Things I Shouldn’t Say

Aly’s woke wrong, and Ainsley’s Ainsley. In the old days of Fox & Friends, Mancow was mimicking oral sex with E. D. Hill with his second and third fingers in a vee and lapping it up with his tongue with a naughty smile as a blushing E. D. laughed it off. Apparently, they had been lovers–and, viewers were invited to a peep show of sorts of days gone bye.

Now, it’s different. New Day co-host Alisyn Camerota has gone from Roger Ailes smart, sassy, sexy lovely to Jeff Zucker’s snarky, “rolling eye” gal when it comes to her conservative guests. But, sometimes, she’s fair–even though the viewer knows that Zucker is watching and having his way way too often.

As to Fox and Friends co-anchor Ainsley Earhardt, she plays her role a la Abby Huntsman of Fox & Friends Weekend. Both are beautiful, brainy gals bringing it to the center seat on the curvy couch. They are both sexy as all get-out: But, they are also rather religious. So wrap your brain around that–if you can.

As a synopsis, Aly is still sexy but she is Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct: You never know if she’ll kill you with her looks or her CNN ice pick. As to Ainsley (and Abby), they both appear very inviting but one wonders if they really in truly are that sweet.

Chris Cuomo Finally Admits CNN Anti-Trump

Kellyanne Conway: “You guys have made a business decision to be anti-Trump.” New Day co-host Chris Cuomo‘s concurred, “And, you guys have also made a decision.” [Italics added for emphasis]. Wow!

It was a rare moment in media history when Chris admitted to his viewers that CNN had made a business decision to be anti-Trump instead of being unbiased in its coverage of POTUS. For political junkies, the practically thirty-five-minute interview was practically partisan polemic porn. The two fought with a Coliseum-like feral ferocity showcasing CNN honcho Jeff Zucker’s early morn co-anchor Chris with the first successful Presidential campaign manager Kellyanne.  The New York Cuomo scion versus the New Jersey girl scrapper: And, the girl ate the boy’s lunch.

Epic must-see TV! Especially the last few minutes. Vid, supra, may be NSFW depending on your workplace. Enjoy at your own risk!

POTUS: F&F “Most Honest Morning Show”

CNN “Very Fake News”! President Trump finally gave CNN reporter Jim Acosta a question–in fact, quite a few at his presser this afternoon: And, POTUS did not hold back in his answers to George Clooney’s wannabe doppelganger. Before giving Jim his series of queries (in answer to an earlier question), POTUS remarked, “I’m not okay when [a story] is fake: I mean I watch CNN. It’s so much anger and hatred, and just the hatred: I don’t watch it anymore….” When President Trump finally called on Jim, Jim remarked, “Thank you very much. And, just for the record, we don’t hate you. I don’t hate you.” POTUS acerbically replied, “Okay. Well…ask [CEO honcho] Jeff Zucker how he got his job, okay!”

In a subsequent query, Jim asked, “If the information coming from those leaks is real, then how can the stories be fake?” President Trump retorted, “The reporting is fake!” Elaborating, POTUS said, “I’ve been involved with this stuff all my life: But, I’m involved so I know when you are telling the truth and when you’re not. I just see many, many untruthful things. And, I’ll tell you what else I see: I see tone! You know the word ‘tone’: The tone is such hatred!”

Seeming to contrast FNC’s Fox & Friends with CNN’s New Day, President Trump continued, “The tone is such hatred! I watched this morning a couple of the network[s]. And, I have to say, ‘Fox & Friends in the morning, they’re very honorable people’…not because they’re good ’cause they hit me also when I do something wrong. But, they have the most honest morning show! That’s all I can say: It’s the most honest!”

Unfortunately, President Trump seems to have a point.  In their apparent running feud with POTUS in tandem with CNN proper and their boss Zucker, co-hosts Chris Cuomo and Alisyn Camerota seem to have not quite recovered from their shock that not only did The Donald actually run, win the GOP primary, and win in convincing fashion but also he is doing what he promised to do to “Make America Great Again.” And, the anti-Trump vibe seems to run through the show each and every morning without even any pretense of objectivity.

The author has faithfully watched CNN’s New Day ever since it’s inception as American Morning with Kiran Chetry and John Roberts. Furthermore, he has been a fan of Alisyn Camerota since her days with Kiran on Fox & Friends Weekend. Ergo, he harbors no animus toward Aly (or Chris): But, the New Day co-anchors do need to pull themselves out of their funk and to start to cover President Trump and the news fairly for their faithful viewers.

