Daddy Dave’s Princess Em

Briggs: “I want it to be a boy….Love you, Sweetheart.” Oops! Fox & Friends co-anchor Dave Briggs found himself having to do some ‘splaining to his six-year-old daughter Emerson this morning. During a segment subtitled “Sons and Daughters: New Poll Shows Americans Prefer Boys,” Dave had to find his inner “Princess” as he humbly ate some crow in front of her, his co-hosts (Clayton Morris and Molly Line), and his F&FW fans.

Introducing the story, Clayton stated that a recently-released Gallup poll revealed that Americans prefer sons to daughters.* Chuckling chauvinistically, Dave exclaimed, “Sure we do!” Subsequently, Clayton posited that fathers always seem to weigh in while the mothers tend to stay silent: Then, he queried, “How did that stack up in your house?

In response, Dave declared, “The moms aren’t silent but the moms are always neutral: And, the dads always say, ‘If I have one, I want it to be a boy.” Pointing at himself, he readily admitted, “I did say that.” Smiling sheepishly, Dave hastily added, “And, I, I would change my opinion now, having a lovely little girl who’s at home right now watching.” Then, looking straight into the camera reassuringly as if at his Emerson, he added, “Love you, Sweetheart!”

Good catch, “Princess Dave.” Or, should I say Emerson’s sweet dad.

[Author’s aside: For related stories, cf. “Dave Tears Up” and “Dave: ‘The Briggs Girls.'”]

*Fox & Friends Weekend – 06/25/11 (@ 7:32 a.m. ET)

Aly: F&F “One-Day Stint. Don’t Miss It”

Camerota: “Man, this show starts early.” Is Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Alisyn Camerota ready to move on from her early weekend FNC morning show? Despite her special phoned-in assurances to the contrary to her viewers last Saturday that she will eventually return to F&FW, Aly appears none too ready to do so any time soon. After being called back for a second term three years ago to save the the listing ship and so doing, Aly may now feel that it is time to move on.

Yesterday, before guest co-anchoring F&F (weekday), Aly Tweeted, “On the set of @foxandfriends for a one-day stint. Don’t miss it. Man, this show starts early.” When the show itself started, she jested, “It’s possible I’m a little rusty and don’t remember camera angles: then, repeating her earlier grouse verbatim, she exclaimed, “Man, this show starts early!”

Laughing, co-host Brian Kilmeade turned to Aly and framed her face with his hands: He jested, “Because you’re on the one o’clock show [America Live] where it’s all about you all week: it’s that shot.” In response, Aly looked into the camera, tilted her head coyly, and playfully pouted, “Well, and, what’s wrong with that?”

Nothing. Aly earned her stripes with Kiran Chetry and Julian Phillips in her first F&FW stint. Furthermore, she has superbly performed her duty a second time when FNC Executive VP of Programming Bill Shine called her back to lead Clayton Morris and Dave Briggs as they found their sea legs. Maybe, Shine now feels that her boys can now stand on their own now and that it is time to give Aly her due–and her own show.

But, Aly’s devoted Fox & Friends Weekend fans may not brook being abandoned–again.

Schoolmarm Martha Strips

MacCallum: “Good clean fun!” For the second straight day, F&F guest co-host Martha MacCallum swathed herself in garb more fitted for the dead of winter than the dawn of summer. Yesterday, she wore a full short-sleeved, up-to-the-neck, and barely-above-the-knee marmalade-orange dress: today, she wore an even longer, crew-necked black dress with an overlaid buttoned-up white strait jacket to boot. It was as if she were saying, “I’m sexier under all these clothes than your regular beauty queen Gretchen Carlson without them.”

But, F&FW producers seemed less than pleased with Martha’s priggish apparel. Apparently, after a half hour, they had endured more than enough of her hideous habit. When Martha returned from break (in the second part of the first hour), she had doffed her white jacket, revealing a sexier, sleeveless look.

