There is a new video circulating the web of Katie Couric anchoring CBS's election coverage on January 8. It's when she was off the air, chatting with the crew. As you know I'm not a huge fan of Katie Couric doing the news but I really feel she got a bum deal here. She's being portrayed as this crazed out of control tyrant who is overly demanding, profane, and disrespects her fellow colleagues.
Come on, people!
Judge for yourself but to me she's doing nothing wrong. She never has a meltdown, is keeping the atmosphere light for her crew, mocks Meredith Viera in the most innocuous way, and big fucking deal -- says shit. She's a grown up. She wasn't on the air when she said it. So who cares?
Here's the video. What do you think?
40 comments :
Never really understood all the hate against Katie. All she does is perky and reads the news. I mean, at least she's not Julie Chen (and how she manages to keep any news job is a mystery to me--well okay, she's sleeping with Les Monnves, but still....).
Katie has a reputation (or so rumor has it) of being a bitch who will step on anyone necessary to get ahead.
Don't know if that's true or not, but she may want to cut back on the botox. Her mouth looked a bit messed up.
Obviously, she's trippin' on DayQuil, and was having some fun with her deeper, cold-induced voice. No big deal. Compared to the ape-like anchormen I worked with who routinely cussed out the crew and threw pencils and shit at us (because we laughed when they mispronounced important words like "Nigeria"), Katie would be an absolute dream to work with... Where do I send my résumé?
I have never been a fan of Couric not to say that I have actively disliked her but I am not a morning news kind of gal and her transition didn't seem very smooth to me. That being said, I don't get why anyone would be bothered by how she behaved during the off air times. She was cordial with her staff, irritated about reasonable things, pleasant and frankly HUMAN. She is an adult and the anchor of a major network news program. I seriously doubt that if there were off air tapes leaked of a different newscaster that were this run of the mill that anyone would be making hay of it.
I am not intending to speak of gender bias, I think this has more to do with her long time morning show persona being somehow changed.
I'm a videographer and have run many live shots. I see nothing here that's any different than the ones I've done. She jokes with the crew, asks for help with things she can't do, and acts like a professional throughout. And if "shit" is the worst word she says...she's just about the cleanest reporter working in the biz.
I'm a fan of Harry Shearer and not of Katie Couric, but I don't think something like this should be made public. Not that I think there's anything wrong with her off-air behavior, it just seems voyeuristic to the point of obscene to show such a long clip of outtakes with all the on-air segments edited out.
WHo exactly is criticizing her regarding this video? Personally, I think it shows her in a good light, as others have mentioned.
Get torches and hunt her! Run her to ground, burn her alive and scatter her ashes in a field, then sow the ground with salt! Strike her name from the pillars and the monuments, and make it a capital crime ever to speak her name again! Shoot her friends and eat her children!
Or not. I don't really care.
Outrage? Really?
She actually comes off as fairly good natured. Language in newsrooms and even on news sets can be pretty coarse. This is nothing. Far more edgy things are spoken during the commercial breaks at just about every local news channel in the US.
Call me Crazy but I think she was imitating Ann Curry not Meredith.
Wait. You mean when the anchor throws a question to the reporter in the field, the reporter already knows what both the question and the answer are going to be? We’re shocked! Will have to say that the banter did somewhat diminish the gravitas I’ve always associated with Katie Couric. But then again, that Eric Sevareid was quite a kidder.
-“Don’t know much about Huck-abee”
-Don’t know much about Mitt Rom-ney
-Don’t know much about that Thompson schnook
-Don’t know much about McCain’s chinook
-But I do know just to chat up crew
-Shouldn’t need the A.C.L.U.
-What a wonderful world this would be.
Sam Cooke (as channeled by KC)
Buy the ringtone.
She seems kind of rude-ish to me, as if she's so much better than everyone else. For example, she doesn't even bother with facial expressions or polite body language while talking to others.
However, she doesn't seem like a horrible person or anything.
I didn't notice her say 'shit' though. I watched up until the end waiting for the bomb to drop. Maybe I swear too casually and swear-words no longer 'pop' out at me? It's like when your mother says "Don't say that!" after you swear, but you reply "Swear? I didn't just swear! Or did I?"
Personally, I don't give a rat's ass what Katie says on the air, so I sure don't care what she says when the camera's off.
I don't see a problem.
I worked on a project for young children last year. The writer loved writing for kids but said the downside was that he wasn't allowed be perceived as a normal adult himself, with adult tastes or desires. Like people expect all children's work to be created by mentally-deficient eunuchs.
This seems similar to me. I don't know or care about this woman. But nothing on that video showed me anything more than just a plain ol' normal person.
It's weird. We want people to be dead automatons I think. In ways, I'm jealous that someone like you (you as in Ken Levine) can be so secure in your career that you can say the things you do and put your name to them. My own career is not as secure and so I have to go the anonymous route.
It's a shame.
I really think if KC acted more like that on the newscast - she seems awfully stiff, nowhere near her Today Show personality - she'd be doing better.
