Longtime Seinfeld fans will recognize the title of this post.  On the sit-com’s January 5, 1995 episode, Jerry finds his current girlfriend’s roommate more appealing and asks George to help him find a way to make “the switch.”  George replies:

Do you realize in the entire history of western civilization no one has successfully accomplished the Roommate Switch? In the Middle Ages you could get locked up for even suggesting it!

Despite this warning, NBC and its subsidiaries believe they can achieve the impossible.  After two years of aiding and abetting the normalization of Donald Trump, NBC is trying to switch roommates.  After spending 2016 and the transition in bed with Trump supporters, they are now trying to court the resistance.  Sorry NBC, too little, too late.

Chuck Todd  is being praised for his tough questioning of Stephan Miller last Sunday on Meet the Press and enabler-in-residence Matt Lauer tried to display his newly discovered journalist cajones during an interview with court jester Kellyanne Conway following the Flynn resignation.  Nice try, but none of this would have been necessary without NBC’s role in creating the Trump White House of Cards. Consider the following.

• As chronicled in the September 8, 2016 issue of Fortune magazine, NBC literally rescued the Trump brand. Tarnished by casino bankruptcies and declining sales of Trump products and their properties, NBC offered Trump a television show (The Apprentice) that “would let Trump remake himself as he saw fit.”  Using manufactured situations and extensive editing, Trump was presented as a knowledgeable and decisive business leader to a whole new audience.
• When behind the scenes rumors about The Apprentice host’s misogyny and prejudice became an issue following release of the Access Hollywood video, NBC was asked to provide outtakes which would either confirm or repudiate the gossip.  NBC accurately replied producer Mark Burnett owned the rights to the show, but added incorrectly the decision whether to share the raw footage was out of their control.  Wrong!  NBC could have given Burnett an ultimatum.  Share the video or cancel future seasons of his show.  Instead, NBC gave him cover.
• The free rides provided by MSNBC’s Morning Joe are too voluminous to chronicle in a single post.  It all began on September 4, 2015.  This was the first time Trump was allowed to call-in an interview with hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski.  The conversation lasted over 24 minutes and consisted mainly of Trump repeating his stump speech talking points. Keep in mind, at this time, Trump was still being paid by NBC as executive producer of The Celebrity Apprentice.
• On November 5, 2015, NBC handed Trump a 90 minute infomercial as host of Saturday Night Live.
• On July 18, 2016, the Golf Channel (owned by NBC) handed Trump a second 60 minute infomercial when he was the only guest on that night’s edition of Feherty.
• On September 7, 2106, Lauer hosted what was billed as the “Commander-in-Chief Forum” on NBC during which he did not fact-check Trump’s responses to his softball questions and, in contrast, devoted 15 of 30 minutes of his time with Hillary Clinton to her emails.
• On September 16, 2016, Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon soft-pedaled an interview with the Republican nominee including a “hair-rub” and faked, prolonged laughter at one of the guest’s clearly scripted jokes.  (NOTE:  Karma is a bitch.  For the week of February 6-10, 2017, CBS Late Show host Stephen Colbert, unofficial after hours spokesperson for the resistance, topped all competitors with an average of 3.01 million viewers.)
• Following the election, NBC raided Fox News (aka the Trump echo chamber, although it is hard to figure out who is echoing whom) hiring long time Fox hosts Megan Kelly (January 3, 2017) and Greta Van Susteren (January 5, 2017).
• The latest MSNBC ad campaign for Morning Joe promotes the program as a direct line to the news about the Trump administration.  I can only imagine what the meaning of “direct line” is.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule.  Saturday Night Live and Seth Meyer’s “Closer Look” on Late Night have become major thorns in Donald Trump’s side.  And I must admit, I am addicted to both.  But I watch them on Hulu Plus, commercial-free.  Just as GrabYourWallet.org tells us how the resistance can vote with its dollars by boycotting Trump products and the retailers which offer them, I refuse to do anything which might line the pockets of Trump’s co-conspirators.

So, like Jerry Seinfeld, I’m not into the ménage. But NBC seems to think it can have it’s Kellyanne and eat it too.  My advice to NBC.  Just eat it.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP