Tuesday, April 1, 2008

...lamest excuse of the year

Dagbladet has a story about Vårt Land covering a tribute concert to the Christian rocker Larry Norman (He's dead, Wilhelm). The cool thing about this is that Vårt Land quotes Elvira Nikolaisen on saying "I'm really digging Larry too". The problem is that even if Elvira was scheduled to appear on the concert, she missed her train and hence never made it to on the concert.

To his defense, the journalist claims that "he actually went to the concert, but didn't discover that Elvira never was there before it was too late and the paper was in print".

I say: How 'bout not making up interviews, regardless of where people are?

14 comments:

Wilhelm said...

That's pretty sucktacular, but not in any way unique, and the comment from the editorial staff in Vårt Land that they'll deal with the matter internally didn't instill much confidence. It's very likely that the "journalist" in question doesn't even get a slap on the wrist.

Remember that li'l bespectacled douchebag who used to front the 60 minutes-like Norwegian show on TV2 a few years back? The twerp who did an "exposé" on how a number of athletes were - imagine my surprise - popping illegal performance enhancers like tic-tacs......he even sent some samples off to labs for testing of E/T ratios and whatnot, only he didn't have time to wait for the results, and instead assumed that the tests would indeed come back positive? Well the show was broadcast with him stating that they tested positive, and it came to light that he was full of shit and just made that up. Did he get fired? Nope - he was shipped to the US as a correspondent.

Now I can guarantee that if I - or any other actively researching academic - was caught falsifying data, I'd be blackballed like there's no tomorrow, and most certainly fired. It'd be impossible for me to find a job in science after that. And if by some freak coincidence you were caught falsifying data in your profession, I'm quite sure we'd be downing 40's and Jack outside the unemployment office together.

Anders said...

Are you talking about the documentary that claimed most of the skiers and skaters in Norway? I do remember that, but not as detailed as you do. That's much worse then the guy doing this "interview".

However, what I liked about the Vårt Land land is the excuse. They don't excuse for making up an interview, their just sorry that the reality doesn't fit their made up story. Pretty much the same as Pigeon claiming to steal your lunch money here on the blog...

Wilhelm said...

That's the one. What was really fu*ked up, beside the fact that he just made stuff up, was that there were literally no consequences for the "journalist".

..by which I mean that he's not currently working at McDonalds

Unknown said...

Pretty much the same as Pigeon claiming to steal your lunch money here on the blog...

Yeah right it's the same ... :)

Wilhelm said...

...are you saying that I'm just afraid to admit that you've beaten me up and taken my lunch money, Pigeon?

Anders said...

...are you saying that I'm just afraid to admit that you've beaten me up and taken my lunch money, Pigeon?

Yes, you would be afraid to admit something like that, wouldn't you?

Wilhelm said...

Yeah; I forgot for a second that I'm an insecure and puny nerd

Anders said...

Yeah; I forgot for a second that I'm an insecure and puny nerd

Good thing I'm here to remind you, then. No need to thank me, I'm just your average sycophant, yes-man.
;-)

Wilhelm said...

..so what do you think of the letter-dancers?

Anders said...

Way ahead of you, broski. Already commented that post...

Wilhelm said...

Ah.

They say great minds think alike, so I guess that hypothesis fails greatly in explaining this coincidence.

:-)

Anders said...

It could be that you are so brilliant that it compensates for my lack in the brain department? Sycophantically speaking, that is.

Wilhelm said...

....damn; those skillz are getting finely honed?

Wilhelm said...

.....Jägerbombs