My Future

Things calmed down a bit this week after most of the staff left for LA. We got an early day on Wednesday which gave me the opportunity to corner Rachel Witlieb for an interview. Rachel is a segment producer for Late Night. She was really sweet to sit and talk with me and gave me some great advice. After hearing about what her job entails I feel like it might be just right for me later in life. I'm feeling this stronger pull towards talk shows, particularly late night television. I've always liked producing. This just seems like a good goal to have in mind ass I work my way up the TV food chain.

Sometimes I still can't believe the opportunities that have come my way. It blows my mind. I was actually able to sit and talk with a woman who has my dream job. I got to listen to a late night comedy writer tell me stories of his silly college days. I hang out with the coolest interns and I see Conan O'Brien on a daily basis. I am a very lucky girl.

Today I braved the 3 degree windchill and had a Manhattan date. I went to the Paley Center's Museum of Television and Radio, which turned out to be really more of an archival library of just about everything that's ever been broadcast, ever. It's like my mini-heaven. I went to the viewing room to watch an old episode of "I Love Lucy" and while I laughed at Lucy and Ethel stuffing candies down their tops, I racked my brain for what to pick to watch. Visitors get a little treat where they can go and pick two shows or an hour's worth of material from the archives and watch it. So I desperately tried to think of something I've wanted to watch that I can't find on YouTube or surfthechannel.com. I did a quick search for a rather obscure old cartoon I watched when I was little, but it didn't pop up. I don't think I had the name right. Anyway it hit as I sat there. What have I always wanted to see but never come across? The "See It Now" where Edward R. Murrow does his expose on Senator Joe McCarthy. I have been fascinated by the red scare since my history IA in high school and Edward R. Murrow has come to be a great hero to me. So of course I skimmed the search results until I found the McCarthy episode and for my second choice, of course, I selected McCarthy's response. I sat there and watched Murrow bring this man down using real, true journalism. There was little commentary from Murrow until the end. He used all of McCarthy's words and footage unbiasedly against him. He simply put it up for display right next to one another and showed him for what he was. McCarthy's response was weak. It may be a nerdy way to spend the afternoon, but what can I say? I think Elon hass drilled the love of journalism into me. Though it isn't my chosen career path anymore, I still love and appreciate good news.