A new New Day is sorely needed!

[Author’s aside: The subtitle is derived from POTUS’ response to Jim’s final query with regard to CNN being called “fake news”: President Trump announced, “I’m changing it from ‘fake news,’ though–‘very fake news'”!]

Cuomo’s “Bullsh*t”!

Camerota: “How much time and energy and space should we be devoting to the demonstrably false claims that the President-elect makes, let’s say, about people voting illegally?”* If New Day viewers wavered over how co-hosts Chris Cuomo and Alisyn Camerota stood vis-a-vis President-elect Donald Trump before today, they probably got a good sense today. Over the election cycle, it has seemed rather obvious for whom CNN honcho Jeff Zucker’s New Day co-hosts Chris and Aly were rooting.

And, that is not necessarily bad. Journos have a high and exalted perspective of themselves as truth tellers and fair-and-balanced purveyors of the facts. Since the days of yellow journalism under Hearst and Pulitzer, journalists have pined for eyes and considered themselves just a little–or, a lot better–than the average Joe/Jill or Everyman/Everywoman. And, every so often the public gets lazy and falls for the charade. But, happily, journos overreach and the public smiles–because they know the truth: The reader/viewer gets the facts, hopefully, and still distills the spin. And, it is not that hard.

This early morn, Chris was whining about President-elect Donald J. Trump’s allegation that he would have won the popular vote if illegals had not voted, saying, “That’s called bullsh*t.”** Chiming in, Aly pontificated that Trump’s claims were “demonstrably false.” It was amusing to the viewer because s/he knows that the media has skin in the game whether they admit it or not. The perpetuation of the caviling and carping of the media simply signals their audience that their “talking heads” are probably biased–even if well intentioned.

Love you, Chris and Aly: But, move on. Or, your viewers may well do so.

*New Day – 11/29/16 (@ 6:52 a.m. ET).

**Ibid (@6:54 a.m. ET).

Another New Day–Again!

Michaela says goodbye. Friday, New Day co-host Michaela Pereira called it quits: Now, Chris Cuomo is the last original co-anchor left standing. CNN honcho Jeff Zucker can try again to make that winning team that can give Fox & Friends a run for the money–or, at least, come in a respectable second.

Last week, CNN seemed to want to ease Michaela out the New Day door unlike its ceremonious ditching of another original co-host Kate Bolduan when she was on maternity leave by Zucker: Nevertheless, the slow sendoff of Michaela from New Day seemed like a painful display of inane maudlin, mawkish sentiment. The shtick appeared to be a pouting Chris about Michaela “abandoning” the show; a reveling Michaela in the “pain” that her departure caused Chris; and a laughing Alisyn Camerota at their silly departure dance.

Before Michaela exited the stage, she may have been billed as a coequal anchor but the loyal New Day viewer knew the pecking order: Chris was the alpha male; Aly was the alpha bitch (in a good way); and Michaela was still along for the ride. It did not go unnoticed by ND fans that prime anchor Chris would open the show in the first hour; secondary host Aly would intro it the second hour; and Chris would lead in the third and final hour: Tertiary anchor Michaela would tend to do the personal interest stories and racially sensitive ones.

Now that Michaela has “left the building,” the auditioning will begin–hopefully, for both males and females. Early Start co-hosts Christine Romans and John Berman would be a good place to start: No-nonsense Christine guest co-hosted ND predecessor American Morning regularly and quick-witted John Berman is oft a guest co-host of New Day. Of course, Aly and Chris might be a good duo a la Kiran Chetry and John Roberts (the last official co-hosts of AM).

Good luck, Michaela, as you move to HLN to host your own to-be-announced morning show! And, good luck Aly, Chris, and Zucker as you craft anew a New Day!

New Day Disappears?

Santa’s gift: Three beauties and no beast. It was a strange morning after Christmas on CNN: New Day disappeared and Alisyn Camerota, Chris Cuomo, and Michaela Pereira were nowhere to be seen live. Instead, (CNN) Newsroom replaced New Day with Energizer bunny Christine Romans, pretty Poppy Harlow, and hottie Pamela Brown on the ND set.

