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.”]

Jerrick: F&FW’s Golden Goat

FOX’s new Morning Show with Mike & Aly (& Clayton)”? No, but FNC’s Fox & Friends Weekend viewers got a glimpse of the goatish golden era of their show this weekend with the return of F&FW‘s former co-anchor Mike Jerrick. The wizened satyr was in rare form as he brashly brought his metro Sexyback swagger to the F&FW set. Unlike the old days when he and Juliet Huddy somewhat reluctantly swapped salacious double entendres in front of a more priggish Julian Phillips on F&FW, Mike freely bantered bawdy innuendos about with both of his appreciative co-anchors, Alisyn Camerota and Clayton Morris.

Mike’s infectious risque humor was evident throughout the weekend. For example, Saturday, Mike and Clayton coaxed Aly into standing up and demonstrating a recent University of Texas study showing that men look at women’s faces for real relationships and their bodies for casual hookups: Subsequently, as a blushing Aly saucily posed for inspection by her male viewers, Mike partially hid her body with his pad and asked if they would like to marry “this woman” and then covered her face and queried if they would like to have a very quick relationship with her. Other salient instances were Saturday when Mike racily asked Aly if she wanted to blow up his (regular) tie during an inflatable tie story and Sunday when Mike, Clayton, and Aly regaled themselves and their audience with some of the most sexually suggestive remarks (pertaining to hammers and a drill during the “All American Handyman” segment) since the old days of Mike, Juliet Huddy, and Julian Phillips.

The old goat was back. And, he was golden as he reminded the audience of the halcyon days of Fox & Friends Weekend when the unfettered co-hosts fully embraced a zany, irreverent, and saucy take on the news. With little doubt, Mike will soon be more regularly gadding and gamboling about the F&FW studio with reckless abandon to the delight of his many fans.

Alina’s High Heels: Sexyback?

To the strains of “Sexyback,” an alluring American Morning correspondent Alina Cho took the higher ground today during “Obama’s First 100 Days” segment. Literally. Since her usual sexy stilts (as AM co-host John Roberts is wont to call them)* were not enough for the cameraman to juxtapose her to a more statuesque Kiran Chetry, the 5’2″ Korean cutie gamely stood atop a black box.

Today was just another example of how the rather demure Asian beauty takes her short stature in stride. In an earlier “Model Boot Camp” story, Alina boasted, “I’ve never been afraid of a high heel.”* When John then commented that her heels were the tallest that he had ever seen, she asked, “What do you do when you’re 5’2”?”* To the dismay of many of her male fans, thus far, she does not take the conventional fashion counsel to shorten her midi/maxi hemline to add height (or give a leggier look).

Apparently, Alina is not a fan of Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!**

*AM (02/19/09) – 8:59 a.m. ET

**http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/shaniatwain/manifeellikeawoman.html

Playmate Kiran?

After feting this year’s People’s Sexiest Weatherman Rob Maricano to Timberlake’s Sexyback and praising John Roberts People’s 2000 Sexiest Newsman, co-anchor Kiran Chetry said, “I feel left out of this equation: am I even sexy enough to be on this show?” Roberts responded, “You don’t even need to be in a magazine: we all just know it!” Rob added, “You’re gorgeous, you’re sexy all over!”

Does Kiran want that magazine profile? In an interview yesterday with retiring Playboy CEO Christie Hefner, Kiran revealed, “There is this fascination with, and I’m a fan of the show, “The Girls Next Door, and also just the fascinating life that your father has led.” She added, “The company really is, has become famous for naked women and Playboy Bunnies,” and asked, “Who’s the role model for other women out there: you or the Bunnies?” Hefner responded that Playboy was about empowerment and choice whether as a model, commentator or CEO.

Kiran, ready to be empowered as Playboy’s Sexiest Newswoman?