As Martha, the prudish schoolmarm, stripped out of her first layer of clothing, her paean to summer should have seemed tardy to her fervid fans. After all, only two years ago, the blond beauty had heartily praised the academic summer commencement “flashing of the flesh.” The then Live Desk co-host lustily celebrated the Arizona State coeds who peeled off their outwear for the needy to take a naughty romp across campus in the ASU 2009 Undie Run across campus. “Good clean fun!” she proclaimed.

Today, Martha started her fun summer. Bare-ly.

Apologetic Aly: “I’ll Be Back”

Camerota: “I do feel like I sorta vanished without a trace….I’m sorry for all the questions.” Today, Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Alisyn Camerota called in to her weekend show to reassure her concerned fans that she would indeed return to F&FW. At least, sometime in the future.

Before Aly’s telephonic appearance, F&FW producers ran a comedic collage of clips of her and her co-anchors Dave Briggs and Clayton Morris, at Shea Stadium on FOX fan night yesterday.* In the final snippet, America’s Newsroom co-host Bill Hemmer grabbed a reluctant Aly and led her away from her F&FW boys. As Dave and Clayton protested, Aly threw them a kiss and remarked, “I’ve got to go with Bill. I’m sorry. I’ll be back!”

As the humorous montage ended, Clayton dryly commented, “That’s the story of our lives, Bill Hemmer yanking Alisyn away. And, we…managed to get Alisyn on the phone this morning.” On cue, Aly animatedly exclaimed, “Hey, guys! What’s going on, my estranged TV husbands and their new wife [Molly Line]. Hey, Molly!” As Molly laughed, Clayton commented, “I know, my TV wife: we miss you.”

Shaking his head with a wry smile, Dave interjected, “You left us for Bill Hemmer. It was right there.”

Amused, Aly explained, “Well, it’s not permanent. As you know, I’m very fickle. And, I like the whole sort of square dance of different men. So, I’ll be back.”

Clayton responded, “Oh, good. Yeah, it was great to see you last night.” Then, echoing his excepted explanation of two weeks ago, he remarked, “We’re doing the maternity shuffle right now. Explain this maternity shuffle because you’re in the midst of it. Right?”

Elucidating somewhat, Aly answered, “Yeah, Megyn [Kelly of America Live] is out because she had a pretty baby girl; and Martha MacCallum [of America’s Newsroom] is filling in her; and I’m filling in for Martha; and sometimes I’m filling in for Megyn; and Molly is so sweet to fill in for me.” Then, she rightly remarked, “I know it’s been a crazy couple of months.”

After some subsequent impertinent palaver, Clayton commented, “Finally, we’ve been able to answer all of that question [sic] because we get e-mails and Tweets all the time, ‘Where’s Aly?’ So, now everyone knows.”

Apologetically, Aly answered, “I know, and I feel so badly about that. I mean I do feel like I sorta vanished without a trace even though I am hiding in plain sight from 9 to 11 every morning on the East Coast. But, I do really miss you guys, and I really miss all of our loyal viewers.”

Conciliatorialy, Aly concluded, “And, so I’m sorry for all the questions. And, I’m just happy to see you guys last night, and…we’ll be reunited.”

But, when? During Megyn’s maternity leave, Martha has repeatedly gone home to America’s Newsroom while Aly has stayed away from Fox & Friends Weekend. Something afoot, Aly?

[Author’s aside: In the intro to the final hour of the show, Molly remarked, “In for Alisyn. Get a chance to hang out with you guys until she returns: “The new girl” appears to intimate that she has secured the center seat on the F&FW curvy couch until Aly comes back–at least, on Saturdays. As for Sundays, it seems that Ainsley may have similarly locked in her sub role for Aly: During Aly’s phone-in (7:34 a.m. ET), Dave declared, “We want to say that we really appreciate your, your fill-ins here: Molly and Ainsley have done a great job.” N.B. No mention was made of Juliet Huddy or any other Aly sub.]

