Kilmeade & Doocy Fails: Ravens’ Rice Jests

Anna Kooiman: “This is so shocking!” Today, Fox & Friends co-hosts Brian Kilmeade and Steve Doocy both committed major fails this morning in ill-conceived jests as to domestic abuse. After a segment on now erstwhile Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice‘s apparent elevator assault on his then fiancee (vid via TMZ), Brian joked, “I think the message is [to] ‘take the stairs.'”* As Anna chuckled uncomfortably, Steve rejoined, “The message is when you’re in an elevator, there’s a camera.”

Today, normally surefooted Brian and Steve weighed into an area where any angel should fear to tread, i.e., domestic abuse and a cheap laugh. Obviously, assaulting a female is no joke and never should be treated as such. Unfortunately, Brian tried to add some levity after the horrific video and it fell fatefully flat: To make matters worse, Steve weighed in and was mired in the process.

For this longtime viewer of the show (dating back to when whilom F&F co-host E. D. Hill was E. D. Donahey), the aforementioned moment was definitely cringe-inducing. Even though the author assuredly does not believe that either Brian or Steve think that domestic abuse is a laughing matter, they should have known better this morning than to not let their condemnation of it be patently obvious and severe. Unfortunately, in the author’s view, Brian did not help matters by giving NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell virtual absolution for his bone-headed decision to give Ray Rice only a two-game suspension for his alleged assault–by commenting that Goodell had owned up to his “huge mistake” and had increased future penalties for domestic abuse to a six-game suspension for the first offense and a life-time ban for a second offense: Perchance, if Brian were not the FNC sports guy and former Fox News anchor Jane Skinner were not Goodell’s wife, Brian might have been less charitable in his assessment.

Happily, according to the Washington Post, “Fox & Friends will address [the] Ray Rice ‘stairs’ comments on Tuesday’s show.” And they should–because it is the right thing to do. And, for the cynical, if they do not, Fox News critics will use Brian and Steve’s ill-advised remarks to slam them and their network mercilessly henceforth.

[Author’s aside: Re the subtitle, it is guest co-host Anna Kooiman‘s assessment of the alleged assault before Brian and Steve’s errant extemporaneous utterances.]

*Fox & Friends – 09/08/14 (@ 8:32 a.m. ET).

Jenna Happening Now

Fox Business News babe Jenna Lee has been chosen to replace the departed Jane Skinner as co-host Fox of News’ Happening Now effective July 12 (Monday) according to TVNewser.* Ben Stein’s favorite money honey, the “heart-stoppingly beautiful, ultrayoung and cute Jenna,” is no stranger to HN as a contributor and has exhibited there her sassy, sexy side that may bode well for HN. Even though Jenna does not provide much needed literal color to Fox News’ morning co-host palette, hopefully, Jenna will add a new vivid, vibrant hue to FNC’s most boring morning show.

Good luck, Jenna!

*Benzinga.com‘s Jason Raznick broke the bare-bones story as to Jenna’s apparent selection.

What’s “Happening Now”?

N’awlin’s Chocolate: a new morning flavor for FNC’s ice cream parlor? Something seemed slightly amiss today as Happening Now co-host Jane Skinner announced her sudden departure from the show while citing the, yes, “spend-more-time-with-the-family” reason. While her co-host Jon Scott was rather tearful and her colleague Janice Dean was exceedingly dolorous at the news, Jane remained studiedly stoic like a good soldier who had received her walking papers. And, maybe, she had.

One month ago today, InsideCableNews.com stated that FNC honcho Roger Ailes and his top FBN suits had “convened in a room [about a week earlier] to watch the network’s broadcast…to examine the programming in detail and see what was working and what might need changing or tweaking.” Apparently, Ailes and his top people may have looked at their golden goose FNC, too, and watched its most boring morning hour. Approximately two weeks later, Mediaite.com reported that Ailes was bringing back the sassy, sexy ebony beauty Arthel Neville (daughter of the founder of the Neville Bros.) back to FNC. Today, as to Jon’s new co-host, Mediaite.com mused, “Maybe a non-white anchor?”

