Barbara Walters Felt Tawdry - I wanted to vomit

Barbara Walters got a phone interview with Paris Hilton from the LA County jail. She almost landed the first post release interview with Ms Hilton (she had questions sketched out). But CNN and Larry King got the interview, somehow Barbara decided that it was Tawdry.

There is an amazing bit of self justification that Barbara goes through. She claims it wasn't Tawdry until the 'pay for interview' discussion, then it became tawdry and according to Barbara the folks at ABC didn't get outbid by CNN; no, they discovered journalism standards and furthermore it was because of Barbara.

Because I believe Ms Walters is lying, I will classify her as a hypocrite on this. She says she felt the Hilton interview was tawdry, she really is just jealous of Larry King.

FWIW, I think King is an awful interviewer; he has no willingness to construct a tough question and he has no ability to ask a follow up question; Walters may be a better interviewer; however she makes me want to vomit.

BTW, as explained by the LA TIMES, the networks do not pay directly for interviews, instead they give license fees, residuals, options on discounts at luxury hotels, etc. In that way, the networks can proudly say, "We do not pay for interviews."

This would be a case of hypocrisy also, but actually its closer to weaseling.

As posted on:

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/abc/walters_calls_idea_of_paris_interview_tawdry_61721.aspa

and

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-parismillion,0,7909619.story?coll=la-home-entertainment