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

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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.

This is how change happens.

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And the stakes are high. Democracy is on the defense. We’ve been exposing corruption and scandal for five decades, and this is a pivotal moment in our country’s history. Will democracy prevail? We won’t wait for time to tell—independent journalism is essential for democracy, and we’ll keep doing our part to amplify the free press.

So, we’re asking: Will you join the fight? Mother Jones has been here for 50 years, and we need your support to fuel the future of investigative journalism. Mark our 50th anniversary with a gift of any amount.

This is how change happens.

One story at a time.

This investigative reporting takes time too. Months of research. Weeks of writing, editing, and fact checking—and putting together the photography, art, video, and audio that tell the stories in a new way, illuminating new perspectives and voices.

We can afford to take our time because we don’t report to oligarchs or corporations. We report to you, and for you.

And the stakes are high. Democracy is on the defense. We’ve been exposing corruption and scandal for five decades, and this is a pivotal moment in our country’s history. Will democracy prevail? We won’t wait for time to tell—independent journalism is essential for democracy, and we’ll keep doing our part to amplify the free press.

So, we’re asking: Will you join the fight? Mother Jones has been here for 50 years, and we need your support to fuel the future of investigative journalism. Mark our 50th anniversary with a gift of any amount.

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