Glib and Slow: CNN’s Tony Harris

by entertainmental | January 25th, 2008

Tony Harris is a doltThis isn’t about movies or Hollywood, but I have to vent: Does anyone else absolutely hate the CNN Anchor Tony Harris? He drives me crazy. He’s glib, vapid, and he makes endless (very bad) jokes. He seems to enjoy ending interviews, where nothing useful is elicited, by taking a long pause and then saying: “Hmm, great interview. very helpful”. Clearly he never listens.

I searched for any “I hate Tony Harris” websites, and to my chagrin there are none. I did, however, find two blog posts that I officially join in Tony Harris-hating solidarity. One post lists Tony Harris as #3 on its “list of terrible news anchors” and criticizes his habit of “looking off into space, as if he’s thinking” (I think this speaks to my ‘vapid’ allegation). And then another blog complains about Tony’s habit of “hmmm’ing” as his interviewers talk. Couldn’t agree more.

I’ll add more examples as Tony makes them. But seriously, is no one else annoyed by him? Is there a more annoying anchor? (I’m excluding the undeniable crackpots, like Bill O’Reilly) Any suggestions on other most-hated news anchors , or Tony Harris bloopers, are most welcome.

Update: More Tony-hating.

Category: Television
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  • CNN Viewer
    Well, well. I wonder how much of this speaks to racism. Think about it. Tony Harris is no different to the other CNN network anchors. In fact, his understanding and delivery is far superior to many of the current anchors I watch from time to time. I enjoy his delivery and on air presence. He seems thoughtful and reflective in his work. I watch people like Heidi Collins and Kara Phillips, and I like both of them too, yet they don't appear anymore informed than Tony. In fact, I found that Tony made Heidi Collins look uninformed when they previously anchored together. Having news delivered from various perspectives is important in a democratic society. I believe Tony does just that.
  • lavendersoul
    tony harris is not formally or self-educated to be a newsperson.

    his voice is noisy, he says little, thinks less... and loves to promote all black folk.

    he's slow-witted, a dense wit, and sadly, without an editorial journalism sense.

    'cnn apparently doesn't care about any of this.
  • Jay
    Anyone notice he mumbles a lot? Can't really hear and understand him. Get him off the air.
  • Don
    Well, well, well! I NEVER thoght I would be writing this blog in SUPPORT of Tony. They say if you go far enough north you find yourself going south! In other words if you take ANYTHING to its FINAL EXTREME you may get the exact opposite. Thus love has been known to turn into hate and vice versa. Today Tony simply ECLIPSED himself in his subjective display of emotion over the Gates-Crowley-Obama brouhaha. It was a pretty thing to watch as an anchor breaks all possible bounds of journalistic restraint and treated us to a remarkable spectacle. I have to say I came away IMPRESSED. It really was something to see and experience. I expect I will be coming back for more. The guy is REAL THEATRE, I tell you.
  • Suzie
    Oh yes - he is so bad that his antics motivated me on more than one occasion to write to CNN and complain - the first time I've ever done that before, but I just couldn't take it anymore...his worse offense, was calling a interviewee "a brother from another mother"...almost fell off my chair...
  • Alex
    I have been looking for the same I hate Tony Harris sites and I am so glad I found your blog. You are correct in that his hosting skills are annoying. But then CNN is not known its hiring practices when it comes to qualified African Americans and the PTB are still stuck in their interpretation of how a professional African American would look like. Their male African American anchors or guest come across as oafish, effeminate, clownish or combative. Unfortuanely it looks like he is here to stay.
  • NR
    Harris and Rick Sanchez are both execrable. Their command of their craft is comparable to a non-English speaking foreigner's command of accentuation when trying to speak English. Everything is out of sync. Their comments often indicate that their minds are not where their mouths are. Emphasis, or lack of same when speaking/commenting is the most obvious and repetitive example of their annoying speach patterns and habits.

    I have been changing the station for years whenever either of them are on air.
  • sharon
    The minute the clock hits 11:00AM EST, I switch to CNBC. What a relief!
  • david k.
    it's truly a shame that i have to change my cnn viewing habit due to this loud-mouth, laughing-cow, self-absorbed, bad-acting, inappropriate - commentary, so called "anchor". he gives me the shivers the second his image shows up on the screen.... my thumb on the remote is always prepared to click the"PREV", just hope i do it before the most aggravating voice comes on. remember, tony: this is NOT a high school play you are in, or a third-tier acting audition. this is serious NEWS! news on CNN!
  • Jay
    How come there are so many blank posts ? Is someone out there deliberate deleting posts that are unflattering to Tony ?
  • Don
    To Sharon : maybe your an airhead that just doesnt get it with regard to serious news. Basically CNN has put a boy to do a man's work. Is that good enough? Let's just hope that some powerful competitor reads the previous 72 posts all year long and decides there is a gap and market for serious news in America and proceeds to displace CNN from the market. Theyre undeserving of their position in the market by keeping this CLOWN on the air!
  • Sharon
    I like him . Found this site trying to find out what happened to him. I just saw him on a short piece on CNN.

    I think people are just too critical. If I don't care for someone I just change the channel.
  • Sarah B.
    Ah, well Tony's experience (or lack thereof) explains why he is really not suited for a Newsroom anchor chair:

    "Harris' broadcast career began as a radio disc jockey in Baltimore, but he found a place in front of the television camera as a features reporter for P.M. Magazine in Cleveland. He eventually became a co-host for the program before moving to New York to work as a New York correspondent for Entertainment Tonight and as a host for a celebrity news segment for HBO."

    http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/harris...

