Bad news: Bryant Gumbel not a fan of Palin guest-hosting “Today”
Olbermann isn’t alone. Conservative crusader Glenn Beck once delivered huge ratings for Fox News, but even with a successful website, his impact is minimized. Former daytime diva Rosie O’Donnell was just dumped by Oprah Winfrey’s cable channel.
Opinionated talent rules in cable land. Many MSNBC hosts—from Joe Scarborough to Rachel Maddow to Al Sharpton—have no journalistic experience.
The star-making machinery has changed. When Today tapped Jane Pauley in 1976, she says, “I was 25 years old, four years out of college. I was extremely unknown.” Today alumnus Bryant Gumbel, who says he was “embarrassed” by the Palin stint, believes hosts “used to be judged not just on their popularity level but the extent to which they were capable of interviewing someone or reporting on a situation, or able to have a degree of gravitas. Now that is secondary to being popular.”
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What precisely gave Gumbel the “gravitas” to do the Today show? Interviewing major league baseball players?
ncborn on April 9, 2012 at 1:55 PM
“Wayne Brady makes Bryant Gumbel look like Malcolm X”.
I miss Chapelle.
reddevil on April 9, 2012 at 1:55 PM
Sarah Palin is destroying serious journalism!
But NBC News airing a fraudulently editied audio tape in an effort to create race riots is no biggie.
forest on April 9, 2012 at 1:56 PM
Bryant Gumbel is just Jeremiah Wright without the lovable personality.
RBMN on April 9, 2012 at 1:58 PM
She’s like crack to her critics. They can’t get enough of it, they hate themselves for their addiction, and they’d sell their souls for another hit of the pipe…
idesign on April 9, 2012 at 1:58 PM
How soon they forget:
Del Dolemonte on April 9, 2012 at 1:58 PM
Just a question, shouldn’t this be an “AWWW” Headline?
-Wasteland Man.
WastelandMan on April 9, 2012 at 1:59 PM
Bryant Gumble is a racist.
Wow – that is easy.
jake-the-goose on April 9, 2012 at 1:59 PM
When Sarah Palin talks, people listen. She’s a major opinion leader in national politics. She’s governed a state. She continues to fight the GOP political establishment. When accused of inciting the AZ shootings, she went on air with a commentary that itself was heavily dissected, discussed, and weighed in on by millions on each side. If that isn’t gravitas, what is?
Paul-Cincy on April 9, 2012 at 2:00 PM
“A degree of gravitas.”
Gravitas.
Said the former football announcer who used to host the morning happy-talk infotainment show in the years after J. Fred Muggs and Joe Garagiola.
Chickyraptor on April 9, 2012 at 2:01 PM
If that was the case, Bryant, you wouldn’t be any more famous than the guy behind the 7-11 cash register on the corner.
peski on April 9, 2012 at 2:02 PM
So says the washed up, unemployed sportscaster with the ginormous chip on his shoulder.
NoLeftTurn on April 9, 2012 at 2:03 PM
I wish they would put Gumbel and Gumbel back on.
Buckshot Bill on April 9, 2012 at 2:04 PM
He can’t say Palin is stupid, while at the same time acknowledge that she did the job he used to do without any difficulty.
That would be enough to make any lib upset.
DrAllecon on April 9, 2012 at 2:04 PM
Bryant Scumball.
Red Cloud on April 9, 2012 at 2:05 PM
Journalism on “Today” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gymK8WOXnYI
Chicost84 on April 9, 2012 at 2:07 PM
Uh, does someone really care what this hairball has to say? Seriously?
I weep for my country.
platypus on April 9, 2012 at 2:09 PM
Palin lacks gravitas, but Matt Lauer, he’s ready for a SCOTUS appointment!!!
[facepalm]
alwaysfiredup on April 9, 2012 at 2:11 PM
Hey, Bryant. She was asked to guest host for a single hour on a single episode. She’s not taking over the show. She’s not replacing Ann Curry. She’s not debasing the great legacy you left behind from your years as co-host(and I type that with tongue firmly in cheek).
You know the old saying, “If you don’t have anything nice to say….”. In other words, keep it to yourself.
Doughboy on April 9, 2012 at 2:13 PM
Sarah Palin used to be a sports anchor/reporter back in 1988. Gee Bryant, isn’t that what you were doing before landing your Today Show gig?
Flora Duh on April 9, 2012 at 2:16 PM
Oh but Sarah has a degree in …….
journalism
Does that count ?
burrata on April 9, 2012 at 2:20 PM
Seems like Sarah Palin upset a lot of people by her one day appearance on The Today Show.
