This Is Why I Love Kathie Lee & Hoda (or, Real Talk About What Just Happened At The Today Show)
So Hoda & Kathie Lee, whom I always enjoy, are chatting it up this morning in the background, and a topic is raised off a recent study from Yahoo! Shine & Fitness Mag about women being “competitive.” I perk up, interested in how the notion of women and competition is going to be portrayed. (Since my answer to the question “Should women be competitive?” is “Obvs.”) But suddenly things took a turn from the hypothetical to the real. And in an hour of television that is delightful primarily because of its unscripted rapport between the hosts, this moment of unscripted interaction really crystallized why I like Kathie Lee & Hoda - and hints at how the recent mess at the Today show was undermining not just for the parties directly involved.
KATHIE LEE: All right, how competitive are you? We know how competitive you are, Hoda!
HODA: There is a survey out by Yahoo! Shine & Fitness magazine and it says that 80% of people admit to being competitive.
KATHIE LEE: About something. Something or other.
[brief interchange with producer]
HODA: Would you compete with a best friend? If there was a job opening would you and your best friend were both vying for it, would you compete or would you - I guess you’d have to compete, how could you not? 90% would compete, by the way, for a job, with a best friend.
KATHIE LEE: You know, if you’re an actress, and you’ve got two separate agents and the agent sets you up and you both go to an audition for the very same film or commercial or something like that - I’ve gone through that, many many times, in my earlier career - and sometimes your friend gets it, sometimes you do. There’s certain things that you understand are just part and parcel with the business, because - it’s so subjective. You may be right for this thing but this director over here wants you for that thing. And it all equals out.
HODA: What if you’re in a business, and there’s one job that comes open, and you and your friend are both -
KATHIE LEE: Well that has recently happened around here and I was extremely happy for you!
HODA: [look of surprise quickly changes to bemusement]
KATHIE LEE: When you were considered for something wonderful. I’m happy for you! If the person’s a friend - you’re thrilled for them!
HODA: Right. Right right right.
KATHIE LEE: Yeah!
HODA: How did we get there.
[offscreen laughter]
