Late Night: Lewis Black slams media coverage of Whitney’s death

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

On Wednesday night, ‘Daily Show’ contributor Lewis Black unleashed an angry tirade against the sensationalistic coverage of Whitney Houston’s untimely death. ‘As with past celebrity deaths, the media observed her passing in the tradition of the Native Americans -- by using every part of the tragedy,’ he observed. ‘For instance, did you know with very little skill you can turn a song catalog into hours of terrible segues?”

As evidence, Black presented a montage of news anchors making awkward references to Houston’s work. (Sample: ‘Chances are we wouldn’t have to be remembering her soundtrack from ‘The Bodyguard,’ if only she’d guarded her own body better.’)

‘Can we cool it with the wordplay?’ he asked, getting more and more agitated. ‘When Cronkite announced the death of JFK, it wasn’t with a clever ‘Ask not, who got shot in Dallas today!’’

Black directed his harshest attack at ‘CNN’s resident hearse-chaser’ Nancy Grace, who has repeatedly suggested that Houston might be a victim of foul play, despite considerable evidence to the contrary. “Of course! She was pushed underwater!’ Black replied sarcastically. ‘It’s the only possible explanation for someone dying after years of drug addiction!’

He even compared Grace unfavorably to bodies at the medical examiner’s office: ‘I’ve been to a morgue. You know what’s nice about it? In a morgue everyone who’s had their brains removed, keeps their mouths shut.’

Black also ripped Fox News personality Eric Bolling, who urged Democratic congresswoman Maxine Waters to ‘step away from the crack pipe’ after she expressed interest in leading the House Committee on Financial Services. “Well, there you have it!’ he said. ‘A beloved pop icon’s death used to criticize the Democrats’ choice for the banking committee!”

Black suggested that Bolling could do more to politicize Houston’s death: ‘Why stop there? Whitney probably wouldn’t have had all those prescription drugs if not for Obamacare.’

RELATED:

Jon Stewart makes things awkward on Letterman

Late Night: Bill Maher rips GOP, Santorum on social issues

Late Night: Jon Stewart rips Catholic Church over birth control

-- Meredith Blake
twitter.com/MeredithBlake