Apparently if you get demoted and still have to go out on national television and share the stage with your replacement, you are supposed to be super nice to them and be bff. At least this is what NBC staffers believe. Of course NBC staffers also believed Animal Practice would be a huge hit for years to come on the network. NBC bosses reprimanded Jenna Wolfe because they say she was openly hostile and just not very nice to Erica Hill who replaced her as co-host of the weekend Today show. I don't blame her. It is kind of like being fired and having to train your replacement. The thing is, Jenna's job pays a whole lot more so she has to do it, while the rest of us would probably just say forget it. Can you imagine having to train your replacement after being fired but then being called into your bosses' office and being yelled at because you were not Christmas nice to your replacement?
They should have her and Anne co-host the 4th hour of Today together... I'd love to see the two of them get better ratings than Lauer!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be surprised if she has a clause in her contract that says NBC has to pay her if they fire her. Jenna is probably hoping to get canned. I can't blame her for playing the waiting game with good money on the line.
ReplyDeleteI would find it nearly impossible to not be salty, and I try to be diplomatic AMAP.
ReplyDeleteSince when are major TV news show hosts/anchors ever nice to each other? It's so competitive in network news that it seems many of them criticize each other harshly once off-camera. The exceptions stand out for being exceptions.
ReplyDeleteNo. SHE IS ON TELEVISION. Yes, I'm sure it would be difficult, but a professional sucks it up and does her job. Then go all Sean Penn on her ass when the cameras are off.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened with Erica Hill at CBS? I know she left CNN to go to CBS as a weekend anchor, then was moved up to the weekday morning show. Then she was gone.
ReplyDeleteI really like Jenna Wolfe, and don't blame her a bit. That's a real shitty thing to do.
I read somewhere online yesterday (probably planted by NBC) that Jenna, who's a fitness buff, pushed for lots of exercise segments, where she did better than Lester Holt, which didn't make him look or feel good. I highly doubt that's true, but I guess they have to come up with something.
I heard Lester wanted her replaced, and when I heard the reason, I didn't blame him.
ReplyDeleteShe's an extreme fitness buff and always was pushing segments in which the two of them tried different sports, and he's clearly not into it. It would always turn into him looking like an ass and her looking like a champion. I watch that Saturday show regularly and when I think about it, that sounds right to me. Most of her segments have to do with extreme sports, her jumping off a building with a parachute, her doing an extreme obstacle course 5K, etc. That's her main interest and that's okay, but an anchor needs to be more well-rounded than that. She'd be better suited to being a health and fitness reporter, period. Just my opinion.
This is part of office politics I would suck at. Some people are good at hiding their emotions. No matter how hard i try to smile, if mad it comes out a snarl. Dang
ReplyDeleteI find this whole fitness excuse reasoning pretty lame. If he didn't like the segments (and had so much power), why didn't he just ask them to cut back on them (or have someone else compete with her) instead of getting her canned? I have always liked him, but if this is true, then he is a petty, petty man.
ReplyDeleteWhile Jenna may be justified in being angry about her demotion, she is misdirecting her anger at the wrong person -- Erica Hill is NOT the person who demoted her; the producers are. For her to take it out on Erica is not only misdirected, it is petulant and immature.
ReplyDeleteGood for her for not being syrupy, or something she's not. But you have to go along to get along. Personality conflicts make it more interesting for the rest of us, though.
ReplyDeleteJenna has every right not to like her new job assignment and the way she can express her intolerance is NOT by being hateful to her replacement--but if you don't like the job your boss gives you (and pays you VERY well to do) GO FIND ANOTHER JOB.
ReplyDeleteSheesh. These people act like being a TV star is a god-given right.
Jenna was not a good host--she was really immature and obnoxious--if Lester doesn't like you, there's something wrong with you--he is
a very nice man.
Erika Hill did not steal Jenna's job. The company that owns the show--right or wrong--did NOT like the job Jenna was doing and they offered her an alternate role on the show. If she is not happy to do that job, she needs to move on.
