Shales tears into Kathie Lee
I would be happy to go my entire life without Tom Shales writing a negative review about me. Seeing as how I’m not in the TV business, that seems quite likely. Kathie Lee Gifford is not so lucky. Gifford is the new host of The Today Show’s fourth hour and Shales lets her have it, here are some of my favorite parts:
By its fourth hour, “Today” has lost any hint of being a news program (on some mornings, it’s lost that by 7:30), and so the bill of fare was strictly bland, vapid and innocuous fluff, no substance whatever.
…snip…
Otherwise, opening day was a windy, dithery mess with virtually no portents of improvements to come. Gifford is not to blame for the overall superficial wretchedness of the hour; guilt goes to the network and the show’s producer, visible once or twice but not identified.
Shales concludes:
The thought of dropping in on this pair again to see what they’re up to — either today, tomorrow or as long as the Earth continues to twirl — is not a pleasant one.
Tell us how your really feel Tom.
I have my own thoughts about Shales … he’s just repeating his same old act from ten years ago, see here for my thoughts:
http://pressblog.org/npc/SteveOHearn/2008/04/10/shales-vs-gifford/