Zesty Zoraida: Zooma, Zooma, Zoom!

Beauty no boob: “Come on give it a try: We’re gonna reach for the sky.” Early Start co-anchor Zoraida Sambolin may have given CNN a New Day a month early. In an incredible display of courage Zoraida has embraced her breast cancer challenge with a zest that gives new life to CNN’s generally bland morning fare. Furthermore, she has given her fans a front seat view as she fought her malignant invader and vanquished it.

About two weeks ago (05/14/13 – ES vid), Zoraida intimately disclosed that she had breast cancer and that she had decided to have a double mastectomy. As a recently engaged woman (to her fiance Kenny Williams), she further revealed that she struggled with her decision because of her sexuality and her breasts and how attached she was to that. But, as a mother, she explained, “At the end of the day, it’s really difficult to say that I’m thinking about this…when I have two kids that…I want to live for: And that at the end of the day, I’m going…to cut off my arms if it means that I am going to live to see them and to see them grow up.”

Elaborating the very next day (in a “Starting the Cancer Dialogue” segment), Zoraida said, “I was embarrassed by how difficult that decision was: And, so, it makes you start thinking about your sexuality which I’ve thought more about than I ever have before in my life! And, how this will affect that!”* Explicating her initial misgivings about her double mastectomy (during a subsequent “Outpouring of Support for Jolie” story), Zoraida added, “You know, the first three days all I thought about going to bed was this and getting up [was] this and what is going to be my decision: That is all I thought about.”**

In Zoraida’s final show before her surgery (05/24/13), she shared her story further in a segment entitled, “A Very Personal Decision: Choosing double mastectomy over fear of dying.”*** When she concluded her report on why she chose to remove both of her breasts even though only her left one was cancerous, her ES co-host John Berman declared, “I have been in awe of you over the last several weeks as you’ve gone through this, simply in awe of your strength.” Pulling his tie and unbuttoning his shirt to reveal a Superman-styled tee with a “Z,” John added, “I did want you to know…that I will be certainly be with you in spirit as a, as the founding member of Team Z–not just Z, but Super Z.” Standing up to embrace John, Zoraida exclaimed, “Aww, that is so sweet!” As the ES crew began to emerge with their own “Super Z” shirts made for them by John,  an emotional Zoraida hugged them, too, gushing, “Oh, my g[od]! Oh, thank you! That is so sweet! And, if that were not enough, Zoraida got a fun ES “send off…a boob cake” that afternoon: Tweeting her hearty approval, she declared, “[G]otta love my peeps!”

On the appointed day, Zoraida gamely proclaimed, “Good Morning Friends! Getting ready to head to the hospital but wanted to “check in” with you first.” Subsequently, tagging in for her sis, Ivonne Tweeted, “[Zoraida] is heading to the OR as I  tweet. I will be keeping you all posted. pic.twitter.com/ASfhKyTvWF.” Subsequently, she happily announced, “Lymph nodes cam back negative for cancer. This means cancer has not spread beyond the breast. YES!!” A few hours later, Ivonne heralded further good news, saying, “Zoraida is out of surgery. Thanks to God and Dr. Kim, everything went beautifully!!!” The next day, she prematurely predicted, “Zoraida is doing great. She goes home today. Dr’s are happy with her progress.”

Taking back the reins, Zoraida Tweeted, “Day 2 not so bad. Feeling great! pic.twitter.com/XKi2LHhUry.” On Thursday, she elatedly exclaimed, “Going home today, yay!”

Yay, indeed. Get well soon, Zoraida! And, hurry back!

*Early Start – 05/15/13 (@ 5:38 a.m. ET).

**Ibid at 6:16 a.m. ET.

***Early Start – 05/24/13 (6:38 a.m. ET).

Zoraida’s Decision: Feminine Sexuality But Family First

Double mastectomy: “Very emotional for me…as a woman, your sexuality and your breasts and how attached you are to that.” Early Start co-host Zoraida Sambolin shared her very personal new struggle with breast cancer with her CNN a.m. fans, her Twitter followers, and her Facebook friends Tuesday. Breaking the news to her EP viewers (after a report on Angelina Jolie’s NYT announcement that she had undergone a double mastectomy), Zoraida remarked, “You know, I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and…the fact that she [Jolie] is sharing this very personal journey, talking about the femininity as well and how that affects your decision moving forward, is absolutely remarkable.”* To her Tweeps and to her FB friends, she elaborated, “I struggled for weeks trying to figure out how [to] tell you that I had been diagnosed with breast cancer and was leaving to have surgery then..Angelina Jolie shares her story of a double mastectomy and gives me strength and an opening.”

Later in the morning, on Starting Point, Zoraida disclosed even more of the intimate details of her painful decision.** During a story on Jolie’s double mastectomy, Zoraida was brought in to tell her own story by SP interim co-hosts John Berman and Christine Romans. Pointing to John, Zoraida said, “You know for a while I’ve been struggling ’cause I was diagnosed with breast cancer about three weeks ago. And, I was trying to figure out how do I…tell the viewers that I’m going to be gone for awhile because I have chosen to have a double mastectomy. And, so, Angelina Jolie’s story really hit home.”

Offering Zoraida an opportunity to open up, John remarked, “She [Jolie] says [that] it’s an empowering decision, in a way.” Seizing her moment, Zoraida replied, “It is because you can, you can make that decision as a woman. Um, one of the things that she talks about that is very emotional for me because, you know, as a woman, your sexuality and your breasts and how attached you are to that. Right? As, as a woman!” In true maternal self-abnegation, she continued, “And, so, at the end of the day, it’s really difficult to say that I’m thinking about this…when I have two kids that…I want to live for. And that at the end of the day, I’m going…to cut off my arms if it means that I am going to live to see them and to see them grow up.”

