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KTLA reporter Rachel Menitoff showed the kind of calm competence Americans respect when a large flying cockroach crashed her live shot in Sherman Oaks while she was reporting on the late-night heat. The insect landed on her shirt, crawled across her neck and microphone, and then flew off, yet Menitoff finished the report without flinching and only reacted once the cameras stopped rolling. Viewers and colleagues alike were stunned by her professionalism in a moment that could have easily become a viral meltdown.
Fox’s panel on The Five highlighted the clip during their “One More Thing” segment, with co-hosts praising Menitoff for keeping her composure and joking about how few of them could have handled the surprise. The lighthearted reaction on that show underscored something bigger: respect for someone who did the job instead of performing for the camera. It was a refreshing reminder that basic professionalism still matters on TV, even as much of modern media chases clicks over credibility.
Social media quickly chimed in, with KTLA and others sharing the footage and viewers urging that Menitoff be rewarded for not letting a bug derail real reporting. Conservatives should cheer that kind of steadiness because it’s common-sense courage — the same grit that built this country and keeps our communities informed during actual crises. If networks want reliable journalism, they should celebrate and promote people who actually show up and do the work, not the performative punditry that dominates so much of television.
This moment also exposes how out-of-touch much of the elite media reaction machine has become; while cable hosts had a laugh, too many outlets treat minor incidents like career-ending scandals or opportunities for manufactured outrage. Americans who work with their hands and take pride in real competence know the difference between a legitimate scandal and a live broadcast interruption that tests a reporter’s mettle. Let’s stop rewarding hysteria and start valuing toughness, accountability, and the ability to keep going when things get ugly.
Rachel Menitoff’s clip was funny and a little gross, but it was also instructive: bravery and professionalism aren’t seasonal opinions, they’re habits. Hardworking people watching last week’s clip saw someone who didn’t cave to theatrics and did her job under pressure, and that deserves praise from across the political map. If conservatives want a healthier media culture, we should lead by celebrating competence and calling out the culture of fragility wherever we see it.
