kelly ripa Archives - The Dishmaster

Kelly Ripa Makes Lazy Co-Host Choice

Kelly Ripa chose Ryan Seacrest as her new co-host, in a move that can only be described as lazy, boring, and entitled. For one solid year the producers of Live With Kelly snowed us into believing they were actually executing a legitimate, above board search for the new seat. Instead, they were negotiating Ryan Seacrest’s contract and no one else stood a chance. That “no one else” specifically refers to Jerry O’Connell who seemed a shoe-in for the coveted gig.

According to Kelly Ripa, Ryan Seacrest is “a seamless, seamless broadcaster. There is nobody better. There is nobody that understands what 30 seconds of conversation actually means in in real time like Ryan does, and so he makes everything easy — it’s like a vacation with him.” That quote perfectly captures why this is a lazy decision. First, had Ripa took a chance on a newbie, she’d have to carry the load during the learning curve, and perhaps she’s grown out of that task. Michael Strahan was a left-of-center pick, and it required Ripa to do work. With Seacrest, she can sit back, relax, and trust his broadcasting prowess. Is that a good thing? It’s clear she can carry the show on her own, so why not give someone else a real shot at the seat?

From a creative perspective, this is also the wrong decision. Live With Kelly demands that its co-hosts discuss their personal lives at the top of the show. As a self-admitted workaholic, Seacrest doesn’t really have a personal life. He’s secretive about who he dates, and doesn’t have a wife and children. This show is supposed to relate to the masses, and who can relate to Ryan Seacrest? Jerry O’Connell, though also a Los Angeles guy, does in fact have a family and kids, and he’s extremely funny when describing their antics. We can call Seacrest many things, but funny is not one of them.

So why would Ryan Seacrest, who has a million jobs, even accept this offer, which requires that he move to New York. Well, why not? Without his American Idol salary, it goes without saying he wanted a new influx of cash, and this is it.

It’s also worth noting that choosing a white, rich male as a host rubs me the wrong way, especially given today’s climate. She could have chosen a woman, or any minority for the role, and she instead went with the guy who’s got everything. And if you’re going to go that route, then pick the teacher who guest-hosted and garnered positive reviews. What a disappointing, terrible decision, and the quote below says it best.

@ABC @LiveKelly @KellyRipa @RyanSeacrest Took Kelly Ripa a year to choose Ryan Seacrest??!!! That’s like standing in a Baskin Robbins for two weeks and choosing vanilla.

— GKR (@GKRgus1) May 1, 2017

Michael Strahan’s Last Show on ‘Live’ – Thanks Kelly

Live With Kelly and Michael

Is Michael Strahan making a mistake by leaving ‘Live With Kelly and Michael‘ for ‘Good Morning America’? Only time will tell, but at least he can cry into a big pile of money if the career move doesn’t work out. After watching his exit package below, I couldn’t help but feel sad, because Kelly and Michael really did have sweet on-stage chemistry, and life isn’t just about money. He’s moving to another show as part of an ensemble, which apart from the money, feels like a step down. Good luck, Michael. You will be missed, especially since I don’t watch GMA.

Kelly Ripa Returns With Classy, Funny Monologue

Kelly Ripa returned to ‘Live With Kelly and Michael’ after a press firestorm surrounding Strahan’s abrupt departure to ‘Good Morning America.’ Though it might seem impossible to make light of a difficult situation, Ripa stayed true to her classy form with some funny jokes and genuine honesty. She said she deserved to take two days off after over two decades with ABC, and she’s been assured that her show is in fact a priority. She also said there were snipers with tranquilizer darts ready in case she went off script. Strahan seemed to take it in stride, once again assuring Ripa that she is the Queen and he’s honored to have worked beside her. Their love-fest was short-lived; however, because it’s recently been revealed that Strahan will leave earlier than expected.

In everyday life, when one is upset with the executives in charge, he or she might call in sick in silent defiance and fly under the radar. Ripa is not given that same luxury, because the world is watching. I’ve previously noted that she has been given sexist treatment from the media and I still must tip my hat to her maturity. As for Strahan, I don’t blame him for taking a higher-paying job, but I think it’s the wrong move. To quote Andy Cohen, when your name is in the title of a show, how could you forgo that in favor of an ensemble? It must also be noted that Ripa can find solace in the fact that ABC will be punished for their poor, disrespectful move, because it has impacted Strahan’s squeaky clean image, which will make it more difficult to win viewers at his new post. So good job, guys.

Michael Strahan’s Exit Reveals a Sexist Media

When Michael Strahan announced his exit from Live with Kelly and Michael, the public was apparently just as shocked as his costar. Sources reveal that the original plan was to tell Kelly Ripa well before the rest of the world, but when the story leaked, the timeline became truncated. Kelly ditched her desk the following day for an early exit on an already planned vacation, which prompted Strahan to publicly thank her with some canned comments.

Ripa’s primary objection surrounds not only the timeline, but the idea that both shows are under the Disney umbrella, and Bob Iger obviously values ‘Good Morning America’ more than ‘Live With Kelly and Michael,’ because taking her costar clearly puts one show at risk at the advantage of another. Furthermore, why would execs demand Strahan keep this a secret? If they’re all on the same team, then isn’t it fair to tell his longtime partner about the deal? Surely they’d know she would not leak the news. And finally, it’s disloyal. Ripa is an extremely valuable, high-performing partner on a major, revenue-generating show, and Strahan owes her everything. She obviously played a role in his hiring, influenced his success, and at times — carried him.

