(New York) Will American journalists eventually talk about the “8 o’clock follies” as they did for the ones at 5 p.m. during the Vietnam War era?
Published yesterday at 9:00 p.m.
The “5 o’clock follies” reference the daily press briefings held by the American army in a Saigon hotel from 1966 to 1973. After realizing the gap between official information and reality on the ground, journalists gave these meetings the nickname “5 O’Clock Follies.”
Which would represent “the longest tragicomedy ever played in the absurd theater of Southeast Asia,” according to Richard Pyle, Associated Press bureau chief in Saigon.
Held at 8 a.m., the occasional Pentagon press briefings on the Iran war have not yet been dubbed the “8 o’clock follies,” but it may only be a matter of time. In the meantime, these meetings borrow from the absurd theater.
As proof, a statement made by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at a press briefing on March 13th: “For now, the only obstacle to passage through the [Strait of Hormuz] comes from Iran’s shots at ships. Otherwise, navigation is open.”
The “Mother of All Press Briefings”
The outcome of a military operation obviously does not depend on its spokesperson. But it often reflects the course of a war. Norman Schwarzkopf, for example, embodied the success of the “Desert Storm” operation launched on January 17, 1991 to end Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait.
At the head of the Central Command, the general was responsible for press briefings held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, including the one on February 27, 1991, dubbed the “Mother of All Press Briefings” by a journalist.
In uniform, microphone attached to the collar and pointer in hand, the Vietnam War veteran used maps and charts to explain in detail the evolution of the ground phase of the operation, which would last only 100 hours. Stern-faced, the military showed no joy in describing the Iraqi army’s defeat. But he spoke emotionally and eloquently about American and allied losses.
The Washington Post’s TV critic had described it as “a performance as captivating as the best of Hamlet.”
No one received such praise for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s press briefing on April 11, 2003.
“Things happen,” he said of the looting scenes in Baghdad following the American invasion of Iraq.
Stuff happens.
Arrogance and Anger
Donald Rumsfeld’s casual attitude was all the more remarkable as he was one of the main architects of that invasion led by a “lethal and swift” force. This force turned out to be insufficient to prevent Iraq from plunging into chaos after Saddam Hussein’s fall.
In contrast, Pete Hegseth, former Fox News host, is not striking for his casualness but for the arrogance and even anger he displays by emphasizing words and waving his arms.
“It was not supposed to be a fair fight, and it’s not a fair fight. We hit them while they’re down, which is exactly how it should be,” he boasted at a press briefing on March 4.
At the same briefing, he criticized the media, accusing them of giving too much importance to the deaths of American soldiers killed by an Iranian strike.
“We control their fate,” he said about the Iranians. “But as soon as a few drones pass through, or tragic events occur, it makes the news. I understand, the press just wants to paint a bad image of the president – but for once, try to report reality.”
The Media, Enemy Number One?
At times, Pete Hegseth gives the impression that the media are the main enemies in this war. During a press briefing on March 13, he particularly referred to a CNN report as “fake news,” stating that the Trump administration had underestimated the impact of its military offensive in Iran on the Strait of Hormuz.
“The sooner David Ellison takes over this network, the better,” he said, referring to efforts by Larry Ellison’s son, a major ally of Donald Trump, to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company.
By targeting the media in this way, Pete Hegseth is sure to please Donald Trump, the most important member of his audience. But he also manages his image. Thus, the Pentagon has banned photographers from accessing press briefings on the war in Iran if they have published photos of the Secretary of Defense that his staff deemed “unflattering.”
During a press briefing on March 19, this same Secretary of Defense added another comment reminiscent of the absurd theater. “Our ungrateful allies in Europe, and even some segments of our national press, should say one thing to President Trump: thank you,” he implored.
During the “5 O’Clock Follies” era, journalists gathered at the Rex Hotel in Saigon would have burst into laughter upon hearing such statements.
