Have you ever heard the expression “jaw dropping”? I can assure you it’s really true because today, while watching what was, up until then, a fairly routine Today Show with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, an awkward moment so awful that I suspect it will go into the Awkward TV Moments of All Time Museum occurred.
The great Martin Short, one of these guys who truly does everything and does it well (He sings! He acts! He dances! He’s Jiminy Glick!) made an appearance on the show to promote his appearance in this week’s movie release of Madagascar 3. (Martin plays Stefano, an Italian sea lion, who has great plans to be a human cannonball during the movie).
And all went well for the first few minutes and then the train wreck. This is what happens when you routinely promote drinking at 10:00 am. on your show and refer to today as Winesday (instead of Wednesday). Instead of ending the interview on a high note, Kathie Lee – she of the not-able-to-stop-talking-for-a-single-moment persuasion, asked the wonderful Mr. Short about his wife by saying ““And you and Nancy have one of the greatest marriages of anybody in show business. How many years now for you guys?”
There’s only one problem. Martin Short’s wife, Nancy, died in August 2010. Fortunately for NBC, Martin Short is a consummate professional and chose to sort of answer the question about how much he loves his wife and off we went to commercial. It’s one of those times that I’m so glad I have a DVR because I truly could not believe what I had just watched and had to rewind it to see it again in all its horrible awkwardness.
Coming back from commercial, Kathie Lee offered an apology – apparently, Mr. Short had enlightened her during the break – but you’ve gotta wonder how KLG didn’t know this (when I – and apparently a lot of my friends who wrote about this on Facebook – all knew Nancy Short had died). Does she not do any research? I mean, c’mon, she’s on air for an hour a day. I think that she may have enough time on her hands to maybe do a little recon work on her upcoming guests. Maybe it’s time to put down the glass of chardonnay, KLG, and pay more attention to the people you’re talking to, IMHO.
phillip phillips not memtioned on kathie lee and hoda show,5/31/12 as winner of american idol,rude and inconsiderate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kathy Lee is not human; she is a Stepford Wife. I wish I could hear Howard Stern’s show today when he brings this up. Thuis is better than Trump vs. Rosey. Cheers Kathy drink up.
KLG is human and I had just mentioned to my dd earlier in the show it was refreshing that she was on the air and mentioning pray as a way to problem solve. It is so rare these days on TV. I am sure Martin short will forgive her and she will be praying for him in her daily prayers.
@Sportmentary — You said it!
Good for Martin Short. He’s a classy guy. I’ve always thought that Gifford was a dumb ass.