I like Rachel Maddow, but......

[garybeck]

Does she have to repeat everything she says 4 times? Does she think we are deaf? Does she think we are idiots and have to hear something that many times so we can understand it? Say it once and get the to freaking point! We are not idiots!

[brooklynite]

1. Be sure to watch tomorrow to find out if she does it again...

[Resistance1]

2. Be sure to watch tomorrow, just in case, she does it again

We'll be right back.

[garybeck]

4. I don't watch, I listen

I stream the audio of MSNBC via TuneIn. Been listening to her for a LONG time. it never gets any better. she stops in the middle of a sentence to repeat what she just said with a slight variation in the wording. It's condescending to the listeners, it's like she thinks we can't "get it" if she just says it once. It is painful to listen to. I endure it because her reporting is good. her delivery is horrible.

[OnDoutside]

53. I hope she doesn't change, her delivery style works perfectly for me.

[PatSeg]

65. I have fast-forwarded a few times

during that long opening monologue and after 30-50 seconds, she is STILL saying the exact same thing and I get a bizarre and uncomfortable feeling of Deja vu. She didn't used to be like this. Sometimes it feels like she is taking a five minute story and stretching it out to twenty-five minutes to fill time.

Add to that the laughing at the most inappropriate times and the often theatrical presentation, as if she is doing a stand-up comedy routine, and I've finally had enough. I watch late night shows like Stephen Colbert or Seth Meyers for that kind of performance, not a serious news and commentary program. I enjoy the occasional witticisms of Brian Williams, but it is subtle and smoothly delivered.

Rachel's show used to be must see for me, always at the top of my list. This past year, I started watching her less and less, then last week I said "enough" and just quit. I still like her as a person, but there are other shows I like much better.

[NurseJackie]

15. Someone being a regular viewer does not disqualify them from criticizing her.

[Bradshaw3]

36. And just as predictable

Is that you'll make this same comment on similar posts about a cable news anchor.

[brooklynite]

41. Isn't it nice to have stability in your life?

[Bradshaw3]

58. Isn't it bad to have hypocrisy in your life?

[brooklynite]

64. Please explain?

I don't follow news personalities religiously. No objection to people who do, but I'll never understand why people who complain about them apparently keep watching them.

[Bradshaw3]

76. I'll never understand why people repetitively complain about people reptitively complaining

You don't seek an explanation for why they do what they do, you just take shots at them for voicing criticism of a show they otherwise like. So why do you keep posting over and over again on these threads that you don't like.

[PatSeg]

83. I honestly hoped she'd get better

I kept giving her another chance, because I do like her, but I finally gave up. I have plenty of choices and a DVR, I don't have to keep watching the same show that I find condescendingly redundant and often unprofessional.

After Keith Olbermann left MSNBC, Rachel was my favorite for many years. When she started to irritate me, I sometimes wondered if I had changed or if it was her. That is probably why I feel the need to share my reaction with other people, to see if others felt the same way. Apparently I am not alone.

[NurseJackie]

55. Thank you.

[Dem4Life1102]

3. She does tend to ramble at times

[garybeck]

8. IMHO, it's not so much rambling

she just has the horrible habit of repeating herself. she'll say a sentence and then say the exact same thing over again, just wording it in a slightly different way. (like I just did) then a third time. It is painful to listen to. I keep listening because the content is good and important. here is what she would say:

Rachel Maddow repeats herself. she often says the same thing two or three times. sometimes she says something and then she says the same thing immediately after that.

that's how she speaks. it hurts my brain to listen to it.

(yes this post was in itself was an example of how she speaks. I could have said it once and then moved on to my next point. But she doesn't do that. she repeats herself. she says the same thing 3 or 4 times, as if we didn't hear her the first time. then she changes the wording slightly and says it again, like we are deaf)

sorry....

[Bradshaw3]

38. She has been doing this for a long time

It's one reason I stopped watching her. For this and other reasons I got the feeling that she reverts back to her days as a graduate teaching assistant where the students weren't that bright so she felt like she had to repeat herself, or maybe it's a tic of some kind. Doesn't bother some but makes her unwatchable for me.

[enough]

57. That's it. It's the pedagogic mode she gets into.

Sometimes I want to yell at her — Okay okay, we get it already!

[Paladin]

59. Gee, if Rachel pisses you off, I hate to think what Ari Melber does to you. (nt)

[Bradshaw3]

78. Good term

It eventually drove me away.

[PatSeg]

66. Oh yes, that is what it reminds me of

Last edited Tue Mar 2, 2021, 03:24 PM - Edit history (1)

Listening to a teacher driving home the same concept over and over again. Also her radio roots seem to be part of her style as well. When Rachel started appearing on MSNBC, she said she didn't even have a television, so I think she is more of a radio personality at heart. With TV, you have visual advantages that you don't have with radio. With the many graphics available to a TV host, she doesn't have to repeat something numerous times. With the appropriate graphics, the viewer can see it on the screen.

