Can anyone stand Joe Scarborough?

Putting this is Cafe Society, though mods may disagree, because it’s his on-air personality more than his politics I have an issue with.

The guy is so abrasive, so obnoxious, so egocentric, so disagreeable that when I find myself agreeing with him, which happens more and more as his politics agree with mine, I tend to be skeptical of that agreement. Is that his brand–people who tune in to hate him? His news show gets some OK guests early in the morning (and some real dopes–it’s the absence of good alternatives more than the quality of Morning Joe that makes me a viewer) and is more informative than sticking my finger in the electric outlet but I haven’t found a single reason not to fast forward when he opens his big mouth, which is between “always” and “pretty damned often.” Do you enjoy his schtick?

In a word, no. There are other outlets to get news and commentary from other than MSNBC.

PM me if you want this reopened in the Pit. This is not Café material at all.

Moved to Pit after talking to OP.

I can’t stand how he talks over everyone, especially Mika. The more informed and interesting his guest is, the more he can’t stand to let him/her finish a sentence.

MSNBC provides news? They’ve long been branding themselves as the liberal counterpoint to Fox News, and with about the same depth of content.

I mean, he’s kind of doing the audience a favor in talking over Mika’s inane blabbering, but otherwise completely on point.

Stranger

Inane blabbering or not, it comes across like he can’t stand to let a woman get a word in. I am not sure if its necessarily a misogynistic thing (because he talks over everybody), but it sure comes off that way.

I don’t think he’s misogynistic; just an exceptional narcissist even by panel show host standards. Still, it is easy to change the channel or even just program your television to skip MSNBC all together.

Stranger

Fair points, and my limited experience comes from watching them interview (talk over) much smarter people talk about the war in Ukraine. That was more than enough.

I imagine Morning Joe as a family drama show, like The Waltons.

Joe is the patriarch of the family. Mika is his new wife, after his first wife sadly passed away. Mike Barnicle is Joe’s father. Willie Geist is Joe’s son from his first marriage. Elise Jordan is Willie’s on/off/? girlfriend. Jonathan Lemire is Willie’s friend who lives next door and comes round a lot.

Seems more like a droll sitcom like My Three Sons or Home Improvement; wacky Dad humor, dumb character schticks, and a patriarch who just talks over or around everyone who patiently tolerates him.

Stranger

And Donnie Deutch is everyone’s favorite drunk uncle

Much as I appreciate the riffing on the show and the general vibe, I’m really wondering if the host himself has any fans, anyone who tunes in thinking “Gee, I hope this isn’t Joe’s day off, I love the way he behaves on the air.” When he goes off on sports, for example, are there folks who go “Oh, boy! At last! I get to hear Joe’s opinions on teams he likes and those he doesn’t like. It’s been so long since I’ve heard him express himself on sporting subjects!” Or “Don’t you just love it when Joe reminds us that he used to be a congressman in the 1990s! He’s so funny, so charming, when he does that. Wish he’d do that bit more often–it never gets old for me.”

Heh, heh, heh, Well, when I was in Congress…

Joe thinks very highly of himself and I admit, I’ve been watching the show for a long time, but less and less of late. He irritates me and when I do watch the show, it’s in spite of him.

When he married Mika, the show lost all of it’s suspense and mystery.

watches it once … made me miss Imus in the morning …tho imus lost a bit when you didn’t get to see everyone off-air on the radio that’s when the real discussions would start

Mika grates me more, but I’m no fan of Joe’s either.

you know i just watched a clip or two and t seems hey’re trying for that McLoughlin group feeling

I’ll offer a dissenting view- I like Joe and the gang and I watch them every morning while I eat my cereal. Joe likes to hammer Republicans for being the dipshits that they are and as a former Republican he has standing to call them out for abandoning conservatism in favor of fascism. He interrupts some but maybe 10% of what Chris Matthews used to do. You get some hard news if it’s breaking at the time but mostly it’s opinion but that’s fine with me.