CNN slammed for 'stupid' animal costume stunt as staff brace for layoffs

CNN Senior National Correspondent David Culver drew rebukes online for footage showing him donning a panda suit successful the aftermath of the station's wide layoffs - arsenic different stations offered stories connected Donald Trump and the hurricane successful North Carolina.

Culver was reporting unrecorded successful Washington to spot the The Smithsonian National Zoo’s 2 caller elephantine pandas, months after visiting them overseas. 

The costumed footage comes from an overarching accumulation Dubbed Operation Panda, airing Sunday, and connected Friday, the presumption repeatedly aired footage filmed precocious past twelvemonth successful anticipation.

The clips amusement him lasting alongside an besides costumed colleague, successful what appears the mountains of Southwest China. Bao Li and Qing Bao were some brought from the state this month, arsenic portion of a renewed woody betwixt the US and China.

The 2 made their nationalist debut Friday, with Culver reporting from the scene. This spawned disapproval from immoderate connected societal media, including a fashionable pundit who slammed the contented arsenic uninspired erstwhile compared to the remainder of day's news.  

Others, meanwhile, brought up the immoderate 200 firings that had occurred conscionable hours before, and the ratings conflict that spurred it. All expressed disinterest successful the elephantine panda-related content, arsenic the web seeks to address waning TV viewership.

'This is simply a existent happening CNN is doing and airing. I wonderment wherefore they conscionable had monolithic layoffs?' wrote 1 idiosyncratic connected X, sharing a inactive of Culver successful costume. The idiosyncratic slammed the conception arsenic dull.  

Another added on Instagram. 'Cool. Now backmost to the Trump trashing communicative that got him reelected' - paving the mode for a stinging jab from Frequent Fox News contributor Joe Concha who besides slammed the struggling presumption for the segment.

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'Fox News covering Trump gathering with victims of Helene successful Western North Carolina, implicit with idiosyncratic families taking to the mic to stock their monolithic struggles and frustration,' the pundit wrote. 'CNN - Dana Bash talking elephantine pandas successful DC.' 

Hours earlier, CEO Mark Thompson took a large measurement successful his long-in-the works restructuring program that seeks to enactment accent connected CNN's integer aboriginal - a pronounced circular of firings for the 3rd clip successful arsenic galore years.

'We're going to spot Bao Li and Qing Bao,' Culver begins successful a abstracted promotion besides posted Friday, as the Smithsonian's Panda Keeper, Mariel Lally, offered him a tour.

At a point, she brought the analogous look to look with 1 of the affable animals, leaving him with a Cheshire feline grin.

'I don't cognize what I was expecting to feel, but this is incredible,' helium said successful footage acceptable to aerial Sunday astatine 8pm.

'He's beauteous amazing,' added Lally of Bao Li, feeding him bamboo done his cage.

As helium chomped away, Culver commented: 'Oh my god, Mariel - he's truthful sweet!' earlier asking his usher 'how astonishing it [was] to person pandas backmost [at the zoo].'

She replied yes, leaving the writer to again say: 'Oh my gosh - he's truthful sweet,' aft Bao Li and his somewhat much reserved pistillate counterpart were successfully brought to the US as part of a brand-new 10-year agreement with Chinese authorities.

A akin 1 ended successful 2023, after 3 elephantine pandas, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and lad Xiao Qi Ji were sent backmost to the state aft staying astatine the Smithsonian since 2000.

The presumption of the caller woody are inactive somewhat unclear, leaving Culver to gush implicit the bear's cuteness aft donning a costume X users could not assistance but criticize. 

'This is freaking maine out,' wrote one, arsenic different compared the likeness of the carnivore masks to skis masks, akin to the thieves signifier Home Alone.

'CNN and the radical who ticker it are the worst,' sniped idiosyncratic else, the firings inactive caller successful galore minds. 

'Returning to China for this communicative felt some profoundly idiosyncratic and profoundly unique', said Culver successful a abstracted statement, arsenic b-roll for the caller occurrence showed him successful afloat panda garb

'The exclusive entree – from the meticulous readying for the elephantine pandas’ send-off to trekking into the chaotic to research the landscapes they telephone location – revealed a broadside of this travel fewer ever see. 

'It’s a communicative that goes beyond borders, capturing the singular efforts, taste ties, and earthy quality that these iconic animals inspire. 

'I’m excited for viewers to acquisition these rare, unforgettable moments firsthand.'

Former First Lady Jill Biden besides visited the elephantine pandas arsenic good past weekend, posting  video of the brushwood connected Facebook and Instagram just hours earlier President-elect Donald Trump flew to D.C. to footwear disconnected his inauguration.

She was accompanied by Hunter Biden's lad Beau arsenic well, who, like Culver, the toddler  tin beryllium heard exclaiming however the 'cute' the critters were successful the footage.

'This is Bao Li, which means "energetic treasure,"' says the usher successful the clip, posted to the authoritative archetypal woman Instagram page.    

'This is Qing Bao.  It's similar "green mountainous treasure,' she adds.

'That's cute right?' asks the then-first lady. 

'Cute,' answers the four-year-old.

The afloat rubric of the documentary featuring Culver is 'The Whole Story: Operation Panda'. It volition beryllium narrated by Anderson Cooper.