
Jessie, please! For the love of Pete!!! I never thought I'd have to comment on you again...I thought you were gone. But hon, you are the LAST AT THE DANCE. GO home. Go home. Go...ALL of us want to do an intervention and tell you this. GO HOME!
You have a baby and a husband who'd like you back.
Your adoring public and the youngsters at UWM, will be there after your long, narcisistic, sad temper tantrum.
As someone once said, there are second acts. But you've got to get OFF STAGE AND change your costume.
Posted by: Missy | May 24, 2007 at 09:20 PM
It's sad to discover that someone like Jessica, who is apparently related to Genevieve McBride (niece to the latter, I believe), could stray so far from the elder's sage and progressive leanings -- and teachings.
Genny taught history of journalism at UW-M when I was a student there 17 years ago, and she was quite good, IMO. I hear she's moved to the UW-M History Department; good for her.
Genny also was not wrapped up in herself (compare Jessica's egomaniacal outgassings in her massive bio on the UW-M Website).
When I knew her, Genny was a well-balance person who didn't make a foolish spectacle of herself, publicly or otherwise, and she certainly wasn't -- and I'd venture to guess still isn't -- inclined to align herself with the rapidly and understandably fading ideology of neoconservatism.
I've long since moved on from Milwaukee, even bailed on journalism for its lousy hours and pay (tech writing is far more lucrative), and having seen the direction journalism was going after the Reagan years. But it seems that being a mouthpiece for the likes of PNAC and their ilk can pay off hugely. Just ask Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin, to name but a few women who've sold their souls to the wealthy neocon world of pseudojournalism, aka infotainment.
Yes, from where I stand, and from the perspective of a hard-fact-laden technical writer for the last 15 years, it appears that Jessica McBride has long ago cashed in her Journalist's Code of Ethics in favor of a shot at "fame" a la the right-wing opining circuit.
To that I say: Good luck, Jessica. The polls suggest that Americans are growing weary of loud-mouthed, ill-informed spin-meisters, whereas the straight-shooting realm of honest journalism forges ahead in the form of Frontline, Nightline, and 60 Minutes, to name but a few.
Nice blog, brawler. Glad I happened upon your site.
Posted by: mforseth | May 31, 2007 at 12:37 PM
How ironic, on Jessica McBride's media matters site, she posts "words of wisdom," and comments, "So true." Yet there are 3 gems in there that she refuses to follow. Jessica, if you're going to talk the talk, then walk the walk.
1. If anger persists--you lost. Your anger at being fired obviously persists. Face it, you screwed up. I listened to the audio, and was offended not just by your continuous laughter, but also your comment about the 4-year-old who got killed, "What was she doing--jumping rope or something?" That kind of way-too-casual remark implies either that she was stupid to be outside jumping rope, or that you had no clue what she was doing when she got shot.
2. God gave you two ears and one mouth. Use them in that proportion. Apparently Jessica has taken this bit of wisdom to the extreme--unfortunately God also gave her 8 fingers and 2 thumbs, which is why she's spending so much time ranting about this on her computer.
3. The world isn't conspiring against you. You're not that important.
Posted by: Tami | June 01, 2007 at 07:22 AM