The Mirror

WaPo’s Erik Wemple Doesn’t Do Hypotheticals

Betsy Rothstein Gossip blogger
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Anyone who’s ever dealt with WaPo‘s “reported” media blogger Erik Wemple knows how straightforward he is in his interviews. No surprises. No dickishness. No calling you with a presumptive, bogus hit piece while you’re preparing for a loved one’s funeral. Just straightforward, good, old-fashioned reporting where you get as much say as the other guy. (No, actually, not really.)

Anyhow, today we have a semi-illuminating email exchange between our resident phone enthusiast, freelance writer Evan Gahr and Wemple. As some may recall, Wemple really foolishly fell hard for a classic Gahr prank in which Gahr asked him to autograph posts from The Erik Wemple Blog. That’s right, Wemple, who helped run Allbritton’s TBD into the ground, actually fell for someone saying he wanted autographed copies of his blog posts. Because who doesn’t want autographed copies of Wemple’s blog posts?

After watching Wemple repeatedly attack FNC’s Bill O’Reilly, Gahr wrote Wemple with the following inquiry. The Mirror hears that O’Reilly frequently invites on guests who trash O’Reilly, but they almost always decline.

Subject: O’Reilly

Date: Sept. 4, 2014

GAHR 4:30 p.m.: “I am curious: Has O’Reilly ever invited you on his show when you write all these items trashing him?”

WEMPLE 4:31 p.m.: “No, he has not, to the best of my knowledge.”

(Note to readers: Wemple hilariously gives himself cover just in case he doesn’t remember being invited on O’Reilly’s show.)

GAHR 4:51 p.m.: “Would you go on, if invited? You wouldn’t stay on the phone more than two minutes
with me so I can’t imagine you going on camera with him for fifteen minutes. Am I wrong?”

WEMPLE 4:54 p.m.: “Hey, thanks for your interest in me and the blog; I appreciate it, honestly. But I’m not going to get into hypotheticals on this one. Take care.”

Remarks Gahr, “I won’t engage in hypotheticals???? Who does he think he is? Chuck Hagel being asked on ‘Meet the Press’ about possible US options regarding ISIS?”