Actually, it was a nice holiday gift from Old Saint Nick. Aly, Chris, and Michaela got a much deserved break: And, the viewers got three femme fatales for the day. Christine played the Iowa tomboy that dutifully doles out financial and other practical advice; Poppy played the attractive Everylady that reads the news for her airport audience savant and dullard alike; and Pamela (1971 Miss America Phyllis George’s daughter) played the sexy “younger blonde” that CNN honcho Jeff Zucker may need to “compete with Fox News.”

But, the bizarre thing to the author was that even though Christine, Poppy, and Pamela were on the New Day set in the ND time slot, CNN decided to ditch the ND name for the day and replace it with Newsroom. Perchance, Zucker wanted to be certain that his CNN viewers knew that his choice for now, at least, for his ND team was crystal clear: I.e., Aly, Chris, and Michael were his A-Team. After all, the three appeared on both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day to seemingly cement in viewers minds the new lineup on News Day.

Aly & Chris: Dawn of a New Day?

James Earl Jones’ voice silenced. As rumors swirl over New Day host Kate Bolduan‘s possible ouster from her CNN morning anchor chair, ND host Chris Cuomo and ND guest anchor Alisyn Camerota introduced themselves and New Day in a whole new way Thursday and Friday. Gone was the daily dulcet baritone introduction of James Earl Jones teasing, “This is New Day with Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan, and Michaela Pereira!” Instead, it was either Chris or Aly introducing each other and ND to the viewer. No mention was made of Michaela: But, perhaps, more tellingly, no mention was made of Kate either–seemingly, for the first time since she left on maternity leave.

When Kate tearfully took her maternal sabbatical and deemed it “super, super, super bittersweet” (09/19/14), the author wondered whether she was also actually getting a divorce from her ND hubby, who reportedly had informed CNN honcho Jeff Zucker “that Kate Bolduan is not a good fit for him and he wants someone new.” Perchance, she was indeed taking that fateful step–whether she knew it or not.

Reportedly, Zucker is mulling Chris’s purported suggested amid a marked increase in ND ratings since Kate’s hiatus from New Day. As the new diva on the ND divan for the last two months, Aly is proving that she may well fit the bill.

Comely Camerota: CNN’s Catch?

Bathing beauty Aly: “For anyone wondering what I’ve been up to….” Today, Alisyn Camerota, the quondam queen of Fox & Friends Weekend‘s curvy couch got her fans attention with that Twitter tease that featured her in a sexy bathing beauty pose. She may have been more demure than her daring ’80’s bikini shot but the Bristol Bay Babe was just as alluring with her sexy come-hither pose. The catch? The former F&FW fox has jumped ship to CNN according to FTVLive.

For Fox & Friends viewers, Aly’s move should come as no surprise. FNC’s Senior VP of Programming Bill Shine has seemingly given his erstwhile best anchor the shaft: When he ditched Gretchen Carlson on F&F weekday, it appeared that the long-suffering three-time co-anchor of F&FW and frequent guest-host of F&F would finally get her due. Instead, the same genius that chose Gretch to be E. D. Hill‘s replacement on F&F over the eminently superior Kiran Chetry decided to go outside of the FNC family and choose Barbara Walter’s View outcast, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, rather than F&F fan favorite Aly.

Hopefully, CNN Prez Jeff Zucker will put Aly on against Lis in the mornings to jump start his moribund morning show New Day. Of course, Aly will be at a distinct disadvantage having to contend against Shine’s FNC juggernaut trio that also includes F&F Everyman Steve Doocy and Puckish wit Brian Kilmeade. Hopefully, Aly will join a cast including current Early Start co-host, wag John Berman, and another engaging gal or guy during the New Day time period: I.e., if the proverbial CNN stars are aligned propitiously, ND co-anchor Kate Bouldan, Michaela Pereira, and Chris Cuomo will find new places on Ted Turner’s network and Aly can usher in a new dawn to CNN.

Congratulations, Aly! And, good luck!

H/t, J$P!

New Day Censors Sexy SI Swimsuit Models–Butt

Fox & Friends celebrates the bevy of beauties’ derrieres. Sex: Yes, it sells. And, that may be one of the reasons that priggish CNN’s morning show New Day gets it head handed to it on a silver platter on a daily basis by its saucy FNC counterpart Fox & Friends.