*Fox & Friends Weekend – 06/18/11 (7:32 a.m. ET)

Dave: Aly “Back on FOX & Friends Some Day!”

“Every picture tells a story: don’t it?“ Early this evening, F&F Weekend co-host Clayton Morris sent a NY Mets Fox Fan Night photo of his F&FW colleagues–sans Alisyn Camerota–to his Twitter followers. Perhaps, almost apologetically, F&FW co-anchor Dave Briggs later Tweeted, “Great to see my good friend @AlyatFox at Citi Field, we’ll get her back on FOX & Friends some day!“

Perhaps, “some day,” F&FW fans. But, not tomorrow: Earlier today, F&FW‘s sensual “new siren,” Molly Line Tweeted, “In NYC! @ffweekend tomorrow with Clayton and Dave! http://yfrog.com/gypkeyej.”

And, probably, not Sunday either. With Aly away, Ainsley Earhardt seems to have reclaimed her Sunday center seat again as of late. Especially, with rival Juliet Huddy mysteriously still “on the mend.”

Poor, Aly. Just a week ago today, the “ringless” femme fatale rocked her boys and their Fox & Friends weekday fans hard as she sexily “work[ed] for the weekend.” However, when the F&F Weekend finally came, the hapless beauty was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she reappeared midweek  on the America’s Newsroom stoop–with her wedding band, rediscovered, wrapped securely around her ring finger.

“Some day,” Dave? Apparently, an eternity away, Aly acolytes.

Mike Jerrick: We’re Not Even the “B” Team

Molly Line: “I don’t know what we are: I don’t know what happened.” Nor did Fox & Friends Weekend fans as they were treated Saturday to yet another line-up of co-hosts: “the new girl” Molly Line, golden oldie Mike Jerrick, and steady standby Eric Bolling. Unfortunately, viewers were offered no on-air explanation for the absence of regular co-hosts Clayton Morris, Dave Briggs, and Alisyn Camerota.

As FNC Executive VP of Programming Bill Shine continued to offer up his F&FW iterations du jour with little apparent rhyme or reason, F&FW fans had to look off-air for a clue.  While Aly remained mute on her Twitter page, Clayton and Dave offered their own explanations. Before the show (Friday), Clayton Tweeted, “Enjoying a family vacation….Be back next week.” After the show (Saturday), Dave, tardily wrote, “We’re both at separate wedding’s…sleeping in. RT @MyrtleBeachSC2: WHERE R U AND CLAYTONhttps://twitter.com/#??”

As I pen this article, yet another F&FW incarnation appears: Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt, and Mike Jerrick. As Ainsley and Mike laugh, Steve remarks, “Live from Studio E where there are three people who have never worked together at the same time. Welcome to Fox & Friends.”

Exactly. To paraphrase Forrest Gump, “Life is like waking up to Fox & Friends Weekend. You never know what you are going to get.”

Aly’s Back: She’s Rocking–& Ringless!

But, still “working for the [F&F] weekend”? After an unexplained two-month hiatus from her weekend show Fox & Friends Weekend, co-host Alisyn Camerota appeared today as guest co-anchor on F&F, the weekday version (to the hopeful elation of her concerned fans). As the show started to strains of Loverboy’s 1981 hit “Everybody’s Working for the Weekend” (with the cam showing the still-empty “All-American Summer” stage), Aly could be heard saying, “We’re rocking out. This is the perfect song for a Friday, obviously: It’s the battle cry for the weekend!” Indeed, for both Aly and her acolytes today.

When the F&F cameraperson panned to the curvy couch to start the show, there sat Aly betwixt co-hosts Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade. Looking as alluring as ever–albeit more demurely attired in a crew-necked, sleeveless, over-the-knee royal blue dress, Aly held both her hands high atop her knee initially. However, suddenly, she subtly shifted her left hand lower in her lap almost subconsciously–as if she had something to hide.

