Variety’s gift for understatement

Variety.com has a gift for understatement:

…many viewers were upset when the network left the ceremony — highlighted by Brit bands such as the Spice Girls and the Who — to go to “Animal Practice.”

Variety, did you watch any Twitter traffic last night? I think “upset” may be the understatement of the century. That’s like saying people are Somewhat Concerned with this year’s election, or that someone’s Mildly Dismayed that there’s an asteroid headed straight for the Earth. 🙄 😆

As programming and scheduling ideas go, to be sure, jamming Animal Practice into the middle of the Olympic closing ceremonies has to be one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard of anyone doing. Way to go, NBC. You’re actually supposed to be trying not to piss off your viewers (“the more you know,” right?). That’s right up there with “keep our wall-to-wall news coverage going for six and a half hours! I want to be on the air five minutes longer than the other station!”