In (Maybe) Defense Of Kathie Lee
Kathie Lee Gifford is kind of a mystery to me. Hear me out, here. We all know she seemed pretty awful in the '90s, but all morning show people are always awful, and the two major things that happened to her (the child labor scandal and the Frank Gifford tabloid entrapment thing) weren't really Kathie's fault, but just convenient things we used as a society as good enough reasons to kick out someone we thought had worn out her welcome by taking her "perfect mother, wife, and human" role past the point of tolerance. But if you watch Kathie now, her fall from the highest heights of morning show fame and subsequent relegation to a totally unnecessary fourth hour of The Today Show seem to, if not mellowed her, forced her to take what may have always been a self-caricature to the next level. Kathie Lee may actually be a self-deprecating natural comedian acutely aware of the miseries and uncertainties of life but choosing to celebrate it anyway with a great big "Aren't I Just Ridiculous?" show. Or maybe not, but this video of introductory gags from her old workout video seem to show a woman who is mildly annoying, but definitely not taking herself too seriously.
Can't you see the existential dread behind her eyes? She wants you to!:
The Frank Gifford part is, however, indefensible. (Via Everything Is Terrible.)
Posted by Lindsay at 11:30 AM in Morning Zoo, Video Skeletons
Tags: Frank Gifford | Kathie Lee | The Today Show
Thanks. I guess I'll just masturbate tomorrow, then.
Score = 45
OH MY GOD YOU ARE STILL THE BEST!!!
Score = 1
Get a (chat)room.
Score = 3
I could honestly give less than a shit about kathie lee gifford. i dont even know what she looks like really...but as a giants fan...frank gifford is the fucking man.
Score = -1
Fucking Machine. Fucking Machine Gifford.
Score = 4
Another creepy thing about Kathy Lee is that she was on this ridiculous media-circuit Evangelical choir group in the 60s or something for like the biggest televangelist in the nation whose name I forget. I probably got that description all wrong, but it was something like that...I heard about it on the episode of This American Life called "Heretics" which centered around hell-skeptic Carlton Pearson. Basically I take everything I hear on public radio for immutable FACT.
Score = 3
I never quite realized how accurate Kristen Wiig's impression of her was until I saw all the mugging and eye twitching in this video.
Score = 9
I feel like this was Kristen Wiig's source material for her "fourth hour" sketches. Also, I would like to request a shot-for-shot remake of this video by Kristen Wiig. That is all.
Score = 6
I'm assuming that Frank's big wink at the end means "just kidding, I would never have sex with this woman".
Score = 8
No faux-tour of Kathy Gifford's house can be complete without a look into the liquor cabinet. It takes a lot of booze to make it through the fourth hour of the the Today Show.
Score = 2
that wonky eye is freaking me out, gifford. get a patch for that thing. or stop botoxing your ocular cavities.
Score = 3
Kathie Lee is at least less annoying than Kristen Wiig's impression of Kathie Lee.
Score = -3