Former CBS anchor Dan Rather on the state of journalism: ‘More entertaining than reporting’

Deep dive on an anchor

Dan Rather, former forever CBS-TV anchor and now on People magazine’s cover:

“People did a documentary on me and now we’re waiting for someone to buy it. So far there’s no distributor.”

OK. So I asked, how’s he feel about what’s happening in the United States?

“Dangerous time. We’re under attack. It’s become a struggle for the soul of America and there’s fewer votes than used to be. Who even knows can we remain free as a constitutional republic? I’m not at peace with the country at all.

“People are now afraid to speak up. Don’t want to get involved. That’s instead of ‘what can I do today to help my country — and myself.’ But I’m an optimist. I think the United States is resilient and will get through this. It’s just that they can’t right now do it. They’re afraid.

“Journalism’s changed. I watch all news. All channels. One then the other. It’s become more entertaining than reporting. It’s lots of sports with large corporations controlling 80% of the national distribution of news. Hard to find anything worth mentioning.

“These days I live in Texas. I have my wife, family, grandchildren and I still have my marbles. Also, I just did a wonderful thing. I was just in New York. I haven’t been there in over two years and I was newly struck with how great it is. Easy to forget what a terrific city it is. Energy. Heartbeat. If you live there you just need to tell yourself how lucky you are to live in New York.” 

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Side gigs to the stage

Enough with who won, haven’t won, should’ve won. Question is who/what were big hot shots back when they were small shotlets.

Clint Eastwood. Dug Beverly Hills swimming pools as he auditioned for parts . . . Madonna. Dunkin’ Donuts. Not clear if she ate them or dunked them . . . Whoopi Goldberg. Bricklayer. Also dressed bodies laid out at a mortuary . . . Sean Connery — milkman in Scotland . . . Jon Hamm dressed the set for porn shows — only thing there that was dressed . . . Amy Poehler stacked, wiped, scooped at an ice cream shop and said: “Every time a customer had a birthday we had to bang a drum” . . . Dennis Farina. Chicago cop.

Paula Abdul. Tried out for the Los Angeles Lakers cheerleading squad at Cal State U, and was selected from 700 applicants . . . Age 13, Dwayne Johnson washed dishes from 3 to 11:30.

Nicki Minaj. Red Lobster waitress. “I don’t like bulls–t so after someone stole my pen I flipped out — and got fired.” . . . Margot Robbie made Subway sandwiches “but the bad way they were made upset me” . . . David Letterman: Indiana’s Ball State U then Indianapolis station WLWI then canned for calling hail stones “the size of canned hams.”

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Complaint: Yesterday, ­Alexa’s whole issue is on dogs. NO YORKIE in that whole newspaper. Zero Yorkshire terriers. (BARK. GROWL. GRRR.) Despite NY1 airing “Extra Shot,” Jamie Stelter’s TV interview on me, this a.m. — 7:30, 9:30, 11:30, my adored ­3 ¾-year-old Jellybean is so upset he just peed on Alexa’s front page. Good boy . . .

May said unspeakable inconceivable tragedy be only in New York, kids, only in New York.