Hal Fishman, RIP
I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of one of LA's most recognizable newspeople, Hal Fishman. His distinctive voice and delivery made him more than an ordinary local news anchor, he's always been a part of the spirit of Los Angeles that I love.
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Hal Fishman was at best a mediocre journalist granted a stage for his right-wing rants and at worst he was a serious threat to our informed citizenry.
How he has attained this ridiculous elder statesman -like status is beyond me, but so was his slightly less ridiculous toupee.
It reminds me of the utterly inaccurate tribute to Tricky Dick (recently dismantled) at his presidential library and of the numerous tings named after that idiotic, stammering, stooge Reagan.
I don't much cotton to speaking poorly of the dead, but in the end it is truth that deserves the most respect.
Hal Fishman was indeed a reactionary and somewhat buffoonish Kent Brockman-esque figure (in fact, it has been speculated that Kent Brockman was at least partially modeled on him), but I liked him anyway. I thought it was kind of touching how he would always try to work his experience as a private pilot into any news story that even remotely involved aviation. In our family when I was growing up, we would tune in to News At Ten when there was a plane crash just to see how Hal would work his personal expertise into the story ("Just the other day, I was flying my own airplane over the Sepulveda Pass, and..."). What? Hey, you guys probably had weird little family rituals, too. Shut up.
Anyway, despite his faults, he was likable in a way that, say, Lou Dobbs manifestly is not. RIP, Hal.
I always liked him, despite his conservative rants.
My father wore a ridiculous toupee (making him a dead ringer for Stan Lee - I used to make him say "Excelsior!" for kicks). Maybe that's why I've got a soft spot for Hal.
"How he has attained this ridiculous elder statesman -like status is beyond me"
By continuing to work while not dying for a long time. Duh.
Hey, Hal read the news like an adult. At least I didn't have to worry about his skimpy outfits or inappropriate sexual comments ( can you hear me big 3?)
He was a good guy trying to do a good job, and hey, his hair was far less ridiculous than the Donald's.
I'll miss the Fishman.
This just in. The folks at "The Simpsons" say that Kent Brockman was, in fact, based a lot on Jerry Dunphy.
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