Why is anyone criticizing her for this video? I thought she came off as charming.
off topic, sorry, but blame Tom Cruise
Ken - any experiences with scientologists in your time in Hollywood?
You know what, I think you're right, she may have been referring to Ann Curry. And according to Radar Magazine a few years ago, Ann Curry's got the reputation as one of the dumbest anchors on television.
Frankly, the more I watch NBC news, the more I think Katie made the smart move. Among Chris Matthews, Tim Russert, David Gregory, and Matt Lauer, there seems to be a competition to see who can sound the most like a competent journalist without actually doing anything journalistic.
Except for the mildly snippy "can we get better mikes" comment, I see no problem here.
I've never really cared for Katie, but she actually comes across great in this clip. Pleasant, professional, and a sense of humor. If this is supposed to be showing her bad behavior then she must be a great person.
I work in Television Broadcasting and have worked live election night feeds many times. This is totally absolutely normal. If anything, I would consider her dream talent. She is sick and has every excuse in the world to be off and yet she is wonderful to the crew and polite. Even to keeping her clothes modest, for when she is on air. What more could people expect? Really!
I agree with a number of other posters: she comes as pretty charming in a pressure situation where she has a cold. I've never been a Katie fan but she seems okay.
When your image is perky and you say "shit" it's news. Just like Sally Miles in "SOB".
I think this is the first post on Ken's Blog that actually bored me and made me feel like I lost time.
Right on, Ken. If anything, this video clip makes me like Katie more than I used to.
this was actually pretty funny...
I literally have a two hour plus DVD compiled from all the PD blooper tapes out there, and I personally feel it should be MANDATORY that every series that is one for more than one season through their outtakes out there for the world to see. My favorites:
1. Star Trek - these are classic, if only for being so available! Nothing beats seeing Leonard Nimoy, in full Vulcan makeup, muttering 'smart ass'!
2. Laugh-In - as funny as the show was, its bloopers are even more hysterical...Arte Johnson doing endless variations on a REALLY dirty Tyrone is insane.
3. M*A*S*H - It has been said that most actors hate bloopers because they reveal too much of themselves, and MASH is a classic example. There are a couple of clips with Burghoff blowing a line, then saying shit in character as Radar! One can see where the reports of him being a real pain come from...
then there is the Great Soupy Sales Naked Lady prank....
any other ones you have seen that might merit mentioning, Ken?
I thought this clip made her seem less like the normal robot anchor and more human. I came away liking her because of this clip. Having worked in news, this was very mild.
Tyrannical? Really? I guess if you've never worked with an actor on set some people might think so. Or if you think she shouldn't be involved in the process at all. Otherwise it's just standard backstage fare.
For those that missed it the cursing came when she said "I was like 'oh shit, I have seven seconds! Wlaaah!" completely acceptable I think.
I think Couric is out of her depth at her current gig, but I agree with your take here. Many performers - and anchors are - getting nervous and punchy when they're about to go on. I'd always cut them slack.
I think she's really cute and perky, and certainly doesn't come off badly in the clip. My only problem with Katie is that every time I see her I get the uncontrollable urge to run out an have a colonoscopy.
Ray
She appeared normal to me, but I still have no intention of watching her show. One would think that any TV person would know better than to swear in front of a camera at any time if they want to avoid airings like this.
I gained a newfound respect for KC after watching these clips. "Giuliani's dead?" The guy makes Dick Clark look lively. It's about time a network news anchor started telling it like it is.
I still wouldn't kick her off my sofa...
Try working with Dennis Miller sometime. This gal is a dream. I think harry Shearer is desperate for clicks.
Oh and speaking of Harry he's no prince charming on the set either.
B
I can only assume that Shearer or whoever provided him with this clip is a closet Katie fan. I can't imagine anyone seeing this and actually being outraged or even mildly incensed. As all the posts here seem to prove, no one is truly put off by anything she says in the clip, and even folks who can't stand her are defending her. If this really was an attempt to zing her, I'd say it backfired rather decisively.
I'm sorry -- Katie Couric could go on a rampage with an Uzzi but whenever I switch on her broadcast, to me it's still seems like she's trying to turn it into "The CBS Evening News -- with Cuddles"....
I think much of the controversy surrounding this video is because Katie Couric was actually doing that news broadcast sitting on top a pile of newborn babies.
Just use a regular chair, Katie! Come on.
I have to agree with some of the other posters that Katie sounded like a lot of fun to work with. I, too, used to work in broadcast news. I ran audio for the local NBC affiliate, and I had access to the audio feed during commercial breaks for the Today show when she was still working for them. She always came across as tired but pleasant under the circumstances.
Well she's no Casey Kasem with a frackin' dog dying.
Here.
Warning, not safe for work.
Compared to some I (have) worke(ed) with, this anchor person seems like a cake walk. Joking with the crew, knowing people by name, asking (not demanding) questions. She even seems to know what's going on for the most part. Some anchors are only pretty-faced readers.
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