Today, New Day (a la the 1956 “Ed Sullivan Show” of Elvis’ gyrating hips) bowdlerized the bottom half of the cover of the Sports Illustrated 50th Anniversary Issue cover which featured three bathing beauties flaunting their assets. In its sole coverage of the SI cover, ND entertainment correspondent Nischelle Turner stood next to a big screen (featuring the fetching faces and topless tops of Lily Aldridge, Nina Agdal, and Chrissy Teigen from the back), reporting, “Now this is the first time since 1994 that three women have been on the cover.”*

Noting the obvious omission, i.e., ND co-host Kate Bouldan complained, “I don’t see swimsuits, though….You could actually show their derrieres!” Expressing her disappointment at New Day‘s censorship, she explained, “One of my girlfriends–her swimsuit line is featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue“: When Nischelle responded, “Oh, so they’ve got your friend’s bottoms on?,” Kate excitedly exclaimed, “Yes! “Basta! So proud! It’s such a big moment!”

In pellucid contradistinction from CNN, F&F prominently and proudly featured the uncensored scantily clad ladies: To wit, it proudly proclaimed “Bottoms up” of the 2014 SI Swimsuit cover girls. At the start of each hour, the cover was shown as F&F co-hosts touted SI‘s answer to the winter blues: In tandem, respectively, news reader Heather Nauert would end her top-of-the-hour headline stories with the SI Swimsuit cover displayed on F&F full screen as she invited guys to “take a long look” at “those booties” that “everybody wants to see.”**

Except for Jeff Zucker‘s censors on CNN.

*New Day – 02/14/14 (@ 7:14 a.m. ET).

**Fox & Friends -02/14/14 (@ 6:11 a.m. ET; @ 7:06 a.m. ET; and @ 8:06 a.m. ET).

Kate Bolduan: Out at New Day?

“No, not yet!…I still need him here for a little while longer.” Yesterday, New Day co-host Kate Bolduan appeared to let viewers in on a little secret, i.e., that she may not be Chris Cuomo‘s co-anchor for much longer on CNN’s early morning news flat liner. Perhaps, CNN honcho Jeff Zucker has given her the news: According to FTVLive last month, its sources disclosed that Chris told CNN honcho Jeff Zucker that “Kate is not a good fit for him and he wants someone new.”

During a segment on Obamacare, political commentator Will Cain used the “you” as a pronoun for government in answer to a query from Chris.* Chuckling, Chris replied, “From now on, every time you’re here you call me “government. That’s my new nickname.” As Cain remarked that he was using the proverbial “you,” Chris jested, “You can call me “Guv.”

Smiling, Cain riposted, “Are you announcing something today?”

Grabbing Chris’ arm, Kate interjected, “No, not yet!…I still need him here for a little while longer.”

For Chris and/or Kate’s acolytes, the question is “how much longer, Zucker?”

*New Day – 11/21/13 (@ 6:33 a.m. ET)

FNC’s New Future: Megyn In for Greta?

Van Susteren: “I’ve been been bucking to get an earlier hour for years….”* Apparently, her boss Roger Ailes was listening: Only five days after FNC On the Record anchor Greta van Susteren uttered those very words to her old friend Larry King on his 06/27/13 eponymous online show, Fox News issued a release which read, “[America Live anchor] Megyn Kelly will move to Fox News Channel’s (FNC) primetime lineup upon her return, announced Roger Ailes, Chairman and CEO, FOX News.” However, FNC took pains to highlight the fact that Greta had been signed to a long-term contract (as well as FNC’s other prime time hosts Bret Baier, Shepard Smith, Bill O’Reilly, and Sean Hannity).

In King’s interview of Greta, the former CNN anchor discussed the possible personnel changes of new CNN honcho Jeff Zucker: In so doing, she referenced FNC and her long-time chief, saying, “Look at Fox News….Roger Ailes has been there the whole time I’ve been there. We haven’t had a change in eleven and half years.” Nonchalantly or not, she continued, “I’ve been bucking to get an earlier hour for years but that ain’t happening….If anyone ever left, I would put in a pitch.”

Now that Ailes has decided to change his storied FNC schedule, it seems that Greta will get her wish of an earlier hour. But, whom will she replace or with whom will she pair? If Greta replaces anyone, it will probably be Fox Report host Shepard Smith who could continue to work in his “long-term contract” as anchor of Studio B. But, if Greta were to co-host instead, a likely pairing would be with fellow conservative Sean Hannity who sorely needs fresh blood to reinvigorate his recently ratings-challenged show.

And, if Greta does vacate her 10 p.m. ET throne, it seems that Fox’s long-suffering “rising star” has finally achieved her rightful place in the FNC ether. In December of 2008, Carpe Diem warned Greta to watch out for Megyn. Six months later, the New York Times eyed Megyn as a “potential heir to Ms. Van Susteren.”

