When Life Gives you Lemons, You Get Fired From Fake News

I don’t know the CNN side as well as I do the Fox side. I spent perhaps two years listening to a fair amount of CNN after the January 6 situation, but honestly, the only person I paid much attention to was Anderson Cooper. Excepting him I felt that most of what I was hearing was just a mirror of Fox News: left wing pontificating with minimal reporting. Kind of a yin yang to Tucker Carlson on Fox News. So, in introducing Don Lemon to you, I am also introducing myself more or less to him.

Hi Don Lemon!

Who is Don Lemon?

According to USA Today, Don Lemon was co-anchor “CNN This Morning.” Let’s dig in.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2023/04/24/don-lemon-fired-cnn-news-anchor-terminated/11728506002/

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tucker-carlson-don-lemon-lawyer-bryan-freedman_n_64479e15e4b0d840388a808a

https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2023/04/25/don-lemons-firing-shows-the-disposability-of-seasoned-employees/?sh=239b40ed7724

The Two for One Special

According to USA Today: “Don Lemon says he’s been fired from his post at CNN’s”CNN This Morning,” which he co-anchored with Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow for about six months.

“The former anchor, who was on air Monday morning, shared the news in a statement on Twitter.

“I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned,” he wrote.

“CNN CEO Chris Licht said in a statement that the network wishes him well and will cheer him on as he pursues future endeavors, echoing what he wrote in an email to CNN staffers obtained by USA TODAY.”

Well, that’s pretty nice. I know I LOVE pink slips with my cheer leader.

“Lemon expressed frustration with the manner in which he says the news was delivered to him.

“After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have the decency to tell me directly,” Lemon added in his tweet. “At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network. It is clear there are some larger issues at play. With that said, I want to thank my colleagues and the many teams I have worked with for an incredible run. They are the most talented journalists in the business, and I wish them all the best.”

“CNN’s communications Twitter account said Lemon’s public assertions about his termination are not true.

“Don Lemon’s statement about this morning’s events is inaccurate,” CNN said. “He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.”

And as we all know, a major corporation never lies.

Lemon had been with CNN 20 years, and had been largely criticized for saying women in politics were past their prime.

“Lemon, 57, told co-hosts Harlow and Collins that Haley’s “talk about age” makes him uncomfortable and said her comments were the “wrong road” to go down, adding that Haley “is not in her prime.” Haley is 51. 

“She says people, politicians are not in their prime,” he said. “Nikki Haley is not in her prime, sorry. A woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s, 30s and maybe her 40s.” 

“He apologized the following week after a break from being on air.”

Lemon apologized, but some speculate maybe that was too little too late.

Both Lemon and Carlson were released from their respective companies on the same day. Coincidence? Some say it isn’t.

Come Together….Right Now…..Ova Me!

The coincidence or lack thereof was not the only similarity. The two also have decided to hire a lawyer, and they are both giving their business to the same fellow. Huffpost reports: “Ousted Fox News host Tucker Carlson and CNN anchor Don Lemon seemed to have had little in common until now: The fallen cable news stars reportedly just hired the same lawyer to navigate their departures.

“Multiple outlets say Los Angeles attorney Bryan Freedman is representing both. Freedman has facilitated favorable breakup terms for hosts before, including Megyn Kelly when she parted ways from NBC News in 2019 and “The Bachelor” host Chris Harrison in 2021, Insider reported.”

I guess big news is making a business niche for lawyer/agents of the breakup scene.

Huffpost continues: ‘The New York Times reported that Lemon’s retainer of “aggressive Hollywood litigator” Freedman was a “clear sign of acrimony.”

So What Does it All Mean!?

I’m going to share what Forbes says about this, and then give my own analysis and tease the next post.

Forbes shares these details, take them for what they are worth:

“There is some speculation that a recent exchange between Lemon and Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was a major contributor to Lemon’s firing. During the interview, Ramaswamy claimed that Black Americans were granted equal rights after the Civil War and from the help of the National Rifle Association (NRA) even though there is evidence to refute his assertions. The absurdity of an Indian person lecturing a Black person about Black history must be pointed out; Lemon pushed back against Ramaswamy’s statements throughout the interview.

“Despite Lemon’s popularity on the network, Lemon has a history of playing into respectability politics. In 2013, Lemon sparked criticism for his statements admonishing Black Americans for having children out of wedlock, using the n-word and wearing sagging pants. In 2014, Lemon caused outrage over statements he made after it was announced that officer Darren Wilson, who killed unarmed Black teen Michael Brown, would not be indicted. When describing the environment outside of the Ferguson police station, Lemon stated “obviously, there is a smell of marijuana in the air.”

“Even with Lemon’s past gaffes, in recent years he had emerged as the voice of reason in an era of fake news and misinformation. Several lessons should be gleaned from Don Lemon’s firing. First, employees, especially those from underrepresented and marginalized communities should be aware of the hyper-scrutiny that is faced regardless of the fame, notoriety, wealth or recognition that comes from any job; everyone is disposable. Although many people in the public eye have made missteps and blunders, grace isn’t always afforded to people from marginalized communities.

“Second, it’s important to take care of and prioritize your health and wellbeing and to not sacrifice time with loved ones to climb the corporate ladder; take those vacation days. Understand that respectability will not save any of us. This should be a learning lesson for every employee. No matter how many years you’ve poured into a job or a company, your security is never guaranteed.”

Tired Blogger Analysis

Lemon, like Carlson, was too proud to just spout a party line. Agree or disagree with him, can you deny you admire him for stating his beliefs. In his mind, I believe he was calling a spade a spade. And Corporate America does NOT want that. We want equivocation. We want plausible deniability. We want to be able to gaslight our viewers into believing they heard what they wanted to hear, yet with the capacity to tell our lawyers “I don’t have any idea what you are talking about.” Success through positive mental gaslighting. Spineless passive aggressivity.

Say what you want about Lemon, from what I’m reading, he wasn’t having ANY of that stuff. And now he pays the price for his integrity.

But as Russle Brand would say, that’s just what I think. What do you think? Was CNN right to let him go? What comments of his did you agree with or disagree with? How do you feel this compares to the Tucker Carlson story? Do you think Lemon was good for America, or do you think it was the right thing for CNN to let him go? Comments wanted, and I promise I will respond within 24 hours.

On the next post, coming Friday or Saturday, I will discuss CNN’s hatchet job of Ren. Have a good day till then.