Latest news with #Gaudin
USA Today
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Braves broadcast blasted after reporter flirts with fan during in-game interview
Braves broadcast blasted after reporter flirts with fan during in-game interview The Atlanta Braves broadcast team is facing criticism after a reporter was encouraged to flirt on air with a fan during Monday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Show Caption Hide Caption ARod thinks international games for the MLB could be a huge success Alex Rodriguez is showing his support in the MLB international and Japan games. Sports Seriously The Atlanta Braves broadcast team is facing backlash and criticism over unprofessional behavior after a segment during Monday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays in which a sideline reporter got the phone number of a female fan he had just interviewed when encouraged to do so on-air by his fellow announcers. FanDuel Sports Network Braves reporter Wiley Ballard hosted "The Field Report" during the top of the fifth inning in Toronto and spoke to two female fans about their Braves fandom. One noted she was "not quite" a Braves fan yet. Ballard then attempted to transition back to Braves play-by-play announcer Brandon Gaudin and color analyst C.J. Nitkowski. "I'm gonna go to work up here, guys," Ballard said. "Good luck the rest of the way." MLB POWER RANKINGS: Yankees and Red Sox invade Rays' temporary Tampa home Gaudin replied with more suggestive and flirty language. "Ok, Wiley," he said, "You got four innings to get the numbers." "I'm on it. I'm on it. I'm on it," Ballard responded, and immediately pulled out his cell phone. "Alright, so they want me to get your number," Ballard said to a woman who had identified herself as "Lauren" during the interview. She wondered aloud, "They want you to get my number?" "I'm dead serious. They're saying it in my ear right now," Ballard said back before speaking to Gaudin and Nitkowski through the camera. "She doesn't believe me because she thinks you guys, she thinks we're making this up. Even if you guys weren't, I may use that in the future. It's actually a pretty good move." "This is unbelievable," Gaudin said. Then, Nitkowski chimed in. "So the best part about this is Wiley could totally be faking it," he said. "This might be the new move. Just walk around with a fake FanDuel microphone and an ear piece in and convince fans that they're actually on TV." As this was happening, Lauren did appear to type her phone number into Ballard's phone. "I got the number. We're good," Ballard said at the end of the clip that subsequently went viral once it was shared on social media. After the broadcast, Gaudin and Nitkowski each praised Ballard's performance via their own social media posts. Gaudin dubbed it, "The Wiley Ballard game" with a cell phone emoji. But the segment appears to have drawn a polarizing reaction from those watching live and and generated an immediate rebuke online as the footage was disseminated nationally, particularly in the broadcasting and journalism communities. Many called the behavior unprofessional and misogynistic, and pointed toward a double standard that exists as it relates to the way male and female reporters are expected to conduct themselves. Others found the unorthodox on-air exchange to be funny and came to Ballard's defense. Here's a sampling of what the sports world is saying on social media about an Atlanta Braves broadcast that was anything but normal:
Korea Herald
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
How Korea's 'dark side' found fame on YouTube
YouTube creators are drawing millions of views by peeling back the polished image of South Korea to reveal its lesser-known struggles Over the past year, a flood of English-language YouTube clips has garnered millions of views by diving into South Korea's 'dark side.' These viral clips shed light on the country's intense work culture, skyrocketing housing prices, cutthroat education system, and the grip of chaebol conglomerates on its economy. The allure? A paradoxical mix of glamor and grit. For many international audiences, the question is irresistible: how can a country known for its polished K-pop idols, technological innovation, and cultural exports harbor such deep challenges? French sociologist Christophe Gaudin, who has taught political science in Kookmin University in Seoul since 2007, says these videos soar in popularity because South Korea embodies what he calls a 'utopian–dystopian society.' 'Over the last few decades, Korea modernized at an incredible pace. On one hand, you see stunning achievements in technology, culture, and living standards. On the other, you find severe inequality, enormous stress, and political shake-ups,' he said. 'That tension,' he explained, 'is what makes Korea so compelling on YouTube. It's a society that sparks wonder and anxiety at the same time, especially given the current political crisis.' A prime example is 'South Korea is a Dystopia,' uploaded on Dec. 28 last year, by the channel 'fern.' Already at 3.4 million views, it begins with chilling images of the 2014 Sewol ferry tragedy, accusing government officials and powerful conglomerates, called chaebol, of placing profits before safety. The narrator describes how 'cozy ties' between business and politics allegedly let corporate elites ignore rules that might have prevented the disaster. Another viral piece, 'South Korea is Broken,' published in November last year by 'Gattsu,' has 1.4 million views. It focuses on Korea's world-lowest fertility rate and the crushing cost of education. 