Perhaps, for a moment, she had forgotten the lesson that she should have learned from Clayton about two years ago that such attempts are usually futile. Nevertheless, as F&F progressed, Aly seemed to lose her shyness and give her left hand freer and freer rein. Before the end of the show, F&F’s Lady Godiva was ready to show her “Peeping Toms” that she was unashamed and to offer them full views of her nakedness–at least, that of her ring finger. Stripped of her erstwhile ever-present wedding band, Aly was ready to be the bohemian free spirit of the ’80’s again by the conclusion of F&F.

As F&F segued from the main part of the show to its “All-American Summer” concert, Aly donned a “hep” headband and a matching wristband.* When Loverboy later took the stage and began to perform their raucous anthem, “Working for the Weekend” for Aly, her fellow F&F co-hosts, and the audience, Brian playfully placed Aly onto his right shoulder.*** Then, as Steve dutifully provided his shoulder as well to Aly, the real queen of F&F started to sway sensually atop her boys with a sexily hiked skirt and a saucy, sassy smile.

Subsequently, in the final segment, the three co-hosts anticlimactically discussed their previous revelry on stage with their audience. Steve explained, “Us [sic] hoisting Alisyn up on our shoulders was Brian’s idea….Suddenly, he’s going, ‘Let’s break apart and see what happens.” Grinning, Brian replied, “No, I said, ‘Let’s get her [inaudible] and bounce her around a little.” As Aly shook her head and smiled, Loverboy lead singer Mike Reno leaned in toward Aly and amorously remarked, “It looked good to me!”***

No doubt, Mike. And, as for “everybody’s [still] working for the weekend”? Exactly, especially, if it includes Aly anew–with or without her ring.

*Fox & Friends – 06/10/11 (@ 8:47 a.m. ET)

**Ibid at @ 8:53 a.m. ET.

***Ibid at @ 8:59 a.m. ET.

Molly Line Sly? But, Bride-to-Be!

“Will you marry me”: Whose Line [was] it anyway? Today Fox & Friends guest co-host Molly Line, proudly revealed to her co-anchors, Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade, and the F&F audience that her long-time boyfriend had asked her to marry him this past weekend.* She excitedly said that his proposal occurred between her flight Saturday (back from New York to Boston) and her flight Sunday (to Pensylvania). Elaborating, Molly stated that he had played a song on the guitar for her and had changed the last few words to “will you marry me”; that she had said yes and that it was “a given” that she would; and that she and he had known for a long time. However, she did not disclose what might have prompted her boy to finally commit.

Nevertheless, Molly’s F&F Weekend fan have a very good idea what may have got her man in line. Saturday, Molly seemed to give him a less-than-subtle hint when she enthusiastically joined fitness instructor Nikki Glor’s “Bridal Boot Camp” workout in a sexier-than-usual low-cut pink top. During Molly’s very first exercise, the “Honeymoon Hop,” Glor presciently advised, “This will get your heart racing, [and] it’ll tone up those legs, especially, if you’re wearing a short dress…if you’re getting married like on a beach.” Racily, Molly replied, “Yeah. Gotta get ready for the honeymoon, too, with a beach body!”

After viewing that somewhat suggestive segment, Molly’s paramour may have realized all the more that his beauty already had that “beach body” and that she was assuredly ready for their honeymoon. In fact, she showed him that she was still the lithe and lissome lovely that danced the hula as she vied for the crown of Miss West Virginia in 2000. Of course, the ole boy may have also been possibly spurred on by Molly’s co-host Dave Briggs, who seemed rather taken Sunday with F&F‘s “new girl.”

Whatever the case may be, best wishes, Molly, and, congrats, to your lucky chap!

[Author’s aside: For a pic of Molly wearing her new bling, link here.]