Now, Megyn’s time has come: Prime time!

*Larry King Now – 06/27/13 (@ 11:29/28:19

“New Day”: New Dawn or New Dud?

Chris, Kate, and Michaela: CNN’s New Day morning team brings a brighter dawn to their viewers–at least, for now. Gone are the too oft surly Soledad O’Brien and her Starting Point panel of milquetoast toadies (and the subsequent SP fill-ins): And, in their place are three sunnier replacements, alpha male Chris Cuomo, tomboy beauty Kate Bolduan, and the engaging BBBW Michaela Pereira. And, thankfully, for three full hours for those sick and tired of the schizophrenic Early Start/Starting Point (two hour/two hour) start to their CNN day.

For early morn viewers wondering who in the world the new CNN honcho Jeff Zucker’s tyro trio were, they introduced themselves to each other and to viewers in their respective profile segments (vids): Chris’s “Poseidon Adventure”; Kate’s “Skeet’r Shoot”; and Michaela’s “Soccer Mom.” It was almost an homage to FNC’s Fox & Friends: i.e., an acknowledgment that morning news TV should be informative, informal, and personal if it is truly to resonate with its audience.

However, the personal chemistry among Kate, Chris, and Michaela does seem somewhat forced at times, e.g., Chris requesting and receiving a kiss from Michaela and their subsequent group hug at the end of Michaela’s “Soccer Mom” segment. Nevertheless, the three seem to genuinely like other.

Still, Chris seems to be the wild card: He’s the baritone Cuomo scion that sometimes seems somewhat solipsist but is trying hard to mingle with the masses. Hopefully, he can. But, for future reference, as Kate seemed to sense, he probably should not tell aurally challenged, camera-curious three-year-olds–even if in jest–that he won’t abide their stealing “[his] camera” or his “single.”* [Video.]

As Ad Age noted, the results for a New Day were mixed in its debut week (June 17-21). It did edge out its HLN sibling in the ratings and was leaps and bounds above Soledad’s cellar status in the same time period in 2012: However, New Day was trounced by FNC’s Fox & Friends and lost to MSNBC’s Morning Joe.

A New Day: a new dud? It could yet be: But, CNN fans are hoping New Day is truly a new dawn. Leading that chorus, former American Morning co-host Kiran Chetry wished her a.m. “successors” well, saying, “Good luck guys!! The hours are a bear… But the experience is priceless. Godspeed!!!”

*New Day – 06/21/13 (@ 5:28/5:49)

Soledad’s Fall: CNN’s Spring?

Zucker’s “Morning in America”: O’Brien toast–again. Starting Point anchor Soledad O’Brien has been iced again as the face of CNN’s dawn according to the New York Times. Throwing cold water on Soledad’s vain hopes to finally prevail in the cable news morning ratings wars, CNN’s new chief Jeff Zucker finally cried, “No mas.”

As long-time CNN viewers may know, Soledad and Miles O’Brien co-hosted American Morning from 2003 to 2007 and were replaced by Kiran Chetry and John Roberts to revitalize flagging ratings. Over four years later (July 15, 2011), Soledad ominously returned to the show to substitute for Kiran for her first absence after AM announced Kiran’s own imminent departure from the still ratings-challenged show. Subsequently, when the ill-fated AM folded at the end of the year, Soledad was given a second chance to redeem herself and the CNN brass in the new year with Starting Point in the 7-9 a.m. ET hours. Unfortunately, for Soledad, she failed to seize the opportunity and sunk the show to even lower depths.

Yesterday, the New York Times reported that Zucker was pulling the plug on Soledad and that she would leave Starting Point this spring. According to the old Gray Lady, Zucker had “decided even before he started the job in January that he wanted to replace…[her program]…with a brand new one.” As to Soledad’s future, it added that she would create a new production company and “continue to supply documentaries to CNN on a nonexclusive basis.”

Putting a positive spin on her departure to the Hollywood Reporter, Soledad said, “I will not miss getting up that early, I cannot lie, not for a minute.” Defending her show itself, she declared, “We had a staff  of people–we never were fully staffed–where we were able to in spite of not getting a lot of support really make our show relevant. To do that, that was pretty tremendous.”

Soledad’s fall: CNN’s spring. It will be morning in Zucker’s America again soon.