Kathie Lee Gifford "uncomfortable" with mommyblogging; TMI in books & television is okay
Categories: Celeb kids, Celeb parenting, In the news, Playground bureau
Blogging celebrity Heather Armstrong (better known as Dooce to most of cyberspace) recently made an appearance on The Today Show. Only instead of promoting her newly released book, Heather was subjected to the judgements of Kathie Lee Gifford about the evils of blogging . (Gifford, who clearly would not know a blog from a bog said, "There's something that worries me about it (blogging)......")
What made the whole interview so surreal is that Gifford is famous for over-sharing information about her life and family (Husband Frank slept naked and sleep-walked! Part of Gifford's nightly routine with Cody was giving him a bath and picking his nose!) much like the mommyblogging she finds "uncomfortable" only she did it on live television every morning when co-starring on "Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee".
Gifford saying, "Potty training and all those kinds of things are kind of private" triggered a vague memory, so I went on a little literary search at my local library.
There on a back shelf was a dusty copy of Gifford's 1992 autobiography, I Can't Believe I Said That!
I can't believe she said that either!
On page 257 of the New York Times best seller, Gifford shares an ancedote about Cody being confused and throwing a Twizzler in the toilet instead of eating it as a reward during potty training. On page 260 is the time Daddy Frank was showing Cody how to pee like a big boy. Cody was so funny that Frank "cracked up so hard he totally missed his target."
Private indeed, Kathie Lee.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
kelly.leahy 5-11-2008 @ 12:31PM
I'm glad you wrote this post. I sat with my mouth agape as Gifford went on about the perils of BLOGGING ... on the INTERNET ... and using a COMPUTER. As if making yourself a public entity on the television is any less inviting to whack jobs.
She was the wrong person to do the interview, plain and simple. Perhaps they should have used one of the staff that knew how to use a computer which she admitedly did not.
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mamaloo 5-11-2008 @ 2:41PM
I wasn't very familiar with KL Gifford before this interview so I was floored to learn how unintelligent she was.
"Something bothers me about this, I don't know what it is." Odd that a journalist didn't take five minutes to figure out what her response to this interview subject was going to be and goes on air sounding hopelessly ignorant, ill-prepared, out of touch and irrelevant. Why was she hired for this show? How do stupid people get hired for positions where they are required to be witty?
Dooce, on the other hand, looked fantastic, composed, charming, patient and good humoured throughout.
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Lisa 5-11-2008 @ 7:19PM
Dooce WAS fantastic! I don't know how she kept her composure while being interviewed by such repellant women. When did the Today show become so absolutely insipid? No wonder blogs are so popular--television just keeps getting worse!
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bremarie03 5-12-2008 @ 1:16AM
I tried to think of something constructive to say, but all I could come up with is: Kathie Lee is a douche. But that's probably not constructive. Oh well.
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Groovymarlin 5-12-2008 @ 1:20PM
Is anyone really surprised to see Gifford behave ignorantly and obnoxiously? Please...the woman is the definition of "hypocrite" and always has been. I thought Heather handled her fabulously. I feel bad that Heather got shunted into the last hour of Today like that. I believe she was originally scheduled for 8:30 AM (EDT) the day before, but got bumped to the final hour on the next day. I hope Meredith Viera would have handled it a little better!
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Jessica 5-13-2008 @ 1:02PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5gy0Ch9u2A
Hmmmm... what about calling your son obnoxious on the Today Show.
It made me uncomfortable.
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hksmom4 7-15-2008 @ 12:54PM
First of all, I think you are all overreacting. She hardly said anything. I understood exactly what she was trying to say - it is scary to think that your kids pictures are available for any creep to stare at! You all sound jealous and hateful.
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