It’s lucky you’re dead, Dave, because this would kill you…
Matt Lauer, as the primary host of the “Today” show, reigns where once distinguished journalists and professionals like Dave Garroway, Bryant Gumble, Tom Brokaw and Frank McGee made the show a morning oasis of news and pleasant banter. Yesterday Lauer, who has already revealed himself beyond any reasonable argument as a hack (yes, “Today” has had other hacks), showed himself to be an unmannerly creep as well.
He was interviewing the talented, intelligent and generally delightful actress Ann Hathaway, who has elevated her own profession with her impeccable public conduct, regarding her upcoming role in the film version of “Les Misérables,” the most pompous Broadway musical of all time. Hathaway had an embarrassing incident Monday when paparazzi snapped photos of the actress getting into a car, as the combination of an awkward position, her short dress, and the choice not to wear underwear briefly resulted in some unintended immodesty. In an earlier, saner, more kind and polite America, such a moment would neither be exploited nor considered newsworthy. In this America, however, where Howard Stern is a superstar, the Kardashians are celebrities, and Joe Biden is Vice-President, the photo of Hathaway’s misfortune was widely disseminated to the snickering hoards.
Still, Ann Hathaway had reason to believe that the incident was not on the agenda for her “Today” interview. After all, “Today” is a news show, Lauer isn’t Jimmy Kimmel, and she was his guest. Here is how Matt Lauer began his conversation with her:
“We’ve seen a lot of you lately!”
This was unforgivable, unprofessional and rude, a leering, offensive comment that translated into nothing more dignified than “Hey, babe, really enjoyed seeing your crotch the other day!” It would have served Lauer and “Today” right if Hathaway had abandoned the stage on the spot, teaching the lesson that no guest, anywhere, should tolerate being gratuitously humiliated by their host, especially in front of millions of TV viewers. Hathaway, however, knows other ways to make boors look foolish, and instead of leaving, she said this:
“It was obviously an unfortunate incident. It kind of made me sad on two accounts. One was that I was very sad that we live in an age when someone takes a picture of another person in a vulnerable moment and rather than delete it–and do the decent thing–sells it. And I’m sorry that we live in a culture that commodifies sexuality of unwilling participants, which brings us back to ‘Les Mis,’ that’s what my character is, she is someone who is forced to sell sex to benefit her child because she has nothing and there’s no social safety net. Yeah so let’s get back to ‘Les Mis.'”
Perfect.
The incident makes me sad, too, because it shows how basic decency and manners have become so degraded in the culture that conduct like Lauer’s, which once would have guaranteed that he would be job-hunting today, is becoming the norm. Disrespect, meanness, incivility, and rudeness are so common that a veteran TV journalist like Lauer couldn’t discern how inappropriate his comment to Hathaway was before it had traveled from what passes for his brain to his mouth. It isn’t just Matt, either. Yesterday a former “Today” host, Barbara Walters, asked Chris Cristie, “Why are you fat?” I don’t know, Barbara–why do you talk funny?
Sad.
Ethics Alarms 
On April 3, 1974, category 5 tornadoes roared through Alabama, heading north. I was a newsman working for the Athens News Courier.
http://enewscourier.com/local/x1037407158/Survivors-of-74-super-tornado-outbreak-explore-book-s-impact/print
“Walter McGlocklin, now 63, lives in a home in Tanner he rebuilt in 1974. It is a duplicate of the one that blew apart on April 3 of that year, toppling a chimney onto his wife, Ruth, who was futilely shielding Walter Jr., 2, and Sandra, 5.
“Walter, an Athens Utilities lineman called from his only son’s birthday party to help repair downed power lines from high winds earlier in the day, returned to the home after two tornadoes struck the area — the first at Lawson’s Trailer Park, the second at his home.
“When he saw the rubble of his home, he rushed inside and began digging. He could hear cries of a small child, Nancy.
“He freed the hysterical three-year-old, but she could not stop screaming. Walter knew he needed to keep digging and soon he saw his wife, Walter Jr. and Sandra. They had been crushed to death.
“Another daughter, Grace, 7, was also freed, as was Walter’s nephew Jerry Beckham, 15.
“Understandably, Walter does not often speak of that night.”
The house was shattered and there were bodies in bags when I arrived. The cries of the children trapped beneath a fallen chimney… And then I saw the father hoisting one of his surviving children, a little girl, I guess it was Grace, holding her tight against his chest, and he was walking in a direction opposite from me, and the little girl was looking straight at me over her father’s shoulder, and I realized that her look of wide-eyed horror would make an award winning photograph and so I raised my camera, took a deep breath, let out half, squeezed the shutter slightly, and stopped. No! I refuse to share this girl’s private horror with the rest of the world. I will not do this!
