Ron Wood, Anchorman: Stung On YouTube

A local newsman exits his offices on a bright and sunny day in Syracuse, New York, and delivers the latest headlines.

He heads towards the camera but, perhaps 30 seconds in, he gets stung by a bee. Not one to brush the incident to one side, he reacts. Inevitably, it is an expletive-ridden reaction:

F***ing bee on me. A f***ing bee just bit me. A f***ing bee just stung me. Look, a f***ing bee stung me. Look, I got stung by a bee. Motherf***er!

Bizarrely, he finishes it all by asking “anybody hurt?” before returning to his mark for take two.

Yesterday I embedded a YouTube video of the clip on this blog because:

1. I can’t quite leave the silly season behind even if it is no longer August
2. It was very funny

But within hours of it going up, the video was removed from YouTube. Removed at the behest of Newport Television, a TV holding company which includes among the channels it runs an ABC affiliate called WSYR-TV 9, employers of anchorman Ron Wood (pictured).

It’s not the first time Newport has gone after copies of this clip on YouTube – an earlier upload has gone from this Esquire page.

Why has Newport acted in such a heavy-handed way?

Because the clip reflects badly on the news channel and its anchor? Hardly, Wood is simply reacting as many of us would. Because it is foul-mouthed? Perhaps, but nothing a little bleeping can’t sort out. Because Newport owns the rights? Surely not.

At best a clip like this raises the profile of the station and its star anchorman – it extends the reach.

At worst? Well, I’m not sure there is much of a downside. It’s hardly denting the company’s revenues. And if it really was an issue about rights, why isn’t the clip now on the WSYR-TV website?

UPDATE 5 Sep: Video has turned up again, but for how long? Enjoy it while you can:

Related:
– ‘Motherf*$&£ing Bee.’ The Anchorman’s Sting
– Chris Brown, JK Wedding Entrance Dance And Unintended Consequences