Fox & Friends First Turns One: Growing Pains?

Co-host Ainsley Earhardt: “The four of us.”* F&FF‘s Big Love to less love? On March 5, 2013, Ainsley and her co-anchor Heather Nauert marked their first anniversary on the new Fox & Friends First with a much smaller family of co-hosts and a wiser (or, perhaps, more wizened) version of its younger self. Of the earlier stable of beauties (Anna Kooiman, Ainsley Earhardt, Juliet Huddy, Patti Ann Browne, Arthel Neville, Heather Childers, Heather Nauert, Julie Banderas, and Jamie Colby) and two beasts (Dave Briggs and Clayton Morris), only Ainsley, the two Heathers, and PAB survived the year. As to the show itself, it seems to be still evolving.

When F&FF made its debut [vid1], it proudly featured its “twin” sexy South Carolina sirens, Ainsley and Anna, who more than made good on their saucy promise to rouse their viewers with a “shot of expresso” [vid2].”  Bringing “SexyBack” a la the original F&FF [vid3] in the ’00’s (with Kiran Chetry, Alisyn Camerota, and Juliet Huddy), Anna and Ainsley saucily showcased their sexy stems in short dresses for their fervid fans as F&FF cameras took obligingly lingering shots. Subsequently, after two femme editors (1, 2) mocked the morning gamfest, they returned the very next day to a new set which hid their gorgeous gams behind a huge table: However, after the author derided them for “Losing Sexy Fast” and “Happening Not!,” F&FF switched course again and ditched the daffy desk.

Approximately, four months later, F&FF‘s website signaled that other changes were on the way when it provided only the bios of the current F&FF co-hosts, Ainsley, the two Heathers, and PAB. Subsequently, Juliet moved on to become a Fox 5 Good Day NY co-host; Arthel to her weekends as America’s News Headquarters co-anchor; Jamie Colby to her weekends also to America’s News HQ; and Clayton to his F&FW spot (and F&F guest co-host); and Dave ultimately to NBC Sports (with Michelle D. Beadle).

Re the programming itself, F&FF has ditched the split-screen opening with shots of the lovelies preparing for their show juxtaposed to the opining of Bill O’Reilly to conclude the Factor: in its place, F&FF producers run a modern-day version of American television viewers beginning their day to the national anthem and Old Glory waving in the wind before the programming begins. Mid-show, the gorgeous gals stretch their gams and stand rather than flaunt their legs and sit to proclaim the five important stories of the next half-hour. Furthermore, the “B Team” beauties no longer end their show with a segue to the F&F “A Team”: Rather, they bid their viewers adieu in lieu of risking another uncomfortable toss (“F&F Cat Spat: Gretch ‘Slimes’ the Two Heathers”).

Growing pains? Over the year, F&FF has pared its “perfect ten” to a “final four.” A winning team for the future?

[Author’s aside (re the subtitle): When Heather Nauert concluded F&FF‘s anniversary show, saying, “It’s always a great time together,” Ainsley answered, “The four of us.”]

Beckel Bawdy: Malkin Unamused

“Maligned” Tantaros: Don’t worry. I can handle carrots.” Five co-anchor Andrea Tantaros was almost unfazed by her co-anchor Bob Beckel who aimed his latest ribald remark squarely at her. In the penultimate segment of the Five yesterday about organic food, Andrea wielded an organic carrot and pointed it at Bob: never one to miss a moment to utter a double entendre, Bob cracked that she looked like she “could handle a hairy carrot.”* As a grinning Andrea rolled her eyes with her mouth agape in incredulity, the usually prim and proper co-anchor Dana Perino smiled and turned to co-host Eric Bolling, pleading, “Help him, Eric! Help him!”

Chuckling, Eric skillfully channeled the discussion back to the merits of organic veggies. As the segment began to conclude, Andrea, with her arms crossed in somewhat mock indignation, haltingly asked, “Are, you going to apologize?” Less than convincingly, Bob replied, “Yes, I apologize!” Grabbing a carrot from the plate, Bob protested, “But, that’s because you were waving it at my head!” As Andrea shook her head at yet another of his double entendres, Bob laughed, “My head? Whatever! I’m sorry!”

Clueless or wickedly clever, Dana interposed, “You remember the boneless chicken ranch?…The Far Side cartoon, Gary Larson did a thing about the boneless chicken ranch and the chickens were all like this [her head limp] over the fence.” Looking at Dana with a goatish gleam, an unrepentant Bob declared, “I’ve been to the Chicken Ranch [brothel (NSW)] in…Las Vegas. That sort of reminds me of a night of drinking.”

With her arms still crossed, Andrea acerbically announced, “That’s [a la boneless chicken necks] how you are going to be after this show!” Raising his voice, Bob riposted, “Alright, will you take it easy? You’re the one who talked about my–never mind!” Giggling, Andrea shook her anew at her bumbling, bumptious Bob.

