A video of a weatherman’s unintentionally hilarious news report is going viral online, after he is seen bracing for a hurricane and having difficulties standing – even as pedestrians had no trouble walking by casually.
For Weather Channel viewers, reporter Mike Seidel appeared to be caught in a dire situation in Wilmington, North Carolina as he braced himself valiantly against the wind and rain – that is until two people who appear to be locals walked past in the background of the segment without any difficulty.
The Weather Channel defended their reporter to Huffington Post when the video started trending online. The channel said: “It’s important to note that the two individuals in the background are walking on concrete, and Mike Seidel is trying to maintain his footing on wet grass, after reporting on-air until 1:00 a.m. ET this morning and is undoubtedly exhausted.”
Despite the explanation, many online have mocked the reporter for being “dramatic” and for “exaggerating” the weather conditions:
So dramatic! Dude from the weather channel bracing for his life, as 2 dudes just stroll past. #HurricaneFlorence pic.twitter.com/8FRyM4NLbL
— Tony scar. (@gourdnibler) September 14, 2018
Weather Channel Meme:
💨Exaggeration – To magnify beyond the limits of truth
2 Errors:
💨Lean Into The Wind – To stand in a high wind, you need to lean into the wind, that is, opposite the direction that the wind is blowing
💨Dont let 2 people stroll effortlessly past you 🤣 pic.twitter.com/2lANUJx9TV
— Laurel Coons 🧬🧬🧬 (@LaurelCoons) September 14, 2018
https://twitter.com/JohnCooper0610/status/1040711257026977792
https://twitter.com/LardFDorkness/status/1040695904267714560
Maybe this reporter was previoulsy a professional soccer player pic.twitter.com/4a973u6hqZ
— John DeStefano (@jd9teen) September 14, 2018
This is not the first time reporters have been lambasted for exaggerating events. Earlier, prominent CNN reporter Anderson Cooper drew flak after he appeared flooded up to his waist in a news report.
Netizens pointed out that Cooper probably knelt or stooped in the flooded area for dramatic effect, after eyewitnesses captured the cameramen shooting Anderson standing in the same water and the water only coming up to about knee-level:
