Megyn: AE’s Secret, Shep’s Gaffe & Cine Cameo?

Memorable musings: Ainsley Earhardt hawks bikini babe; Shepard Smith shuns Fox News viewing; and Megyn Kelly cameos in Assange movie! Things the author should have probably said–yesterday.

On August 11, Fox & Friends Weekend guest co-host Ainsley divulged perhaps the “secret formula” for the storied success of FNC. After two too cute segments, F&FW meteorologist Rick Reichmuth remarked, “I think [that] we need to make a split screen of that baby and the panda bears: Yeah, and then just watch that all day long.” Concurring, anchor Tucker Carlson concurred, “That’s ratings gold.” Smiling racily, Ainsley added, “Put a girl in a bikini in the third slot, and there you go: Babies, pets, and girls!…This is what we learned in journalism school.”*

Five days later, as a Studio B segment concluded, host Shep unapologetically revealed, “I’m not much of a TV guy….There’s the Yankees, the Rebels, and the True Blood: That’s it! Nothing else!” Perhaps, after a word in his ear from producers, Shep hastily added, “Ah, and Megyn! I watch Megyn: She’s on vacation so I don’t have to watch her right now.”**

Yesterday, during his Fox & Friends review of the Toronto International Film Festival flicks, NerdTears.com film critic Kevin McCarthy disclosed that “Megyn Kelly makes an appearance” in The Fifth Estate, an Assange cine, which opens to the public on October 18. Elaborating, he said, “They have some news footage of her talking about the Wikileaks story….She’s in the movie a little bit from Fox News.”***

Trio’s musings import? Megyn Maxim, er, GQ goddess!

*Fox & Friends Weekend – 08/11/13 (@ 8:39 p.m. ET)

**Studio B with Shepard Smith – 08/16/13 (@ 3:55 p.m. ET)

***Fox & Friends – 09/06/13 (@ 8:25 a.m. ET)

Rob: I Just Wanted to Punch Him in the Nose!

AM “Dream Team’r” Marciano: “I’m not a violent man, at least, not anymore.” This morning American Morning meteorologist Rob Marciano was not amused with his New York Yankees, especially, A-Rod. After AM co-host and Detroit Tiger uber fan Carol Costello had dogged him all morning about her team’s defeat of the his storied Yankees last night, Rob called in this morning, grousing but gracious–at least, to Carol.

In AM‘s final segment, producers got a disappointed Rob on the phone with an elated Carol and their could-barely-care-less co-host Christine Romans. Introducing the segment, Christine teased, “Well, the World Series championship number twenty-eight will have to wait. That’s right: the Detroit Tigers knocked the New York Yankees out of the playoffs last night. That’s why we bring in our very good friend Rob Marciano who has the day off but could not escape the I-told-you-so’s of the American Morning anchor team.”

Crowing, Carol remarked, “Yeah, like, you were supposed to be here in your Boston Red Sox uniform, Marciano! (Re his lost bet with Carol.) Bristling good-naturedly, Rob retorted, “I told you two weeks ago [that] I was taking the day off, and…it’s a dark day in the Marciano household. That’s for sure.”

Goading Rob on, Christine commented, “Rob, do you have anything to say Carol?” Rob stammered, “Um, well, I, I’m, I haven’t been watching”: I’m sure she’s been gloating. I’ll just say this to the Detroit Tigers: Congratulations.”

Then, manifestly miffed at Yankee star Alex Rodriguez who failed to deliver in both the seventh inning with the bases loaded and at the Yankees’ last-at-bat, Rob remarked, “Of course, you have to look at A-Rod. And, I’m not a violent man, at least, not anymore. And, I just wanted to punch him in the nose last night!”

No poppycock political correctness: Just American Morning‘s Rob Marciano at his candid, combative best. A CNN delight.

Too bad the ole boy is not on the apparent short list of the new “AM.” Speaking of which, his charming, debonair ebony twin T.J. Holmes would be a welcome addition, too. Then, if only CNN’s recently departed Aphrodite Kiran Chetry would come back to complete the American Morning “Dream Team.”

