CNN’s Donald Lemon is desperate.
His ratings have plummeted since President Donald Trump left office. Of the top 50 cable news programs in April, Lemon’s show ranked 39th. Lemon didn’t even average 1 million viewers per episode last month (in contrast, Fox News’s Tucker Carlson averaged 3.2 million viewers per episode in the same time period).
Lemon is apparently so desperate for better ratings that he has resorted to pitiful publicity stunts, including misleading viewers and journalists this weekend into thinking he is leaving CNN. He’s not going anywhere. He is not even moving time slots. The only thing that has changed for Lemon is the name of his evening program.
On Friday, before going on the air, the CNN host teased “big” personal news, saying, “Another [CNN Tonight With Don Lemon] exclusive. I have a big announcement. I hope you’re OK with it.”
Later, during the 10 p.m. handoff between CNN’s Chris Cuomo and Lemon, Lemon again hyped his supposedly “big” news.
“I have something I’m going to say at the end of the show, and I want everybody to tune in,” he said. “I think it’s really important, and I hope everyone’s OK with it. And that’s all I’ll say.”
“So,” responded Cuomo, “tonight you will see something at the end of the show?”
Lemon responded, “At the end of the show. And there’ll be more to come. I’ll tell you over the weekend.”
At the end of his program, Lemon once again teased his “big” announcement.
“It’s been really, really great,” he said. “This is the last night that we’ll be CNN Tonight with Don Lemon. So, I appreciate all the years of CNN Tonight with Don Lemon. But changes are coming. And I will fill you in.”
Lemon continued, mentioning some of the recent projects he has done for CNN, of which he is immensely proud.
To anyone with ears and a brain, it seemed clear the CNN host was announcing his imminent departure from the left-wing cable network. This is what most everyone took away from his cryptic remarks, including the journalists who wrote dozens of headlines and news alerts claiming that Lemon was likely parting ways with CNN.
But then, Lemon tweeted the following on Saturday: “Hey everyone. Not what you think. I’m not leaving CNN. Tune in for the handoff on Monday at 10pE and I’ll explain.”
He said elsewhere, “So, I got back down to my office after the show. Everybody calm down. I didn’t say I was leaving CNN. I just said it was an end of an era for CNN Tonight with Don Lemon. I’m not leaving CNN. So, you will have to tune in Monday at 10 o’clock to see. That’s it. So, relax. I’m not leaving. I’m not leaving!”
Lemon knows exactly what he is doing. All the hype following his teased “announcement” isn’t an accident. Lemon deliberately orchestrated this sad publicity stunt to get people to tune into his stupid TV show.
Later, on Saturday, Lemon finally revealed everything, saying on social media: “Didn’t mean to set the internet on fire. What I said last night was true. CNN Tonight with Don Lemon is no more. I’ll be back on Monday with my newly named show Don Lemon Tonight.”
So, there you have it. His “big” news is that CNN is changing the name of his show from CNN Tonight with Don Lemon to Don Lemon Tonight. They’re not even changing his time slot. His show is still scheduled for the 10 p.m. block.
All that hype, all that “accidental” self-promotion (CNN even wrote an entire article about the supposed misunderstanding) and “apologizing” for setting the internet “on fire” (don’t flatter yourself, Donald), just to announce precisely two words are being removed from the title of his show.
A crummy commercial?
Congratulations on becoming the Ovaltine decoder ring from A Christmas Story, Donald. I hope the momentary publicity was worth it.
