All The Wrong Optics: Jill BAdair & Shelley Ridenour Do The News Their Way

Here is an image from a locally-produced morning news show in a city-owned studio on the same premises as Crescent Crown Distributors called Mesa Morning Live, absent the usual host, described as an  'internationally acclaimed comedian', whom probably nobody outside of Mesa knows.

Does this not look like a commercial for Corona beer?

Take a look. Yes? Or No? OK...watch this original source of the performance and then read how the two reporters do their spin on this embarrassing public behavior. 
The two dudes: ex-mayor Scott Smith and current Mayor John Giles on the prop-filled stage taking the opportunity to show off their talents with lame raunchy jokes falling flat or what?
First take a look and watch this original YouTube upload of their performance, especially the lame opening and desperate attempts at jokes that fall flat with some raunchy "wrong orifice" jokes:

The raunchy 'wrong orifice' comments come from the mouth of current Valley Metro CEO Scott Smith, bantered back-and-forth by John Giles playing the straight-guy --- a totally unacceptable behavior exhibited by two public officials in the public-eye.
The raunchy dis-tasteful attempts at locker room humor - or just 2 beer-drinking brew buddies jiving around - is almost totally not noted in an article written by EVT reporter Shelly Ridenour featured on Jill B Adair's My Mesa News with this caption accompanying the image on the stage set: Valley Metro CEO Scott Smith and Mesa Mayor John Giles scrutinize their bottles of root beer at April's Mesa Morning Live. (Shelley Ridenour/MyNewsMesa.com)
Here's the headline and opening 'news' copy

Light rail expansion key to Valley’s future

By Shelley Ridenour - April 20, 2017 *

"It may have started out with some less-than-successful jokes, but the topic of the April installation of Mesa Morning Live was no laughing matter.

Mesa Mayor John Giles subbed as moderator of the Mesa Chamber of Commerce event, filmed and shown live on Mesa’s Channel 11. His guest, Scott Smith, deadpanned along with his jokes.
Scott, the CEO of Valley Metro, is a former Mesa mayor who held the office immediately before Giles. Yet the two teetotallers joked as if it was their first meeting. They toasted with root beers on the stage at Crescent Crown Distributing that was decorated in a Cinco de Mayo theme, complete with plenty of Corona beer promotional materials.
Giles kept a running joke through the event as his root beer bubbled out of the brown bottle, much to the glee of the audience.
Turning to the matter at hand, Smith discussed the Gilbert Road extension of light rail, now underway in Mesa. . . "
Here's an example cited of John Giles lame humor:
“If a dog with a lame leg walked across Main Street, there was absolutely no threat of it being hit 20 years ago,” Giles said, jokingly. “Not today,” people are everywhere in downtown Mesa in a big part because of light rail."

Blogger's Note: Yours truly has lived downtown for three years. Here's a reality check with people everywhere.


* Shelley Ridenour is a freelance reporter for MyNewsMesa.com
She used to be employed by the East Valley Tribune