Andrew would be proud..:)
idesign on April 9, 2012 at 2:21 PM
Says the token ex-sportscaster.
Mirimichi on April 9, 2012 at 2:21 PM
Yes, Sarah Palin should no longer associate with the liars that are NBC.
rbj on April 9, 2012 at 2:21 PM
She sure gets peoples undies in a wad.
Mirimichi on April 9, 2012 at 2:22 PM
Did anyone read that crap article? Quote:
“disastrous VP nominee”? WTF? Howie, you been watching “Game Change” again? “know-nothing image”? “Couric helped GMA win one of the mornings”? This right after mentioning Palin, this suggests Couric beat Palin. They don’t say otherwise. But Palin’s Tuesday appearance beat Couric’s appearance.
“disastrous VP nominee”? By what measure, jerk? This is “reporting”? This is garbage.
Paul-Cincy on April 9, 2012 at 2:23 PM
He’s just jealous that the world cares less about him than her.
Schadenfreude on April 9, 2012 at 2:24 PM
It’s Howard Kurtz. Backhanded compliments to Palin are all he’s capable of.
alwaysfiredup on April 9, 2012 at 2:27 PM
Wow – poor Gov Palin – dissed for being inconsequential by inconseqential airheads. Apparently some of thes guys have a rather inflated sense of their own importance. They do realize that their viewing audience may have a lot of stay at home moms who are catching the show in between cleaning toilets and folding clothes?
katiejane on April 9, 2012 at 2:29 PM
Bryant Gumbel makes Bryant Gumbel look like Malcolm X.
I’ve never seen a more bitter and hateful person as host of any show, with the possible exception of Bill Maher.
Well, there was 0lbermann, but he seems to be unable to hold down a job long enough for anyone to notice.
UltimateBob on April 9, 2012 at 2:30 PM
I caught Palin’s appearance, and although she did well and was more interesting than the other hosts, I felt dumber after having watched the full two hours.
alwaysfiredup on April 9, 2012 at 2:30 PM
burrata on April 9, 2012 at 2:20 PM
What’s hilarious is that a quick google search demonstrates that Gumbel apparently has a liberal arts/Russian history degree.
In terms of academic preparation, she’s much more qualified for a journalism career than this particular shallow critic.
Bwahaha.
cs89 on April 9, 2012 at 2:30 PM
Right up there with “for a fat girl, you don’t sweat much”. Sarah Palin, though a VP disaster, and know-nothing, showed flashes of charisma. No, wait. Not charisma, but “on-camera charisma”. Not ACTUAL charisma! /
Paul-Cincy on April 9, 2012 at 2:31 PM
Said another way, he’s Wright without the congregation.
beatcanvas on April 9, 2012 at 2:33 PM
So? How much experience does it take to read from a teleprompter and gab about politics. A third grader could do it. Heck, Megan McCain does it.
tommyboy on April 9, 2012 at 2:34 PM
Yeah, I do remember the video of her newscast reporting on sports. 80′s hairstyle notwithstanding she is by education and experience, a journalist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc7LBtRGCd8
Bryant Gumbel is lucky that he can poo poo Sarah Palin because she demands attention and he demonstrates his smallness as only a criticism of her gets his name mentioned.
islandman78 on April 9, 2012 at 2:35 PM
Teehee
SouthernGent on April 9, 2012 at 2:37 PM
Howard Kurtz is a Left-Wing Hack masquerading a neutral Ombudsman and Arbiter of the Media. Kurtz is a joke. Palin was the only thing McCain did right in his whole damn campaign. She won him probably to 10 to 15 states that he would have lost if picked Pawlenty or Lieberman. Palin would have been the nominee if she ran. Kurtz can try to rewrite history but we were there Howie, we don’t need b.s. interpretation from a left-wing hack convincing us of that didn’t happen.
CoolChange80 on April 9, 2012 at 2:38 PM
Hacky Howie rewriting the Palin narrative in pathetic fashion. Palin brought out the base and is more popular than the 4 GOP Candidates. Palin was the ONLY wrench in the planned coronation of Barack Hussein Obama.
CoolChange80 on April 9, 2012 at 2:42 PM
Heard of Palin, never heard of this dude.
Is he someone important?
CorporatePiggy on April 9, 2012 at 3:04 PM
Today is an entertainment show, Bryant. Thanks for sharing.
dogsoldier on April 9, 2012 at 3:13 PM
Today is an entertainment show, Bryant. Thanks for sharing.
Exactly! Thank you…
Chicost84 on April 9, 2012 at 4:07 PM