Handsome. Funny. Charismatic. And he kissed me on live local TV in New York City. That's Matt Lauer. We worked together on a WNBC TV news show in 1992. I talk about that with my producer/friend Keith Price in our current podcast. Matt and I were on the original team for WEEKEND TODAY IN NEW YORK, a local morning news program that premiered on WNBC in September 1992. I was on camera with Matt back when we each had a full head o' hair.
I talk about how Matt tried to help me in a very frustrating and humiliating work environment. I loved sitting next to him and doing local morning news segments. His quick wit and breezy charm clicked with co-workers and viewers. Especially female viewers. Network stardom for him seemed inevitable. In our podcast, Keith and I go into the Matt Lauer scandal. We discuss the toxic masculinity infecting workplace systems like a virus that has humiliated women and robbed us of their talent. Yes, I was stunned to read this week's news about Matt and why he was fired.
Keith and I have voiced our position that there is a direct link from the disrespect of women we've heard about in the high profile sexual misconduct stories to the diversity and inclusion barriers we people of color meet in the entertainment industry.
As you'll hear in our podcast, during my time at WNBC, news came out that a white male network news producer used a racial slur in a staff meeting. I had to deal with homophobia from my boss, the WNBC news director. I tell that account in the podcast. We also give our opinions on the NBC Trump factor. You should hear us. Please give us a listen and *like* us at
www.MOCHAA.podomatic.com.
Keith and I also have some entertainment recommendations -- an excellent foreign film and an upcoming TV special.
Oh! About the kiss. I was in the field in downtown Manhattan for WEEKEND TODAY IN NEW YORK, talking live on the air about a charity event. I didn't know that Lauer had shown up and spotted our TV truck. He was sneaking up behind me as I spoke and planted a playful smooch on my cheek.
His firing from NBC show us that the playing field in the workplace has not been level. There's still gender ...and race...improvement to be addressed.
Wow. The Internet is so vast it took me this long to come across Bobby Rivers' insanely great blog. Well, I'm glad I found it. Lots to read. Thank you, Bobby, for doing this and keeping it going for so long.
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays and thank you oh, so very much.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, nice article!. Thank you
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