Talk:Geraldo Rivera

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is within the scope of WikiProject Biography. For more information, visit the project page.
Portal:Biography
 Biography Portal
??? This article has not yet received a rating on the Project's quality scale. Please rate the article and then leave a short summary here to explain the ratings and/or to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the article. [FAQ]


This entire article is extremely slanted. It doesn't take a lot of intelligence to tear someone's life apart. You can do it to anybody if you dig around enough--

I think two examples of Geraldo's courage not to mention integrity are his public denunciation of O.J. Simpson and his defense of Michael Jackson. Gerado, a minority, publically maintained that O.J. Simpson was guilty of the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. He risked backlash from the minority community on this very divisive trial and I think this is an example of great courage that he steadfastly mantained that O.J. Simpson was guilty.

Second-- Geraldo's defence of Michael Jackson also showed courage because the press was so willing to crucify this man who is odd but not a pedophile at all, and has been the target of numerous false and predatory lawsuits and was finally made the object of a baseless witch hunt. Rivera has a lot of courage and has taken unpopular positions which seems to show up nowhere in this article.

Again-- people these days allow themselves to be manipulated too easily by low-lifes who make a hobby of tearing other peoples lives down. There is nothing easier than picking apart someone elses life, doing so takes little in the way of brains or character. And the people who do so as a habit, so often turn out to be much worse than those who they habitually tear down.

65.102.255.230 22:32, 10 December 2006 (UTC)


Geraldo was still known as Jerry Rivera after he was in Law School. I know because I used to make fun of him because of it. He was working with the Young Lords when I met him. Since I was a rather radical Puerto Rican, I would kid him that his name had to be Geraldo. That's where Geraldo came from. On page 49 of his book (Exposing Myself) he acknowledges that I gave him that name. He was negotiating a contract at the time and he was told that Jerry or Gerry did not sound Puerto Rican so he started using Geraldo. By the way, I was the young woman he did not sleep with. He was having a hard time dealing with the fact that his mother trying to hide the fact his dad was from Puerto Rico. As to Geraldo being a Puerto Rican, he is. As far as Puerto Ricans are concern even if you are second or third generation born and raised in the States you are still one. Look at JLo.

Dubious article about a dubious character. This could be an interesting and fun article, but as it stands, it is nothing. Ortolan88

I'm in the UK so I only really know of this guy through reputation and the one or two times I've seen him on TV when I've been in the US, but according to IMDB [1] his birth name is Gerald Miguel Riviera. Has the fact that his real name is Jerry Rivers just come to light or is it a joke that I didn't get? Mintguy 16:06 Dec 10, 2002 (UTC)

Appears to be an Urban Legend (http://www.snopes.com/media/celebrity/geraldo.asp) --Philosophistry 13:14, 26 July 2005 (UTC)

He is a REAL Puerto Rican, whoever wrote this article knows nothing about him. He admitted it himself that he is from Puerto Rico and has family there.


Does Mr. Geraldo own a dictionary? He recently characterized the Minutemen as 'vigilantes' without, apparently, any understanding of the meaning of the word. The following is from Merriam-Webster.com:

Main Entry: vig·i·lan·te Pronunciation: "vi-j&-'lan-tE Function: noun Etymology: Spanish, watchman, guard, from vigilante vigilant, from Latin vigilant-, vigilans

a member of a volunteer committee organized to suppress and punish crime summarily (as when the processes of law appear inadequate);

Watching for criminal activity and calling the appropriate authorities when a crime is committed (which is all the minutemen do) does not fit the definition stated above. To be a vigilante, you must act as 'judge, jury, and executioner' as the old saying goes, determining guilt and administering extra-legal punishment, something that the Minutemen most definitely do not do. In fact, none of the few instances of violence that has occurred concurrent with their activities has been perpetrated by them; it has been directed at them by groups who seem to specialize in spewing the very hatred, bigotry, and violence that they like to accuse the Minutemen of planning.

As far as bigotry is concerned, desiring an orderly society where the law is obeyed (the worst that the Minutemen can be accused of) is hardly bigotry; if hatred of Hispanics were the motivation then they would also be pushing to end legal immigration from Hispanic countries, which they are not.

I have no problem with immigration from other countries, including loosening the current restrictions on numbers, but I cannot condone breaking the law. If anyone wants to emigrate to this country, then they should come legally, period. When someone starts a quest for citizenship by violating the laws of the very country in which they wish to live, they are, at the very least, giving rise to substantial doubt about their qualifications for citizenship, one of the duties of which is to uphold the law.

Mr. Geraldo's comments seem designed for no purpose other than to showboat, and would appear to be an attempt to use the issue primarily to enhance his own popularity rather than provide reasoned debate or any actual news.

