NBC’s Stephen Lasher: Recession Vulture or Future Recession Scapegoat?

Fatwah / December 10, 2008

By Mark Ames

Last Friday, television network NBC announced that it was firing 500 people, or 3% of the workforce. Then today, on MSN (as in “MSNBC,” affiliated with NBC), an article appeared in which a cocky NBC employee, Stephen Lasher, brags like Chico Escuela that the recession been bery bery good to Stephen:

Now his spending money stretches further than before, thanks to retail store sales. Last month, he closed on his first home: a one-bedroom waterfront condo in a complex with a gym, pool and doorman.

“I am feeling good,” Lasher says.

We here at THE EXILED were puzzled at the timing of the NBC-affiliated article, an NBC employee bragging about how great the recession is for his buying spree plans just as his co-workers are getting fired. Is this a set-up to get Lasher fired? Or is NBC, and Lasher himself, really as stupid as they show themselves to be? Or worse, is the whole frickin culture they’re operating in so zombified and steeped in bargain-worship fanaticism that it can’t even grasp its own vileness?

Hard to say. Meanwhile, we’re going to keep a “Stephen Lasher Downsized” watch going, counting the days it takes for Lasher to get fired from NBC. And we’ll also keep a “Stephen Lasher Lynching” watch going, to see how many days it takes for his fired coworkers to storm his waterfront condo, tie him down to an elliptical machine, and throw him into his pool. Our heart goes out to the doorman in-advance.

8 Comments

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1. wengler | December 10th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Ordeal by elliptical machine seems like it could be one of the more creative torture deaths of 21st century America.
2. Kurt | December 10th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Absolutely disheartening how deep these cooperate scum will trawl the depths of their own craven mercantilism. I equate these NBC guys with my cotton headed brother who no matter how low the DOW goes, no matter how many livelihoods smooched, people fleeced, hopes dashed, he will always riposte with “This is a PERFECT buying opportunity, if you’re smart, like Warren Buffet.” or some such nonsense. Americans are conditioned by their corporate overlords to forever be optimistic, to “believe” in their product and be a “team player.” Their brains and sense are cooked.
3. Geo8rge | December 10th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Actually the prices on nice stuff have come down. The hard part is having a high paying job, or really any job. Don’t you wish you had taken a job at the post office.
4. oleg | December 10th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
The way I see it, everyone has to rejoice on behalf of Stephen Lasher. Is he an asshole? Sure he is. 87,3% of Americans are. But at least he’s honest in his gloating over the misfortune of other Americans (widespread but carefully hidden trait in that God-forsaken country), and his timing in buying the condo is rather immaculate (far better than Donald Trump’s in building it). He’ll probably have to sell his digs sooner than he thinks, after he’s fired too, but Americans are most proud about never thinking about tomorrow, and there is something very adorable in that kind of stupidity.
5. Manny the Mooch | December 10th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
I’m planning to do some recession-time spendin’ in my part of the world too – property, some equity, maybe a new car. I can not because I have a terribly high-paying job but because I SAVED… something stupid Americans couldn’t get themselves to do. Aaaah, deferred consumption!
6. roman | December 12th, 2008 at 10:52 am
It looks like the fella is feasting during the plague like we Russians say, i would rather say it is a swan’s song (last before death) , cause you never know what is in store for you tomorrow, so feast-or-famine attitude comes into play something he is entitled to, though i do have a bone to pick with my comments predecesor going like Americans are stupid for their here-and-now attitude, I beg to differ, for it stands to reason not to think about the future day, cause once again like we Russians say, if you make plans you will make God laugh
7. Manny the Mooch | December 12th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
God sure is laughing at the Americans now.
8. Manny the Mooch | December 12th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
And roman, I always thought that Russians were smarter than Americans. Put something aside for an emergency. Don’t borrow so much that you can’t pay off your debts. Don’t buy a house that you can’t afford and be forced to sell your dwelling and live in your car – I’m betting that it’s not very nice outside in Russia during the winter.