As Paul Harvey would say, “And here is the rest of the story.” Saturday Fox & Friends Weekend covered Jay Leno’s sendoff from the Tonight Show but failed to mention or air his monologue joke and vid about co-anchor Dave Briggs allegedly “checking out the girls’ [Janice Dean and Ainsley Earhardt's] rear ends.”* The author claimed that F&FW had lost “its nerve and verve” by taking this “lame tack.”** In response, Dave Tweeted, “I think the weekday embarrassed me enough for one week. I would actually like to point out what I WAS looking at and it wasn’t #%+.”***
Apparently, not wanting to abash Dave Briggs too much more, F&F producers decided to have fun with Dave about the Leno joke on Sunday’s After the Show Show.**** In a facetious explanation, Dave, fellow co-host Alisyn Camerota, and a female guest recreated the scene with Dave actually looking down at barbeque foods on a tray placed between him and the ladies. After Dave explained his lust for foods like “chicken, beans, and cornbread,” co-anchor Clayton Morris jested, “Looking at the rump roast.” Both Aly and Dave doubled over in laughter.
To be “fair and balanced,” after After the Show Show, Dave shared his account of what really occurred. Dave Tweeted, “[S]eriously it wasn’t food but my producer at that very moment was telling me “get in the shot” and I was looking for an opening.”*** He added, “ I know that sounds like BS but I would admit looking at a beautiful woman if in fact I was! Leno is funny, how [sic] he caught is bizarre.”***
Having fun at a faux pas (real or imagined) by a co-host has long been a delightful staple of F&F fare. After its misstep Saturday in not doing so, it recovered nicely yesterday. The responsiveness of F&F and of Dave, in particular, to the fans evidences a good harbinger of a surer course.
*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v4T2XRjKu8
**http://jakeho.wordpress.com/2009/05/30/ffw-fetes-leno-buries-briggs-vid/
***http://twitter.com/foxdavebriggs
****After the Show Show: 05/31/09
Tags: After the Show Show, ainsley earhardt, alisyn camerota, Clayton Morris, Dave Briggs, David Briggs, FNC, Fox & Friends, Fox and Friends, Fox News, Janice Dean, Jay Leno, Paul Harvey, Tonight Show with Jay Leno