Also, I don't need to listen to five minutes or more of someone reading a trial transcript. As with the repetition, it often puts me to sleep. By the time Rachel comes on where I live, I am winding down and pretty much have followed most of the news throughout the day. I tend to zone out when she starts with her long lectures and then wonder why am I watching this, when I'm not even listening anymore? So I quit watching and I have an extra hour in my evenings!

[Bradshaw3]

75. Good point about the radio background

She may have started with that approach, but she doesn't seem to have learned after all these years that she doesn't have to repeat things - for the reasons you gave - and unfortunately I think her fame has gotten to her head. I've known people who worked in radio and most seemed to have a patronizing attitude toward their listeners. Some on here have referred to her as a journalist but she doesn't have training as a journalist. I think she thinks of herself as an entertainer first, using journalistic techniques of her choosing to do storytelling. If she had a background in journalism she would have learned you don't take a half hour to get to a point. You let your audience know where you are going with your lede and then expand from there.

There are other issues I have with her approach but I think it started when she touted having drumpf's taxes and then it turns out she didn't. I expected a meal culpa but instead she doubled down. Anyone who has been though a journalism class or started out at a newspaper knows that you improve by taking criticism and learning from those who have gone before you. I don't think she feels that way. So, I haven't watched her in two or three years.

[PatSeg]

79. I agree, that she comes across

more as an entertainer than a journalist, which is something I don't care for in a news show host. After the Trump tax return debacle, Stephen Colbert did a spoof of the episode and he nailed all her distracting gestures and space-filling repetitions. Much too theatrical for a news journalist. A lot of weird looking to the right and then the left, combined with hand gestures and paper shuffling. She was so much better in the beginning, but as you said, its possible all the fame has gone to her head.

She does some really excellent interviews however. She is respectful, earnest, and asks outstanding questions. Other than that, too much of the show is like a late night talk show, but not as watchable.

[Bradshaw3]

81. I remember that Colbert spoof

The next night she kind of played the victim in mentioning it obliquely. You're right about her as an interviewer and I know a lot of people like her and the problems I have don't bother them. But each to his own. I was really happy when Ari Melber got his own show but he has turned me off too with his I'm so hip act. My favorites now are Brianna Keilar, Brian Stelter and Nicolle Wallace.

[Srkdqltr]

5. Gee now we go after Rachel? She was wonderful last week. What a fickle bunch.

[Bev54]

7. I agree - she is a damn treasure and if she wants to

highlight something outrageous by repeating it then so be it. I don't care, she has been a lifeline getting through the horrors of the past 5 years.

[onetexan]

48. I LOVE her show, repetitio & all. Rachel brigs unique & insightful perspective

On political news that no other anchor does. I also love her writings. The repetition does'nt bother me.

[mahina]

50. Same!

Don’t like her style? Don’t watch her. Listen. Whatever. I love her.

[garybeck]

24. like i said, i like her and her reporting is good

it's her presentation and her inability to just say something one time and move on that is painful to listen to

[Ferrets are Cool]

28. It's always something.

[A HERETIC I AM]

6. I like her but this is something I find EXTREMELY annoying.

I’ve thought of saying the same thing for a while now!

It is truly aggravating to hear her do this, and as you say, it isn’t like she is talking to idiots.

I GOT IT, RACHEL! THE FIRST TIME!

[garybeck]

11. Bingo.

thank you for verifying. I know I"m not the only one who finds it painful to listen to her but i still do because I want to hear her reporting.

[LoveMyCali]

13. I agree

I don't really watch her anymore, she likes the sound of her own voice too much. I like Lawrence O'Donnel's show much better.

[Srkdqltr]

30. Ya but, Lawrence O'Donnell just made a huge mistake while correcting some one else. Lets not like

him now.

[PatSeg]

68. Yes, now I prefer O'Donnell and Brian Williams

They cover more stories and do it more professionally. I think I'm going to go back and start watching Chris Hayes again as well.

[multigraincracker]

9. I watch her for content

not style.

[HUAJIAO]

10. She does great work, but that's why I just stopped watching her a couple years back..

[NurseJackie]

18. I like her too. But she can be tedious at times.

It's been about the same amount of time since we stopped DVR-ing her show. If there's anything that MUST be seen, it's always available on youtube.

[Raine]

45. Me too, I couldn't take her anymore. nt

[Hoyt]

12. She helped get me through bush years, but takes her forever to make a point and connect dots.

Plus, everything is a bombshell . . . . . . that seldom pans out. Not quite as bad as Geraldo and Al Capone, but close.