Perhaps, Fox News SVP of Programming Bill Shine will use this opportunity to add some much overdue figurative and literal color to FNC’s most boring morning news show. As Carpe Diem readers may remember, the author has long felt that Happening Now needed a major shake-up. E.g., over six months ago, in an article entitled “Jon & Jane: Happening Not,” the author opined, “[T]he show with David Asman’s ‘tv twin’ and Roger Goodell’s gal seems to be an ill-conceived paean to America’s bourgeois best. After an entertaining and edgy Fox & Friends…FNC seems to have plopped the vanilla couple in the middle of the morning when the majority of their more adventurous audience is apt to roam….Bill [Shine], you surely need to do something to make Happening Now actually happen soon.” Even Jane seems to agree that she was not necessarily the most charismatic media figure on FNC: in an interview with Mediaite.com (after telling HN viewers good-bye), she stated, “I worked for five bosses before Roger, not one, including all of my professors at journalism school, said, ‘you have a personality, you should use it.’”

Hopefully, Shine will add some real color commentary to Happening Now–from a person of color. Over two years ago, the author similarly bemoaned the incredible lack of diversity on another FNC morning show in a May 4, 2008, post entitled, “Lily White F&F” to no avail. Hopefully, times have changed.

Skinner Skedaddles: Dean Dolorous

Adieu, audience! Happening Now co-host Jane Skinner shocked her viewers with a short, sweet farewell this morning. As her show was about to end, Jane remarked, “Before we go today, I want to take just one minute and nine seconds of your time to let everybody know this is my last day on the air at Fox….[I]t’s been a thrill to have been a part of this incredible success of this place over the past twelve years that I have been here.”* She continued, “However, my life in those twelve years has changed pretty significantly in wonderful ways, and they’ve created a lot of new responsibilities. I added a husband [NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell]….I have twin daughters….So, to do justice to this new life, I’ve decided to take a break from this business.”

Subsequently, as Jane thanked boss Roger Ailes, co-host Jon Scott, and colleague Janice Dean (the “Weather Machine”), Jon’s eyes began to well up with tears. Then, with a quivering voice, Jon replied, “We are going to miss you like oxygen….I had a little ‘heads up’ on this–very little ‘heads up–and I thought it was going to keep me from getting all emotional. But, it didn’t!” With tears beginning to stream down his face, Jon continued, “Your girls and your husband are very lucky that you’re making a decision like this because there aren’t many women in this business who would do what you’re doing. And, I really admire you for it.”

Meanwhile, out of nowhere, Janice leaned into the shot and planted a mournful kiss upon Jane’s cheek. After cupping Janice’s face affectionately in her hand, Jane declared, “They’re pretty amazing. And, we have a lot of opportunities in our life to do a lot of great things, and I just don’t want to miss out on ’em. So, but, thank you everybody, and thanks everybody for watching. It’s been so much fun!”

Then, looking back at Janice who was clenching her hands tightly together and weeping greatly, a slightly uncomfortable Jane laughed, “Do not cry! Don’t cry!” Interjecting, Jon remarked, “Somebody get the Weather Machine a tissue. We got a hurricane erupting on stage here.” Jane answered, “Oh! The emotional Weather Machine. Now you know why I love her. See, everyone else loves her, too.”

Shortly thereafter, Jane stoically concluded, “But, anyway, thanks everybody for watching. And, we will see you down the road. We will see you at the Super Bowl, for sure….And, Jon’ll see you tomorrow!”

*Happening Now – 06/24/10 (@12:56 a.m. ET)

Update: Vid (courtesy of J$P)

Happening Tomorrow?

Happening Now: is FNC’s most boring morning show getting a much needed Jane jolt? Today, co-hosts Jane Skinner and Jon Scott haunted the news room a la Martha MacCallum and Trace Gallagher on FNC’s now defunct Live Desk, the show that formerly followed HN. Perhaps, Fox News’ Bill Shine is finally trying to get his “plain” Jane to be a little less vanilla and to spice up the show a scintilla.

Generally, both Jane and Jon stay behind their desk in a fashion akin to America’s Newsroom co-anchors Megyn Kelly and Bill Hemmer when one or both of them would similarly so sit in the very early days of AN. Of course, Shine changed the set somewhat when he appeared to have an epiphany that AN’s rating might be enhanced if viewers caught a glimpse of Megyn’s gorgeous gams. Whether he has the same thing in mind now for Jane, time will tell. However, Jane seemed not to be fully compliant today: she sheathed her stems in slacks to elude that errant eye.

Bravo, Bill. You surely need to do something to make Happening Now actually happen soon. Otherwise, you may as well confine HN to Sirius radio.