Zoraida, kudos for courageously sharing your story with your fans–and, more importantly, putting your family first!

[Author’s aside: During her SP interview, supra, Zoraida disclosed that she made her first call after her diagnosis to her fiance (Kenny Williams) , “who has been nothing but an amazing supporter through all of this.” Furthermore, she revealed that she was going to have her surgery on the 28th. EP – 05/14/13 (@6:03 a.m. ET)]

*Early Start – 05/14/13 (@ 5:33 a.m. ET)

**Starting Point – 05/14/13 (@ 7:33 a.m. ET)

Nicole Petallides: FBN’s “Stocks Fox”?

“I’m always looking for the wardrobe malfunction.” Red Eye guest host, “TV’s Andy Levy,” nailed it when he introduced FNC’s NYSE correspondent Nicole Petallides as the “Stocks Fox” in her guest appearance on RE Tuesday. Perhaps, flattered by the apt appellation, the toned, bronzed beauty served it up with her usual sensual sass and her “2 Hot 4 F&FW” gorgeous gams.

Clad in a short, sleeveless blue dress and sexy strappy inky stilettos, Nicole owned RE‘s leg chair with flair. Not only was she the continuous cynosure of the camera but also she was the seductive siren of the airwaves–especially, during the Oscars review segment. Viz., Nicole could not let Angelina Jolie’s leg or Jennifer Lopez’s nip go without either a saucy display or a concupiscent comment.

When “TV’s Andy Levy” expressed his bewilderment as to Angelina’s jaunty display of her stem at the Academy Awards, Nicole concurred, “A little odd that she kept putting her leg out. It was all sort of like, so weird! Weird!”* As the cam panned out to show her full figure, Nicole sensually crossed her own sexy stems as the shot lingered. Then, as if acknowledging her acolytes’ adoration, the Greek goddess chuckled to herself and broke into a broad smile.

Subsequently, when the discussion turned to Jennifer Lopez’s apparent nip slip, Nicole naughtily remarked, “I’m always looking for the wardrobe malfunction.”As a pulchritudinous photo of a questionably covered J.Lo appeared on the screen, she (Levy and the other panelists) seemed to enjoy the view–but could not quite decide of just what. Meanwhile, viewers may have may have pruriently recalled RE‘s newly dubbed Stocks Fox’s own “angelic exhibition,” i.e., her double F&FW hem hike.**

Nicole Petallides: FNC’s “Stocks Fox” rocks.

*Red Eye – 02/28/12 (@ 3:25 a.m. ET)

Kiran’s OK! Baby Pics OK?

OK! Why was the celebrity baby pics segment axed today on American Morning? The story was titled “Ethics for Sale” and later “Photo Bidding War” and was scheduled at 8:43 A ET. After Kiran Chetry teased it at 7:44 A ET, I e-mailed her at 7:52 A ET asking if she and her husband Chris Knowles had been paid by OK! Magazine for their baby’s pictures. AM did one more tease at 8:05 A ET and then no more. It never aired.

Strangely, a rerun of an earlier story on the banning of trans fat by California lawmakers was played instead at the appointed time of 8:43 A ET. Later (after another rerun concerning Miss USA falling on her derriere), Kiran explained, “Because of some breaking news on the economic front, we ran out of time and weren’t able to bring you the story about some celebrity baby photos going for as much as fifteen million, Angelina Jolie’s new twins one of them: so is that ethical and what are the implications of that?” She added, “Even if it’s going to charity, is it the right thing to do?” Then John assured the audience that the story would be aired the next hour on CNN Newsroom which was “coming up in a few minutes’ time”: it didn’t.

Did the producers kill the story because of a perceived conflict of interest? Ironically, from the author’s perspective, making money off baby pics, especially if given to charity, is not ethically adverse. However, the story’s evaporation seemed somewhat suspect. AM, trust your audience: we’re fair.

Kiran Update

As this author mentioned in “Kiran Out Longer?,” the Nepalese beauty may be out for a couple of months. Yesterday, it appears that John Roberts has confirmed that indeed Kiran Chetry will be on maternity leave longer than the viewer had been led to believe initially (i.e., two weeks). At the close of CNN’s American Morning Friday, to guest co-host Kyra Phillips he remarked, “You’re away for the next week.” He added, “See you back in a week.” Kyra responded, “I look forward to coming back.” It seems that Kyra did not misspeak.

AM without Kiran is like Charlie’s Angels without Farrah Fawcett or, more aptly, Lara Croft without Angelina Jolie.

https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2008/04/24/kiran-out-longer/

OK! Kiran Delivers!

According to CNN, last night at 10:45 p.m. American Morning co-host Kiran Chetry, her hubby NYC WPIX weatherman Chris Knowles, and their daughter Maya Rose welcomed a new addition to their family, Christopher Chetry Knowles. The baby boy weighed seven pounds zero ounces. Kiran described him as looking “so much like [his] Daddy,” according to People.

Little Chris came into the world a luminary like his lovely mother. According to Kiran’s AM co-host John Roberts, OK! Magazine has an exclusive on his baby pics: Ergo, AM was not able to show any photos. Kiran joins other hottie celeb moms like Angelina Jolie, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, and Jennifer Lopez in this reasonably new trend.

Your many friends and fans at both CNN and FNC (especially Fox & Friends) are very happy for you both. God has blessed you with both a daughter and a son. Congratulations, Kiran and Chris!

CNN: AM – 04/18/08
Link: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20192750,00.html