[dem4decades]

19. I agree, I can't watch her. too much drama.

[True Dough]

44. Hoyt, my man!

Agree with you.

[PatSeg]

67. Yeah, and EVERY night is a huge news night

She starts off almost every show like that. "Lots to get to folks, so I'll just spend 25-30 minutes on this one story!"

[PatSeg]

69. Al Capone?

Interesting comparison. There are some stories that kind of feel like that. By the time she gets to the point, I've already forgotten where she started and the payoff is often a huge letdown. It makes me even wish for a commercial break.

[Srkdqltr]

14. She is talking to people who are listening while doing other things, or coming in on med sentence,

Or didn't understand the first time. You folks are not the only people listening.

[garybeck]

16. that's not what i'm referring to

it's fine to occassionally go back and regroup in case people just tuned in. that's not what i'm talking about. she says the same thing literally three times in a row, with just slightly different wording. there are not people tuning in after the first time and then again 4 seconds later so she has to repeat again. if that was really the issue then she should just say the same sentence 500 times and call it a night. she just has a really bad habit of saying the same thing several times, like a teacher when they are worried that the class isn't going to "get it" the first time.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

17. My guess is that it comes from her years as a grad student

when she was probably a TA. She'd have been teaching undergrads who needed everything repeated 4 times.

But yeah, it can make me a bit crazy also.

[garybeck]

20. yes i think that's it

it's like we are students in a class and she's worried we're not going to understand something if she just says it one time. I think it comes from good intentions. she wants people to understand what she's saying because it's important stuff. but she WAY overdoes it and it becomes painful to listen to and borderline condescending.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

26. What actually bothers me the most is that a lot of other content

is being left out.

All too often I turn her off because I am not learning anything new.

[renate]

21. I love her to bits but I do agree

It’s worth it to me to watch anyway but my husband and kids just can’t handle it, so I watch her on my own. I really do love her, so it’s something I’m willing to put up with, but still....

[Beartracks]

22. Maybe she's trying to reach casual listeners inside the MSM infotainment bubble?

=======

[SheltieLover]

23. Not everyone processes quickly unfortunately

Perhaps why she does this.

She is a national treasure in my book.

[MFM008]

25. she has a roundabout way of telling a story

and i think she sometimes makes a point strongly or maybe isnt sure she has made it.
repeats it, she reminds me of someone that uses teaching techniques....
anyway what you gonna watch? Hannity?

[Bobstandard]

27. She has an hour to fill!

She’s got the bigger part of an hour to fill in segments that have hard stops for commercials. She’s such a pro that she can fill those segments despite having scripted material that doesn’t quite fill the space.

Plus, and lets be fair here, recent elections have proven that many people can’t absorb facts no matter how many times they’re repeated. So when you watch Rachel and you feel that she’s repeating the same material too many times, just pat yourself on the back for getting it the first time, and wondering at the many iterations it takes to get the message through to folks not as smart as you.

[garybeck]

29. nobody else does it

nobody else on MSNBC or otherwise repeats themselves like she does and they all do fine getting their point across and filling their hour.

[canetoad]

34. She is an innate educator. nt

[Bobstandard]

37. And yet, she has more viewers.

It’s a puzzle.

[JI7]

54. Isn't it a good thing she isn't like everyone else

[USALiberal]

61. Why not just STOP WATCHING????

[PatSeg]

70. Exactly

Other TV hosts are not doing it and Rachel didn't use to do it either. As you've said, a lot of her reporting is excellent, but her delivery is off-putting.

[madamesilverspurs]

31. She gets her point across.

Some people have to hear it more than once. But when they do hear it, that's one more for the informed side. It's a teaching style that encompasses more than one listening style. She gets her point across, and THAT is what matters.



.

[onetexan]

49. +1 -K&R

[a kennedy]

32. and there's always great advise....DON'T WATCH HER.

[USALiberal]

62. +1000!!!

[canetoad]

33. I hope you get this far down

In the replies to your post.

I'm Australian and have a keen interest in US politics. Sometimes my friends ask to be informed and educated about the issues at the forefront in US politics. The best response is to get them to watch Rachel with me. If I can't hook into a live stream, a downloaded YouTube will do.

I often pause the playback, to explain something about the way US politics differs to the UK, Aust., Canada etc and other parliamentary systems.

Rachel is an invaluable tool in spreading political awareness worldwide.

[treestar]

35. I have not noticed that

I must be one who needs that repetition to get it.

[Ilsa]

39. I don't mind it much.

It's okay with me if she has to explain things in more detail and with repetition to make her points.

