Shepard Smith: “He Doesn’t Really Eat Puppies”

“[T]he one way to make viewers hate you is to say anything bad about an animal.” Studio B anchor Shepard Smith seems to have heightened his animal rights sensitivities somewhat since the bad old days of his “Trampoline Bear.”

Friday, Shepard aired a segment entitled “Lab-Grown Hamburger Patty: Animal Rights Activists Support New Meat.”* During his interview of Dr. Nina Radcliff, he turned to his second banana Jonathan Hunt for his input on this bizarre petri dish meat. Replying with his trademark British macabre wit, Hunt quipped, “All I say is ‘If we’re running out of cows to eat, then let’s just start grilling small puppies.”

Subsequently, as the segment ended, Shep bemusedly looked to Hunt again, querying, “Smeat?” When Hunt unequivocally exclaimed, “No!,” Shep mischievously remarked, “Puppies but not….” Taking the bait injudiciously, a grinning Hunt replied, “Small pups, small puppies anytime: never ‘smeat’!”

Perhaps, explaining the apt end of his infamous Trampoline Bear video airings, Shep responded, “You do know that the one way to make viewers hate you is to say anything bad about an animal.”

When Hunt riposted, “I think they’ve hated me for a very long time,” Shep jested, “This is true! Thank you, Jonathan. The stage manager says, ‘Yes!'”

In an aside to his audience, Shep added, “He doesn’t really eat puppies.”

And, thankfully, Shep doesn’t really exploit Trampoline Bear–any more.

*Studio B – 06/14/13 (@ 3:51 p.m. ET)

Aly: “Steve & Brian Here with Me”

Gretchen: Hey, everyone! I’m…in for Shep today. Aly at Fox & Friends’ helm soon? Today, FNC anchor Alisyn Camerota was in charge of the F&F “A Team” as F&F Weekend covered the Connecticut school carnage. After a special weekend edition of F&F First, Aly welcomed her audience and the F&F “big boys,” saying, “Good morning, everyone! We appreciate you joining us on this very sad morning. It’s great to have Steve [Doocy] and Brian [Kilmeade] here with me.”

Remarkably, Aly did not note the absence of either of her regular F&FW co-hosts Clayton Morris or Dave Briggs. Furthermore, in this Fox & Friends “special edition,” Aly did not mention her purported “A Team” counterpart Gretchen Carlson, who was conspicuously missing this morning. Has the changing of the F&F “A Team” guard already begun?

Only two days ago, seldom solo host Gretchen notably filled in for Shepard Smith on Studio B, an FNC afternoon show (saying, “Hello, everyone! I’m…in for Shep today”):* Perhaps, her contract negotiations have begun to bear more fruit. According to New York Magazine, Gretchen was “said to want to host her own show on the network but Fox executives [were] resistant to the idea”: furthermore, it reported that a source had said that she had reached a “short-term accord that would keep her on the curvy couch with Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade until the election” but added that “after November, it’s unclear.”

Perhaps, tellingly, Gretchen has seemed to be particularly strident in her polemics lately–as if she might be auditioning for “her own show.” And, her co-hosts Steve and Brian appear reluctantly to be biting their tongue all the more. Perchance, they think that she is starting to spread her wings in anticipation of a flight on her own soon to a later hour on FNC.

Post-election F&F: Gretch a goner? If so, is Aly their new “It girl”? Stay tuned.

*Studio B with Shepard Smith – 12/13/12 (@ 3:00 a.m. ET)

Kyra’s “Cannuck Hubby”: Robert’s Ring Ruse?”

Special Reports with JD: Ring on, ring off! Yesterday, FNC Special Report with Bret Baier guest anchor John Roberts decided to doff his seemingly connubial band for, at least, the third time this week.* Only about six months ago, Roberts was proudly donning his seemingly marital ring as he hosted Special Report (soon after his long-time flame HLN anchor Kyra Phillips had claimed to have a Cannuck husband): As a result the author assumed that Roberts had finally tied the knot with Phillips after proposing to her over two years earlier on bended knee.

