It was a spectacle such as spectacles go on Channel 13's on the 10 o'clock news.
There, amongst the murderers in their felony pajamas, the abused pets with their pleading eyes, auto accident scenes wrapped in yellow tape, (and, ironically, a frenetic weather report delivered with eye-popping digitation) was UW climatology professor Cliff Mass lecturing to the masses about math ed.
In case you don't remember, or have zoned out our incessant coverage, Mass was the public radio weather babe fired because he wouldn't shut up about math education in his 5-minute weekend weather report.
Sadder yet was the little stink also reported as Mass's fans, a half dozen strong, delivered a petition to KUOW with 5000 signatures. Let in the door by KUOW Consigliere and Vladamir Putin look-alike Arvid Hokansen, the infuriated fan clubbers spoke to PD Jeff Hansen who thanked them for their efforts, requested they buzz-off, and have a nice rest of the day. That's the public radio way.
(photo: lion at the gate: the Putinesque Mr. Hokansen)
Mass's ardent supporters don't seem to get that it's not what Mass says -- he's right: Math scores are too low in the US -- it's just that he expects and demands time that's alloted to weather analysis on Weekday to be reserved as an open mic for his views -- on not only education, but also other parochial university yada-yada.
It's boring radio even for the dedicated perpetrators of boring radio.
What's more, he's pissed everybody off and poisoned the well by talking about these unweatherly issues after he was asked, warned, begged not to. Then he raised this putrescence after KUOW finally, timidly, passive-aggressively, let him go.
He had no contract, he was not paid. He has no rights in this matter.
KUOW needs a laxative and a stool softener, but Cliff Mass won't be the one to administer them. He's relegated himself to the unseemly role of that crazy guy pounding on the door demanding to be let in.
OK, now I officially applaud Mass for raising awareness for his cause, and doing so at the expense of both his trivial radio gig, and now a TV segment which was to be all about him.
He could have used his time on TV to bash KUOW and beg for sympathy, but instead he used the moment for what appears to be more socialy conscious purpose. His intentions seem good, even if his methods are wrong.
Maybe he shouldn't have reacted the way he did, but had he done so, he wouldn't have raised awareness for the cause to the extent that he has. He deserves credit for stirring up publicity like a pro, intentional or not.
Posted by: Andrew | June 07, 2011 at 12:59 PM
Michael, enough already about Cliff Mass. You have now officially lowered yourself to the level of Channel 13 late news.
Posted by: viola dakin | June 07, 2011 at 01:03 PM
Mass was on 13 as well. Now that he has thoroughly trashed KUOW, does he still expect to get his 5 min show back?
Posted by: Coiler | June 07, 2011 at 01:38 PM
AFAIK he was only on Q13.
I think the only reason he wanted the KUOW gig back in ther first place was so that he could continue to trash talk high school math departments. He has a higher calling now. He cashed out his otherwise mundane public platform to make a point about education.
Let's put this in perspective: is a no-pay weather forecast bit with Steve Scher of any real value in itself? Could anything be bigger waste of time after fifteen years running?
Cliff played his hand, and there's no denying he's maanged to promote a socially conscious agenda in the process. I don't know why Q13 gave him a soap box, but he deserves credit for having got that soap box. People have done worse to achieve less.
Posted by: Andrew | June 07, 2011 at 01:51 PM
LOL! I am loving this!! Really, Mass needs to file a lawsuit!!! Unlawfully terminated!!! No, wait..I wasn't paid...but I spent my TIME! That's worth something! And the paind and humiliation! THIS was worthy of TV news story????
Posted by: JimF | June 07, 2011 at 04:25 PM
"but I spent my TIME!"
Or, more likely, the University of Washington's time. But that's free . . . right?
Posted by: Ted Smith | June 07, 2011 at 04:30 PM
From Cliff's comment June 8 to the "Put Cliff Mass back on KUOW" Facebook page:
"I am a cross between Juan Williams and that poor Tunisian merchant that burned himself in protest"
Posted by: Listener | June 09, 2011 at 10:26 AM
The man has lost any perspective he might have once had, and fallen off the deep end of nuttiness. Seriously, he needs to seek therapy, he's not living in reality and his behavior is borderline mental. I believe it is possible that he will graduate to stalking and eventually the SPD will become involved.
Posted by: Arty Ziff | June 09, 2011 at 09:09 PM
Rumors of his loss of equilibrium, perspective, etc. have been greatly exaggerated on this blog, mostly by naive commenters. He doesn't need KUOW and according to other publications and his weather blog, he has moved on.
FYI -Tomorrow at 9:45AM, Michael Fagin will be discussing mountain weather in Cliff Mass's old time slot.
Posted by: KS | June 09, 2011 at 09:51 PM
He has Not moved on. Now he is comparing himself to a martyr and is preparing an "expose" of the radio station. It is getting embarrassing. He should find another station who will let him talk about a wider variety of subjects and start fresh. For heaven's sake, there are so many people out there who have lost real paying jobs. Mass still has his job and this gig is becoming more important than what he does with weather forecasting.
Posted by: sparky | June 09, 2011 at 10:49 PM
Did you ever think he might have been sarcastic, so he could suck in people like you ? Have you ever read his weather blog ? He hasn't missed a beat on his weather blog and his teaching at the UW. If you haven't, may I suggest you are ignorant on this topic and fail to appreciate the passion he has for reaching out to the community and enlightening the public about the absurdly stupid way they are teaching math in public schools (the politically correct way) and causing the nation to fall farther behind the rest of the developed world. Seems like you could be getting defensive about the way he ridicules the Seattle Public school system because you are taking it personal. Do you think there is a possibility he may be correct in his criticism ? I do.
He also likened himself to Juan Williams and there is a similarity between he and Juan. Are you more embarrassed about him or Anthony Weiner ? Astounding !
Posted by: KS | June 10, 2011 at 07:13 PM
Pay attention, KS. A long time ago I said I agreed with his stance on math. But people quit listening to the message a long time ago because of the messenger and his approach. Quick. Tell me what math series my district is using. Tell me what methods I use to teach math. Is it the same as the method they use in the intermediate grades? Middle school? Do you know what the test scores are for my school? You seem to approve of his big brush, so you must know, right?
I read his weather blog every day. He is most certainly not being sarcastic. However, he just might be correct about being similar to Juan Williams. Williams was asked not to identify himself as an NPR commentator when he appeared on Fox, yet he did so several times. Mass was told not to veer from doing just weather. He did do that. Thus, both were tossed. The difference is that Juan had a national audience and went right to work for Fox full time. He did not orchestrate a movement to attempt to shame his former employer. Mass wasn't even paid to do a LOCAL program, and yet he acts like they took away his birthday.
Posted by: sparky | June 10, 2011 at 08:02 PM
He is taking this too hard. I hope his family can help him.
Posted by: Coiler | June 10, 2011 at 08:06 PM
Sparky, so what is your beef about him then if you agree with his stance on school math ? Evidently you don't appreciate his concern for the community and are unsympathetic to his cause. Is he not politically correct enough for your sensibilities ? You must think he is a conservative (actually, I don't think he is)
Give us a break ! I'm glad you agree with his stance on teaching math a different way. However, I am not concerned about the math scores of your students are. I know enough about his proposal to see clear that it is better and more relevant in our scientifically-based world. I know that the current math teaching methods are not that conducive to learning and avoiding math-phobia. Story problems in middle school are a joke from what I have seen - they are too convoluted and it's more about the methodology than obtaining the correct answer. Frustrating to students and there is probably a link to why more and more scientists and engineers are from overseas.
Posted by: KS | June 10, 2011 at 09:30 PM