Sarah Palin's 'bland' Fox News special

Critics have given the former Alaska governor's "Real American Stories" a chilly reception. Watch the, er, highlights here

Sarah Palin
(Image credit: Corbis)

Sarah Palin has been a commentator on Fox News since January, but last night's premiere of "Real American Stories" — a magazine show focusing on "inspirational" narratives — marked her debut as a program host. Not surprisingly, the effort has proven controversial. A segment about rapper LL Cool J was dropped after he objected to an archived chat being repurposed for the show. On substance, Vanity Fair accuses the "Real American Stories" of being "marinated in jingoism" — typical of the show's largely negative critical reception. Palin's "generic" and "bland" presentation must have left her fans feeling "let down," says Alessandra Stanley at the NY Times. But there were some defenders: "Those who love Palin will love this," says Steve Krakauer at Mediaite. Aside from "occasional awkwardness" in her segues, she "thrives" in this format. See a clip from "Real American Stories" below:

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us