I love The Today Show. Specifically, I love the show’s fourth hour, hosted by Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford. I watch it nearly everyday when I’m home on breaks, and have occasionally used a television in the basement of my dorm to catch an episode or two while I’m here at Vassar.
Though I’m normally quite embarrassed to reveal my affinity for The Today Show’s fourth hour, I’ve recently begun to question whether that embarrassment is warranted. Yes, the show is more of a “news-magazine,” frequently featuring fluffy segments about the newest fall fashions or the best ideas for throwing a Memorial Day party. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a worthwhile source of information.
The 10am hour always opens with a segment titled “Today’s Talk,” in which Hoda and Kathie Lee share their opinions about whatever is making headlines that day. Sometimes those selected are more focused on popular culture – even I had to tune out in the weeks leading up to Kim Kardashian’s wedding, for their coverage was just too much – but at other times these women weigh in on some of the more serious issues in the news. And though their opinions aren’t always the most articulate or ones that I necessarily agree with, it is interesting to hear what they have to say about any variety of topics.
Additionally, I find great entertainment value in this segment of their show, regardless of what they’re discussing. It’s as much fun to listen to them discuss random statistics about dating as it is to hear them weigh in on Hurricane Irene and its effects on New York City. And I don’t think I should be ashamed for turning to this program for entertainment. While the survey we took at the beginning of this semester showed that only 4% of Vassar students regularly watch The Today Show (I was one of them), 36% regularly watch The Daily Show and 25% regularly watch The Colbert Report. It’s certainly true that the humor of The Today Show with Hoda and Kathie Lee may be less intelligent and less purposeful than that of Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert, but that doesn’t mean I should be embarrassed for enjoying it.
Now, I’m well aware that watching The Today Show is no substitute for watching the evening news or picking up an issue of The New York Times. But sometimes it’s nice to get some news from a lighter source, to listen to the headlines while also listening to two women joke about the amount of wine they’re drinking at 10am. And if choosing the fourth hour of The Today Show as that lighter source is seen as less sophisticated than choosing The Colbert Report, I guess that’s just something I’ll have to deal with.
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