September 28, 2019

I’m Obsessed With This 1994 Today Show Clip About “Internet”

“That little mark, with the ‘A’, and then the ring around it.”

Today Show

Today Show

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.

It’s a lazy Saturday so let’s talk about this bonkers Today Show clip from 1994:

Where to start?

  1. Bryan Gumbel asking: “What is internet, anyway?”
  2. Katie Couric—if we can trust Gumbel, and maybe we can’t—thinking the “@” sign means either “about” or “around.” Katie, what the hell!
  3. Gumbel describing the “@” as “that little mark, with the ‘A’, and then the ring around it.”
  4. Gumbel very passive aggressively dismissing the female producer for not being able to explain anything in “ten seconds.”
  5. “I’ve never heard it said, I’ve only seen the mark!”
  6. “GE–com.” No “dot.” That’s a whole other argument for sure.

In all seriousness, Gumbel sounds genuinely upset about the existence of the internet. Maybe he knew then where all this was headed. Maybe he should have warned us.

DECEMBER IS MAKE OR BREAK

A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. That’s risky, because a strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength—but a weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

The December 31 deadline is closing in fast. To reach our $400,000 goal, we need readers who’ve never given before to join the ranks of MoJo donors. And we need our steadfast supporters to give again—any amount today.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do.

That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

DECEMBER IS MAKE OR BREAK

A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. That’s risky, because a strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength—but a weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

The December 31 deadline is closing in fast. To reach our $400,000 goal, we need readers who’ve never given before to join the ranks of MoJo donors. And we need our steadfast supporters to give again—any amount today.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do.

That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate