Playing American Morning co-anchor John Robert’s loyal TV wife, co-host Kiran Chetry stood by her man again today (at least, for the most part). Immediately after welcoming the audience to American Morning, she freshly piqued her “Gregorian purist” viewers once again: she matter-of-factly opined, “A very special day, of course, because it is the last day of the decade and the year.” More reasonable and receptive than yesterday, John replied, “You know there are people who argue that the next decade doesn’t begin until next year, December 31, 2010. But…everybody else is going to be partying to end the decade tonight so you might as well.”
However, when the second hour of AM began, John stirred the pot anew. Welcoming back his audience, he said, “Good morning. Thanks very much for joining us…on this last day of 2009, the last day of the 2000’s decade as well.” When Kiran readily agreed, “Right,” John, looked directly into the camera and kindly condescended, “And, for all those of you who say, ‘It’s not until next year that we change to the next decade,’ you’re invited to the party anyway.”
Later, John dragged AM meteorologist Reynolds Wolf unwittingly into the fray and the truth finally emerged. After Reynold’s weather report, John asked, “Reynolds, do you believe this is the end of the first decade of the 2000’s?,” Reynold’s initially answered, “Yeah.” Then, quickly correcting himself, he responded, “No, actually, I think when you go from one through ten…if you want to be a stickler in terms of the numbers, I think that it ends this [sic] year. 2011 would be the next one.”
Subsequently, John remarked, “Some people believe that. They say, ‘Because of the Gregorian calendar, we didn’t start in the year zero, we started with the year one….But, I mean, it’s commonly held that, you know, the 20’s did not end in 1930: the 1930’s did not end in 1940.”
In response to John’s fallacious vox populi argument, Kiran replied, “I know. Although, I have to say, I had to laugh. I thought of you today because I was reading Paul Krugman’s column…and he also said, ‘Technically, technically [that the decade began in 2001].” Embracing the voice of the common man again and spurning the elitist Krugman’s assertion, John retorted, “Technically, schmechnically! Everybody else is going to be celebrating tonight just like they did in the year 2000 with…the December 31st, 1999, for the millennium. So, that’s the party I’m going to.” Concurring, Kiran chuckled, “Don’t let the numbers trip you up.”
As a further dig to his doubters right before the commercial break, John joyfully jibed, “Do you want to make the next decade better than this decade? Hahhh!…All that and more is still ahead in the Most News in the Morning as we continue to drive Gregorian purists nuts.
Mission accomplished!
[All ribbing aside, readers: whether tomorrow marks a new decade or just another year, Happy New Year to one and all!]
Carpe Diem 