But, maybe, not. According to HuffPo (in 2011), Roberts revealed that he did not “call Phillips is fiancee and they[had] no plans to get married soon” in “spite of the couple’s ‘engagement.'” In that same interview, Roberts remarked, “There’s no plan for a wedding. I call her my wife, she refers to me as her husband.” Holding out hope for the future, Roberts added, “Do I expect that at some point we’ll get married? Yes, it’s just that we’ve both been so busy working and preparing for our babies that we haven’t found time.”

Perhaps, the two lovers still haven’t found the time–after all. Stay tuned, John and Kyra fans.

*Special Report with Bret Baier – 12/07/12 (@ 6:34 a.m. ET); Happening Now – 12/04/12 (@ 9:37 a.m. ET); and Studio B with Shepard Smith – 12/03/12 (@ 3:41 p.m. ET).

Shep: “Forget the National Day of Intolerance!”

Today Studio B anchor Shepard Smith threw a rather sharp elbow at fellow FNC anchor Mike Huckabee today. During his 3 p.m. ET show, Shep dubbed today the “National Day of Intolerance.” Not lost on his round-table Fox News co-workers nor his viewers was the fact that today is the day that the eponymous host of Huckabee called for a “Chick fil-A Appreciation Day.”

Eight days ago (July 31), Mike Huckabee declared that he was “incensed at the vitriolic assaults on the Chick fil-A company” because of the CEO’s recent remarks that the “Biblical view of marriage should be upheld. Consequently, he exhorted his fans to counter the “vicious hate speech and intolerant bigotry from the left” by celebrating August 1 as “Chick fil-A Appreciation Day” by patronizing the restaurant or signalling support via Twitter or Facebook.

Apparently, Shep was not quite on board with the whilom Arkansas governor’s request. After a story on the eight expelled badminton Olympians (with FoxSports.com national senior writer Peter Schrager), Shep acerbically added, “It’s National Badminton Day”: forget the “National Day of Intolerance.” Meanwhile, Schrager and FNC chief correspondent Jonathan Hunt, both sitting with Shep, simply could not contain their snickers.

Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day or National Day of Intolerance? They report. You decide.

[Author’s aside – Chick-Fil-A is written “Chick Fil-A,” supra, when Huckabee is quoted for textual accuracy: An insertion of sic, supra, was forgone to facilitate the natural flow of the story.]

Studio B with Shepard Smith – 08/01/12 (@ 3:24 p.m. ET)

Update: Vid via Mediaite.

Megyn Kelly Disappears

With her show without a word. Apparently, even America Live anchor Megyn Kelly’s lead-in, Happening Now guest host Greg Jarrett, was caught off guard this afternoon: as Jarrett confidently segued from HN to the next Fox News program at 1:00 pm. ET, Jarrett remarked, “America Live begins right now.” Apparently, getting a quick word from his producer, Jarrett quickly glanced at his computer screen and corrected himself, saying, “America’s News Headquarters.”

Subsequently, the screen switched to ANHQ and Kelly Wright began with a “News Alert”: Then, after finishing it, he remarked, “This is America’s News Headquarters. I’m Kelly Wright.” Thereafter, his comely blonde co-host chimed, “Great to see you, Kelly….I’m Jamie Colby.”

Oddly, neither Kelly nor Jamie mentioned that, at least, for the day, they were replacing Megyn Kelly and America’s News HQ was supplanting America Live. Furthermore, to the author’s knowledge, Megyn did not mention yesterday that she or her program would be absent today (Friday). Moreover, Megyn failed to alert her Twitter followers to any AL changes either. Not to mention, when the author consulted FNC’s on-air schedule at FNC’s foxnews.com/fnctv web site (at 1:55 p.m. ET), the “Now” tab showed no program for the 1:00pm slot but rather started with the 3:00 pm one (Studio B w/ Shepard Smith).