*Fox & Friends – 06/09/11 (@ 6:00 a.m. ET)

Kyra Back at CNN: “Hubby,” Twins Back FNC

Yesterday CNN Newsroom anchor Kyra Phillip returned from maternity leave to CNN. Welcoming her back were American Morning co-hosts Christine Roberts, Ali Velshi, and Kiran Chetry (the former AM television wife of Kyra’s “hubby,” John Roberts).  As Kiran genially segued to Kyra, Aly jested, “We haven’t seen her for so long [that] we could use a photo.”*

No photo of the radiant mother of twins needed for CN viewers: she was her usual saucy, sassy self. However, her fans might need one of her baby twins, Kellen and Sage, albeit not the one published in TVNewser. Swaddled in white blankets emblazoned with “Fox News Channel” lay her treasured twins, cuter than buttons: Her husband-to-be-eventually had allegedly done the “dastardly deed.”

Welcome back, Krya!

*American Morning – 06/08/11 (@ 8:59 a.m. ET)

Dave’s “Small Little Crush”: Softer, Sexier Molly?

Molly: Breasts? Got ’em, too. Fox & Friends Weekend‘s “new girl” Molly Line seemed intent on proving that she was all woman Saturday. After the author suggested that the generally “high-necked garb” gal might well soon be tutored by her ebony sister Harris Faulker to show her “softer, sexier side,” Molly seemed to have listened and learned well. In her very next F&FW appearance after the CD article, Molly showcased her erstwhile hidden distaff charms to her F&FW fans.

During a Saturday F&FW segment entitled “Bridal Boot Camp, Molly enthusiastically joined Nikki Glor (of Nikki Fitness) for a cardio/full-body bride-to-be workout. Eschewing her more usual demure dress, Molly confidently wore a somewhat low-cut, hot pink top. Apparently, having proudly proved a week earlier to her F&FW viewers during Fleet Week that she had “what it takes” as to her gluts, she seemed eager to show that she was similarly worthy as to her upper sphere–or, spheres.

Consequently, Molly went through Glor’s paces of deep plunges and torso contortions unabashedly as her every moment was closely chronicled by the F&FW camera. Later, when Molly had completed her rigorous regimen, she tossed back to her co-hosts, Dave Briggs and Clayton Morris: Smiling appreciatively, Dave declared, “Nice job, ladies.”

Subsequently, after Dave and Clayton had finished promoting the post-break stories and as the block drew to a close, an eager F&FW cameraman returned to close-ups of Molly–not to mention, her oscillating opalescent orbs–as she happily performed one last aerobic activity for her audience.

Apparently, Molly’s siren call did not end then and there for Dave: a day later, as he co-anchored F&FW Sunday with Ainsley Earhardt and Clayton, he seemed still mesmerized by the brunette Boston beauty. When Clayton promoted a new Fox News application during the program that allowed users to access various show segments, Dave devilishly declared, “You can even watch the “Bridal Boot Camp” segment from yesterday with Nicole Glor–if you’re just, just hanging out, you know.”*

As Dave showed the audience the iPad with Molly exercising, Ainz heartily laughed. Slightly less animated, Clayton chuckled and pointed at Molly’s video, commenting, “”This is what Dave was doing yesterday when he got home: He said, ‘You know, I really want to watch the “Bridal Boot Camp” segment again.'”

Turning to Dave with a smile, Ainsley teased, “Dave, I wonder why.” Perhaps, pausing for a moment with a slight tinge of jealousy (as she remembered how Dave had suggested that she herself was a “hot mama” a mere week and a day earlier), Ainsley mischievously added, “He has a small little crush.”