I will never regret my actions.
I will always honor my nature.
That’s all we can do.
Let’s compare the actions of this photographer to the one who shot and sold the picture of a man about to be killed by a subway train. This is what I meant by ethical journalism. God bless that photographer.
Ann Hathaway, on the other hand, virtually invited unethical journalism by not wearing underwear with a short skirt (!) and getting in a car. She had to know that, as she was a major actress, the pappos would be there; people who are hardly known as ethical journalists! I don’t know if it was stupidity or intent on her part. Nor do I care. It’s what you’ve come to expect from them all. Matt Lauer is just another ingredient in the mess.
Glad to see you posting on that Lauer interview – I thought it was ridiculous as well, his entre of “let get this out of the way” – leading off with the crotch shot ,was ridiculous.
As an aside, I’ve enjoyed reading your blog since stumbling upon it last month,but I’m not as much of a fan of the gratuitous right wing meat like the joe biden reference. a 30 year senator and VP of the US should not be lumped with Stern and the Kardashians. i think you lose some potential readership with such references.
Welcome to the blog. My advice? Jack sometimes veers into the political weeds, but I personally try to ignore when he does, as it tends to detract from his overall message. Let TGT and SMP do the partisan brawling and try to remember that Jack does his best to keep his political opinion out of a lot of posts.
It depends on what your political opinion is based on, Chase.
Gratuitous, as in ‘Put y’all back in chains’? Joe Biden is a dunce, pointing this out is not gratuitous just as pointing out Todd Akin as a dunce is also not gratuitous. But Todd Akin lost, as he should have, while Joe Biden is a heartbeat away from the oval office.
Are you a lawyer? Sir?
Stick with the blog. Jack slams both sides of the aisle.
The problem with being gray is that black accuses you of being too white and white accuses you of being too black.
Regarding readers: I don’t care. Anyone who can’t accept legitimate criticism of a politician isn’t concerned about ethics, but partisan politics.
Biden was the first President or Vice-President to say “Fucking” in a public ceremony. His conduct during the VP debate was uncivil, rude, undignified and disgraceful. His comments are frequently boorish, and in one of the two highest offices in the land, sets a terrible example. During the campaign, he engaged in flagrant race-baiting (They’re gonna put you all in chains!”) I I stand by the reference to Biden. He does far more damage to the culture than the Kardashians, or, for that matter, Matt Lauer.
Jack: Lets be completely even handed. Paul Ryan made a remark about shackles and the economy. That is what the “you all in chains” remark responded to. People often adapt their conversation to the level of their audience. For example, Romney pondering to business with the 47% comment.
I thought Romney was rude interrupting Obama in the first speech. What is Romney won the debate, not on content. Given this incentive, Biden’s job was to get back at Ryan for the rudeness of Romney. It’s all politics, so don’t expect any ethical behavior in either party.
Oh, please, James. Really? You really buy that lame excuse for Biden’s choice of words to a largely black audience? Come on. Come on.
By the way, if you think THAT analysis is “even-handed,” I’m going to use it as an example of bias-blindness in my upcoming book about rationalizations.
Biden was a complete disgrace, by miles the most unprofessional, rude, undignified, unseemly, uncivil performance in a Presidential or Vice-Presidential debate since 1960….yelling, eye-rolling, snickering, making snide comments under his breath, interrupting. If my son had acted like that in a junior high school debate, I would have pulled him off the stage. But it’s OK because Biden was getting even with Romney? Both Romney and Obama were impeccably civil in the first debate.
This is a Bizarro World analysis. Ridiculous. You wouldn’t know “even-handed” if it fell on you. And the excuse that we shouldn’t expect ethical conduct: Ryan was a perfect gentleman and respectful to Biden. What he should have done was interrupt one of Biden’s snorting and eye-rolling attacks, and said, “You know, Mr. Vice President, I an letting you speak without interrupting and making faces, and I’d appreciate it if you would extend me the same courtesy.This doesn’t present a good example for any young people watching this debate at all.”
Jack: I must have really pushed your buttons! The following is for your followers, as you have shown you don’t respect my opinion. First, I am not an Obama supporter nor a Romney critic. I recognize that most all politicians operate under the ethics of consequentialism. I don’t care who you support but both sides need to be evaluated by the same criteria.
Jack said: “Both Romney and Obama were impeccably civil in the first debate. ” Not so Jack.
Romney interrupted and talked over the moderator on at least ten occasions. These happened at the following time intervals in the debate. 9min 55sec, 15min 4 sec, 19min 39sec, 23min 16sec, 43min 33 sec, 48min 45sec, 51min, 53min 04sec, 69min 31sec, 80min 29sec. Romney talked over Obama at 43min 33sec.
