A Live Shot Gets An Unwanted Guest
KTLA reporter Rachel Menitoff got a very unwanted visitor during a live weather report Tuesday night, when a huge flying cockroach landed on her and started crawling up her body while the cameras were rolling. Menitoff was talking about Valley temperatures still sitting in the 80s and explaining how overnight heat gives people less recovery time after hot days. Meanwhile, the roach made its way up her abdomen and onto her neck like it had a press pass. To her credit, Menitoff did not scream, swat, or run off camera. She stayed locked in and finished the report, which is more composure than most people would show with a giant bug treating them like a sidewalk.
WATCH: KTLA Shares The Clip
https://x.com/ktlamorningnews/status/2077394485903036823?s=46
Menitoff Explains How She Kept Going
After the broadcast, Menitoff told KTLA she knew the cockroach was on her, but she made a choice to keep reporting until the live shot was done. She said, “I knew it was on me,” and explained that if she had reacted in the moment, she would not have been able to finish. Her plan was simple, get through it first, then shake it off later. That is exactly what viewers saw when the segment ended and she began brushing at her chest and moving her arms to get rid of the bug. KTLA’s morning crew later praised her professionalism, asking on X, “Who else could remain this cool!?” Fair question, because many of us would have turned that weather segment into a one-person rodeo.
Heat, Lights, And A Very Los Angeles Problem
Menitoff also pointed out that the timing was almost too perfect, since her report was about extreme heat in the Valley. She said cockroaches are attracted to warm temperatures and camera lights, creating what she called the perfect environment for them. That may explain how the bug found the live shot, but it does not exactly make Los Angeles look like a city on the upswing. When a news crew is trying to do a quick outdoor report and a jumbo roach joins the broadcast, people are going to ask questions about sanitation, street conditions, and whether city leaders are paying attention to the basics. It is hard to sell sunshine and luxury when the local wildlife is climbing the reporter.
Spencer Pratt Weighs In
Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt jumped into the viral moment and aimed his criticism at Councilwoman Nithya Raman. Pratt wrote that Raman had made her district “so filthy” that a person could not do a quick news hit without cockroaches crawling on them, then added that the median home price there is $1.5 million. His wording was sharp, and some will call it too sharp, but his larger point landed because plenty of Angelenos already feel they are paying world-class prices while getting third-world style headaches. High taxes, high housing costs, dirty streets, and now a cockroach cameo on live television, that is one heck of a tourism campaign.
Pratt’s Post
https://x.com/spencerpratt/status/2077404364600177105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Why The Clip Took Off
The video spread fast because it has everything the internet grabs onto, a calm reporter, a disgusting surprise, and a public-city mess that practically writes its own jokes. Menitoff deserves credit for staying professional under pressure, because live television leaves no room for a retake when a giant insect decides to audition. At the same time, the clip became more than a funny newsroom moment because it fits a bigger frustration with Los Angeles leadership. Residents see the cost of living climb, public spaces decline, and elected officials offer polished explanations while basic quality-of-life problems keep crawling back into view. This time, one of those problems crawled right across the screen.
WE’D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS! PLEASE COMMENT BELOW.
JIMMY
Find more articles like this at steadfastandloyal.com.
Leave a Comment