One would think that the press surrounding this situation would focus on Strahan’s disloyalty, along with taking the executives to task. But it’s shockingly (or not so shockingly) gone the other direction. Ripa has been portrayed as a drama queen who had an emotional “meltdown” or “tantrum” and immaturely didn’t show up for work. As for Strahan, he’s a “stand up guy” who didn’t have to be in the meeting with Ripa to break the news but chose to do so anyways out of the kindness of his heart. ABC is banking on Strahan’s likability on their bubble-gum daytime show, and if his departure gets tainted, their plan tanks. It’s therefore clear who’s behind these leaks, but the media is taking the bait, and falling into the same gender traps women have been arguing against for some time. Ripa is a powerhouse performer and Strahan betrayed her. Why isn’t anyone talking about that?

Michael Strahan Interview with Cigar Afionado

MICHAEL_STRAHAN_CIGARAFICIONADO

NFL great and television talk show host Michael Strahan sat down with Cigar Afionado for an exclusive interview, and the gentle Giant talked football, the limelight, and what’s next for his career. Read some choice quotes below.

On knowing no limits: “I don’t limit myself and I tell my kids not to let anyone limit you. That’s one of the great things I learned from my dad. He never said, ‘If…’ It wasn’t ‘If you’re drafted by the pros.’ It was always ‘When.’ When you’re drafted by the pros. He made things seem like they were supposed to happen.”

On his football field strategy: “I always looked at football as psychological. It was like chess, where you’re figuring out what your opponent’s next move will be, or how to make them move where you want them to…That’s one of the things I miss—that chess match.”

On the difference in his life since leaving football: “I’m not sore every morning.”

Co-host Kelly Ripa on Strahan’s surprising shyness: “All he has are strengths. He can talk about anything…If charm was a drug, you could extract it from his body and give it to everyone…People run up and hug him. They see a big personality. But in his private time, he’s really very shy.”

On his “Live with Kelly and Michael” audience: “Those are the only ones we really think about talking to. If I started thinking about how many people are actually watching us on TV, it would freak me out.”

On being in the limelight: “One of the most embarrassing things to me is people yelling out my name in the street, I want to be the guy who can walk in and out of a room and you don’t know I’ve been there…I miss being able to sit in a restaurant and not have people try to sneak a photo with their cameras.”

On finding anonymity within the community of cigar smokers: “Cigars solicit conversation. You see someone smoking a cigar and you feel instantly closer to them.”

On his choice cigars: “For the most part, I like my cigars light and sweet. Sometimes, though, give me something robust that will knock my socks off. I think the little ones look funny in my hand because I’m such a big guy. But I don’t want a cigar that’s the size of my thumb either.”

On his many ventures off of the field and what’s next: “Someone asked me what I’d like my legacy to be. When I thought about it, I decided I’d like to have been more successful outside of football than I was in it…I’m not done yet. I’ve got a long way to go.”

Samantha Ronson Sings on Live! With Kelly — Or Doesn’t

I think the sound guy messed up when he forgot to turn off Samantha Ronson’s mic during her painful performance on Live! With Kelly. Why is it that everyone has an aspiration outside their best skill? To quote Simon Cowell, “If you give this up, you can take that time to focus on something you might actually be successful at.” And Kelly Ripa needs to tone down the lies. She’s not doing anyone any favors.

Kim Kardashian Discusses Her Divorce With Kelly Ripa — YAWN!

I’m not posting this clip because of Kim Kardashian. I’m posting it to illustrate just how much I miss Regis Philbin. When you watch, pay close attention to how much work Kelly Ripa has to do to keep the conversation entertaining. Sure Kim Kardashian discussed her tumultuous personal life, but without the E! edit, she’s not quite so interesting to watch. Ripa is basically laying verbal brick for fourteen minutes straight.

Kelly Ripa Withholds Sex to Fix Her Leak

Please don’t judge me for the crude pun within the title of this post. I simply couldn’t help myself. In reference to an article in the paper about women in Columbia withholding sex until their roads are fixed, Ripa said she has a leak in her roof, followed by a hilarious gaze at the camera addressed to her husband. Translation? — Mark Consuelos better fix his wife’s leak. Something tells me he is capable. Watch below.

R.I.P. All My Children — I’ll Remember You Always

Though I’m not a soap opera fan, I have a special place in my heart for All My Children, because my mother watched it religiously while I was growing up. She’d tape it on VHS (remember those?) and sometimes sit for hours in front of the television to catch up on the episodes she missed. At one point, I became addicted too, and it was right around the time Tad returned from his death and went to find Dixie. It took weeks for them to finally reconnect, and I was dying for Dixie to find out that the love her life never really died after all. Can you believe Tad had amnesia and couldn’t remember her? I’ll never forget the great moments with Erika Kane, played by the unforgettable Susan Lucci. I also vividly remember a much curvier Kelly Ripa, who fell in love with her husband, Mark Consuelos on the show. I loved that show — and I’m sad to see it go. But television has changed, and soap operas were targeted to stay-at-home mothers. With the change in both tradition and the economy, those moms aren’t at home anymore — so the ratings suffered. Goodbye All My Children. I’ll love you forever.