The live TV game is a cruel asshole at the best of times, and that’s without having to worry about a feathered freak’s cloaca jettisoning its payload on you mid-sentence. Unfortunately for Nine News journo Reid Butler, an otherwise routine live cross became an exercise in keeping your cool when shit, quite literally, goes awry.
Per a tweet from the man himself, Butler was filing from outside Southern Cross Station earlier today, reporting on advice from the Victorian DHHS regarding exposure sites related to yesterday’s positive COVID case in Melbourne.
Mid-cross, mid-sentence, mid-otherwise very professional moment, Butler caught the business end of a low flying bird, poop raining down upon his journalistic bonce.
Fortunately for Butler – and the rest of us – he’s seemingly taken the rather shitty situation in his stride, uploading the footage of the incident to social media for our enjoyment. There’s even an expertly timed slo-mo cut in there for good measure.
First and hopefully last time I cop a face full of bird poo midway through a @9NewsMelb live cross. 🐦 Going to buy a lotto ticket. Also, camo Trav is a legend for cleaning me up while the grab was playing. 🙏😂 pic.twitter.com/lPyyQuxjSD
— Reid Butler (@reid_butler9) May 12, 2021
Full credit to him, he carries on with his verbal delivery even while attempting some running repairs; a necessary evil, because the last thing you need as a TV news journo is bird poo rapidly solidifying in your otherwise perfectly constructed hair. Time’s a factor there, and seconds can’t be wasted.
It’s not on the level of, say, a drunken lout trying to get their fifteen seconds, or some sort of sudden natural disaster yeeting him off his feet.
But a dive bombing attack from above? Mate, that’s a pretty crappy day at the office no matter how you look at it. Your average news journo couldn’t handle this even half as good as old mate here.
Good onya, Reid. Brush it out. Shake it off. Buy a lotto ticket or whatever. That’s some weird luck for ya.