AM “Dream Team”: or, dream on?

Gretchen: In Full Disclosure

But, she still doesn’t get it. Monday Fox & Friends co-anchor Gretchen Carlson interviewed Christian Lopez, the Yankee fan who gave Derek Jeter his 3000th hit home run ball back. Before she began, she declared, “Christian, in the [sic] full disclosure, I do have to tell you that my husband [Casey Close] happens to be Derek Jeter’s agent.”* Then, she inaptly added, “I just want to get that on the record ’cause sometimes people have a problem with that.”*

Apparently, Gretchen was referring in part to the author who first reported that she interviewed Jeter in a powder-puff F&F interview (December 2, 2009) without mentioning that her husband, Casey Close, was his agent. Obviously, she was including others, e.g., Huffington Post, Mediaite, and TVNewser who cited the Carpe Diem story as they, too, noted Carlson’s failure to disclose her conspicuous connection to Jeter. Not to mention, Howard Kurtz, host of CNN’s Reliable Sources, who acerbically remarked, “Somehow…Gretchen Carlson didn’t get around to mentioning that Jeter’s agent, the man who negotiated the shortstop’s $189 million contract is her husband. Now, I think it’s fine for her to interview Jeter…but how about leveling with the viewers?”

No, Gretchen, people do not “have a problem with” your being married to the agent of Derek Jeter. But, they do have a problem with your not disclosing that very fact when you do a story on Jeter. It just might color your perspective a bit. And, your viewers deserve to know.

In fact, if you had learned the real Jeter lesson, you might have added a caveat in your interview later with Tim Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor and GOP presidential aspirant.** To wit, when you appeared to defend repeatedly Pawlenty’s opponent, Michele Bachmann, from his verbal attacks, you might have merely mentioned to viewers then Bachmann was once your nanny when you grew up in your hometown of Anoka, Minnesota.

Close is cool: Just “full disclosure,” Gretchen.

*Fox & Friends – 07/11/11 (@ 7:38 a.m. ET)

**Ibid at 8:13 a.m. ET.

Gretchen: Casey Who?

Fox & Friends co-anchor Gretchen Carlson scored an impressive interview with Derek Jeter, World Sports Illustrated’s “Sportsman of the Year.” As she basked in the glow of her catch this morning, she failed to share a little fact with her audience: Her hubby is Casey Close, a long-time agent of the World Series champion New York Yankee co-captain Jeter.

From the moment the interview began, an enraptured Gretchen seemed to almost have her own  Chris Matthews “thrill up [the] leg” moment. Gretchen introduced Derek with a glowing litany of his accomplishments and, subsequently, asked him such probing questions as to what he would do after baseball and whether he would go back to school (since he left college as a freshman). After effecting his apparent apotheosis, she sympathetically queried, “Twenty-four seven the microscope is on you: How difficult is it to live your life so perfectly?”

Even after the interview clip had run, Grethen continued to lavishly laud her husband’s client. She told her co-anchors Brian Kilmeade and Steve Doocy that she had also asked, “So many people think that you are this perfect guy–which he doesn’t like that label–I said, ‘Do you have any flaws, like, do you make your bed in the morning?” [He does not.]

Apparently, even the producers realized that Gretchen’s questions were more than a tad power puffish. Right before the segment ended, Brian, ratcheting Derek’s divinity down to demigod, remarked, “Here’s the thing about Derek. Great job! He’s not the best in the league; he’s not the best shortstop; he might not even be the best on his team. But, yet everybody wants to be like him, right? Even his enemies seem to respect him. It’s amazing!”

Mighty Casey did not show up today but his man sure did. And, thanks to Gretchen’s pitching, there will assuredly be joy in Closeville tonight.

Gretchen: 2 “Close” 4 Comfort?

“Get off our golden boy’s case” seemed to be the message Fox & Friends co-host Gretchen Carlson had this morning for her colleague Brian Kilmeade this morning as he sported about the highly prized client of sports agent and hubby, Casey Close. After Brian’s first sports segment at the blue wall, he went back to the curvy couch and asked to “go off script just a little bit.”* Thereafter, he began to express sympathy for a certain someone in the news who was “going through a tough time.”