*Fox & Friends Weekend – 06/05/11 (@ 6:27 a.m. ET)

Clayton: Aly’s “Maternity Shuffle”

Or, Bill Shine’s three-card monte? Just when is Fox & Friends Weekend co-anchor Alisyn Camerota returning to her show?  Three weeks ago, co-host Clayton Morris said, “She might be back next weekend.” Two weeks ago, he said, “We don’t know.” Saturday, he said, “The maternity leave shuffle continues. Uh, Aly still filling in for Martha [MacCallum on America’s Newsroom] who’s filling in for Megyn [Kelly on America Live]: So, a few more weeks.”*

As Clayton continued to fecklessly try to allay the fears of Aly’s fans Saturday, guest co-host Molly Line laughed yet again and co-anchor Dave Briggs smiled once more. But, Aly’s acolytes continue to wonder why she still has not returned to her F&FW post in eight weeks. Not unnoticed is that Aly’s “maternity shuffle partner” Martha MacCallum has returned to her own program, America’s Newsroom, for the last two weeks (if but for a day or so): furthermore, Martha said that she will also be on AN this coming Thursday and Friday.**

However, not only has Aly not gone back to F&FW but also she has not answered her Twitter followers (including the author) as to when she will. Perhaps, Aly has simply moved on or FNC Executive VP of Programming Bill Shine has moved her on. Remember, almost two months before Megyn Kelly went on maternity leave, Shine appeared to do an audition for the curvy couch center seat on F&FW (and F&F). (Cf. “5 Straight Days: 5 Hot Hostesses!“)

Shine, no more unexplained F&FW exits, e.g., Kiran Chetry, Page Hopkins, etc. Your FNC viewers and Aly’s fans deserve better. Is Aly still your F&FW starter?

*Fox & Friends Saturday – 06/04/11 (@ 9:01 a.m. ET)

**America’s Newsroom – 06/03/11 (@ 10:59 a.m. ET)

F&F: Late P.M. Fun

Gretchen/Ingraham “catfight”; Brian’s Talkers profile; and Gretchen’s “sexual photos” promise. Fox & Friends memorable moments post-Memorial Day. Late: But, fun–and, for the record.

Gretchen/Ingraham “catfight”: Rowrr! Tuesday F&F co-host Gretchen Carlson got off on the wrong foot as she introduced Laura Ingraham, her former “Ice-Off!” dance-off rival and F&F regular contributor.* Introducing Ingraham, Gretchen remarked, “Now it’s time to bring in Laura Ingraham as we do every week. Although it’s not always on this day, is it, Laura?”

Smiling, a sarcastic Ingraham responded, “Um, what’s today? Is it Tuesday?” Bemused, Gretchen answered, “Tuesday.” Seemingly, slightly  miffed at Gretchen’s inadvertent dis, a grinning Ingraham retorted, “Yes, it is Tuesday. Gretchen, come on, come on! I’m now, I feel really, really sad now. I’ve got to.” Clueless, Gretchen queried, “Why?”

Then, as a slightly miffed Ingraham playfully rose from her seat as if to go, co-anchor Steve Doocy interjected, “[I]t’s our Tuesday girl, Laura Ingr[aham]. Hey, sit down! Sit down.” Smiling sheepishly, co-host Brian Kilmeade added, “Laura, come on!”

Throwing her hands up in the air, an embarrassed Gretchen unconvincingly declared, “Well, I’d, I’m sorry. I thought that that kept it fresh.” Her eyes narrowing, Ingraham riposted, “Wait, weren’t you hosting on the weekend last time I checked?” Chuckling, Brian interposed, “Ah, ha, ha! That hurt!”

Seemingly, trying to prove to Ingraham that her jaunty jab did not hurt, Gretchen emphatically replied, “Yes! Thank you very much. I love Saturdays and Sundays.”

Shaking her head, a smiling Ingraham answered, “Me, too. I’m just teasing.”

Of course, the “B Team,” the F&F Weekend crew of Clayton Morris, Dave Briggs, and Alisyn Camerota–or, now, it it Molly Line or Ainsley Earhardt–might find scant humor in Ingraham’s acidic broadside.

