The Hate Spewed from Viewers
Viewers love to believe that they know the Anchors that they are watching on TV.
And while many viewers will send emails and letter to the Anchors saying how much they "love them", there is also the hate mail.
KOB (Albuquerque) Anchor Tessa Mentus got one such letter that was so mean, it pisses us off and we don't know her or the viewer.
This is what the viewer wrote:
"Tessa, you are from West Virginia or somewhere in the south right ? What is with the "our state" attitude when delivering the "news" ? This is NOT your "state, nor your " country", with your misplaced patriotism. You don't loom too indigenous to me, yet I bet you claim to be "1/64 Cherokee" as most southerners do. You are on Indigenous Mexican land. You are are European. Ease up on the snotty look-down-your-nose condescending onceit. You are a pretty lady, but those buffalo saddlebags need to go. Ask your director to stop with the full body shots. Nobody here wants to see those huge hips. Go to the damn gym already and lose the Eurocentric "American Pride" attitude. American Pride is white supremacy. There are 5 million dead civilians in Afghanistan. Do some research and quit acting like war criminals are "heroes". The news is supposed to be unbiased journalism. Not a stage for your white nationlism leanings. And think about a regular hairdo. It looks like you have a Trump comb-over to the right side. How appropriate .
Eric Chavez"
Mentus posted the correspondence to Facebook and followed up with her thoughts:
I don't know this man.
He doesn't know me beyond an occasional glimpse intoevening news.
He assumes he knows something about my thoughts and beliefs... and he couldn't be more incorrect.
And yet, those incorrect assumptions have led to probably themost cruel, judgmental, and hate-filled correspondence I have ever received in a decade of journalism. Really, in 31 years of life.
We wonder why the world isn't the way we want it for ourselves, for our kids, for their kids?
Because of ignorant hate like this right here.
I don't typically put people on "blast" like this... but maybe if we start holding people accountable for the "bravery" they have behind a keyboard, our world will start looking like one we appreciate.
What the hell is wrong with people? Hat tip to Tessa for not completely going off on this idiot.