Since I have provided the URL for Merriam-Webster.com, perhaps Mr. Geraldo would be so kind as to navigate to that site and look up the primary definition of 'demagogue' and consider whether the term can be accurately applied to himself.

An article's talk page is not the place for bluster; it's for the dicussion of significant changes to the article. Please take this challenge to a more appropriate forum. 72.200.132.221 13:36, 23 June 2006 (UTC)

The "knife-kill" thing needs to be clarified. Did Geraldo claim he killed someone?

Contents

[edit] Recent Career

I've removed the following line from "Recent Career":

Rivera has boasted of having a knife-kill on a Taliban officer.

Can anyone find a source for this?

71.139.13.134 22:27, 4 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Stewart/Colbert

The sketch on the August 10. 2006 edition of The Daily Show is not "criticism" of Rivera. Its a sketch where he got is ass kicked, nothing more nothing less. Funny, yes. But not something worth mentioning in his Wikipedi entry.194.255.112.30 14:44, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

I disagree, it is something which is provign to have a major effect on the way he is perceived by the public, and could have a lastign effect on his career Lurker oi! 14:11, 12 August 2006 (UTC)
No it won´t. Daily Show viewers already know what they feel about Geraldo. O´Reilly viewers won´t be affected because they don´t watch the Daily Show and if they did this exchange wouldn´t. This is standard talk show exchanges and will most likely be forgotten in a few days. If it has a lasting effect, say in a month from now, THEN add it in. Compared to Jon Stewarts comments on Crossfire, this has neither the same power (Jon Stewart appearence was on the show that he criticised, not the usual tit-for-tat between talkshows) or the same lasting effect.
And please refrain from removing entire sections you happen to disagree with. Lurker oi! 14:12, 12 August 2006 (UTC)
I went here and made an argument for my case. I didn´t just revert the edit. That´s the difference194.255.112.30 14:34, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

No, it is not valid criticism. The Daily Show skit was about comedy and satire, not serious discussion. As much as I dislike O'Reily and Rivera, "criticism" must be better sourced, and WP:BLP applies. 12.75.0.63 15:29, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

I don't understand the opposition to mentioning the incident in the article, as it's a rift between two hit series and took place over multiple episodes. It's a sourcable piece of information that would certainly interest many readers. Seems wrong to cut it out just because it doesn't particularly interest you. I support re-instating it, but if it does get any further mention by Geraldo or O'Reilly, it's definitely worth mention. --relaxathon 17:56, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

I think the WP:BLP speaks for itself. But consider this: Should the Jon Stewart page mention every incident where someone in the media have made fun of him? It doesn´t even mention this insident. Should this page mention every incident over the 35 years of Geraldos career where he was made fun of? The pages for every media person would become excessive long AND would violate WP:BLP.194.255.112.30 18:13, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

Why not stick this in a "In popular culture" section? — TheKMantalk 22:46, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

You don't think it deserves a mention? I mean the show clearly showed the hypocrisy of what Geraldo stands for.
The last sentence is your opinion (and mine) but it is in no way NPOV and therefore doesn´t belong here.
Geraldo gave his public opinion to O'Reilly which wasn't even factual so Jon Stewart shows the hypocracy of his opinion by presenting factual evidence. He reminded everyone that Geraldo was kicked out of Iraq due to his poor judgement and showing clips of Geraldo's talk show with "moral superiority". Plus, Stewart apologized last night 8/14/06 with a giant mustache - controversy. At the very least, put a link at the end. Also, a recent Gallup Poll shows 56% of the public have an unfavoable opinion of Geraldo - just above Rosie O'Donnell. The fact that he is being teased by Stewart & Co. clearly shows in that poll. I think it should be mentioned as this isn't just a 5 second joke on the late show - the "controversy" lasted 2 episodes.
The page already address all the very unfavorable episodes Geraldo have been involved in. That Colbert makes jokes about it does not add to that. Stewart wears a mustache? Again: that has nothing to do with Geraldos life. And finally the fact that Geraldo has low approval ratings has with almost 100% certainty nothing to do with the Daily Show sketch. In fact if your figures are correct, the poll was made AFTER the sketch and it had anythin to do with how the general public view Geraldo, it worked in his FAVOR since a poll made just before the sketch (July 24-27, 2006) had a unfavorable rating of 63% ([2])194.255.112.30 05:40, 16 August 2006 (UTC)
There is nothing in the WP:BIO guidelines that says articles should exclude this sort of criticism. It's from a notable source, and is well-known enough to be included. I'm reinstating it until a valid reason for leaving it out is presented Lurker oi! 13:05, 16 August 2006 (UTC)
Noone is referring to WP:BIO. We are referring to WP:BLP. The Colbert piece, quote: "Geraldo are narcissists enthralled in their own overblown egos, projecting their own petty insecurities onto the world around them, inventing false enemies for the sole purpose of bolstering their sense of self-importance, itty-bitty Nixons minus the relevance or a hint of vision?" is pure slander. Just because someone is saying that stuff doesn´t make it a reliable source unless Colbert was citing from Geraldos psychologists journal.194.255.112.30 14:26, 16 August 2006 (UTC)
I meant BLP. The colbert piece is not lies presented as fact, it is satire, so isn't slander. Ihis section follows the guidelines- it is sourced, relevant, presented with NPOV, doesn't present a minority view as a majority view, etc Lurker oi! 14:34, 16 August 2006 (UTC)
Wikipedia is a encyclopaedia. The idea of encyclopaedias is to make a informative and neutral describtion of the subjects in it. You can not use satire to do that. You misunderstand the conceptof a source. A source in an encyclopaedia should be credible and live up to the general purpose of the encyclopaedia (informative, neutral etc.). When you use satire as a source to describe Geraldo you are - with open eyes - using a source that describes him in an deliberate inaccurate way. The quote could be used in Colberts page to describe HIS TV persona, not to describe Geraldo.194.255.112.30 16:54, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

