List of biggest losers of 2017
It’s time to name 2017’s biggest losers. Not surprisingly, this list is longer than the winners, and much more entertaining:
By far, the biggest losers were the men who serially harassed women. No, we’re not talking about those who stand accused of 35-year-old claims of he-said-shesaid pats on the behind, such as Dustin Hoffman, but those who exhibited beyondthe-pale egregious behavior.
Yet even in that category, some are bigger losers than others – not because of what they did, but because of who they were and what they purported to be.
Hollywood’s biggest open secret was Harvey Weinstein’s exploits over the decades. He was a Class-A dirtbag who was crystal clear about what he expected – and wasn’t afraid to threaten repercussions for noncompliance. So it came as no surprise that Weinstein eventually got called on the carpet.
But contrast that with the “wholesome” image cultivated by the likes of Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose, Kevin Spacey and Sen. Al Franken, among others.
These were men who invited themselves into our living rooms as “good guys,” yet turned out to be anything but honorable.
And let’s be honest: it stings more knowing that some of America’s top role models were the biggest violators. Americans may forgive, but they won’t forget, as the offenders broke a sacred trust that will never be repaired.
• President Trump and the GOP: Yes, the President ended the year with a momentous victory, signing the tax cut into law. But was it too little, too late?
The fact that such a question is even being asked tells you that the Republicans have squandered perhaps the greatest opportunity in history to right the ship. Sure, the tax cut will help the GOP in this year’s elections, but only minimally. For the Republicans to have a shot of retaining power, they must, in short order, reverse their litany of 2017 failures: no border wall; no immigration reform; no revamped trade deals; no health-care reform; no lowering of college tuition; no action on the insane North Korean nuclear madman; no extrication from the Middle Eastern quagmire; no shelved Iran nuclear deal; no infrastructure package; no entitlement reform; no spending freezes; and no improvement of race relations.
• Robin Roberts: The “Good Morning America” anchor has either forgotten the most fundamental premise of journalism – report the news objectively, keep your opinions to yourself, and don’t become the news – or, more likely, she simply doesn’t care to uphold the traditions of the Fourth Estate.
Inserting her two-cents before, during and after stories has become inexcusably commonplace. But especially egregious was what occurred after an interview that she didn’t even conduct! Co-host Michael Strahan had just finished interviewing controversial Trump staffer Omarosa Manigault Newman. Omarosa, who is leaving the White House this month, stated that when she is done, she’ll “tell her story,” presumably through a book deal.
Roberts chimed in after the interview by snidely quipping, “I’m sure she’ll be selling that story … Bye, Felicia.” It was the “Bye, Felicia” that garnered national headlines, since that phrase is a pop culture way of arrogantly dismissing someone, especially an annoying person.
• Sean Hannity: Hannity has also lost whatever credibility he may have had. As a commentator, he is in the opinion business. But he is increasingly going off the deep end, pushing crazy conspiracy stories while being a shill for President Trump. It’s gotten to the point where even some Hannity groupies are starting to raise their eyebrows. One has to wonder how much time Hannity has left at Fox, which, after numerous scandals, needs to attract more viewers, not alienate them while becoming a laughingstock.
• NFL: No list of losers would be complete without all-thingsNFL. First, we had the kneeling/turning one’s back/staying in the locker room during the National Anthem. That was the icing on the cake for a league beset by attendance and rating problems. The NFL is lucky that the networks overpaid for broadcast rights, but things won’t be so rosy next time around.
Happy New Year!