Stewart Rally's First Casualty: Keith Olbermann's 'Worst Persons in the World'

By PopEater Staff Posted Nov 2nd 2010 07:48AM

Keith Olbermann did away with one of the most popular -- and divisive -- segments on his MSNBC show Monday night, telling viewers that after Jon Stewart's scolding of cable news at the "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" he was effectively killing "Worst Persons in the World."

"There is an institutionalization of it that may no longer be valid," Olbermann said on 'Countdown.' "That is the 'Worst Persons in the World' segment, which started as a way, of all things, of defending Tucker Carlson. Its satire and whimsy have gradually gotten lost in some anger, so in the spirit of the thing, as of right now, I am unilaterally suspending that segment with an eye towards discontinuing it."

Olbermann left the door open to let "Worst" back in, but at this point he's effectively done with his nightly excuse to tease "Bill-O," "El Rushbo" and the like.

"We don't know how that works long-term. We might bring it back. We might bring back something similar to it. We might kill it outright."

The move comes as a bit of a surprise, seeing that during Stewart's "Rally to Restore Sanity" event on Saturday, Olbermann slammed the 'Daily Show' host for saying that voices on the left and the right on cable news were equally guilty of spreading a negative and toxic tone in political discourse.

"If we amplify everything, we hear nothing," Stewart said. "The press is our immune system. If it overreacts to everything, we eventually get sicker."

After Stewart's cable-slamming, Olbermann told his Twitter followers, "It wasn't a big shark but Jon Stewart jumped one just now with the 'everybody on [the] cable is the same' naivete."

► RELATED: Keith Olbermann Scrubs Bush From Nightly Sign-Off

Tags: countdown, keith olbermann

Comments

(97)

Tuesday 02 November

By Bob

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olbermann speaks from personal appraisal. He is the worst person ever everyday but also a real buffoon to top it. I'm amazed that anyone watches this moron.

By Chris

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Bob-o Keith is super intelligent and he simply fact checks everything he says and then adds sarcasm. This is simply what intelligent people do as a way of life. Anyone who is anti-intellectual just don't get the way we think....it's beyond them.

By robtejohn

Chris, who are you kidding? Super intelligent? LMAO. Keith O is a borish individual whose intellectual capacity is no more than a 6th grader. the guy is out of the mainstream and frankly dishonest bot intellectually and factually. He's totally irrelevant.

By vickie

he is so intelligent....if you watch his show he fact checks everything anyone says....and really makes fools of them....especially the republicans glenn beck and rush limbaugh...He will get you every time.....and he is funny!

By jgb662

No, he's like 90% of America - he can't believe the lunatics are running the asylum - with no ideas, no clue and the cause of the worst economy in 80 years - the GOP and Bush administration and supporters.

I know, the words are too big for the Fox audience of brainwashed TV Evangelical sheep.

By mbrul

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"super intelligent"? LMAO! uh, riiight, that's what we need someone who's super intelligent spending their time on tv. why doesn't he use his super powers to solve some problems?

By BTDT

He is a well-spoken jackaxx

By Mary

Have you learn nothing at all from the words Jon Stewart spoke? The tone in this country is at an all time low. It's no longer enough to have a differing opinion, you must now shout down and hurl insults to those who don't share it. I am so tired of the left and the right hating because it blurrs the things we really need to know to navigate through this world.

Friday 05 November

By David

Well I think we all now know why Olbermann never has opposing views on his show. The fact that he would dump a segment after a bit of honest critisim shows that Herr Olbermann doesn't have the stones for a fight.

By ccm989

Good for Keith Olbermann! Using FOX News techniques is shameful. Leave the lies, distortions and hyperbole to those self-admitted druggies Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh.

By martbild

Keith Olberman is still on the air?

By Rob

who is keith olbermann?

To paraphrase another Teabag/Beckbot: "Ask your mother."

By conniee

I dont no who watches him peobably people that diddnt no Oboma did coke.

By elaine greene

People who watch him know how to spell; leaves you out.

By bennerd

Apparently you didn't no that not noing is a pathetic sign of your ignorance. Try reading a book, you no those things they lend at your local library and then you'll no how to spell know!

By Carole

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cccoonniieeee- I guess you don't no [sic] that Bush also did coke and was an alcoholic. Now that you have been 'schooled', please get yourself an education.

After Bush's coke and alcohol binges - you try that BS; after you follow blindly the alcoholic Beck? Drug abusing, forgery, three times divorced hate and fear monger Limbaugh?

You really are riding the short yellow bus.

By Brenda

How short is your memory? Bush did coke and is an alcoholic. But, I guess that is okay because he is all White and Obama is only half-White.

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