# Stupidest thing you've heard a newscaster say? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 28, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981 "2008-07-28T21:27:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981/1 "2008-07-28T21:27:40Z")
On CNN Headline News last week…when reporting on the Qantas flight with the mid-air explosion. The anchor said “Alas, there were no injuries.” “Alas”? Sorry to have disappointed you! On a San Francisco station many years ago, local anchor was reading off the teleprompter about satellite images coming back from Jupiter’s moon Io. Except he pronounced it “Ten”. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981/2 "2008-07-28T21:35:57Z")
Well, I don’t know about it being the stupidest, but I heard a promo on NPR this morning for an upcoming show about the time a B52 hit the Empire State Building. Except is was a B25… ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981/3 "2008-07-28T21:53:52Z")
After the bombing of the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, a Tulsa TV news reporter repeatedly referred to the event as “this terrible travesty.” ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981/4 "2008-07-28T22:16:30Z")
I once heard a Los Angeles anchorman (reading directly off the teleprompter, of course) refer to the Spanish-language newspaper “La Opinión” as “L.A. Opinion.” There’s no excuse for that in this town… ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981/5 "2008-07-28T22:53:35Z")
I remember back in 2004, when Jean-Betranded Aristide went into exile. An American reporter described the reaction of white Hatians as well as “African-American” Hatians. She clearly meant black Hatians, or possibly African-Hatians, but was trying to be politically correct. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981/6 "2008-07-28T23:01:43Z")
A couple of years ago, after a huge windstorm, a TV reporter was standing in front of a gigantic downed tree. He gestured at the tree behind him and said, “If you’re wondering why you don’t have any electricity…” I suppose that was meant for all the folks at home watching the news on their pedal-powered TVs. ---
**Author:** ![Capcha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Capcha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capcha)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981/7 "2008-07-28T23:05:19Z")
[QUOTE=freckafree] A couple of years ago, after a huge windstorm, a TV reporter was standing in front of a gigantic downed tree. He gestured at the tree behind him and said, “If you’re wondering why you don’t have any electricity…” I suppose that was meant for all the folks at home watching the news on their pedal-powered TVs. [/QUOTE] That made me choke! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981/8 "2008-07-28T23:14:55Z")
The OP and **Rhiannon8404** seem to fit the spirit; these others just seem like slips of the tongue. There are plenty of ways to hear a TV newscaster, even if your house is blacked out. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981/9 "2008-07-28T23:22:22Z")
[QUOTE=Troy McClure SF] The OP and **Rhiannon8404** seem to fit the spirit; these others just seem like slips of the tongue. There are plenty of ways to hear a TV newscaster, even if your house is blacked out. [/QUOTE] My husband and I use a portable radio with a “TV band” when the electricity is out during a storm. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981/10 "2008-07-28T23:37:07Z")
[QUOTE=Troy McClure SF] The OP and **Rhiannon8404** seem to fit the spirit; these others just seem like slips of the tongue. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but per [this](http://www.infoplease.com/ipea/A0004420.html), _La Opinión_ is the 4th highest circulating Los-Angeles based newspaper, and as near as I could tell is the highest circulating Spanish-language newspaper in the nation. (None of the others on that list seemed to have Spanish names, at least.) For a newsman in Los Angeles to make that mistake is just sloppy. The paper is all OVER around here, in every newstand and in every vending machine stand. Especially as, if I recall correctly, he said “…according to Spanish-language newspaper L.A. Opinion…”. He was just reading and not thinking at all about what he was saying, otherwise he’d have been prepared to give the proper name. ---
**Author:** ![Charger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@Charger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charger)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981/11 "2008-07-28T23:51:46Z")
Approximately ten years ago, as I recall, a central Wisconsin station had a new weather reporter who was talking about storm activity coming from the southwest. She pointed at Iowa and referred to it as, “um, _that_ state.” ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981/12 "2008-07-29T00:07:46Z")
“Many of the antiquities looted from Iraqi museums after the US invasion have been returned, _for those of you who consider that an important story_.” “…[blah blah blah] the invasion of Iraq, which they consider a sovereign nation…” I guess not stupid so much as dismissive and wrongheaded. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981/13 "2008-07-29T00:14:57Z")
It happens often but the term “high powered rifle” makes my head spin. They never seem to mention what a “low powered rifle” is. I suppose that might be a BB gun or maybe even a .22 but I never heard any of them say that Reagan was shot with a low-powered handgun. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981/14 "2008-07-29T00:28:52Z")
This is more a stupid thing she [did](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtMJdoggs7Y), but I saw it live. It was on YouTube about one hour later. ---
**Author:** ![Lavender\_Falcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b782af/32.png) [@Lavender\_Falcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lavender_Falcon)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981/15 "2008-07-29T00:42:44Z")
There was a tornado a few years ago in western Minnesota that did massive damage to a town, and the helicopter footage showed a house where literally nothing was left but the foundation. There wasn’t so much as a speck of dust in the basement. The anchor (who was always a bit of a dipshit) said to the weatherman, “So Dave, we always tell people to go to the basement in the event of a tornado. What should they do in a situation like this house we’re looking at?” The weatherman hesitated and you could see him scrambling to figure out how to say something other than “The basement is the safest place, but sometimes you’re screwed and you die anyway.” Fortunately, nobody was in that particular house when the storm hit. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981/16 "2008-07-29T01:47:45Z")
I saw a video at [Skoopy.com](http://Skoopy.com) a couple of years back of a female anchor saying that an energy company was “planning to jack off…uh, up… the cost of heating your home from 27 to 30 percent.” She never missed a beat, never smiled or laughed. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981/17 "2008-07-29T03:06:26Z")
“…And he’s been charged with D-W-I, Drunk While Intoxicated. In other news…” ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981/18 "2008-07-29T03:55:56Z")
The other day, DeathLlama and I both did a spittake and had to rewind the DVR when one of the local crap story reporters did his teaser for his Big Story (for full effect, you must imagine the melodramatic tone his delivery had): “Coming up, watch and learn how doing something as simple as this…” :::takes a swig from a water bottle::: “…_drinking water_…can save your life.” OMFG! We all need WATER or we’ll DIE?! _REALLY??_ **STOP THE PRESSES!** (Or whatever they do now.) ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981/19 "2008-07-29T05:06:46Z")
Bob Varsha, who is otherwise a very good sports announcer, once said as a Formula One race was about to start, that “the drivers have one foot on the gas, one foot on the brake, and one foot on the clutch.” I submitted this to the people who do the 776 Stupidest Things Ever Said books, and they used it in one of their calendars. ---
**Author:** ![whistlepig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/73ab20/32.png) [@whistlepig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whistlepig)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981/20 "2008-07-29T05:09:07Z")
“It’s going to be cold out tonight so you ranchers need to take card of your lambs and eewees.” Apparently he had never seen the word “ewes” before. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-thing-youve-heard-a-newscaster-say/457981.md?page=2)