In Television, the measurement that matters most is the scores, and for the most part, Jesse Watters of Fox News delivers. The” O’Reilly chair” — which temporarily became the” Tucker chair” — is now his. Watters is the new king of the 8 p. m. hours, and he’s poised to enjoy a pretty long tenure.
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But in terms of information, he’s a bit of an acquired taste.
Bill O’Reilly was the standard-bearer for so long, yet seven decades after his final present ( April 21, 2017 ), that his mood still lingers. O’Reilly liked to think of himself as a harsh journalist and embraced the “us versus the people” mentality (” I’m lookingin’ out for the folks” )! ), but towards the close, he ventured into self-parody. However, he possessed a wizened, “old school” eloquence that Tucker Carlson and Watters both absence.
Watters picked up his ship at the hands of Bill O’Reilly. Actually from Philadelphia, Watters graduated from college in 2001, got a job on” The O’Reilly Factor” in 2003, and by 2004 was appearing in a few on-air parts. Although Watters ‘ style and delivery are less polished than O’Reilly’s, their opening monologues — what O’Reilly called his “talking points memo” ( and would bizarrely pretend it was a separate, autonomous personality ) — could easily come from either man’s mouth. The views, account selections, and construction are remarkably similar.
When Carlson took the helm of the Fox News 8 p. m. hour, his show shifted from the O’Reilly perspective, moving from a right-of-center brand of confrontational traditionalism ( with a splash of class grievances ) into a more MAGA-centric, America-first kind of show. Carlson also upgraded the opening speech, preferring a smarter, better-researched, and academically tighter speech, going big on unanswered questions while taking the market by the side and leading them to the expected complete collection. And it worked: Carlson was considerably prosperous.
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Watters is more sarcastic and funny than funny and insightful. He can be just as devastating when he dismantles his competitors, but his tone, I suspect, leaves a generational break: He’s perhaps a better, more natural match for the Millennials and Zoomers than the Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, who may find his smarminess off-putting. ( It might also unnerve FOX News executives because Watters ‘ wit and snarkyness would seamlessly transition into a podcast formal, a la Megyn Kelly. ) Something to keep in mind when it’s time for contract renewals. )  ,
Personal preferences aside, Watters exudes a boyish playfulness that belies his age ( 46 ), and whereas O’Reilly led with swagger ( and Carlson with boldness ), Watters relies on a lighthearted impishness: He’s just having fun, folks! ( And so should you. )
His present pulls in excellent scores. He grabbed the stick, and to his record, he never again fumbled it. He is the number of cable news ‘ top-rated program,” The Show”! That’s not an easy feat, but Watters made it look gatekeeper and straightforward. There probably are n’t many hosts who could’ve pulled that off.  ,
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Watters might already be in his mid-40s, but in cable media jargon, he’s a young buck with a bright future. Barring any irritating discoveries, Watters will likely be a TV device for the next 25 times. Better to accept him because he wo n’t leave.  ,
In fact, he’s only getting started.
GRADE: B-
