Videogum » Kathie Lee

In (Maybe) Defense Of Kathie Lee

Lindsay Robertson — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:39:23 +0000

Kathie Lee Gifford is kind of a mystery to me. Hear me out, here. We all know she seemed pretty awful in the ’90s, but all morning show people are always awful, and the two major things that happened to her (the child labor scandal and the Frank Gifford tabloid entrapment thing) weren’t really Kathie’s fault, but just convenient things we used as a society as good enough reasons to kick out someone we thought had worn out her welcome by taking her “perfect mother, wife, and human” role past the point of tolerance. But if you watch Kathie now, her fall from the highest heights of morning show fame and subsequent relegation to a totally unnecessary fourth hour of The Today Show seem to, if not mellowed her, forced her to take what may have always been a self-caricature to the next level. Kathie Lee may actually be a self-deprecating natural comedian acutely aware of the miseries and uncertainties of life but choosing to celebrate it anyway with a great big “Aren’t I Just Ridiculous?” show. Or maybe not, but this video of introductory gags from her old workout video seem to show a woman who is mildly annoying, but definitely not taking herself too seriously.

The Cosby Show‘s Touching-Yet-Awkward Today Show Reunion

Lindsay Robertson — Tue, 19 May 2009 10:19:13 +0000

There was a big Cosby Show reunion on both the regular Today Show and the fourth hour with Kathie and Hoda this morning, presided over by patriarch Bill Cosby, who was…intense, argumentative, grouchy, and a bit of a blowhard. Just like most people get at a certain age! He’s just a Grandpa, I guess! Lucky for viewers, in both segments, Malcolm Jamal Warner and Keshia Knight Pulliam stepped in and brought the conversation gracefully back to the relevant nostalgia. But in the case of the fourth hour, not before Bill wasted several minutes demanding food. Seriously. Both segments are after the jump.

Al Roker And Matt Lauer Aren’t Afraid To Paint Genitals

Lindsay Robertson — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:07:24 +0000

This morning as part of their “Today Takes On” series, where the Today Show crew tries new things, the gang painted their interpretations of live nude models with an instructor. This is the salient one minute of that. I don’t know if this is the most times the word “genitalia” or “genitals” have been used on Today, but dear lord I hope so:

“Brave, brave Al.” I actually think Matt Lauer is pretty funny in that clip, to be honest. Please please please Today Show, can a drunk Kathie Lee do it next? (Here’s the entire segment, but why would you want to see that? It’s funnier when it’s just everyone trying to look serious about “being afraid of genitals.”) (Via The Soup.)

Is Hoda Kotb Secretly Vandalizing Our National Landmarks?

Lindsay Robertson — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:41:45 +0000

Guess who has a Google alert for Hoda Kotb? Probably only one person in the world, including Hoda Kotb: me. But it finally paid off today when someone posted this video of a Hawaiian landmark clearly tagged in spray paint by someone named “Hoda.” And of all the random famous people in the world, Hoda Kotb might be the funniest to imagine as a secret graffiti artist:

The New Kids On The Block Slunk Back To The Today Show This Morning

Lindsay Robertson — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:38:06 +0000

Though this time they just got an in-studio with Kathie Lee and Hoda during the fourth hour instead of an outdoor Plaza event, so at least things seem to be settling down, or “picking up steam, in fact,” as Donnie says in the pre-terrible-song interview. I’m putting this up because for some reason, people (incl me) are still fascinated by these guys and how old they’ve gotten and the fact that they’re doing this to themselves. Who writes these awful story-songs that go nowhere?:

Kathie Lee And Hoda Struggle To Keep Their Huge Mouths Shut About Anderson Cooper

Lindsay Robertson — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:18:35 +0000

Kathie Lee and Hoda Kotb are really excited about all of their Facebook friends, so they’ve been having an intern or assistant chick read questions and comments aloud to them live on the show. This morning, the intern read a suggestion by an either uninformed or sneaky viewer named “Kate” that caused what might be the first moment of SILENCE on the Today Show‘s fourth hour, ever:

A few minutes later, Kathie found a way to bring Anderson up again briefly just to torture Hoda (“You like redheads? What is Anderson’s hair, white?”) I bet that intern is getting so yelled at right now.

The Today Show Investigates…Cleavage

Lindsay Robertson — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:31:55 +0000

The Today Show spent seven minutes, three “journalists”, and one doctor of their fourth hour today on the investigation of CLEAVAGE. This included interviewing drunk people in bars about cleavage, asking the question “Do men marry cleavage?”, and making Hoda Kotb contemplate suicide (above, right) while Kathie Lee wondered aloud about the exact age when cleavage “Isn’t pretty anymore.” It’s unbelievable. Also, the music:

Once Upon A Time In The Today Show Is On CRACK Land

Lindsay Robertson — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:29:43 +0000

The Today Show does weird shit every year for Halloween, but this year was extra-embarrassing, with the cast dressed up as fairy tale characters acting out an awkward, muddled story narrated by Matthew Broderick as product placement for his upcoming animated film, The Tale Of Despereaux. It kind of has to be seen to be believed. The weirdness ramps up at 1:08, and don’t miss the banter after the “play” or whatever:

I like it when Kathie Lee gets mad that she had to play a “Grandma Wolf” (?) with a gigantic ass instead of a pretty “ethnic JLo Cinderella” like Ann Curry. Thank GOD nobody is even trying to be “sexy” this year.

Kathie Lee Does Not Take Kirk Cameron’s Sexual Purity Seriously

Lindsay Robertson — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:19:13 +0000

It’s hard to admit this, but I’m kind of coming around on Kathie Lee. Sure, she treats Hoda the way the Heathers treated Winona Ryder, but I’m starting to subscribe to the “They have an understanding” theory on that. And the woman just does not bullshit — or, rather, her bullshitting is so transparent that it seems like she’s dying for us to see through her. Like this morning, when Kathie and Hoda welcomed Christian Actor Kirk Cameron to talk about his endlessly-promoted new church-sponsored movie, Fireproof. Kathie’s lingering “aww” face to Hoda when Kirk tells the story of (I shit you not) how he filmed a kissing scene in the movie by dressing his real-life wife up as the movie’s character and kissing her instead (so as to avoid kissing another woman) is just priceless. We know you’re faking, Kathie Lee:

Friday Fight: Who Is Worse For The Country Than Sarah Palin?

Lindsay Robertson — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:38:10 +0000

gabe: who is worse for the country
gabe: sarah palin or serena van der woodsen?
lindsay: Well definitely Palin.
gabe: no, i mean as president
gabe: just kidding
gabe: a serena van der woodsen presidency
gabe: though
gabe: would be something special
gabe: i mean, the world would end
gabe: but it would be so boring and cloying first!
lindsay: Blair is like her Cheney
gabe: serena van der woodsen is the worst
gabe: i think you’re probably right that sarah palin is worse for the country
lindsay: I love that the fictional character you think is the worst has this really complicated name that you know how to spell by heart.