The <i>Today</i> Show Sounds Like an Awful Place to Work

The drama enveloping the Today show gets another indepth look today, courtesy of an excerpt from Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV, by Matt Lauer's arch nemesis, Brian Stelter. In the piece — published by the New York Times — Stelter piles on the current thinking that Lauer and others forced out Ann Curry. In fact, after reading the article, it sounds like the Today show is an absolutely awful place to work. As Stelter reports, the staffers at Today were all pretty much assholes: The growing indifference of Matt Lauer, her co-host, had hurt the most, but there was also just a general meanness on set. At one point, the executive producer, Jim Bell, commissioned a blooper reel of Curry’s worst on-air mistakes. Another time, according to a producer, Bell called staff members into his office to show a gaffe she made during a cross-talk with a local station. (Bell denies both incidents.) Adults making highlight reels of another adult's mistakes is a little odd. It's too bad Lauer and Bell never messed up, otherwise Curry could've had a real fun time with them, too! Sadly, there's more: One staff person recalled that 'a lot of time in the control room was spent making fun of Ann’s outfit choices or just generally messing with her.' On one memorable spring morning, Curry wore a bright yellow dress that spawned snarky comparisons to Big Bird. The staff person said that others in the control room, which included 14 men and 3 women, according to my head count one morning, Photoshopped a picture of Big Bird next to Curry and asked co-workers to vote on 'Who wore it best?' Well, you have to admit, they got Curry on that one. Big Bird does have yellow feathers! She should've seen that zinger coming! If you've got some time, read Stelter's piece. If you're like us, when you're done you'll think getting pushed out of Today was maybe the best thing that could've happened to Curry.

Fishbowl

The Today Show Sounds Like an Awful Place to Work

Chris O'Shea

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Chris O'Shea