April 20, 2024

"There is chaos that is happening."

Said Laura Coates, quoted in "A history of CNN’s Laura Coates, who calmly narrated a self-immolation/She’s a lawyer-turned-journalist who captivated viewers by reporting calmly on a tragedy unfolding before her eyes" (WaPo)(free access link).
“We have seen an arm that has been visible that has been engulfed in total flames,” she said, two fingers on an earpiece that connected her to CNN’s control room. “We are watching multiple fires breaking out around his body and person.”

The camera panned between her and the flames before finally locking on Coates. “I can smell the burning of some sort of flesh,” she said.

And when it was all over: “What an emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment here in Manhattan.”

You can see her performance here (with some video of the man in flames, so you might want to listen without looking).

34 comments:

Joe Smith said...

Some sort of flesh?

Was there a Cuban sandwich truck nearby?

Quaestor said...

"There is chaos that is happening."

I'm not sure which is more regrettable, the painful suicide of a pathetic paranoid or that sentence.

Narr said...

I wonder how many members of Trump's security squads were distracted from their duty?



Gusty Winds said...

We've reached a new sad level. I though self-immolation was only for Bhudist monks.

The guy seemed to believe Trump and Biden are aligned working toward some type of fascist takeover of America.

That's enough to conclude he was mentally ill. Trump and Biden aligned. Come on. But of course the media is trying to spin it like this guy was some sort of MAGA Trump supporter. Although there are photos of him wearing Bernie t-shirts.

rhhardin said...

It really needs a simultaneous earthquake.

n.n said...

Chaos and hidden order planned in self-abortion to fulfill a wicked fitness function.

Ice Nine said...

She could have been reporting on little children playing with bunnies and she would have been no less insufferable.

Rusty said...

She made no effort to extinguish the flames? Just stood there with her phone out?

BUMBLE BEE said...

AHA!
It wasn't related to Trump, as there was no eclipse!

Money Manger said...

Paddy Chayefsky would take inspiration.

Brian McKim and/or Traci Skene said...

She didn't say "engulfed." She kept saying "emblazoned."

Ann Althouse said...

"She didn't say "engulfed." She kept saying "emblazoned.""

I know. She misused "emblazon" at least twice. It's hard to speak fluently and accurately in a high stress situation. That's why I didn't mention it in the post.

Heartless Aztec said...

Chaos Porn. Almost need to shower off after watching that.

Narr said...

Rusty, it looked to me like 1) she was at a distance, 2) there was no clear route from her spot to the auto-auto-da-fe (fences in the way), and 3) there were trained professionals on the spot to deal with the mess.

Bottom line, she was more use staying out of the way.

Steven Wilson said...

Under the circumstances I think she did a good job. This wasn't on the scale of the Hindenburg, but very similar. You are covering one story when another totally unexpected one occurs. I'm not going to criticize either her or her performance.

Wince said...

At least she didn’t say “bedazzled.”

When she smelled flesh burning, it was as if somebody rang the Uncle Bosey dinner bell.

Yancey Ward said...

That wasn't stress that causes her to misuse "emblazoned"- it is just that she literally doesn't know the meaning of the word, which is ok- I imagine a majority of people don't know the meaning of the word.

Yancey Ward said...

I would have just been shocked into silence, so she has that over me.

narciso said...

He was associated with the once and future vomgressman tom suozzi

gilbar said...

i haven't watched it (no desire); but, did she AT LEAST Say: "Oh! The Humanity!!"
???

The Real Andrew said...

It was a peaceful protest.

MadisonMan said...

I'm not sure how this was chaotic. I'm calmly typing this.

The Vault Dweller said...

Her saying there was an active shooter in the beginning was a pretty bad mistake, and she should have corrected herself more explicitly. She didn't lose her head or get overcome by emotion, but I also wouldn't describe her demeanor as calm. Her reporting would have benefited by her cutting her talking speed in half or more.

ORWoody said...

I knew a man who was an Army combat cameraman on several Pacific islands during WWII. His answer to my question about how he dealt with being exposed in order to take movies might also apply to situations like this. He said that as long as he kept taking movies and looking through the view-finder, his stress wasn't really very high. The moment that he had to do something other than his job, he was almost overcome by fear and reality.
She might have fit right into that "doing (her) job" slot to avoid accepting what she was really seeing.

Howard said...

Chaos porn? High entropy porn! You don't have to watch it. Voyeurism is a deadly sin. Some people keep cleaning the plate long after they are full. Lack of satiation is a deadly sin, too.

Keep eating the mind virus junk processed by the government tech media complex. It's patriotic

Rusty said...

Narr.
Yeah. You make a good point, but my first reaction would be to run over and see if I could help put him out. That's just me. I know from experience by the time the professionals show up it's usually too late.

Cappy said...

Did she get a contract from ESPN yet?

Narr said...

Rusty says, "my first reaction would be to run over and see if I could help put him out."

I don't know what my first reaction would be; I'm pretty sure I wouldn't risk my own life or safety for someone who obviously doesn't value their own.

But that's just me.

Mike Petrik said...

I have no interest in watching the video, but the journalist's words seem chillingly calm.

Tina Trent said...

There were plenty of people who could have helped that man. Separate or knock over a few barrricades, pull off your jacket, tackle him.

Why did everyone do nothing? Are we that incapable of acting? Are the men standing around so -- lacking in masculine instincts?

Or are we that terrified that if we act, the government will punish us?

Not a good set of choices.

Narr said...

Tackle a burning person? You first.

It appears to me that there were a lot of cops and other security about, and in the nature of things I believe that they were closer to the burning man than the CNN talker, who was focused on reporting on the Trump business and not looking out for suicidal randos.

YMMV, but that's what it looks like to me.

Narayanan said...

I have no interest in watching the video, but the journalist's words seem chillingly calm.
=================
FJB could use her to describe the menu choices that was his uncle Bosie funeral!

Narayanan said...

I wish there was hi-def drone footage to see the scale of events unfolding.
not seeing anyone close enough to be able to have acted to make any difference.

Josephbleau said...

“When she smelled flesh burning, it was as if somebody rang the Uncle Bosey dinner bell.”

Now there is a comment one can enjoy!