    Fluff, fluff, fluff. I love entertainment news, but I don't want an entertainment anchor reporting on the biggest news stories every day.
  • Sarah B.
    Ugh, I can't STAND Tony Harris. He drives me up the wall. What a waste of an anchor chair. I found your blog post after searching on him in hopes of finding a way to contact CNN and tell them to get him off the air! Tony is more interested in hearing himself talk and only then talks about the dumbest stuff. CNN really needs to can him - he brings down the quality of the channel.
  • SK
    I did not come across Tony Harris before the "Terror in Mumbai" coverage.....he was horrible, self absorbed and focusing on trying to find all the negatives about the selfless service the commandos and others were providing....even while the standoff was still going on. I am outaged that CNN let this moron go on and on....It is easy to sit in ones ivory tower and pass judgement...when one is not directly in the line of fire. Imagine a newschannel criticising the emergency and relief services during 911. There was an outpouring of support from the world media for the US and that is what you would expect in this situation for India as well. I hope CNN realizes that if it wants to be viewed as an unbiased newsservice across the world....you need to get journalists that come across as genuine and intelligent...Tony Harris is far from that!
  • THJ
    Letter to CNN:

    What a grave disservice Tony Harris does to your organization. Having news delivered by an individual who constantly appears to be struggling with his mental faculties – all the blinking and shifting eye movements, the inappropriate and uninformed comments and banter, the outbursts, the unnecessary laughter, the bizarre body language, etc… - puts a real burden on your viewers. That he is on the air at all raises serious questions about CNN’s integrity and its commitment to news. It is offensive that you believe this is what your target audience wants – news delivered by a clown. I’ve lost all confidence in CNN and will exercise my right to tune out.
  • Remy
    I stoppe dreading about Tony Harris and Rick Sanchez after a while because obviously I am not the only one totally irritated by these boy-actors who are obnoxious to the extreme. The first time I saw Harrris he was shouting at some victim of the Katrina hurricane asking her in a bellicose voice if she "knew why I am asking you all these questions?" Evidently, it was because he "cared about her". Sanchez is totally irritating also. Does CNN read these comments? And PLEASE stop saying "Keeping them honest". Really!
  • David
    Well I guess my expectations of being informed on the daily news by CNN were misplaced.Maybe I'm just tuning in at the wrong hour. I turned on Cnn yesterday and instead of the news was the Tony Harris show. Yes Tony had lot's of financial experts on, of course they could'nt finish a sentence and were constantly interruped.When the financial expert was done being (interviewed?)The only thing I learned from watching the Tony Harris show (obviously not the news) is that it's a waste of time tuning into CNN for anything but Tony's uninformed babble.This guy is a blessing for nbc,cbs and abc news.
  • Don
    Call me an unreconstructed conspiracy theorist if you want but I feel that Toný's curious ascendancy to 2 hours anchoring in that sensitive morning time segment after all these damning posts could be a not-so-subtle anti-Obama sub-liminal message, aimed at borderline rednecks. I mean the guy is a total wipeout, he's garnered months of negative blog posts and he's rewarded with a 2hour sole anchor slot in morning primetime. Could be, the hope is that people may become so supremely pissed off that they may decide to lash out at the only convenient and prominent Black target. I know it may sound crazy and far-fetched, but some strange things have surfaced to date in this election season.
  • hellen
    I certainly found tony annoying and full of himself, but do we have to cut him off at the knees?? Geez, can't we all just get along??
  • shawn
    I wonder if Tony Harris has EVER seen himself on TV, or heard of his own voice. I am sick to my stomach everytime his mouth opened on CNN and made stupid "right","yah","wow" etc. comments when his guests are speaking. So inappropriate! Has anyone ever told him, like his producer?
  • BWJ
    I admit that Tony is a bit wierd, but wold rather have him that Lou Dodds or Campbell Brown. I find Tony to be a bit entertaining and different enough from the other CNN people to hold my attention. Soe of the people who have responded to this request for comments on Tony, need to get over yourselves. Have a nice day... :-)
  • Don
    eeyikes!! I spoke too soon! Now he's got the whole 2 hours to himself. 2 hours of pure punishment for us.
  • marshall
    Wow. I'm so happy to find out I'm not totally insane. I've been caught in a horrible cycle of waking up, turning on CNN for 20 seconds, and then changing the channel, just before I start clawing my eyes out. It's like watching a really bad band at a jr. high talent show. it's painful to watch him discuss anything. Thanks for making me realize I'm not alone.
  • ladongas
    For all you Tony Harris fans out there- I can only hope you saw him last week on Sept 12, interviewing General Honore about the oncoming Hurricane Ike.
    Tony would ask a question, and when the General answered in that marvelous voice of his, speaking slowly and charmingly, it took a long time before it was Tony's turn to speak again.
    After a while he was echoing Honore's words, and then it became like a church meeting, with Tony interjecting "that's right" or "absolutely" everytime the general paused for breath. Honore charged on, with an increasingly agitated Tony trying to bring him to a halt. When General Honore finished his loooong bit, there were only a few seconds of airtime. So Tony then had to say "HurricaneIkeisaverydangerous stormI'mTonyHarris" before fade to black. One of my all time favorite moments on television, very riminiscent of the old Bob and Ray routine, Slow Talkers of America.
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