Maggie Hockenberry had the unenviable task of up-selling the Urbana Sweetcorn Fest in Urbana, Illinois and every step of the way the camera saw right through her. "Oh my gosh, Amanda. Downtown Urbana, corn is what everybody's craving. There's a line behind me of people just waiting to get their ears." She turned around and gestured at what we've already been looking at: a non-existent line of people waiting to get their ears. There was exactly one less person waiting to get an ear of corn than there was Vikings fans waiting for season tickets.


There are other shots of a handful of people milling around empty streets, with only corn venders set up, but best part is at the end when Maggie sampled her own corn. I'm guessing she thought the camera would cut away from her for good as she bit into it, that way she wouldn't have to talk with corn stuck in her teeth—which is the downside to corn—but the camera did not cut away from her. She was left there, faking like she ate the corn and smiling through what feels like just hours of dead air. Then the anchors asked her if it was good. She nodded in the affirmative.

[WCIA]

[Smile Politely]