CNN Takes an Early Lead in the Silly Election Coverage Gimmick Race

Associated Press
Esther Zuckerman 8,345 Views Nov 6, 2012

CNN, the network that earned mockery for bringing us interviews "via hologram" on election night 2008, will once again engage in some visual silliness as they measure tonight's returns. The network will be measuring electoral votes on the Empire State Building. Per CNN's Press Room: "As each state is projected by CNN and electoral votes are allocated to the candidates, a vertical LED-illuminated 'meter' located atop the spire of the building will display CNN’s running tally of the race to 270." It's going to be pretty embarrassing if they end up calling something incorrectly. Let's just pray we don't have a repeat of the health care ruling incident

As we mentioned before, CNN is no stranger to gimmicks. In 2008 the network went all Princess Leia on viewers, and beamed people in via what they called "holograms." (As Live Science pointed out: "The CNN special effect is not a hologram. A true hologram is a technique that gathers laser light scattered from an object, and then presents it in a way that appears truly three-dimensional.") Here's Wolf Blitzer gabbing with "hologram" Jessica Yellin: 

And Anderson Cooper's terrifically awkward "hologram" interview of will.i.am:

 

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