I added a bit mentioning it to "Recent activity". It doesn't merit its own section and doesn't need all the details, but IMO it's worth noting. That's all. - Kudzu1 04:34, 17 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] 50,000

There was a sentence reading:

During the U.S. war in Afghanistan in 2001, he was derided for falsely claiming to be reporting from the scene of a friendly fire incident which in actuality had occurred 50,000 miles away.

I am not au fait with this incident, but clearly that number was wrong. Since I was unable to substitute another, I merely cut it. The sentence works without it.B00P 00:32, 22 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] The Satanist Quote

250 million Satanists in 1997? That's ridiculous. www.census.gov lists the current US population as just under 300 million. The population in 2000 was 280 million. So what this quote is saying is that >90% of the US population is Satanic. I'm removing this section until someone can cite it.

Why does it say that SBC hired him as a 'doctor.' I don't get it.

[edit] Page Now Repaired

This page was vandalized, but now it's fixed. Thats why you were confused.

[edit] Gun

didnt geraldo carry a sidearm during his reporting in iraq? thats a big no-no for a noncombatant in a war zone to do -Lordraydens 04:05, 15 June 2006 (UTC)

I would think that would depend on the warzone. Or are you an expert in such matters? TastyCakes 17:24, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Checking his user page, I'd call him an expert. Gorn Eater

[edit] Mob Plog

I heard a possibly apocryphal story about Geraldo being targeted by The Mafia. Is this true? If so it should be put in the article (ABSOLUTLY WITHOUT ANY COMMENTS SUCH AS: 'possibly because they found him annoying').

[edit] But Geraldo was Jerry Rivers... once

Perhaps I’m showing my age, but I distinctly remember the “Jerry Rivers Show” back in Los Angeles. It was a talk radio program, hosted by none other than Geraldo Rivera. This was back in the mid-1960s, just prior to his stint at law school.

I cannot vouche for Mr. Rivera’s intentions as to the name change. But some of us who do remember Jerry Rivers reappearing as “Geraldo Rivera” thought that he tried to appear non-Hispanic in order to get employed within the media industry. As it later became popular to broadcast minority voices, he changed names and identities.

[edit] please do sign.

[edit] 1988; chair.

I do wish f/ more written about the chair.

Thank You.

Hopiakuta 03:38, 11 August 2006 (UTC) this is so mean....i love geraldo rivera and y'all are talking mean about him....he is not gay and he is not a butt...


[edit] This article needs a lot of repair

I dislike Geraldo immensely, but this article has a lot of misinformation and needs to be repaired. I'm not going to attempt to do it myself right now because it is so hard to distinguish what is fact and what is made up in some cases. -particularly with Geraldo where many of the things he has done are pretty ridiculous. That said, I know that some of the information in this article is exaggerated. I think the part about him doing magic, and the mention of it throughout the article is probably unfounded. I couldn't find information for that anywhere. There are many more examples. 24.153.178.198 10:57, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Columbia Alum???

No where in the article does it mention that he went to Columbia, yet he listed at the bottom as a Columbia alumnus!

http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/R/htmlR/riverageral/riverageral.htm states that he attended Columbia's School of Journalism, so it is valid, apparently --tims 08:22, 21 November 2006 (UTC)

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../g/e/r/Talk%7EGeraldo_Rivera_faaf.html"