LA chopper reporter elicits laughs and concern for deadpan coverage of 'No Kings Day' protests
Stu Mundel, FOX 11 Los Angeles' aerial reporter since June 2020, had a somewhat of a meltdown while his chopper was flying over crowds of people in the streets who had gathered to protest Donald Trump 's actions as president.
After being asked a question by an audience member about his relationship status, Mundel let out a three-second groan directly into the mic before saying:
'You know, I don't care about my- ...I, uh, I am married. I am legally married. I am legally married. That's about the only way you can really say it,' he replied.
He then appeared to say that he wasn't 'looking' for someone to date, before mentioning that he's been through 'a bunch of debacles with my personal life.'
'I got nothing right now. I got nothing...not really looking,' he said. 'I'm trying to find myself and be happy. I'm being serious about that. I want to be beholden to no one at this moment.'
He continued: 'You know, do I get lonely? Of course. Of course. But I got cats.'
He later clarified that he and his wife are legally separated.
A few minutes after he talked about his current marriage not working out, a viewer goaded him on by asking him to fly over his ex-wife's house.
'Someone said "fly over your ex-wife's house." I said, which one?'
His tone of voice also had people speculating that he might have had something to drink before getting in the news helicopter that day.
'How many martinis did this guy knock back before going on air?' one person wrote in a comment on the YouTube stream after it posted.
Mundel did nothing to quell people's worries when began talking about his love for alcohol at one point.
'Yes, I love bourbon. I do. I do love the bourbon. I love the whiskey. I love the bourbon. Love the gin. Do love the gin. Alright, kids, we're making our way to Torrance,' he said.
Saying outlandish things before making a quick pivot to updating his audience on where the chopper was headed was a constant feature of the stream.
While hovering over a group of protestors, Mundel decided to sing the 'I'm just a bill' song from Schoolhouse Rock.
'I'm just a bill, and I'm sittin' on Capitol Hill. It would be funny if one of those guy's names down there was Bill. Eh, it's not Capitol Hill though. True,' he said.
He also had no qualms bantering with his audience as they sent in comments. While they were flying over highways and warehouses, some viewers were upset that they couldn't see any action from the protests.
His responses to them resembled how parents scold their kids when they repeatedly ask 'are we there yet' on the way to a vacation.
'We're here for the protests. Yes Paloma!' Mundel said to a viewer. 'Yes, Paloma, I know! It's not a magic carpet. I can do a lot of things, but I can't bend space and time. Yet. Emma, same thing! We're on our way! ...Sandra? No, we're not there yet. Three minutes.'
At one point in the stream, he seemed to be aware that his bosses at the television station might not be too happy with his shoot-from-the-hip approach.
'They probably have the audio down. I don't blame 'em. I would too,' he said.
However, based on many of the comments he received, his off-the-cuff style was a smashing success. Some even suggested he should have his own show.
'Thanks fox news 11 for giving us your funny wacky and newly divorced helicopter pilot reporter in the sky report! Somebody please buy him some jello shots tonight!' one person wrote.
'I hope the pilot is doing okay, we're praying for you buddy!' another wrote.
'Don't let the people get you down, stu. you are a treasure. - LA,' a third wrote.
Shortly after his broadcast, protesters in LA began to turn violent as police said concrete, rocks, bottles and commercial grade fireworks were thrown at officers.
LAPD deployed less lethal munitions in an effort to quell the chaos.
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