Here’s how it was supposed to work: six 15 minute segments. The moderator will pose a prepared question to a candidate and the candidate will have 2 minutes to answer. Their opponent will then have one minute for rebuttal. The moderator can, at his discretion, extend the candidates time by 30 seconds on either end. By the end of the debate, Obama and Romney had taken so much free time that Lehrer had to inform them that they would not get to one of the 15-minute segments he had intended to moderate. The debate schedule was not followed because Romney persisted in bulling Jim Lehrer.
CNN “”People at home saw (Romney) get testy, interrupt the moderator,” Obama campaign deputy communications director Stephanie Cutter told CNN. “My thought is that you’re going to find that people watching at home thought he was quite testy,” Plouffe added.”
Washington Post (on why Romney won the debate.) ” 1. He controlled the format: For better or worse, moderator Jim Lehrer largely let the candidates sort out the debate themselves, essentially broaching broad topics and letting the candidates duke it out on their own terms — with almost-endless rebuttals. This format favored Romney. Romney’s campaign.”
Rosaline Phillips ” If you feel being aggressive is how you win a debate, then you have the right to your own opinion. I do feel President Obama could have come out swinging a little harder and Mitt Romney could have used a little more self-control. . How did you feel about Mr. Lehrer’s control over the debate? I personally feel, oftentimes; he lost all control over the debate and would often allow one candidate (Mitt Romney) to continue speaking when asked to stop. Obama at one point even became a little frustrated when the moderator said something to him about moving on before his time was up and Obama then stated, “Well, I had about six more seconds to finish my response before you interrupted me.” What was strange is how he interrupted Obama before he could complete his response, but couldn’t seem to get Mitt Romney to stop speaking when asked so they could move on, or to give the other debater their turn to respond.
It seems Obama was trying to give Mr. Lehrer respect and stopped when asked, but there were at least three or four times when he tried stopping Romney, but he refused to stop, over-talked the moderator and kept right on speaking without any regard to what the moderator was saying to him. To many, that appeared to be a little disrespectful.”
politeonsociety.com “Here, it has to be said that Romney was aggressive, and forceful. If you take out the obvious repetitions of talking points, then Mitt Romney effectively controlled the conversation and effectively rolled right over Jim Lehrer, the moderator. While Romney established himself as a competent debater and a person who can bully a moderator something awful, he fell short………. ”
kls.com (TV station) “Romney was also not afraid to cut off moderator Jim Lehrer, whereas President Obama was more apologetic.”
Twitter “The reviews on Twitter were scathing. Conservative columnist John Podhoretz called Lehrer possibly “the worst moderator in the history of moderation.” Even the normally mild-mannered Al Roker took a shot at Lehrer. “I hope Jim Lehrer gets the license plate of the truck that drove over him in this debate,” he tweeted.”
I don’t fault Mitt Romney for his lack of respect for Jim Lehrer and the guidelines, He saw an opportunity and took advantage of it. He won the first debate. Democratic leadership also saw the positive results of bullying. It seems to me obvious that Biden was instructed to be aggressive and react to Ryan’s discourse. His approach was generally successful. Ryan also did well. Biden did what he was supposed to do. Biden interrupted Ryan about 71 times, but remember, it was Romney that set that style. Biden was respectful to the moderator as was Ryan. Four years ago, Biden was a perfect gentleman in the debate with Ms. Palin. Different time, different place, different purpose.
I have tried to keep politics out of my reply and only address the root issue of the post which was “no guest, anywhere, should tolerate being gratuitously humiliated by their host” A bit ironic?
Jack, I wish you and your followers Happy Winter Solstice. After all, Tilt is the reason for the season.
I don’t have “followers,” (or buttons) and my analysis of your remarks stands. The liberal biased media was absurdly defensive about Obama’s performance, which was not that bad, and went to great lengths, as it did during the entire campaign, to denigrate Romney. There is no rule against interrupting the moderator, whose judgement is subjective, and whose comments are not what the audience is there to hear. A political debate is an advocacy exercise. In court, if your client’s position is being undermined by the judge, you have an obligation to contend with, argue with, and interrupt the judge to the extent you can. It’s not “rude.” When Romney felt that he should have the opportunity to respond to an accusation or an assertion by his opponent and the moderator wasn’t going to allow it, it was completely appropriate to object. Lehrer didn’t claim that either candidate was rude. He quite correctly used a loose grip, because the candidates deserved as much freedom as possible to contend with each other. He also had outlined an absurdly ambitious agenda that would have dictated content a mile wide and in inch deep.
Biden, in contrast, made noises, comments and faces while Ryan was speaking. That is rude–disrespectful, boorish and unfair. It was NOT Romney “who set that style.” He was not noisy and disrespectful while President Obama was talking.
