Brian Williams Emails Gawker To Say He Loves ‘Their Sh*t,’ Gawker Posts It, NBC PR Isn’t Thrilled

by Jon Bershad | 2:36 pm, January 16th, 2012

» 36 comments

Earlier today, Gawker broke the news that Brian Williams thought Lana Del Rey had “one of the worst outings in SNL history” (not a huge news story but what do you expect on a national holiday?). How did they get this quote? Well, it turns out it was from a private email Williams sent to Gawker head honcho Nick Denton. Gawker posted Williams’ Del Rey critique along with some choice quotes about how often he checks the site’s “shit” on his iPad. Unsurprisingly, NBC PR wasn’t thrilled to see the message hit the front page.

Here’s the original email:

“ND:

I hope you’re well. Happy New Year. A big congratulations to the new freelance weekend guy, Taylor Bernam. He’s done some good posts right out of the box. I do wish the main page featured more TV coverage (Brooklyn hippster [sic] Lana Del Rey had one of the worst outings in SNL history last night — booked on the strength of her TWO SONG web EP, the least-experienced musical guest in the show’s history, for starters). In my humble opinion as a loyal customer (you know I love you but the Blog View button will be the eventual cause of my death) and while I know you’re in the midst of an editor change, weekends have been allowed to go awfully fallow — and it was a fallow holiday period for those of us who check your shit 10 times a day by iphone. I know you’ve been watching NBC Nightly News religiously each evening and I’ll no doubt be getting a withering, detailed critique from you straight away.

BW”

What?! Self-proclaimed Brooklyn expert Brian Williams can’t spell “hipster?!” I am stunned. Williams’ reputation has been irreparably sullied!

Oh, also that whole dissing a performer on an NBC show and cheekily talking up your love of a divisive gossip blog isn’t a great thing either. Yeah, network PR people don’t love that. So, one from NBC sent Gawker an email to remove the letter. The site decided to just promptly publish that letter too.

“Kevin — can you please have the post of Brian Williams’ email to Nick Denton taken down immediately? That was sent in confidence as friends and absolutely never intended to be public. A speedy removal would go a long way in maintaining the trust and respect we have for your site.”

I’m going to take a wild guess that the “trust and respect” levels may have dropped a bit today.

Anyway, there’s one big problem with this story and I’m just gonna come out and say it;

Come on, Brian. If you hated Lana Del Rey so much, you could have just checked out our site, duh.

Not that I’m jealous or anything. I get emails from famous TV people telling me how often they check my shit all the time. Like daily. In fact, I probably got like four in the past hour. And from bigger people than Brian Williams too! I totally do! No fooling! So, no, I’m not jealous because that happens to me all the time. I just…don’t post about it because…I have better ethics than Gawker.

Yeah, ethics…that’s the ticket.

Brian Williams, Gawker, Lana Del Rey, NBC, Nick Denton, Saturday Night Live

Duke Chesnut

Stay Classy Brian Williams, language like yours will get you hired over at Current TV, after they fire that overpaid blowtard Keith Olberman.
Moderate

I can’t believe Brian Williams could be so stupid, being good at reading a teleprompter can be deceiving.
Anonymous

Yawn.
http://www.sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ sarainitaly

dang, i can’t believe they did that.

thanks for never posting my emails, Jon.
;O)
Moderate

“Not that I’m jealous or anything. I get emails from famous TV people telling me how often they check my shit all the time.”
Oh God! Another egomaniac.
Jon Bershad

No problem. I do, however, post pictures of the gift baskets you send on my Tumblr.
Anonymous

This should come as a surprise to no one. Mr. Williams should not be taken seriously as a news guy. His main desire is to become a celebrity or at least mingle with celebs. I wonder how he can sleep at nights (question to Perry) trying to pass for a journalist?
Gloves Eli Donahue

Hanging around with Ed Schultz, Al Sharpton and the assorted NBC lowbrows will bring you to their level eventually.
Mr Washee Washee

Quick ! Someone book him a cameo on 30 Rock to repair his image .
12voltman1

Did reading the word shit hurt you some how?
12voltman1

Who is a “News Guy” to you?
Come on. Make me laugh.
12voltman1

I don’t believe he has ever been on Schultz ‘s or Sharpton’s shows.
Anonymous

The same thing happens to Williams when he appears on Letterman as well. NBC is none too happy that he sits with Dave more than he does with Jay.

