That hot pic of Matt Lauer on the beach.

[DAME]

Posted: 3/25/13 at 6:17pm

There is a better quality version of this one. I remember seeing it here. Anyone?

Updated On: 3/25/13 at 06:17 PM

[DAME]

Posted: 3/25/13 at 6:18pm

And what is up with the recent social media hate towards him?

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 3/25/13 at 6:33pm

Ann Curry backlash.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/25/13 at 6:38pm

Because he's a two-faced backstabbing lying sack of potatoes who has morphed into a whiter version of his awful best friend Bryant Gumble and now everybody hates him, his Q is in the terlet and the losers at that losing network know that losing show he's on is always going to lose if he's on it but they gave him $25 million dollars.

In my opinion.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 3/25/13 at 6:41pm

Yes, it is Ann Curry backlash. To be fair though, she wasn't all that easy to deal with behind the scenes. The clash of egos.

[artscallion]

Posted: 3/25/13 at 6:41pm

People are saying he was behind Ann Curry being let go. And people REALLY liked Ann.

[DAME]

Posted: 3/25/13 at 6:41pm

Reading up about it right now.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/25/13 at 6:48pm

This epic tale just went up:
Long Night at Today

[DAME]

Posted: 3/25/13 at 7:04pm

That is a fantastic piece.

[bobs3]

Posted: 3/25/13 at 7:09pm

Wasn't the thing about Ann Curry is that she was great doing the hard news stories & interviews but she seemed very uncomfortable doing the celebrity fluff & promotion segments which are the bread and butter of The Today Show.

There is a great YouTube video of her interviewing the Octomom -- the various expressions on Ann's face are priceless.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/25/13 at 7:19pm

No she certainly wasn't great at doing interviews or hard news. The point is, Matt Lauer could not control his massive ego enough to stop his disdain for Ann Curry from leaking through his very pore and his douchebaggery was revealed by people trapped working with him.

He definitely needs to spend more time playing golf.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 3/25/13 at 7:50pm

That is a great piece. He really could have been a mentor and they could worked together to make things better. He essentially froze her out.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/25/13 at 8:18pm

They smile in your face, all the time trying to steal your place...

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/25/13 at 8:20pm

What they do!

[DAME]

Posted: 3/26/13 at 9:21am

I've always had a Matt Lauer and Alec Baldwin fantasy.

[blueroses]

Posted: 3/26/13 at 9:24am

In the personal experience of someone very close to me, Mr. Lauer's assholery has no bounds.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 3/26/13 at 11:24am

Great article. I stopped watching the Today Show ages ago. Even before I read the article, the promos for the show are so transparent (i.e., damage control). I remember Matt Lauer from PM magazine in the 80s. It's amazing how likeable he was back then, and even when he was a newscaster at NBC in NYC. Then as the years went by he became increasingly unlikeable. His disdain for Ann Curry always jumped out at me and that was even before she was promoted to co-host.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 3/26/13 at 11:30am

25 million dollars a year for four days work.


Honestly, who deserves that kind of money?

[strummergirl]

Posted: 3/26/13 at 11:56am

Both Curry and Lauer are laughably bad at the hard-hitting news stories and interviews (Curry seems to always have awkward face-to-face interviews regardless of guest while Lauer seems to think being aggressive at all times is some feather in the cap) and it is humorous that both think that is what they are mainly good for as newcasters. But the article reveals that both could not be what they considered their strong suit and how one would have to be light and dumbed down really does show the problems of what the show has become. Lauer seemed to think a perky female robot could have been a better co-host and better for the format (and Savannah Guthrie is not that either and it is awkward to watch). I usually just listen to NPR Morning Edition on my way to work for news but lately even my family has kicked the habit of Today being their go-to, background noise and have gone to CBS This Morning because although Gayle and Charlie have almost no chemistry they also seem to be exactly themselves delivering the news without any air of disdain in doing it.

There have been more rumors about Lauer's power at Today that are largely unsubstantiated but this article makes me think they are also probably true.

[DAME]

Posted: 3/26/13 at 11:58am

I still wouldn't throw him out of bed for eating crackers.

Posted: 3/26/13 at 12:04pm

I find the "confrontational" vibe of all the morning news shows a tough way to start the day.

I've been a much happier person since I switched to Curious George each morning.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 3/26/13 at 2:41pm

Joe, you mean Stephanopoulos?

Posted: 3/26/13 at 4:03pm

No! Curious George! Today he and Betsy built their own miniature golf course! And he got to ride a rocket to the space station.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 3/26/13 at 4:07pm

I'm pretty sure that's a pic of George Stephanopoulos.

Posted: 3/26/13 at 4:16pm

Both Georges are cute, inquisitive and hairy but George S has a better tail.