It has been a grueling few months. Banks and brokerages have failed. Home foreclosures have soared. Congress and the Treasury have been mired in the mud over the biggest financial bailout plan in our history. And our problems have spread around the globe, compromising the economies of nations worldwide. Whew!
Our viewers tell us they've been put through the wringer watching all of this unfold... worried about their jobs, their investments, their futures. So... we decided to do something, as the Monty Python guys would say, COMPLETELY different. The clip below is what we came up with...
A special shout out to our Washington, D.C. Photographer/Editor Mike LaBella, who put his creative thinking cap on to create the "commercial" -- which we also plan to air at the end of tonight's program. We enjoyed it and we hope you did too.
Special thanks, by the way, to Terry Rabine for providing the voiceover.
Comments
We as the largest melting pot in the world have forgotten one thing.. that 95% of the people in our county are ruled by 5%. They inform us to vote and write to our government. Yet they make their own thoughts of what to do no matter what we say or do. It was thrown right in our face when the entire nation (other than Wall St. and it’s analyst) voted against these bailouts. Yet, it was passed and other items added to it. Look who really benefits from this??? look behind the scenes… we all really need to look!
I agree with every comment here save one-- I don't know what planet Chris lives on, but Chris really needs to get out more.
This really was one of if not the "Best commentary on the "Bailout" I have seen on any TV show ... THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!!"
also,
"Please, Please make this video available to download so I can show everyone the advantages of watching NBR and PBS. It really puts clarity to the situation."
On my computer, the You Tube resolution doesn't do the clip justice-- the sound is unfortunately garbled and it's not possible to make out that "best part" -- the disclaimer. I think it deserves a better showoff.
"The commercial was brilliant, entertaining, and a great ending to the show. It was very creative and well done by the Washington, DC staff."
And again, kudos to NBR for acknowledging the absolute insanity of the last few months.
Please don't hesitate to delve into this type of foray in the future when the situation just cries out for it. This technique may also be helpful in explaining some of the other ramifications of what's going on for those who remain confused.
Which is all of us.
Thanks again
Rather a pleasant surprise to see NBR air this. Does it signal a shift? NBR investigating the bailouts rather than asking: how soon? if it's enough? and when will stocks be back to normal?
WOW NBR actually has the balls to push the envelope? Nice to see PBS is attempting to be flashy, or is it?
Ted Smith - Sorry to say, but I agree, we are serious decline as a country.
For a clip that's more indicative of what's going on here, go up to You Tube and search for "Titanic will founder"..
It is truly a sad day when we have to make a joke out of something so serious. America is on the decline ... a free fall to its death.
The commercial was brilliant, entertaining, and a great ending to the show. It was very creative and well done by the Washington, DC staff.
this bailout will go down in history as the bigget swindle inflicted on the people of the country by it's own elected government.
Hmmm....
The clip has been erased from YouTube....
Not surprizing given the comments above.
:-\
The clip disturbingly reminded me of one of those garish 'going out of business' commercials. In reality, I hope that’s not the case.
To paraphrase Pres. Nixon – We’re all socialists now.
As soon as I saw a reference to humor, I ran wildly over here. I've been desperate to find a little laughter and then get back to being totally freaked out, again.. Awww shucks.. this was really well done and I know it, but I think I've just lost my sense of humor. I know it will come back someday.
Perhaps I left it on the floor as I passed out listening about the trillions of bucks in Credit Default Swaps? Maybe. Can't we just continue to pretend the emperor has no clothes?.. please.. oh please. Thanks again for your efforts NBR! I appreciate your programming every day.
Those prices are just Insaaaaane!!!
To Chris is NY; be educated in being informed that NBR made this video FOR the treasury, and if you pay attention to it, you can see that it is not a mockery but actually stating the truth in a humuorous way.
Very funny! Thank you. The Disclaimer is the best part.
Very funny! Thank you. The Disclaimer is the best part.
I was surprised to see this clip on your show. I watch NBR to be informed and educated, and I don't expect to see you make a mockery of the treasury and its efforts to bail out our financial system.
Yes, its all true, and distressing. But there are plenty of forums for this type of material and NBR is not the right one.
Running this clip does not serve the public interest and I think you should be flamed for doing so.
This was an engineered financial crisis. Paulson is not leader of the banks, he is leader for the banks. These are none as the good 'ol boys club, and they are all Harvard classmates.
Come on now, are you selling your stock now they are parading the doom and gloom? That's what they want (Humongous Bank and Broker). Did you buy stock at the top? That's what they wanted.
Who was it that provided your advice? (I'll bet it was Humongous Bank and Broker).
That's their mod us operendi folks, parade out the doom and gloom at the bottom to scare you into selling, and parade the happy times at the top to get you to buy at the top.
Come on NBR, you can do much better than just a video can't you? I can help if you like, but you really do need to give some airtime to some whistle blowers in the know about what's really going at the SEC, the FED, and Treasury.
HB&B are busy buying up their new positions at the bottom while you're busy listening to doom and gloom shaking in your boots.
Best commentary on the "Bailout" I have seen on any TV show ... THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!!
The BEST humuor put on a real threat of socialism! Please make this video available to download so I can show everyone the advantages of watching NBR and PBS. It really puts clarity to the situation.
What a great way to end the show, and the week! You made me laugh, and that hasn't happened in a couple of weeks.
ROFL, that's an instant classic. Nice to see NBR has a satirical sense of humor.
This has to be the most controversial clip I ever saw on "Nightly Business Report"...Keep up the good work. This could be aired and sold on our many (too numerous to count) PBS Fund Drives...Satire? Surely. Humor? Dark Humor? Yes. Relevance? Absolutely. You are brave to air this clip. This could be a Friday send off...Now, how about some first hand interviews with the banks? Starting with Wachovia and including some regionals who do not want a so-called 'bail out'....Good luck and enjoy your show nightly.
Your commercial was funny but distressing in its irony. The disclaimer that 'taxpayers need not apply' elevated my feelings of disenfranchisement. My government can take my little bit of money and my children's earnings to bail out these unapologetic, unpunishable, international squander mongers, but does not feel my taxes can be used to mitigate my neighbors losses (jobs, homes, health care).