Kilmeade’s Profile: Wednesday Brian celebrated his first year as solo anchor of his radio show, Kilmeade & Friends, formerly known as Brian & the Judge (Napolitano). Perhaps, fittingly, Brian graced the cover of the talk media trade publication Talkers and was featured inside. On F&F Wednesday, Brian was praised by both Steve and Gretchen for the distinct honor: when Gretchen lauded him for his “whole full-page article” on page 12, Brian waggishly remarked that on a following page he had “absolutely no clothes on”: Mercifully, Talkers readers are in fact spared.** Congrats, Brian!

Gretchen’s “Sexual Photos” Promise: “I don’t know about you guys but I can unequivocally say that I have not taken sexual photos.”*** In her colorful commentary with Brian and Steve about “Weinergate” as F&F began, Gretchen so ridiculed Rep. Anthony Weiner’s tergiversation about whether the arousal shot heard ricocheting around the Beltway was his own. An hour later, she similarly twice more emphatically declared her own abstinence from taking such pics to her co-hosts.

After Gretchen did so, Steve went one step further, asserting, “I haven’t taken any pictures of myself in my underwear and I don’t know that anybody has taken any of me.”**** Then, pointing his finger at Brian, he teasingly taunted, “Brian, can you say the same thing?” After a brief moment of silence (comedic or not), Brian responded, “Yes. Thank you.” Laughing heartily, Gretchen interjected, “Uh, oh!”

Unlike Brian, Gretchen did not “see” Steve’s statement. I.e., she remained mute as to her not knowing that anybody had taken any “sexual photos” of her. Again, an oversight or simply smarts from Bill O’Reilly’s Culture Warrior?

*Fox & Friends – 05/31/11 (@ 8:04 a.m. ET)

**Fox & Friends – 06/01/11 (@ 6:32 a.m. ET)

***Fox & Friends – 06/02/11 – (@ 6:05 a.m. ET)

****Ibid. @ 7:07 a.m. ET.

Jill Dobson Gravid

Former FNC entertainment correspondent Jill Dobson revealed on Red Eye this morning why she “recently took a bit of a hiatus from the TV world.” As the show wrapped up during the “Post-Game Wrap-Up,” the talk-show-host hopeful proudly showed off her baby bump.* Playfully presenting her latest project to the RE audience with a pat on her stomach, she laughed that she did it with a little help from her hubby.

Congratulations, Jill and Jim!

*Red Eye – 06/03/11 (@ 3:58 a.m. ET)

Ali Velshi Caught with His Pants Down

Tries to cover Weiner with whole cloth–unsuccessfully. Tuesday American Morning co-anchor Ali Velshi futilely tried to discount his own network CNN correspondent Dana Bash’s expose of New York Rep. Anthony Weiner. Unfortunately for Ali, he (and his AM co-host Kiran Chetry) forgot to watch Bash’s report carefully and missed her “screen save” of the Congressman’s Twitter account. Otherwise, he might not have chanced his specious spin.

Shortly, after mid-show Tuesday, American Morning co-host Christine Romans introduced Bash’s three-minute story, chyroned, “Exclusive Rep. Weiner: ‘This is a prank’: Claims hacker sent lewd photo from his Twitter account.” In her account, Bash reported that a “lewd picture (immediately deleted)” had been sent to the “twenty-one year old Seattle student Gennette Cardova “from Congressman Anthony Weiner’s account” over the weekend; that the college student admitted that Weiner followed her but insisted she had never met him nor had she had “any inappropriate exchanges” with him; that Weiner was still using the same Twitter account that he had said had been hacked; and  that “spokemen for both the F.B.I. and the Capitol Police said that they are not yet investigating the hacking of a Congressman’s Twitter account.”

Immediately, after Bash concluded her report, Ali went on the offensive for Weiner. Turning to his co-hosts Kiran Chetry and Christine Romans, Ali shook his finger, declaring, “And, one point to make is [that] while the, the story says that he…was following this, this college student, Anthony Weiner seems to follow everybody who follows him.”

