Robert De Niro appeared on CNN with host Brian Stelter on Sunday morning and things became aggressively vulgar in the blink of an eye.
De Niro’s potty mouth was at the forefront of the broadcast and his comments about President Trump, Fox News and each of their viewers/supporters even shocked some CNN employees – if you can believe that.
And one anonymous on-air CNN personality wasn’t pleased with the network booking Robert De Niro in the first place.
De Niro’s early Sunday morning comments shook the social media world and became the most viral video on the Internet.
De Niro appeared on Brian Stelter’s CNN show “Reliable Sources” and said about Trump first that he “should not be president, period.”
Of course he thinks that. The two-time Academy Award winner has been saying that since before President Trump was elected.
Following that comment, Stelter stated, “And when you say that, folks on Fox come after you.” De Niro through his hand away, “forget them.” Stelter brought up his 2018 Tony Awards Speech when he cursed, “F—k Trump,” saying “when you got up there and cursed.”
De Niro cut him off: “F—k’em.” And then reiterated, “F—k’em.”
Even a CNN employee offstage uncomfortably yelled, “Whoa!” De Niro then seemed to reel it back in that moment with “Sorry. Sorry.”
You probably already saw the video but just in case you didn’t here it is:
CNN’s Brian Stelter lets Robert De Niro repeatedly say “fuck” on his “Reliable Sources” show with almost no pushback
Absolute clown show pic.twitter.com/n5ppHvNQAz
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) September 29, 2019
And to emulate the sentiments of the offstage CNN employee who said “Whoa!” there was a current CNN on-air personality that shared the opinion.
He anonymously said, “It’s particularly puzzling that our show, which allegedly critiques media, would choose to host a Hollywood celebrity with zero discernible news value. What is his credential, other than deeply hating the president? What did our viewers gain from his vulgarity?”
A second CNN personality, also speaking under the guise of anonymity, said he would have ended the interview as soon as those profane words left his mouth.
That person said, “I would have said, ‘We’re done here,’ but entitlement culture comes from people who are icons in their trade, they think they can get away with that on a Sunday morning. But if it’s good for ratings you can deal with the blowback.”
And that’s the modus operandi of the media. It’s all about the ratings, isn’t it? It doesn’t matter if it’s an aging movie star who has no experience in politics; just come on our network and spew vitriol because we also agree with it. That’s CNN’s whole mantra.
Other journalists felt the same way.
The Hill media reporter Joe Concha felt the situation was “contrived” because CNN has allowed profanity on its airwaves before and they knew exactly what they were getting into by having De Niro, of all people, on a show ironically called “Reliable Sources.”
Managing editor Curtis Houck of NewsBusters said of the awkward situation, “Stelter feigned discomfort for what happened, but in reality, CNN couldn’t be any prouder of how that went down. De Niro’s tirade illustrated why any lecture from [CNN] about civility and decency will continue to ring hollow. The desire to impeach the president has become such an obsession for CNN and the rest of the liberal media that it’s become a 21st-century version of the golden calf that these people worship.”
No truer words have ever been spoken.
But maybe the most profound comment related to this story came from DePauw University professor and frequent CNN critic Jeffrey McCall in which he said, “We live in a weird time in which pop culture blends with public affairs.”
There’s no question about that. Maybe these liberal news journalists are so excited because they feel like a part of the Hollywood community.