[Polly Hennessey]

40. Ahhhh, if only people would conduct

themselves in the manner I deem appropriate, say some.

She communicates information. If her method troubles you, move on. I am quite happy with the Maddow Method.

[Behind the Aegis]

42. Like you and others, I agree. It can be tedious.

The thing is, I think it is just her style. When she was on "The Simpsons", playing herself, it was referenced. So, she is likely aware and has a sense of humor about it. She does do some really good research and that is important too, as you and others have also said.

[Raine]

43. I stopped watching her for that reason

she was driving me to the point of wanting to put my foot thru the TV in frustration!

[PatSeg]

72. Yeah, I started talking out loud to the TV

That's when I decided to just quit. Watching Rachel was beginning to be like having to finish your vegetables before you can leave the table.

[radius777]

47. Rachel is Rachel.

She's an investigative journalist who really digs for details. This can be tedious but it also can help connect dots that everyone else is missing. I'm thankful we have her on our side, along with the other hard hitting hosts on MSNBC.

[Justice]

51. Turn the channel. Simple solution.

Really tired of people repeating this mantra.

It’s her style. Some people get it the first time. Others need repetition. Lots of people watch her show so apparently it works for them.

I don’t love Chris Hayes.

I don’t complain about him weekly. I just don’t watch him.

Simple solution.

[PatSeg]

74. I think the reason this keeps coming up

is so many of us have been watching Rachel for many years and have always liked her show. This pattern of very long, redundant monologues has turned off a lot of loyal viewers. Both praise and complaints showing up on social media often can affect programming. So when more and more people stop watching a show, the reasons why will be apparent.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

52. This does not pester me

I like Rachel and her speaking style

[GusBob]

56. Does she really do that?

I have never watched her show even a minute. I heard what she said about her partner being sick with COVID on the Stephanie Miller radio show, that was the first time I ever heard her. It was touching.

She is extremely popular though,,,every day she is on there are OPs on DU about it.
There are lots of OPs about what’s on TV on DU.

Even when she is NOT on there are OPs about that

[USALiberal]

60. easy solution, STOP WATCHING!! Nt

[SoonerPride]

73. I did. Years ago.

[JuJuChen]

63. I don't really watch Rachel Maddow but MAN! People are freaks about here on here

[BigDemVoter]

71. I like her, and I agree with her.

BUT. . . She should get to the point and stop the blathering. Sometimes (not always) she just goes on and on to say in 20 minutes what could be relayed in 5. . . . I get particularly annoyed when she promises "big breaking news" and it's a big nothing burger. But, as I said, I DO like her.

[csziggy]

77. It's the Repitition Principle

Principle

If something happens often enough, I will eventually be persuaded.

{SNIP}

Understanding

Repetition can also lead to understanding, as it gives time for the penny to drop. What at first may be strange, after repeated exposure becomes clear and understandable.

This is important for companies bringing innovative new products to the market where users may initially unfamiliar with the product or its usage.

Memory

Remember learning your multiplication tables at junior school? We have to repeat things more than once for them to finally sink into our memories. Our short-term memories are notoriously short-term and can forget something (like a person's name) in less than a second. Repetition is one of getting things into longer-term memory and hence is a key method for learning.

Convincing

Some people just have to do things several times before they make up their mind. Think about the last time you bought a pair of shoes. Did you pick them then put them down several times before trying them on. Did you come back to try them again? If so, you are in good company. Many people have to repeat things several times before they get convinced. Three times is a common number.

Sharp sales people know this when they show you something then something else, then back to the first thing a few times.

More: http://changingminds.org/principles/repetition.htm

Repetition is how the right wing nuts are indoctrinated into their conspiracy theories. I do not mind at all having the facts repeated so that they are imprinted on saner minds.

[LAS14]

85. I fast forward, but she's very smart, and this may be the method in her madness. nt

[Pongo]

80. I've been watching her for quite a long time. I don't think her style has changed at all.

Perhaps don’t watch? Btw, if you were ‘deaf’, as you put it, you wouldn’t hear it no matter how many times she said it.

[Marthe48]

82. I noticed

I don't think she is talking down. I think a lot of the stories she reports are developing and the repetition might be a device to help her think what is the next logical statement. Are her podcasts like this? Her books? Her interviews don't seem to be the same question over and over.

It also might be that she uses the device to stretch a story, if she doesn't have time to research other news in the depth we are used to seeing.

If I am following a story, I look in several places to see if I can find alternate sources, and that is just using Google. She and her team talk to people, have access to video and traditional library material and son on.

I don't like it, though, and if I am not that interested in a story she is covering, I'll listen to something else.

[LAS14]

84. We tape her and have learned to fast forward after the third repeat. Watch the...

... blurb over her left shoulder to know when the topic changes.