Crock 1, Globe 0
Sunday’s a great day for a thumbsucker, and this one’s highly informative. News quiz:
Q: How many Boston Globe reporters does it take to bungle a Crockefeller softball interview?
A: Three, apparently. The story’s a bit of a snooze but the vid is worth clicking on for the tutorial it offers in slow-pitch interviewing techniques, in which the reporters treat this buffoon and his nonsense seriously and respectfully, failing to work up any decent indignation over being asked to swallow bare-faced lies and evasions, or much in the way of incredulity beyond a couple verbal raised eyebrows at the absurdities that Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter is uttering. Scribbler Maria Cramer is immediately tongue-tied as “Clark Rockefeller” dodges her clever opening “Who are you?” question. Globies allow ambulance chaser Stephen Hrones to tell them to be quiet. Also, remarkably, the bowtied bumkissers can’t tell a German accent from a Brahmin one, despite having followed the Boston Herald’s trail up the Alps to Gerhartsreiter’s schnitzel-schnauzing roots. Apparently the Globe is having trouble finding good blueblood help these days.
The resulting article is about what you’d expect from a staid broadsheet stumbling around ineptly on tabloid ground. Crock of a newspaper fails to disclose, by the way, that it performed acts of gratification upon Crock lawyer Hrones in advance of the interview, delivering a glowing Hrones profile of a sort usually described in the business with a crass term that refers to a particular sexual act, that failed to note Hrones’ considerable professional difficulties.
About the best thing about the Globe’s big Crock interview, which was touted last week with a half-page house ad, is Crockefeller’s smarmy visage in that photo up there. An excellent choice. Look who’s smiling now. Globe interview is one bright spot in a life of self-absorption that is otherwise now a wretched shambles. Ein großer stinkender Haufen des Abfalls. Poor judgment by the Globie editors not to post a big grinning Hrones shot, however, seeing as he’s the biggest winner here.
Boston Herald, tapping NBC’s Crock interview, runs today with news that Crock has the audacity to accuse his wife of ”Rockefeller” name-dropping though she knew he wasn’t one, the closest thing to an admission from the Crock camp that he’s full of it:
The kidnapping suspect and con man who calls himself Clark Rockefeller said his wife knew he wasn’t related to the famed and wealthy family with that surname, but dropped the name whenever she saw a chance for professional and social advancement.
“She knew early on that I had virtually not much in common with the Rockefeller family,” the man, whom the Boston Herald and now federal authorities have identified as Christian Gerhartsreiter, told NBC’s “Today” show.
…
Though Gerhartsreiter accuses his ex-wife of taking advantage of a link to a famous family she knew wasn’t legitimate, he doesn’t concede he’s not a Rockefeller.
“From what I’ve heard lately, it might not be, but as far as I know, it’s my name,” he said. “Perhaps at some point we can do a DNA test to really find out.”
Unclear whether NBC offered to take samples on the spot.
When asked if he used the Rockefeller name to get ahead or curry favor, he said, “I always left that ambiguous.”
Gerhartsreiter is accused of kidnapping his daughter, Reigh Boss, off a Boston street during a supervised visit in late July. He was captured in early August in Baltimore, where police said he was hoping to start a new life with his daughter after losing custody to Boss.
“Gerhartsreiter is at the center of the longest con I’ve seen in my professional career,” said Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley.
Authorites said Gerhartsreiter’s past includes numerous aliases and time renting the guesthouse of California couple that mysteriously disappeared in 1985. California authorities want to question Gerhartsreiter about their disappearance, but he has refused to speak with them. His attorney, Stephen Hrones, has said his client remembers the couple but had nothing to do with their disappearance.
Gerhartsreiter, 48, has been interviewed by NBC News, which has released excerpts of his remarks in advance of broadcasts tomorrow and Tuesday on the “Today” show. He bizarrely claims he remembers little about who he is or why he kidnapped his daughter.
Anyway, thank you, Clark Rockefeller/Christopher Crowe/Christopher Chichester/Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter for a heck of a summer potboiler. Too bad you had to ruin your daughter’s and your wife’s lives in the process. Not to mention whatever happened to missing California newlyweds John and Linda Sohus. Also, your poor heartbroken Mutti back in Siegsdorf.
Full disclosure: As a Boston Herald editor, I have been involved in directing Crockefeller coverage. I reserve the right as a tabloid professional to relentlessly mock my adversaries, but in this case have endeavored simply to aid my boring broadsheet competition with some helpful criticism. This is a personal favor, not conducted as part of my Herald duties.
Topics: Boston, Germans, clowns, media
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 8:41 am on Sunday, August 24, 2008
3 Responses to “Crock 1, Globe 0”
Leave a Reply
Trackback URLYou must be logged in to post a comment.
August 24th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Jules,
The Herald did a FABULOUS job in this story, compliments for which your words literally beg. It was a great display of Herald reporting, far and away.
But your words here, which are more tart than sour grapes themselves, now distract and detract from that good job. I’d be mad if I were your boss, though I know yours won’t be.
Your beef is with Hrones; not the Globe. You would have done the same thing that those reporters did and perhaps you may not have done as well as one particular reporter of the three!
Be proud of the work your paper did. You gain nothing, in fact you lose more with this post.
Franci
August 24th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Hi Franci, wonderful to hear from you! Best to John.
August 24th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
You too. Hope all is well. Franci