THE DAILY NEWSLETTER - MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021 

Media Winners & Losers

MEDIA WINNER:
SNL's James Austin Johnson

It's not easy being the new kid in class, especially when that class is broadcast nationally on live television. But James Austin Johnson held his own this weekend as one of the new members of Saturday Night Live's cast for its 47th season, delivering a performance that has us looking forward to what he'll contribute to NBC's sketch comedy show.

Johnson's debut came during the cold open, playing the role of President Joe Biden -- literally and figuratively front and center.

It's a character that has humbled more seasoned actors; Jim Carrey's portrayal last season was panned as "squishing his face in odd directions and imagining Biden as being afflicted by an angry internal monologue."

Still, Johnson nimbly captured Biden's mannerisms without overdosing on goofiness, a critique that was applied to other past SNL Bidens like Woody Harrelson and Alex Moffat, or Alec Baldwin's cheesy take on former President Donald Trump.

MEDIA LOSER:
Matthew Dowd

Matthew Dowd is taking a break from tweeting very dumb things and complaining on cable news to run for Lieutenant Governor of Texas -- oh, wait, just kidding! He's still tweeting dumb things and complaining on cable news. But now he's a political candidate complaining on cable news about questions about his dumb tweets. 

He got snippy with CNN's Brianna Keilar on Monday when she asked about a recent Fox News article about Dowd deleting 175,000 past tweets before launching his campaign. 

Dowd dismissed the report as "funny" and Fox just looking for "some conspiracy theory." The actual article doesn't push any conspiracy theories -- just points out Dowd's well-known history of controversial tweets -- and Keilar didn't push any either. 

She tried three times to get him to answer, but all she got from Dowd was him snapping at her that he'd already answered the question. A pathetic and rude response to a question he should be able to answer.

The A-Block

Online shenanigans causing all sorts of trouble

Well, maybe our boomer parents really were right about the dangers of the internet. The online world is causing a whole lotta trouble for a whole lotta people in the real world lately.

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen came forward, giving her first public interview to 60 Minutes on Sunday. Haugen collected tens of thousand of internal documents from the social media giant before she left, and oh, she had some tea to spill

As if Facebook CEO didn't have enough headaches with Haugen's disclosures and increasing scrutiny from Congress and the media, Facebook itself went down for several hours on Monday, along with two of its other major properties, WhatsApp and Instagram. 

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey couldn't resist taking a shot at a rival, with several snarky tweets joking about buying Facebook's domain and so on.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer probably wishes Twitter had gone down, after he was the star of an embarrassing viral video over the weekend. He apologized on Monday for being "stupid" and a "distraction."

Progressive protesters followed Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) into a ladies' room to badger her about immigration reform and the infrastructure bill. Many on Twitter and in the media loudly condemned their tactics. Even Biden was asked to respond


In Other News...

Fox News Blasted for ‘Shameless’ Misleading Headline on Disabled Veteran Tammy Duckworth

‘His Soul Is Just So Damaged’: Broadway Legend Betty Buckley Reacts to News That Trump Aide Would Play ‘Memory’ From Cats to Calm Him Down

Trump Donor Told Police Corey Lewandowski Claimed to Have Stabbed Two People to Death

'Sarah Silverman Decries ‘Jewface’ Issue, Rips Hollywood for Failing to Cast Jewish Actors in Jewish Roles


Do you love podcasts? Want to get paid to write about them? Mediaite is hiring

Must See Clip

'We are blessed in a lotta ways'

Tony Bennett just turned 95 in August, and has been dealing with the challenges of Alzheimer's disease. Bennett and his wife, Susan Crow, sat down for an intimate interview with Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes, sharing that while he is unaware of his diagnosis, he still retains a very strong memory and love of music. 

The 60 Minutes segment also includes an interview with Bennett's friend Lady Gaga, reminiscing about singing with the musical legend, and most memorably, what will probably be Bennett's last public performance, when he joined her at Radio City Music Hall in August. 

It's a beautiful tribute to an American treasure, and a must-watch.

Links We Like

Why this Facebook scandal is different
- Shirin Ghaffary, Vox
The Excessive, Unjust Enforcement of Petty Traffic Laws Causes Too Many American To Lose their Driver's Licenses
- Brian Doherty, Reason
The ‘Magical Episode 4’ Theory: Here's How Many Episodes of a New TV Show You Should Watch
- Shirley Li, The Atlantic
The MAGA Trashiest Police Report in History
- Tim Miller, The Bulwark
Reading this online? Why not get it in your inbox? Sign up for the Mediaite Live from the Greenroom Newsletter today!
Twitter Twitter
Facebook Facebook
Instagram Instagram
Visit Mediaite Visit Mediaite
Copyright © 2021 Mediaite LLC All rights reserved.

Write to us:  tips@mediaite.com

Problems with these e-mails? Update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.