Strange indeed. Wherefore art thou, Megyn? Fox News flub-up or Shine “shakeup”?

[Author’s aside: Even at the start of the second hour and at the end of show, both Jamie and Kelly failed to acknowledge the obvious–the absence of Megyn Kelly and her show America Live.]

Update: On Labor Day itself, Megyn answered: She and America Live reappeared. Perhaps, it had been merely a Fox News flub-up. Or, was it Shine’s inadvertent portent?

Roberts: No Silver Fox

What was “the wife” Kyra Phillips thinking? Former American Morning co-anchor John Roberts made his virgin appearance on Fox News yesterday on Studio B with Shepard Smith with a drab brown suit and a recently colored coif to match. Unfortunately, CNN’s celebrated silver-maned alpha male looked more like an FNC brown-haired beta boy.

When Roberts made his surreal appearances on Studio B with Shepard Smith, Special Report with Bret Baier, and Fox Report with Shepard Smith, he seemed to sense his fans may not be completely on board with his transition to Fox News. As hosts Shepard and Brett heartily welcomed him aboard, Roberts barely mustered much beyond a mere “thank you” to his new colleagues.

As usual, Roberts’ report (on Congressional safety) was well done but the presentation was certainly not in his usual confident, amiable manner. Like his recent American Morning colleague Kiran Chetry, he may still consider CNN the “gold standard” but he needs to buck up. And, John, even if you are FNC’s senior national correspondent, you can loosen up, too: you’re not on CNN anymore.

Clayton’s Chyron: “Mile-High” Mystery

Naughty Northwest pilots? If the viewer was too riveted to Fox & Friends Weekend co-anchor Clayton Morris this morning, one might have missed what he seemed to really say. Or, in this case, didn’t say. Especially, if her eyes did not glance down upon the “telling” banner at the bottom of the screen.

In Clayton’s preview of an upcoming segment on the Northwest pilots who missed their Minneapolis landing strip by 150 miles, he asked, “What exactly was distracting them, and, do we really want to know?” Co-host Alisyn Camerota guffawed loudly, and co-anchor Dave Briggs animatedly answered, “Yes!”

During the segment itself, audio transmissions between the pilots and traffic controllers were aired. After listening to the pilots refuse to fully elaborate as to the nature of the cockpit distractions that got them off course, Aly opined, “They are covering some rear ends.” Clayton commented, “They did go on to say… [that they talked about] company issues…crew restructuring.” Dave declared, “You can’t tell me that they were that concerned by these [sic] scheduling program that they forgot about the 150 people behind them. Overtly, the trio said little more: However, a suggestive chyron proclaimed, “Mile-High Distraction: Audio of Runway Overshoot Released.”

[For viewers of Live Desk or Studio B with Shepard Smith, this banner repeated speculation a month old. For the bawdy banter between Shep and LD’s co-anchor, Trace Gallagher and Martha MacCallum, and Shep, cf. Carpe Diem’s “Shep: ‘Mile-High Club Pilots?“

Oops: FNC Reveals Teen Suspect

Now you see Florence: Now you don’t! In its first hour, Happening Now ran the names and the photos of the eight suspects, including the juvenile, in the shooting deaths of Byrd and Melanie Billings twice.* (The Billings are the Florida Panhandle couple who were known for the adoption of thirteen specially-challenged children.)** However, in the second hour, all of the suspects were named and shown except for sixteen-year-old*** Florence who was shown as a silhouette with a chyron entitled, “Juvenile.”**** Subsequently, Live Desk and Studio B with Shepard Smith have followed suit.

* HN (06/16/09) – @10:00 a.m. ET and @10:22 a.m. ET

**http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,533001,00.html

***http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iTAOQx619OXpq7P0Jcpzqc9Zg-cwD99FJHK00

**** HN (06/16/09) – @11:14 a.m.

Juliet Cleaver? Right!

