Do you ever turn on cable news and wonder why the most mediocre white men who have consistently been wrong on nearly every issue are given cushy commentator jobs and privileged platforms to spew their nonsense?
I always think about this whenever I see The Nation columnist and best-selling author Elie Mystal being brilliant on cable news shows.
Mystal’s quick wit, informed opinions, and progressive hot takes are so popular that he’s become part of the cultural lexicon with Keenan Thompson playing him on SNL sketches.
Yet despite having a ubiquitous appearance on establishment news channels, Elie Mystal is still not paid. You read that right. CNN and MSNBC have refused to pay a commentator who is “good TV” - as they say in the business - and reflects opinions that resonate with many progressive Americans. Meanwhile, Scott Jennings is still employed to lie on CNN and Ronna Romney McDaniel was offered more than $300K by NBC News.
In this Chai Talk, Elie and I discuss America’s Affirmative Action for conservatives, the damage of “both sides” news coverage, and the existing political and racial bias of corporate media that rationalizes paying the worst people for the worst takes but will deliberately withhold offering a contract to one of TV’s sharpest minds.
Grab a chai and join us for this episode of Chai Talk. Much tea will be spilled.
In The Age of Scott Jennings and Bret Stephens, Why Is Elie Mystal Still Not Paid By Cable News?