Goo Goo Googly Eyes

Susie was on FOX and Friends, which is a Sunday morning show. The subject was serious, and Susie has the credentials for it.
FOX was covering the Washington State law that would require parents to have written proof that they consulted a medical professional before declining vaccinations for their children. Susie, who has a list of qualifications too long to go into was asked to “debate” another “mother” on the topic. Susie was set up in a room by herself in an ABC affiliate room. The other “mother” was in a different studio, maybe even a different city for all I know.
Excuse my excessive use of parenthesis here. Picture my curled fingers making air parenthesis, which is what I'm doing as I write this. Anyone who has ever watched a “debate” on a news show knows that the paid on air “talent” spends five minutes framing the question before giving the “guests” fifteen seconds to respond.
The “debate” was done by remote. The room Susie sat in was empty except for the staging and a camera. No people, just a back drop in an empty room and a camera.
A camera that had a set of cardboard eye cut-outs sitting on it.
I guess their purpose was to remind people where to aim their gaze as they listened to disembodied voice ask questions, and present their point while addressing an empty room. But there is something laughably creepy about paper cut-out eyes.
Susie has had a lot of experience speaking in public, but she told me she really had to make an effort to smile. She appeared to be more composed than the other “mother” who appeared emotional and distraught over the topic. Now I know it was stage fright. Fright induced by the staging, that is.
So from now on the term “stage fright” will conjure up an image for me of googly eyes sitting on top of a camera.
Susie came away from the “debate” satisfied that she had made valid points. The one thing she learned was that if ever in that situation again, she would bring along a picture of a kitten.
Nancy Sherer