When events don't live up to the relentless media hype

Tourists posing for their close-up in Manhattan's Times Square, below.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

That stupid movie about the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jung Un opened in Clifton and other movie theaters, and none of the cinemas were blown up, according to Page 1 of The Record today.

Tuesday's front page quoted "experts," who predicted heavy rain may "lead to big backups" for holiday travelers.

Two days later, the Local front declared, "Travel chaos never came to North Jersey."

Last Saturday, Page 1 warned last-minute shoppers "Super Saturday" could be the busiest mall day of the year, but the next day, a huge front-page photo and L-1 story reported "smooth sailing" and "mild congestion."

When The Record predicts controversy, clogged highways and shoppers stripping store shelves, no such things happen.

Readers are tired of the hype, and tired of editors trying to predict the future and sacrificing coverage of what has happened in North Jersey.

Niche reporting

Today's front-page story on seniors is of interest only to those who are so sick they need a live-in health aide (A-1).

In the past few years, Staff Writer Colleen Diskin and her clueless assignment editor would have you believe all North Jersey seniors are confined to their beds, at home or in a nursing home.

What is a story on a 2004 tsunami doing on Page 1 today?

The obituary on Scott Kay, a Teaneck-based jewelry designer, doesn't mention the cause of death until near the end, and does so in passing (L-6).

Why did a 57-year-old die of cardiac arrest? Was it stress, diet or something else? No one in Woodland Park seems to know or care.

Artery cloggers

Staff Writer Elisa Ung certainly isn't concerned about heart health in her appraisal of Momma's Kitchen, where she was "charmed" by doughnuts served with chocolate sauce, ice cream sandwiches and "the profoundly light and creamy" cheesecake (BL-14).

The restaurant in far-off Montvale sounds like a great place: 

A BYO that serves well-prepared Italian-American comfort food at moderate prices, with no entree above $15.95.

Does Momma's Kitchen serve big salads or seafood besides mussels? 

There is so much background on the owners, Ung doesn't have room to say, even if she was inclined to.

But the biggest turnoff in the 3-star review is her saying the restaurant is "an excellent option when you ... want to eat much better food than you'd find at your average chain restaurant for around the same price."

Better than "your average chain restaurant"?

You mean Momma's Kitchen isn't that great when compared to other locally owned Italian-American restaurants?