TV Talk: Election 'map guys' win TV's coverage

he election may go to Joe Biden, but the winner of TV’s election coverage became clear well before any tipping point vote totals: The “map guys” or as at least one Twitter post described them, “the chartthrobs.”

Please, if you decide to profess your love for map kings John King, Steve Kornacki, et al., use the preferred nomenclature:

Chartthrobs

— Matt Brennan (@thefilmgoer) November 6, 2020

CNN’s John King and Phil Mattingly, Fox News Channel’s Bill Hemmer and MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki have proved the go-to election analysts for keeping track of vote reporting: Where ballots are coming from, what the political lean of that locale is and doing math on the fly.

I think @BillHemmer knows more about all of the counties in America than the residents of those counties. Incredibly bright dude!

— Tony Cappuccilli (@tcapp19) November 4, 2020

Viewer appreciation for their efforts began appearing on social media sites on election night Tuesday and has only increased in the days since.

And while some of the cult of personality has developed around their skills, stamina and a revenge-of-the-nerds vibe, there have also been a fair share of viewers posting thirsty tweets devoted to an appreciation of the guys’ appearance.

so when did john king become sexy to you? for me it was around hour 15. pic.twitter.com/Aa5KoRfCHI

— Meghan Christie (@ChristieMeghan) November 6, 2020

This election has taught me so much about my country but mostly that Phil Mattingly from CNN is hot asf and John King could also most certainly get it.

— Randy Rainbow (@RandyRainbow) November 6, 2020

Twitter: *thirsts over Steve Kornacki*

CNN: send in the night shift! @Phil_Mattingly pic.twitter.com/X2kKXBuKN0

— Eric D (@ericd) November 5, 2020

Stories developed around the amount of sleep the “map guys” have gotten with King averaging three hours per day according to one report.

On Wednesday the Washington Post reported Kornacki had been on the air almost non-stop from Tuesday morning through early afternoon Wednesday.

On Thursday night, Kormacki stepped away briefly with MSNBC’s Ali Velshi subbing in, but not for long. Kornacki soon tweeted he was on his way back to the studio.

Forget grabbing sleep, there's still votes coming in in PA. I'm heading back to the studio. In the old days, there was USA Up All Night. Tonight, it'll be MSNBC Up All Night. Come on along for the ride.

— Steve Kornacki (@SteveKornacki) November 6, 2020

When viewers went to bed Thursday night, Kornacki was at his maps, wearing his trademark khaki pants; when they woke up Friday morning, he was still there wearing the same outfit.

While King and Hemmer are cable news veterans, Mattingly and especially Kornacki seemed the most revelatory to viewers who post on social media. Kornacki and his indefatigable enthusiasm, in particular, received the bulk of the attention on Twitter.

"That dude is a machine." https://t.co/zYc4mEGEox

— Mashable (@mashable) November 6, 2020

Me: “Let’s get Steve a chair.”@SteveKornacki: “If I sit down, I’ll fall asleep.”

Kornacki remains at his post, awaiting results from Pennsylvania. ?? pic.twitter.com/h115jEItQn

— Willie Geist (@WillieGeist) November 6, 2020

Benj Pasek, who, with songwriting and composting partner Justin Paul is known for the music in “La La Land” and “The Greatest Showman,” even tried to start a movement to get Kornacki, who has more than half a million Twitter followers, a blue check mark next to his name on the social media site in an effort to make Kornacki “Twitter verified.”

Petition to get @SteveKornacki a blue check mark on Twitter to honor the absolute king that he is! pic.twitter.com/TcznT2ObYC

— Benj Pasek (@benjpasek) November 6, 2020