Cosby Out At MSNBC But Still In Running For World Wonder Title

Smith Funeral Coverage Pushes Former Raspy-Voiced Anchor Ahead of Great Wall of China, But Trailing Pyramids of Giza

It's often said by optimists, that when one door closes, another door opens.

For MSNBC anchor Rita Cosby, she's now wishing that the open door is the portal to a new world title.

MSNBC announced that Cosby is being let go, canceling their plans for a 24-Hour Anna Nicole Smith channel that she was pegged to anchor.

At the same time, in a confluence of fate, Cosby is headed towards being a finalist in the contest voting on a new set of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Abrams: "Can't Count On White Woman Going Missing, or Dying Suddenly" To Justify Cosby Contract

With her contract expiring on April 1, 2007, Cosby was informed that it was not going to be renewed.

This was the second blow to Cosby, who last year, had her "Rita Cosby Live and Direct," replaced by the networks justice filler, 'Doc Blocks". Cosby languished, sparking briefly when former JonBenet Ramsey murder suspect John Mark Karr surfaced surfaced and, more recently, with her coverage of the Anna Nicole Smith case.

MSNBC President Dan Abrams confirmed Cosby's departure, with her last day being March 31st.

"It's just the pressure of the business," lamented Abrams. "Rita has a certain set of skills. We can't count on a white woman going missing, or one that dies suddenly, occuring enough to make the kind of investment like the 24-Hour Smith channel

In yet another measure of irony, when Cosby first joined MSNBC, coming from the Fox News Network, then President Rick Kaplin bumped the poster of Abrams in the main lobby, to accommodate Cosby's.

Abrams denied he was letting Cosby go, just to reclaim his poster's main lobby location.

Raspy, Husky Voice Cited In World Wonder Voting

Cosby was initially stunned to find that she was in the running for a World Wonder title.

Contest founder Bernard Weber was also, but as the votes poured in, the decision was made to let it go, to see how far she could rise.

"I was surprise, yes," said Weber, in a telephone interview with The Garlic. "I had no idea who she was. But there were many, many votes pouring in, and people marveling that her voice had to be a world wonder."

For much of Cosby's career, on-camera, she was noted, and criticized, for having a raspy, husky voice.

"There was a surge of voting, during that Anna Nicole Smith thing going on," added Weber. "It pushed her past the Great Wall of China, but still trailing the Pyramids in Giza.

Cosby, since taking a forced vacation that was a prelude to her dismal, has lost the raspiness and is speaking in a normal tone of voice.

"Gosh," said Cosby, "I like the voice I have now, but, if it means going the distance to get one of those World Wonder titles, I'll start chain-smoking and eating glass, if I have to."

Both Cosby and Weber dismissed Cosby's contest voting popularity due to a "suitcase full of rocks" that former MSNBC colleague Keith Olbermann offered as a measure on how dumb Cosby may be.

"No," said Weber, "We already have the Acropolis, Stonehenge and other locations in the contest, we don't need any more rocks."

Links

Welcome to the election of the New 7 Wonders of the World

Rita Cosby, American Hero










Headier days for Rita Cosby, chasing down murder suspects.

Cosby has been bounced from MSNBC and now awaits voting to become a finalist in the New 7 Wonders of the World contest