Newsroom Humor: ‘Take Off Your Clothes And Leave Please' !

Another humorous episode of the newsroom kind becomes due by now, I suppose! But this time it is not about the eccentric editor who always cause disasters for others, it is about a normal editor caught in normal conditions. In that light this episode runs the risk of not being considered funny, but esteemed readers may always apply their discretion to smile or grin or laugh out or remain discerningly expressionless.

The editor on duty that night was waiting for his guest to arrive for the interview scheduled in the late night bulletin. The guest did finally arrive, but the editor was shocked by his pathetic condition!

The guest was profusely apologetic. ‘You know the monsoon this time…always unwilling to allow the rains fall…so I decided not to take the umbrella! And, just the little distance from the bus stop to come over here…but all of a sudden a heavy shower caught me really unawares! The moment I was inside it was gone! So sorry!’

He was completely drenched. The editor was concerned on two counts, the guest might literally get frozen inside the unusually cold television studio, and his ribcage might shine through on the screen! Something must be done, he decided.

The editor ran to inspect the costumes kept in safe custody by all the male news anchors in the newsroom wardrobe and found one dress perfectly matching the guest. Running back he managed to convince the guest to have a change of costumes. He ignored somebody’s careful opinion that the news anchor to whom the dress actually belonged to might find it a breach of fundamental rights by saying that in such an eventuality his name and his order might be quoted.

In the full-sleeved red shirt and white blazer the guest was looking extremely handsome when he appeared on screen. Again, the editor was concerned! ‘Okay, the owning news anchor finding it as misuse or abuse could be handled…but what about a more serious possibility! If the guest runs away leaving his still wet clothes behind…! No, something must be done!’

The editor called one of his assistants and shot off the instructions urgently. ‘Post yourself in front of the studio door…the moment the interview ends and the guest comes out…rush him immediately to the make-up room and order him to take off his clothes! When finally he is back into his own dress, don’t bother wet or not, only then allow him to leave the premises! Right? Get cracking!’

The editor felt sorry, but as the responsible desk editor and the safe custodian of the costumes in the newsroom wardrobe he had hardly any options!