However, when he named the “poor chap” as New York Yankee star Derek Jeter and showed the New York Post cover pic of him cavorting with his gorgeous girlfriend actress Minka Kelly on the beach at St. Barts, Gretchen seemed slightly chafed. As Brian “encouraged” the 2009 World Series champion marooned on the isle with his bikini babe that things would get better, Gretchen shook her head, smirked, and crossed her arms tightly against her chest. Appearing more than a moit agitated with Brian’s puckish play, she put her right  forefinger to her temple as if she had a headache and snugly wrapped her left arm defensively around her waist.

When Brian finally finished his elfin tomfoolery,  a relieved Gretchen leaned forward, looked straight ahead, and placed her hands more comfortably in her lap. While co-anchor Steve Doocy introduced the next story, Brian turned to Gretchen and smiled impishly. Like an annoyed school teacher, Gretch gave him the eye for a moment and then looked away with a slight air of irritation.

F&F: NSFSC (Not Safe for Sacred Cows)

* Fox & Friends (11/19/09) – @6:36 a.m. ET

Chris “Quiets” Kiran

Although the Twitter followers of American Morning co-host Kiran Chetry (recently Tweet reticent) may want to hear more from her, her hubby Chris Knowles does not. At least, that is, after 8:57 p.m. ET tonight. [The World Series between Chris’ Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees begins at that time.]

Today, initially, Kiran did not appear ready to fully embrace her new role as baseball widow. In fact, as AM co-anchor John Roberts read a headlines story about the Phillies trying to repeat their championship bid this year, Kiran remarked, “My husband said to me yesterday, ‘Don’t speak to me after 7:57.” Then when she segued to meteorologist Rob Marciano, she asked, “Would you ever tell your wife, ‘Don’t talk to me after 7:57?'” Rob replied, “No, I wouldn’t do that.”

Looking straight into the camera as if to Chris, Kiran responded. “See that!” Rob elaborated, “But, you know as you go along in a marriage, I think you get a little bit more leeway with that kind of talk.” Kiran laughed. Rick continued, “So, I think, you know, maybe, CK gets away with that stuff.”

When Rob tossed back to Kiran and John, a somewhat unctuously sympathetic John queried, “He really said, ‘Don’t talk to me after 7:57?” Kiran answered, “I think he was kidding.” Seeming to relish albeit ostensibly bemoaning Chris’ assertiveness, Kiran explained, “Well, first he said, ‘What are you making me to eat for the game.’ Then he said that.” Seemingly surprised, a smiling John gritted his teeth, arched his eyebrows, and mouthed, “What!” Kiran giggled with girlish glee.

Perhaps, after the game, Chris will “let” Kiran talk, or, at least, purr!

Mr. October Disses Dave

Poor Dave Briggs! As the Fox & Friends Weekend co-anchor continued his coverage of MLB’s upcoming 2009 All-Star Game, he got dissed somewhat by one of baseball’s giants, Mr. October.* When Dave introduced his F&F segment with the New York Yankee great Reggie Jackson and Big Red Machine stand-out Ken Griffey, Reggie (turning to Griffey and pointing to Dave) mouthed, “What’s his [Brigg’s] name?” Griffey quietly answered, “Dave. Dave.”

Regrettably, Reggie added something sub rosa. Amused, good guy Griffey smiled broadly and shut his eyes tightly. In an apparent attempt to regain his composure, Griffey looked down and softly clapped his hands.

Happily, Dave did not seem to notice, and, subsequently, ticked off the storied accomplishments of Reggie and Griffey. However, maybe, Dave did pick up on something: perhaps, piqued, in his first question to Mr. October, he rather familiarly called Reggie, “Regg.”

Don’t feel bad, Reggie: You wouldn’t be the first to confuse Dave with his Doublemen twin. As Dave aptly Tweeted yesterday, “I’m in St. Louis and still can’t get away from Clayton [Morris].”**

*7:37 a.m. ET

**http://twitter.com/foxdavebriggs