'Many viewers abroad are stunned,' says Gaudin, 'because on the surface, Korea seems so advanced and wealthy. But these videos show the strain behind that success.' Recent political turmoil has only increased global curiosity. On Dec. 3, President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, accusing his opponents in the parliament of antistate activities. South Korea's National Assembly overruled him within hours, sparking a wave of resignations and arrests in the following weeks. By Dec. 14, Yoon was impeached. Even the acting president was about two weeks later ousted in a whirlwind of political intrigue. 'Such drama,' Gaudin says, 'feeds the narrative that this country is both highly developed yet somehow on the brink.' A grain of truth, a dose of sensationalism Agnes Ng, a 30-year-old IT consultant from Singapore, first discovered these videos after a trip to Seoul last October. 'I fell in love with the sleek subway system and great food,' she recalls. 'But when I asked locals about their work hours, they spoke of near-constant overtime. When I got back, I watched 'South Korea is Broken' and thought, 'This might be exaggerated, but it's not completely off.'' Media communications professor Kim Chun-sik at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies says this is partly driven by YouTube's algorithms. 'Sensational titles like 'dystopia' or 'broken' get immediate clicks,' he said. 'A compelling, shocking story will rank high in recommendations, so more people see it. That cycle drives view counts into the millions.' But some say these narratives miss the bigger picture. Professor Choi Young Jun, a public policy expert at Yonsei University, warns that all-or-nothing labels don't capture Korea's complex reality. 'Yes, we have serious problems: extreme competition in schools, a housing crisis, chaebol dominance. But we also debate these issues openly. We impeach presidents through a legitimate process, we protest injustice in the streets, and we tackle inequalities in our media." "It's not a simple dystopia," he says. Why the 'dark side' resonates, especially now Overblown or not, the videos have found massive audiences. According to Gaudin, many foreigners start paying attention once they notice parallels in their own countries. 'They see rising costs of living, political friction, and job insecurity at home,' he says. 'Then they watch a video describing the same issues in Korea, magnified by faster growth and a more intense social structure. It resonates.' Byron Ong, 35, a self-employed business owner from Malaysia, first came to Korean content via K-dramas. 'They had beautiful sets and heartfelt stories,' he says. 'But then I found a channel calling Korea a 'cyberpunk dystopia,' full of neon lights and overworked citizens. At first, I was skeptical. Now, I can't stop watching because the reality is so layered -- there's high-speed internet and high-quality public transport everywhere, but also punishing school schedules and reports of corporate corruption.' "South Korea is a Cyberpunk Dystopia" is a video created by YouTuber Quinn Henry, which has amassed over 3.1 million views since its release in Feb. 2023. The video paints South Korea as a real-world embodiment of the cyberpunk genre -- think neon lights, hypermodern skyscrapers, and technological prowess, juxtaposed against societal decay. Henry told The Korea Herald that Korea's polished international image is what actually enhances the impact of its darker realities. 'South Korea's global success in media and technology makes its struggles feel more shocking,' he said. 'You could make a similar video about Singapore, but it wouldn't resonate as strongly because people aren't as emotionally invested in Singapore.' A self-critical society Gaudin notes that Korea's willingness to critique itself fuels this fascination. Popular films like "Parasite" and series like "Squid Game" expose the country's social inequalities for all to see. 'The democracy and freedom that allowed Korean creators to produce such self-critical works have also inspired outsiders to explore the country's challenges, even if sometimes through sensationalized lenses,' he added. Agnes believes the interest in 'dark side' content will keep growing. 'Once you love a country's music and dramas,' she says, 'you naturally dig deeper. And if the real story has drama — like government crackdowns or shocking corporate scandals — people get hooked.'
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Braves announcer and Harrison grad Brandon Gaudin returns to Evansville
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) — Braves play-by-play announcer and Harrison high school grad Brandon Gaudin returned to Evansville as part of the 25th Night of Memories. 'When I came back yesterday, and I got in the rental car, I wanted to drive past the old Harrison High School baseball field,' Gaudin said. 'I wanted to go by there to remember where I first put on the headset, where I first got to do play by play.' Gaudin has appeared on the popular video game Madden, and has called a number of NFL, MLB, and college sporting events. But he said returning home helped him fall in love with the process all over again. 'It makes me remember why I got into this,' he said. 'And no matter where I have been, whether it's been baseball, basketball, football, minor leagues, professional level, I remember I got into it because I love sport.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
