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March 1994

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Subject:
From:
Alison McKee <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 2 Mar 1994 17:01:00 PST
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> A CBS camera "caught"
> (harsh word, giving a criminal attitude to the whole story) Nancy complaining
> about another skater holding up the Awards ceremony because she was putting on
> makeup.  "A Current Affair" aired this with a vengeance, and even got ahold of
> one of Ms. Kerrigan's representitives to explain why their (the media) creatio
n
> of goodness and righteousness had violated the image by, oh my God, expressing
> her displeasure with something?!?!  Shame on Nancy for saying something that
> could ruin her "image."  Egad, has the media run out of things to get excited
> about?  This Clipper chip is ultimately more important for CBS to give air tim
e
> to, instead of putting Nancy on trial for using her Constitutional right to
> complain.  N'est-ce pas?
>
>                                                Joe Knapp
 
My take on this moment was somewhat different.  CBS "captured" Kerrigan and
the Bronze medalists exchanging congratulations as they waited for the
medal ceremony, Kerrigan shrugging with some disappointment as they discussed
the outcome of her skating specifically, Kerrigan complaining
about the delay in the medal ceremony, being told it was
due to the fact that Gold medalist Bayul was repairing her make-up, and
then snorting with impatience and saying something to the effect of "What's
the point?  She's just going to cry again!" (Actually, I believe the source
of the delay was later attributed to the fact that no one could find a copy
of the Ukranian national anthem).
 
CBS "captured" what struck me as an ungracious remark/attitude on Kerrigan's
part toward Bayul, but there was NO voice-over commentary then or in what
remained of that night's coverage.  If Harding had placed and made a similar
remark about the Gold medal winner, would the commentators have refrained
from editorializing?  I doubt it.
 
My reading of this moment is that CBS and its reps were actually protecting
Kerrigan's image at this point, rather than tarnishing it -- though my guess
is, from Joe Knapp's comments, that *A Current Affair* packaged the event
differently soon after it happened.

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