I applaud his loyalty to his friends, regardless of whether he ruffles the peacock’s feathers.
Dead_Air

Brian WIlliams has a great sense of humor. Check him out when he is on Letterman (which is all the time.)

I love Gawker and I would wager that Williams is secretly pleased that they published the email and the response.
Gloves Eli Donahue

They shoot craps together, with Scarborough, in the NBC lockerroom.
Anonymous

What media bias?
12voltman1

That’s believable.
12voltman1

I like Brian.
He seems like a nice,funny and bright man!
Anonymous

He is and has always been JV Brian. What a Dip$hit!
Anonymous

Reporting facts not rumor without commercial message and/or bias. The fact that you even ask the question speaks volumes.
12voltman1

It sounds like you get your news from NPR.
Good for you!
Pablo

They have trust and respect for Gawker? They really are stupid, aren’t they?
http://twitter.com/ednagarrett Edna Garrett

How many of you wouldn’t mind if all of your private emails were aired to everyone you know? If you wouldn’t mind, you must completely lack personality. Brian Williams is entitled to have friends in the media. Brian Williams is entitled to use the word shit. And he’s entitled to think an SNL performer is awful. Go back to watching Fox News, you dip$shit morons.
Anonymous

NBC/Gawker: What’s the difference? And why does Williams resemble a droopy hound-dog?
Anonymous

Mr. Brian Williams

NBC TELEVISION

New York, NY
10020

Dear Mr. Williams,


I have always enjoyed your rise to fame. You remind me so much of Peter
Jennings. But not Walter Cronkite. He was a grouch, according to unpublished
sources. Anyhow, my name is Mrs. Yetta
Bronstein. I’ll be running for President of the United States of America in
2012, as an independent candidate, under a banner as THE BEST PARTY.


And why not? I’m over 35 years old, born in the USA and I don’t need a
Green Card. Also I have a common sense platform. When you introduced Mr.
Stephan Colbert for the same high office on your NBC news program Friday
evening January 13, 2012, between 6:30 and 7:00, I got so excited I forgot to
watch “Jeopardy” that follows you on another network.


My purpose in writing, Mr. Williams, is to request equal time, as you
gave Mr. Colbert, for my announcement. This is a Fair Practice rule under the
FCC regulations, which you might not be aware of. It is still on their books,
according to the scandalous Watergate leading prosecutor lawyer, Mr. Richard
Ben-Veniste.


Accordingly, Mr. Williams, until I receive my snow boots from L.L. Bean
and begin testing the waters in New Hampshire, here are a few of my planks.
Please choose from this list and announce them on your nightly news ASAP:

1.     Take
Congress off salary and put them on
a straight commission basis.

2.     Abolish
the Income Tax and substitute a Fat Tax. Entire family must weigh in on
or before April 15th and pay $5 a pound for the aggregate.

3.     Eliminate
the National Debt by releasing 2.2 million prisoners in jail. Then
give each one 7 days to be adopted by a family, or be put to sleep.

4.     Place
a Suggestion Box on the White House
fence.

5.     Put
mental detectors, along with the
metal detector, in all Gov. Buildings.

6.     Auction
off American Ambassadorships to the
highest bidders.

7.     Halt
all space exploration to save
billions. Just wait until they visit us.

8.     Remember
my slogan: “Vote for Yetta and watch
things get betta.”

       Finally, Mr. Williams, let me
thank you for upholding the integrity of your news position and that of NBC-TV.
Maybe you will be invited to host “Saturday Night Live” sometime in the near
future.


If you wish to contact me: (212) 714-8298 Or email: yettabronstein@yahoo.com

                                                                        Sincerely,

                                                                        Mrs.
Yetta Bronstein

                                                                        THE
BEST PARTY
Anonymous

Mr. Brian Williams

NBC TELEVISION

New York, NY
10020

Dear Mr. Williams,


I have always enjoyed your rise to fame. You remind me so much of Peter
Jennings. But not Walter Cronkite. He was a grouch, according to unpublished
sources. Anyhow, my name is Mrs. Yetta
Bronstein. I’ll be running for President of the United States of America in
2012, as an independent candidate, under a banner as THE BEST PARTY.


