CrankyYank Vol. 59: Prince Harry’s Feels | O’Reilly: Exit Stage Right | Tennis’ ‘Sex Let’ & More

“It has been the most wonderful thing to witness, the most extraordinary thing to be part of, this process of people turning huge negatives into massive positives.” — Byrony Gordon

This wasn’t the interview she was expecting.

Journalist, author, speaker and mental-health advocate Byrony Gordon sat down with Prince Harry thinking she was going to have to listen to boiler-plate, PR-speak about the importance of mental health issues.

But what she got instead was a masterclass in vulnerability and honesty in the age of the British monarchy’s next generation. Dealing with mental-illness issues, he says, becomes easier with communication. “Once you start talking about it, you realize it’s quite a big club. It’s a big community.”

Prince Harry is opening up about how the death of his mother, Princess Diana, affected him. Diana died in August 1997, a year after she divorced from Prince Charles, and Harry admits to shutting down for a long period following. “Losing my mum at the age of 12, and therefore shutting down all of my emotions for the last 20 years, has had a quite serious effect on not only my personal life but my work as well.”

Harry explained that, during his time in the Royal Navy, he had an opportunity to speak to some of his fellow soldiers on the silent affects of PTSD.

“Having those conversations it became blindly obvious to me—even if [mental illness] was a small problem early on—something was the trigger for all of these issues to come forward. No matter who you are, a conversation has to be the beginning.

“If you stay silent it’s more likely to kill you,” he added.

Being such a prominent figure, known globally, meant there were multiple layers of pressure to keep up a classic “British upper lip.”

“I have probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions when all sorts of grief and sort of lies and misconceptions and everything are coming to you from every angle.”

Prince Harry—together with Prince William and his wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge—have embarked on a project called Heads Together, an advocacy campaign to destigmatize mental illness and encouraging folks to seek assistance.

Anywhere from 10-30% of American veterans are suffering some type of PTSD, so this effort is only going to help them, too.

 

Let’s get one thing clear off the top: Bill O’Reilly is not a journalist. He’s a TV pundit-anchor, a horny bobblehead and—by all accounts—a serious asshole. His excusal this week from Fox News with a $25M golden shower parachute sent shockwaves through cable TV; it followed the months-earlier ouster of network honcho and noted gross human weeble Roger Ailes.

The team leading Fox News is most assuredly in crisis mode right now, dealing with the self-inflicted nightmare of multiple sexual misconduct allegations—and even a federal investigation into whether or not the network lied about its “settlements” to victims. This NPR piece reads like General Hospital on steroids, where secret cabals were convened to figure out how to ruin accusers’ lives.

Gleeful, proud confession: I’ve never watched a minute of either Fox News nor Bill O’Reilly. The network is on complete lockdown in my house. What I *have watched, however, is Keith Olbermann’s repeated takedown of “Orally” in his Worst Persons in the World segment for his former MSNBC (and greatly missed) show, Countdown.

Just to recap the Fox News line of thinking about its star anchor: O’Reilly incited the violence and murder on Dr. George Tiller? No problem! Fielding multiple sexual assault allegations from his colleagues and employees? Meh, no big deal. Being a jerk to people who work for you? That ain’t nothing.

But what about that moment when O’Reilly Factor advertisers start fleeing the show and advocates are organizing full-on boycotts? Oh no, he’s got to go.

 

We kick off CrankyYank’s latest department with a Patriots-focused news update—and a newly coined tennis term. First, check out Rob Gronkowski, Patriots’ tight end, as he video-bombs Spicey’s presser. Epic.

In other Patriots news, not a single county in Massachusetts went for Trump. Not one. As such, this PSA is a dressing-down of Orangina Thinskin in the highest order.

One last sporting news blip: when something interrupts a tennis match (crying baby, loud hillbilly, errant tennis ball, etc.) it’s called a “let” when it interrupts play. Today we have a new type of disruption, and it’s awesome.

As a tennis player myself I hope this never happens to me, but it makes for excellent viewing. I’ve had screaming-child lets, sneezing lets, loud-music lets—but never sex lets. “He can’t be that good” indeed.

CY Sport will cover all types of pro- and college-level athetics, including football, baseball, tennis and much more—particularly the intersection of cultural happenings and the sporting world. 

 

Jon Ossoff, the remarkably well-spoken candidate to replace Tom Price in Georgia’s 6th district, has been out front on climate change. Check out the video above in which he speaks during a debate about the dangers posed by a radically warming planet. We need more of our pols doing the same—but don’t count on Bernie Sanders to endorse him.

 

I’m working on a Don Rickles tribute through the eyes of fantastic singer Catte Adams—who has toured with Rickles and has a number of great anecdotes to share about the legendary comedian. Turns out the “insult guy” was also a sweetheart in person. Watch this space for the honorarium, coming very soon.

 

Our Cure Your Crankies moment this week is brought to you by fabulously flunky Wal-Mart shoppers. There are myriad video LOLs brimming with fashion fails and brawling customers—but I present to you a festive compilation aimed and cheering you up. Remember, if you think you’re having a bad day—imagine being caught on camera by an intrepid citizen photographer while doing something shady at Wal-Mart. 🔵

 

That’s a wrap guys! Please join me again right back here next Thursday at 2 p.m.

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Will Pollock is an Atlanta-based freelance multimedia journalist focusing on pop-culture, politics, journalism & media, retail, real estate, travel, politics, and human-interest stories. 

He is the author of two books (Pizza for Good & Leaving Triscuit), with more on the way. Sign up for the mailing list, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram—and check out the book links below.

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