Russell Crowe says journalists ‘trivialize’ the news

letterman show 2 140409

Russell Crowe doesn’t care for the way journalists are conducting themselves these days. He claims that they have been “trivializing news for at least a couple of decades… The desire for new information, which we could use in a very healthy way, has been replaced by supplying trivia.” Amen, Russell! He’s right on about this one. The “infotainment” part of mainstream journalism is something that’s gotten really frightening. Think of the way CNN covered Anna Nicole Smith’s death, or the breaking-news coverage of Paris Hilton getting out of jail. But Russell has more to say – and it could be interpreted as more fodder for LeAnn Rimes’ oversized ego. Oh, no!

Russell Crowe has blasted journalists for “trivializing” news.

The New Zealand born actor plays an investigative reporter for his latest role in “State Of Play” and says he has serious grievances about the way news is now reported.

He said: “There is a crisis in serious journalism and it’s been created by journalists. We’ve been trivializing news for at least a couple of decades. The desire for new information, which we could use in a very healthy way, has been replaced by supplying trivia.”

“I mean really, who gives a shit about what’s in the handbag of LeAnn Rimes? Who gives a s**t about that?”

Crowe, 45, replaced Brad Pitt as main character Cal McAffrey in “State of Play” and said his being asked to take the part came as a shock.

He added: “I was not predisposed to do this film at all, I was back in Australia, looking forward to a very long summer at home and I got a call from the studio. They said Brad Pitt had gone and would I please look at this project.”

The film’s director, Kevin Macdonald, has said he felt Crowe was a better choice for the film, but admits he can be difficult to work with.

Macdonald said: “Russell is highly opinionated. He is very smart, and he has his own ideas a lot of the time about how his character should be. Sometimes that would be great.”

“It’s collaboration with Russell. He has ideas about how he’s going to do it, and it’s hard sometimes to get him off that. He can be tough.”

[From ABS CBN News]

I’d go even further and say “Who gives a sh-t about LeAnn Rimes, much less her purse?” Even though I agree with Russell’s statements in total, Big Russ has been coming off as such a curmudgeon lately. Perhaps he’s always been like that, and his hotness is no longer leaving me hypnotized. But would it kill him to say something nice?

Here’s Russell – not exactly working the sexy – outside “The Late Show” last night in NYC. Images thanks to WENN.com .

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

10 Responses to “Russell Crowe says journalists ‘trivialize’ the news”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. TaylorB says:

    I beg to differ, real journalists do not do that… but the fake tanned info-tainers, the bleached blonde FoxNews fembots, wildly biased Op-Ed columnists, and commenters have erroneously been labeled ‘journalists’ in recent years, which is frankly an insult to the real journalists. Just my opinion.

  2. j. ferber says:

    It occurs to me that he’d be great to play the heroic sea captain who was just rescued off the coast of Somalia (if that story were ever to find its way to film).

  3. daisy424 says:

    I agree with Russell hands down.

    I have my own list; CNN, NBC & MSNBC & CBS. Just my opinion.

  4. Hieronymus Grex says:

    That’s only American journalists, where the business is dedicated to emotionally manipulating the audience, rather than keeping them informed.

  5. fabulous says:

    I don’t think the situation is so different in Blighty…check out the Newsnight Madonna interview as an example.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl-m6V–jJM

    For those who don’t know, Newsnight is supposed to be a highly respected, serious news programme shown on the BBC. So tell me, is that rose petals on the table?

  6. TaylorB says:

    Daisy,

    Whoa nelly!! Just to be clear, I wasn’t just referring to Fox ‘news’. I personally dare anyone to attempt to identify any of the shows on any of these 24/7 cable ‘news’ stations as journalism. That is not journalism, it is commentary, opinion and fluff, on both sides of the political spectrum. Half of the time they are simply saying things to get a rise out of someone and higher ratings.

  7. irl says:

    I am melting and drooling with all the Russell news and pix today. loooooove him sooooo much.

  8. becca says:

    Oh, Russel’s right on. I can only think of two people that do actual reporting: Jon Stewart and Rachel Maddow. And Rachel Maddow is the one being paid to be a real reporter. The other is being paid to mock politicians and the news. What does this say about journalism today? Quite a lot, and none of it is good.

  9. heh-heh says:

    Journalists also have to stoop for ratings by interviewing choads like Russell Crowe and listening to him brag about getting into shape for “Gladiator,” which is an utter waste of time, film and effort.

    You want some serious news, Mr. Crowe? Might I recommend you google “Truthout” or “Counterpunch” or “WSWS.”

  10. Trashaddict says:

    Of course he’s got ego, but you can’t survive in show business without it, can you? I agree with him,
    I can’t take the news business seriously ever since I saw Holly Hunter in Broadcast News. Rent it and watch it, if you haven’t already.
    Russ looks pretty glum in the promo interviews for State of Play. I think a midlife crisis is coming.