You blatantly misrepresented what occurred. If it wasn’t out of partisan bias, then it was because you were turned the wrong way and watching the wall.
Why is legitimate criticism of Joe Biden “right wing meat”? They can chow down if they want, but Biden isn’t immune from me flagging his boorish act because it might make Republicans happy. Why doesn’t his conduct make Democrats UNhappy? It’s not like we have a conservative boor VP and a Democratic one, and I’m only criticizing one. He’s an embarrassment. His conduct degrades the culture and the government. This isn’t gratuitous—American leadership models and character is my field; I got into ethics from THAT. Biden, in my opinion, shows a downward slope of leadership civility, which is why I mentioned it here, not as “right wing meat.” This isn’t a delicatessen. They can go to Red State for that.
Remember we used to get in trouble for saying this sucks, or wtf? Now these words are going appear in Webster’s as:
Baby Boomer definition of “suck” = a motion with your mouth to ingest nutrition as in a baby sucking on a bottle.
Current “suck” – a really bad situation
Baby Boomer – “wtf” = how babies are born, usually unintentionally
current “wtf” – how did that happen?
Our dialect is changing to crude and our attitudes to rude.
WTF! That really sucks!
Excellent post. Perfectly seen, and perfectly said. Thank you; the perfect complement to Ms. Hathaway’s own perfectly-stated riposte.
Except that I also agree with Milowent – your Biden reference is utterly gratuitous, and I find it irritating. It has nothing to do with the (excellent) point you make; it detracts to have you insisting on foisting your own biased political viewpoints onto a point where it’s irrelevant; I’m not sure how that’s different from your own take on Barbara Walters. Sad. Cut that stuff out, it’ll improve your column.
It has everything to do with the point he is making. He listed several less-than-decent examples from pop culture to show society’s slow regression. He punctuates that by showing how society’s plunge is so complete, even people in positions of power high places engage in such behavior.
As I wrote above: “Biden was the first President or Vice-President to say “Fucking” in a public ceremony. His conduct during the VP debate was uncivil, rude, undignified and disgraceful. His comments are frequently boorish, and in one of the two highest offices in the land, set a terrible example. During the campaign, he engaged in flagrant race-baiting (“They’re gonna put you all in chains!”) I I stand by the reference to Biden. He does far more damage to the culture than the Kardashians, or, for that matter, Matt Lauer.”
That you or anyone can defend Biden, who is indefensible in his lack of civility, dignity and decorum (without even getting to his ineptitude) astounds me. Anyone who is serious about trying to return civility to government has to recognize that Biden has been an impediment from the very first.
Jack, they’re right, you know.
No, they’re not. They embarrass themselves by defending an utter boor like Joe Biden, out of pure partisanship (because there’s no other excuse.) Agnew degraded the culture by being a thug in a high place; Quayle by being a dolt in a high place; Cheney by being a torturer in a high place. I have established my credibility in calling out bad conduct in VPs in both parties. Biden’s unprofessional, uncivil and a clod, and anyone objective should 1) see it 2) admit it and 3) object to it.
Frankly, I’m getting sick of the caterwauling when I legitimately call out one of the progressive wing’s favorite children, and they can’t take it. They should be holding their heroes to higher standards.
By “right” I mean by scientific classification. Latin, if you like. Joe is truly a different species than Stern and the Kardashians. Same genus, perhaps, but not the same species. Why is that? Because Joe is incapable of mating either Stern or the Kardashians, whereas the aforementioned pair are quite capable of mating, and may actually do so prior to 12/21/12.
Ah! I was not thinking taxonomically! Still, I think Howard would be a likely offspring of Joe and one of the Kardashians, probably Kloe, who seems to have the brains in the family. I think Joe is to acceptable VP decorum as Howard is to acceptable radio decorum. Which is to say, un-.
They have none of their own, Jack. Their heroes thus become a reflection of themselves.
Well, to all you bloggers who say one can’t keep politics out of every post then, why doesn’t the government keep out of our small businesses, our kitchens,even our bedrooms, all with an attitude, of “It’s for your own good” with that uppity arrogance. How can you keep politics out of anything when the government sticks it’s self-righteous nose” into everything permeating society with that big brother attitude. And we all remember what happened to that Big Brother charity in it’s hey day. Indicted, for sticking it’s nose where it didn’t belong!
I feel like I’m in a parallel universe. Thanks.
Your answer: Because we allow it.
Les Misérables pompous?? How can you say such a thing??? Les Misérables is great!! I love Frederic March and Charles Laughton in it!
The book? Ohhhhh, the book! Yeah! My eyes got blinky sometimes cause I was right with that child and her dad.
Sorry, gotta keep mopping.