And why not? I’m over 35 years old, born in the USA and I don’t need a
Green Card. Also I have a common sense platform. When you introduced Mr.
Stephan Colbert for the same high office on your NBC news program Friday
evening January 13, 2012, between 6:30 and 7:00, I got so excited I forgot to
watch “Jeopardy” that follows you on another network.


My purpose in writing, Mr. Williams, is to request equal time, as you
gave Mr. Colbert, for my announcement. This is a Fair Practice rule under the
FCC regulations, which you might not be aware of. It is still on their books,
according to the scandalous Watergate leading prosecutor lawyer, Mr. Richard
Ben-Veniste.


Accordingly, Mr. Williams, until I receive my snow boots from L.L. Bean
and begin testing the waters in New Hampshire, here are a few of my planks.
Please choose from this list and announce them on your nightly news ASAP:

1.     Take
Congress off salary and put them on
a straight commission basis.

2.     Abolish
the Income Tax and substitute a Fat Tax. Entire family must weigh in on
or before April 15th and pay $5 a pound for the aggregate.

3.     Eliminate
the National Debt by releasing 2.2 million prisoners in jail. Then
give each one 7 days to be adopted by a family, or be put to sleep.

4.     Place
a Suggestion Box on the White House
fence.

5.     Put
mental detectors, along with the
metal detector, in all Gov. Buildings.

6.     Auction
off American Ambassadorships to the
highest bidders.

7.     Halt
all space exploration to save
billions. Just wait until they visit us.

8.     Remember
my slogan: “Vote for Yetta and watch
things get betta.”

       Finally, Mr. Williams, let me
thank you for upholding the integrity of your news position and that of NBC-TV.
Maybe you will be invited to host “Saturday Night Live” sometime in the near
future.


If you wish to contact me: (212) 714-8298 Or email: yettabronstein@yahoo.com

                                                                        Sincerely,

                                                                        Mrs.
Yetta Bronstein

                                                                        THE
BEST PARTY
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CQWUTBF2KSSVOXCR4PSN66L2PM James

the only thing I see wrong with this is Brian’s e-mail was leaked. Other then that who care’s he said shit. NBC PR needs to quit having fits and knee jerk reactions to things no one really care’s about. All that does is make things worse. And they need to back off. I don’t think management would dare do anything any way. Brian williams is the face of NBC news. If anyone thoight Keith walking out on MSNBC was bad. You piss Brian off he’ll walk out. That will hurt NBC news.
Smack80

I am so voting for you!
Duke Chesnut

Where would he go, and would they have to put in a 7 second delay. Oh,; CNN needs to replace their funny talkers Piers, Fareed and Christiann; and their funny walkers John King and Anderson Cooper.
Anonymous

Oh the media and the games they play.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CQWUTBF2KSSVOXCR4PSN66L2PM James

any network save Fox would want him. He don’t not need money… He could sit and home and watch TV in his underware for the rest of his life. he don’t need to work. NBC can find someone to replace him in time. But it would take a long time to do that if he were to walk out. There still not over Tim Russert’s death. because of how much Tim met to NBC news as a whole. Just saying.
WiddleBabyDanielson

I love this Sh*t.
Anonymous

I support Obama’s teleprompter use, who wouldn’t? Helps him look better. Plus, it also helps keep track of time, and keep the speech within certain time constraints.

Don’t you remember Sarah palin actually wrote on her hand to remember things? and you make fun of a teleprompter?

Here’s video of Sarah Palin reading of her homemade “hand” teleprompter, she’s really gifted and smart like the rest of the Tea Party :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtcVMTZkTZQ&feature=player_embedded

What were you saying about a teleprompter? Oh that’s cute ;)
http://twitter.com/WorldDivider Mark Prior

I always knew this guy was a left winger.
http://www.sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ sarainitaly

dammit, the secret is out!
http://www.sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ sarainitaly

wow, someone overreacted….