Soon after the show, indignant Twitchy.com founder Michelle Malkin Tweeted, “NOT breaking: Bob Beckel said something sexually degrading and misogynist. And will get away with it. Again.” [Cf. Twitchy.com‘s “Gross: Serial misogynist Bob Beckel directs vulgar remark at Andrea Tantaros.” Seemingly, in response, Andrea Pooh-poohed the matter [comparing it to Brent Musburger’s BCS Miss Alabama mutterings], jesting, “Don’t worry. I can handle carrots, in fact so well that I hit Bob with them off screen. He’s applying for a job at ESPN as we speak.”

Apparently, Bob will be Bob. And, Andrea appears okay with that. Michelle? Not so much.

*The Five – 01/08/12 (@ 5:52 a.m. ET)

F&FF Acknowledges Williams/Malkin Dustup BUT

Fox & Friends ignores it altogether. Last night, conservative FNC contributor Michele Malkin and liberal Five co-anchor Juan Williams got into a fiery debate last night on Hannity: this morning, Fox News’ earliest morning news show Fox & Friends First showcased the two going after each other (albeit a bit bowdlerized to exclude the more acidic comments) whereas the regular Fox & Friends did not mention the dust-up even though both Williams and Malkin both appeared on the show in different segments. Perhaps, FNC did not want to throw too much gas on those smoldering embers.

Apparently, according to Mediaite, the verbal fisticuffs began when Malkin mocked Williams and other liberals for blaming former POTUS Bush 43 for President Obama’s shortcomings during a debate segment about Attorney General Eric Holder. During their polemics, Malkin taunted Williams, saying, “All you can do, Juan, is say Plame, Plame, Plame, and blame, blame, blame, Bush, Bush, Bush.” Caustically, Williams exclaimed, “Listen, I tell you what. I tell you what, Michele. I’m a real reporter. I’m not a blogger out in the blogosphere somewhere.”

Then, as Williams began to make his case that the White House had not leaked any classified information, an irate Malkin interrupted, “Right…I’m not a real reporter and you are!” Subsequently, after Williams and eponymous host Sean Hannity had argued about the matter further, Hannity gave Malkin the “last word.” Still fuming, Malkin acerbically remarked, “The American people are sick of the kind of snotty condescension from liberal elite journalists like Juan Williams who tell us that the rest of us are not doing our jobs, when the point is that…when Eric Holder was shamefully…nominated and approved to be Attorney General, he already had a long record of bastardizing national security and the rule of law.”

Unamused, Williams responded that she was way off topic; that she and Hannity were just beating up Holder and that the matter did not even include classified documents. In a parting shot, a still fuming Malkin sniped, “So, real journalists are apologists for corruptocracy? We got it!” Derisively, Williams exclaimed, “Oh, my gosh!” as he put both his hands to his head and rolled his eyes.

It was must see TV: Or, it should have been. However, unfortunately, Fox & Friends producers decided not to share the testy exchange between FNC colleagues Williams and Malkin. Happily, for F&F fans who may have missed it, Mediaite columnist Frances Martel did so in an article and via a concomitant video (link).

Update:  Williams’ co-host Five co-anchor Bob Beckel blasted Malkin with almost ominous rhetoric in his appearance on Imus today. Opining on the purported White House leaks, an enraged Beckel declared, “The idea that Barack Obama would leak that stuff is absolutely obscene. And, anybody who’d suggest that like that Michelle Malkin who…if I were Juan…I’d wake up next to her with a shotgun. She’s a, what a waste of time!” [@2:17 in J$P video] H/t, Johnny!

Kilmeade: Not People, Dems

Malkin smiled. While most seasoned viewers know generally where the sympathies of the sundry cable news channels tend to lie, Fox & Friends co-anchor Brian Kilmeade left little doubt for even the most virginal viewer this morning. During an F&F segment entitled “President to Veto Tax Cuts?,” conservative pundit Michelle Malkin opined that President Obama was fearful of the November election results and simply could not bring himself to say that he would veto the Bush tax cut extensions and “override the will of the people once again.” Always the ready wag, Brian caustically jested, “Right. But, the thing is, Michelle, we’re not even talking about people: we’re talking about Democrats.”

Pausing to punctuate his partisan prick, Brian beamed broadly before continuing his interview. Meanwhile, co-anchor Gretchen Carlson nodded her agreement while co-host Steve Doocy was studiously stone-faced. As for Malkin, she simply smiled and guffawed in agreement.

“Fair and balanced”? At that moment, not so much. Of course, the viewer can always change the channel to find his/her preferred spin.

Fox & Friends – 09/08/10 (@8:07 a.m. ET)