MSNBC Producer Gets Drunk (To Simulate Mel Gibson’s Madness)

Last night, “with the help of a trusty bottle of whiskey,” Scarborough Country producer Mike Yarvitz attempted to replicate Mel Gibson‘s blood alcohol level of .12. He wanted to find out if .12 “is really enough to send someone over the edge.” (A police officer was on hand to administer a field sobriety test.)

Yarvitz started drinking at 9pm, and he blogged throughout the hour. He posted e-mails from viewers, including his parents. At 9:43pm, Yarvitz said: “E-mails have been pouring in with some criticism of our experiment, but we’re trying to make a larger point… I’ve reached a .10 after just 3 drinks… obviously alcohol affects everybody differently, but to blame anti-Semitic remarks on a couple of glasses of alcohol is a cop out.” Here’s the whole blog…

> Update: 11:16am: “It’s beyond ridiculous that MSNBC would permit a producer to get drunk on company time and appear on the air,” a cable news competitor writes. “This network has lost all standards in its quest to hang on to its narrow third place status…”