As Christine stayed wisely silent, Kiran less sagely came quickly to Ali’s aid, responding, “Right. A lot of people do that.” Bolstered by her agreement, Aly echoed, “A lot of people do that! Anybody who follows them, you [sic] follow them back.” Shaking her head sanguinely, Kiran again concurred, “That’s right. So, that’s an important indica[tion].”

Digging himself in yet deeper unawares, Aly added, “Yeah. It is a, it’s a distinction because I was thinking to myself, ‘Why is Anthony Weiner following this college girl?’ ‘Cause she follows him. It’s kinda how it goes on Twitter.” As Christine arched her head with apparent skepticism, Kiran compliantly nodded hers, softly remarking, “Right.”

Unfortunately for Kiran and her AM audience, Aly was not right. And, if he were sincerely thinking to himself, “Why is Anthony Weiner following this college girl?,” he might have actually researched his self-posed question and given his AM audience a credible answer. Or, if he had simply watched Bash’s report itself, he would have seen that it contained a “screen grab” of Weiner’s Twitter account: 46,809 people followed Weiner but he followed only 198.*

If CNN’s chief business correspondent had done the math, he would have known that Weiner follows less than half a percentage (0.42%) of his Twitter followers. Whether Ali did the math or not, he should be ashamed of himself for misleading his CNN audience, intentionally or not.

As for Kiran, her “crime” may simply have been “aiding and abetting” her friend Ali–again.

*American Morning – 05/31/11 (@ 7:32 a.m. ET)

Update: As to Weiner’s subsequent spate of interviews with Bash (in which he refused to answer whether the “lewd picture” was of him and in which he caustically called her CNN producer a “jackass”) and other journos, Ali riantly remarked, “I have to tell you–watching it last night on TV, all those interviews, I definitely did not get the impression that he looked as uncomfortable as you would think he would look being confronted of a picture that may or may not be of him in his underwear and being asked these direct questions.” Concluding even less deftly, Aly ovinely opined, “He definitely seemed to have some command of the situation.” [AM – 06/02/11 (@ 8:19 a.m. ET)]

Molly Line’s Gluts: An F&FW Afterthought

Molly’s end: bottom of the Carpe Diem barrel? Before moving on from Fox & Friends’ “new girl,” the author was compelled to include one last Molly Line (Memorial Day Weekend) item. Mercifully, at an end for now, at least, for some–especially, perhaps, her potential F&F Weekend rivals, Ainsley Earhardt and Juliet Huddy. Not to mention, this dry but displaced author (with a backlog of potential posts).

Apparently, as a newcomer to Fox & Friends, Molly is in the process of learning that she is the “Fox” and that her boy bookends are the “Friends.” Accordingly, she has already heeded the apparent advice of her former WFXT-Fox 25 (Boston) colleague and current F&FW meteorologist Rick Reichmuth not to “break a leg” but to “show some leg.” Last Saturday, Molly upped the ante, not only generously displaying her magnificent gams for her FNC viewers during the show but also flaunting her taut tush for them during Fleet Week naval exercise routines. [In the F&FW navy fitness segment entitled, “Do You Have What It Takes?,” a lissome Molly worked her “nice and tight” gluts exclusively as the F&FW cameraperson panned in frequently to marvel at her rear in motion and at rest.*]

However, unlike F&FW‘s proud putative queen, Alisyn Camerota, Molly still seems loathe to exercise her upper body strength. I.e., the naif vixen still disdains the distaff domain of her decolletage as she still studiously swaddles her torso in her high-necked garb de rigeur. Perhaps, FNC’s Harris Faulkner, will soon tutor her alabaster sister with a few pointers for fit femme fatales with a softer, sexier side.

*Fox & Friends Weekend – 05/28/11 (@ 5:40 a.m. ET)