Friday, June 21, 2013

Lori Rackl on Her Way Out as TV "Critic"?

In yesterday's CST, the responsibility for writing up the life and career of actor James Gandolfini fell to Film Critic Richard Roeper.  This despite the fact that Gandolfini was primarily a TV actor and not in prominent roles in too many films.  This was reflected in Roeper's confning Gandolfini's film career to but one paragraph.

Perhaps not so coincidentally, the alleged TV "Critic" for the CST, Lori Rackl, has been missing from the CST.  While in the past her column had run as often as four times a week, lately it has been not much more than once a week.  Her only offering this week was this Politically Correct takedown of Lifetime's new  "Devious Maids"series.

It is not much of a secret that the CST is disatisified with Roeper's performance especially in retaining movie buff readers in the wake of Roger Ebert's death. Perhaps Roeper's Gandolfini write up is a harbinger of Roeper being moved over to the TV Critic spot with a new movie reviewer being brought in.  As for Rackl, her days appear numbered.

If so, that would be further evidence that the CST management is clueless as ever.   Rackl had been an outstanding, not to mention award winning,  health/medical straight news reporter before the CST moved her over to a travel writing spot in 2007.  Rackl excelled as a travel writer, eventually moving up to become Travel Editor.  Then in 2011, she was moved to TV Critic despite having zero background in that area.  That she has not especially well in the TV reviewing role is what happens when you take a fish out of water and just let it flop around.  The CST would be better off if Rackl was restored to either  some sort of straight news reporting spot or be restored to the travel writing gig.

However, given  recent history,  if Rackl is finally removed from the TV position the most likely outcome is that she will likely be placed in yet another positon for which she is not well suited for or just simply downsized altogether.

Such is life at the CST these days.

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