Beaver’s mom? In spite of sporting a black dress adorned as if with an aqua apron on FNC’s Live Desk (LD) today, guest host Juliet Huddy is no June Cleaver. The co-host of cancelled The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet, not known for 50’s Babbitt-like mores, seems to embrace today’s new, naughtier ethics. On LD, a transitional show from a.m.’s lighter fare to p.m.’s heftier one, Juliet toyed with Shepard Smith as he previewed an upcoming Studio B segment on future changes to the hospital gown.

Looking at the the often embarrassing patient apparel, Juliet asked, “Tell me about the hospital gowns: I want to know how they are changing.” Shep instructed, “Well, put it on.”  Complying, Juliet teased, “You’re supposed to be naked when you put these things on.” Shep replied, “But you’re not naked at the moment.” As she began to put it on, almost ruefully, she responded, “No, well.”

Then Shep began to explain that the problem with the hotel gown is that one’s “butt hangs out.”  Meanwhile, as she donned it and turned her backside to the camera, she provocatively opened it as if to expose her bare derriere to the viewer and exclaimed, “Whoo-hoo!” Shep smiled at her antics and continued on.

Yes, the former Fox & Friends Weekend co-host is back and roaring to go!

MacCallum: “Flashing the Flesh”

Stripping and streaking: And, no, Martha MacCallum, the co-anchor of the Live Desk, was not talking about painting! Today she concluded LD with a racy story on Arizona State students stripping to their scivvies for charity on the last day of classes. In her report, she explained that thousands of lusty lads and lasses discard their outerwear into a pile (to be donated to the needy) and “make a mad dash across campus” in the annual Undie Run. As to their “flashing the flesh,” she exclaimed, “I think that’s a good idea: you know, they have undies on [and] everybody looks like they’re having a good time. Good clean fun!”

Without hesitation, Live Desk co-anchor Trace Gallagher agreed, “It is a good idea.” Martha declared, “Yeah, it’s not streaking! Remember streaking?” Trace began singing, “That’s why they call him the Streak”: Then he asked, “Remember the ‘Streak’?” She answered, “Yeah! ‘Cause the people in the control room are too young to remember the ‘Streak’ but that’s okay.”

Then as Adam segued to Studio B with Shepard Smith, Shep riquely queried, “Alright, MacCallum! What do you know about streaking again?” She saucily responded, “Il’ll tell you later!” Smiling, Shep replied, “I bet you will.”

“That’s Not Hard”: Stimulus Signing Bidenism

President Barack Obama must wish that his gaffe-prone vice president would just stick to the script.  During the President’s opening remarks today in Denver before signing the stimulus bill into law, he got sabotaged with yet another Bidenism. Less than a month after chastening his Vice President Joe Biden for his swipe at Chief Justice John Roberts concerning the flubbed inaugural oath, Biden took a shot at former Vice President Dick Cheney behind Obama’s back. As the President saluted Joe Biden as the “best Vice President that we’ve had in awhile,” Biden turned to an off-screen person, smiled, and mouthed, “That’s not hard.”

It was another less than subtle partisan snipe at his predecessor who he has decried as the “most dangerous vice president we’ve had probably in American history.” Not necessarily the most appropriate thing to do before the President inks his first major legislative accomplishment.

On the plane ride back to the White House, the President may well provide his Veep with a “little turbulence.”

afterhttps://jakeho.wordpress.com/2009/01/21/another-bidenism-joe-jabs-chief-justice/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/21/cheney-mocks-biden-in-fox_n_152690.html?page=4

* 3:07 p.m. ET – Studio B with Shepard Smith

Hush, Shep!

Shepard Smith rudely would not allow his audience to listen to IL Governor Blagojevich’s press conference with his intentionally loud and incessant comments today. Trying to hearing the reporter’s questions and Blago’s anwers over him was virtually impossible. Shep complimented the local Chicago stations for not covering it live and impugned the cable channels (including his very own) for doing so. Even though he may not agree with FNC’s decision to air the press conference, he should allow it to do so without sabotaging the telecast.

A little respect for FNC’s viewers would be nice, too!