FIRST DOWN, FUMBLE – MURDOCH & SON BEFORE PARLIAMENT

This week's perspective from Bob Reid: It’s the best reality TV we’ve seen for quite some time.  News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch and his son James appeared before a British Parliamentary committee probing the cell-phone hacking scandal, to take questions (and some lumps) from MPs.  “This is the most humble day of my life,” Murdoch Sr. declared, ensuring that, despite not being permitted to make an opening statement, the quote would be headline material.  For a guy who probably had to look up the definition of “humble” in the dictionary, it was imperative that he show some contrition – but personally, I would have scripted him (and you KNOW he was scripted) something that was about the victims, rather than himself.  Overall, father and son committed no heinous Fumbles during their testimony – even their share price was feeling better afterward.  But the massive Fumble that was committed was that of “Johnny Marbles,” the comic-actor who got his 15 minutes of fame by hitting Rupert Murdoch with a shaving cream pie.  In one swoop, Marbles took Murdoch from the depths of derision to someone people suddenly had some sympathy for.  Hashtag #epicfail, Johnny.