Savannah didn't steal Ann's job--it was all about Matt and the producers not being happy with Ann's performance. That is the employer's right.
No question they could handle these things in a nicer way--but in the end it's their decision--you don't like it--go somewhere else or take a pay-off if you have that offer.
I love Lester Holt.
ReplyDelete@car54 - if she's under contract, it's not that simple to "go find another job." You sound very defensive of Lester; are you related to him or something?
ReplyDeleteI don't understand this post at all. She's on national television -- who does she think she's hurting by being unprofessional? Her (soon-to-be-former) employer? Does she think that another network will snap her up knowing this is how she'll behave on television? If this were an employee at a fast-food drive-thru who was "demoted" to working the front counter instead and acted pissy in front of customers instead of nice or professional while still taking home a paycheck, that would be tolerated for exactly how long?
ReplyDeleteThe Today Show is clearly gone off the rails. Jenna's behavior is a symptom of a much bigger problem. A clean sweep may be in order. No one is coming off good in this, with the possible exception of Lester Holt. NBC has handled this like they handle their prime time lineup: badly.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% with you. I watched Today every day for most of my life, until five years ago. It has fallen apart. I loved Ann, I love Lester and Al. Get rid of Matt the producers and start again. It annoys me to see a show I loved come to this. NBC needs to look around and really evaluate this mess.
DeleteAgree..Not the replacements fault Jenna was demoted. Be classy and professional.
ReplyDeleteI love Erica Hill. Her and Lester should be the next Today show anchors.
ReplyDeleteis there ANY morning programming left on nbc that hasn't jumped the shark? it's a serious attack of the douchies. idgi.
ReplyDeleteYou're saying Jenna had to TRAIN Erica? LOLOLOL! Are you serious? And you're an entertainment lawyer?
ReplyDeleteAgreed @car54. The only good thing at NBC is Lester Holt and Brian Williams. Jenna always rubbed me the wrong way. I saw Saturday's show and it was apparent, very unprofessional.
ReplyDeleteI actually thought that Erica and Lester did a great job together. This is a cutthroat business, it always has been. Sometimes that is the way the cookie crumbles.
@ThisIKnow, I would love that! I really think that it would boost Today's ratings if they put them on the weekday version.
I agree with Cathy, put her and Ann together and watch them demolish the today shows ratings. I like the way you write Enty. Good metaphor for how could any human being handle this kind of rejection and then go on smiling.
ReplyDeleteSo what, who cares?
ReplyDeleteNot defensive of Lester, Jenna has just spoiled watching the weekend show--which I used to watch--I like him, and I liked Amy who anchored with him one day of the weekend--but the days Jenna was the co-anchor, she was so crass, invariably I would flip the channel to one of the other networks.
ReplyDeleteI'm betting she had the same options (for less money) than Ann--take the other job, or take a payout of some sort.
Targeting the new person isn't the way--she didn't "take" your job--you lost it by not delivering the ratings or not working with the team.
She would be better doing fluff in the field pieces than as a news reader if they keep her.
The real culprit is NBC--they really don't do this kind of thing well--and Ann handled her situation with lots of grace--she probably got a lot more money and a better alteranate job than Jenna, but she also had a lot more professional experience to warrant that.
She probably is trying to get fired to get the money (if thats her deal) as someone else said, but my issue is, if you take their paycheck and the job, do it--it isn't the new person's fault.
@sis he's saying she pretty much had to train her, I could see that happening. Not so much train her for the position but show her the ropes around the office... I work in a newsroom and if they're as low on staff as we are, that could absolutely happen. It would totally suck, but its a heartless, cold industry. She's in a tough spot and I can't say I wouldn't do the same as her, but I'm better at the deceptive snark where it takes ppl a few hours to realize my "joke" was an insult
ReplyDeleteIs that Warner Wolfe's daughter, the NY Anchor from back in the day? I think that was his name. If that's her, I think she started at NYU my senior year. I remember my friends asshole roommate was dating her.
ReplyDelete