2024’s Media Blunders: When Pundits Turned Into Pundits-in-Waiting

Well, dear readers, it’s time to admit that even the soothsayers of the media world sometimes need a crystal ball upgrade. As we wave goodbye to 2024, let’s take a humorous stroll down memory lane, where predictions went to die a spectacular death.

1. Biden’s Debate Debacle: Experts thought Joe Biden would channel his inner debate god, despite his recent public gaffes. Instead, he turned the debate into a comedy show by promising to “beat Medicare,” leading to an early exit from the race. Talk about a plot twist!

2. Swift’s Engagement Saga: Dana Perino, along with every Swiftie and NFL fan, was ready to pop the champagne for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement. But alas, it was just another year of teasing, leaving us all in suspense. Now, Perino’s betting on Taylor saving Broadway with a musical – about heartbreak or nuptials? Place your bets!

3. The DOGE That Barked: Andrew Ross Sorkin could never have predicted Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy teaming up in the crypto circus. His “Bingo Card for ’24” was missing this wild card!

4. X and WaPo Missteps: Jessica Lessin thought X would be drowned in a sea of fake news, reducing its global clout. Nope, X is still king of the digital hill. And about Jeff Bezos selling The Washington Post? He’s still holding onto it like it’s the last newspaper standing.

5. Taylor Swift’s Political Misstep: Steve Bannon was sure Taylor’s endorsement would sway the vote. Instead, it appeared the Swifties had better things to do, like washing their hair, on election day.

6. Vance’s ‘Cat Lady’ Faux Pas: Rachel Maddow anticipated public outrage over JD Vance’s comments, but it seems America was more focused on other things, like what’s for dinner.

7. Trump’s Unexpected Encore: Marc Cuban and about 80% of the media didn’t see Trump’s triumphant return coming. With Elon Musk in his corner, Trump proved once again that in politics, never count the comeback kid out.

8. Superbowl Shockers: Alex Sherman from CNBC thought Warner Bros Discovery would keep its NBA love affair going. Instead, they got a Dear John letter. And betting against Patrick Mahomes? Rookie mistake, Alex.

9. Richard Plepler’s Triple Whammy: The former HBO boss should have stuck to TV shows, not sports or politics. His predictions on the Giants, the Dems, and the Tyson-Paul fight were more off-target than a blind archer.

10. Collective Amnesia: Joshua Toplosky from Sherwood News seems shocked at how quickly we forgot the Trump chaos. Apparently, America’s memory is shorter than a TikTok video.

So, as we laugh at the media’s 2024 predictions that went as wrong as a GPS leading you into a lake, let’s remember: in the world of news, the only predictable thing is unpredictability. Here’s to a new year of hopefully better guesses, or at least more entertaining ones