How does one get to be an Ann Coulter/Roger Ebert/opinion dude?

[tjdee]

Of course, if anyone knew "how", everyone would be any of those people. But seriously, how does one go about getting paid for their opinion (worth anything or not)?

There are some people who are funny/and or perform a service (that...David? guy who's syndicated and Ebert with his reviews), but people like Ann Coulter, etc.

Do they do a book first, or what? I've been shooting my mouth off for a while and I wonder if it's time I charge people for the pleasure. :silly:

I'm really, really bored today.

[hfojvt]

1. Ebert probably started as a reporter or film major

who wrote reviews that some editors like and got published in the Chicago Sun Times or something, then he probably approached some TV station with an idea for a show, or perhaps joined Siskel's show, etc.

But I am not sure why I am speculating since he probably has an online biography which tells how he actually started.

Coulter, as far as I remember, started writing columns and books that would be pimped by Murdoch and RNC types. I mean, my local group of Republican women donated a copy of 'Treason' to the local library. (Plus she slept with Maher and appeared on politically incorrect et. al. to advance her 'career'. She has put alot of effort into wrecking America.)

I fancy myself a writer and see many people, like Tony Snow, who wrote columns full of lies and hyperbole as he shilled for the BFEE. I am sure I could do better, but I have not written anything for a while, and am not sure if my journal is well received. The five or six pieces I have in there have a total of about 3 replies. Are they even being read by more than 4 people?

Your journal, OTOH, is strangely empty. It links only to archives that are empty. Is this like a dictionary joke? See page 247.

[tjdee]

2. Yeah, I know how that is.

I don't have a journal here, because there are better political ranters than I, and I don't know how I feel about them in general, or if I even understand their purpose (how hard can it be to understand it, I know, LOL, but humor me). I never remember to look at anyone else's, either (sorry!).

Yeah, I figured Ebert had a pretty normal, through the channels sort of rise....but people like Coulter I am completely baffled by. Who bought her first mean spirited, hate soaked piece? Who bought her second? Whyever did they do that?

[Tyrone Slothrop]

9. Ebert wrote for his college newspaper

at the U of Illinois. (One of my fellow alums -- I've actually had the opportunity to meet him a couple of times. Very friendly, IMHO.) He won several awards and kept writing once he left school, eventually becoming one of the two main critics in Chicago (Siskel was the other.)

A little trivia: Ebert actually wrote the screenplay for "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" and was the first person to win the Pulitzer Prize for film criticism.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

3. I'm more baffled by the tucker carlsons

in ann's case, as empty as her substance is, he style gets noticed and publicity-obsessed editors and produ cers like that.
As much as I hate her, I can see how she shocked her way to fame.

someone like tucker or margaret carlson are dull as all get out, and substantively, never say anything new that isn't the party line. how do they get noticed to begin with?

[KitchenWitch]

5. I believe Tucker Carlson came by his position the old fashioned way

on the shirttails of his daddy.

He did not even finish college!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tucker_Carlson

[Monk06]

6. Thanks KitchenWitch. Before I disliked him instinctively. Now I have..

a good reason.

Tucker and Little George are the product of
Nouveau Riches families.

At least the progeny of old money were expected
to get an education. It's the least you can do
as payment for being born rich.

[Ivan Sputnik]

7. And Jonah Goldberg

is the son of Lucienne Goldberg. Now that's a pedigree.

A *huge* number of people in the public eye got to where they are by being the children of the rich and famous, though they often don't advertise the fact. (Are you listening, Anderson Cooper?) Just think about who is president.

[NewJeffCT]

10. Coulter still needed a lot of help

She had to have Scaife & others buy her book by the boatload in order for her to have "Best selling author Ann Coulter" beneath her name on TV. If somebody has the reputation of being a best selling author, it automatically gives them more credibility and a bigger platform from which to broadcast her bile. From there, she can make the jump onto Fox News or into the Washingtom Times and gets quoted in more media sources and then moves on to CNN or MSNBC guest appearances.

I believe Coulter was the main impetus behind the NY Times now denoting "bulk sales" on their best seller lists.

If Coulter sold 500 books of her first work, and 1000 of her next, nobody would pay attention to her.

[pitohui]

4. oh they slept with the right person somewhere along the line

look there are a bazillion intelligent witty people and all of them have an opinion

i'm sure all of the people you name slept w. a strategic person at some point in their career, some used it for good (ebert), some used it for evil (shudder to think of it)

otherwise there is no reason to pick out one intelligent witty person w. an opinion over another intelligent witty person w. an opinion, now is there?

i think we ALL know people who are just incredibly insightful whose thoughts are a real loss that they are not published but they will be forever unknown...because they didn't sleep w. the right person when they were young enough for it to make a difference

[Crazy Dave]

8. They're connected in one way or another

Ann Coulter has been around Washington DC since the Reagan years being a staffer or a lawyer for this big shot or that big shot, etc. Roger Ebert, not sure but as long as you know somebody, who knows somebody and you get invited to the right parties and social events, somewhere down the line somebody throws you a bone.

Just a guess :shrug: