Too Much Information: Vieira Informs World Guest Had Hot Flash

NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Rather than the "liberal bias" rubric, file this one under "coarsening of the culture." We had a dubious first this morning: a network news host informing the world that one of her guests had just experienced a hot flash.

Dr. Nancy Snyderman was Meredith Vieira's guest for purposes of discussing the good news that scientists have discovered a way to extract stem cells from amniotic fluid and placentas, a breakthrough that could render moot the embryonic stem cell controversy.

But at the end of the interview, in promoting an upcoming segment devoted to menopause, Vieira "outed" Snyderman in these terms:

"You'll be back for our menopause series. And Nancy was actually fanning herself earlier. She had a hot flash. She knows what she's talking about."

Snyderman took it in good-natured stride, acknowledging with a chuckle "it's true, it's true."

Perhaps realizing she had gone too far, Meredith threw it back to Matt Lauer with a nervous laugh.

View video here.

If might have been understandable, perhaps even praiseworthy, had Snyderman in the course of the menopause segment decided to mention this herself. But was it really Vieira's role to "out" her guest in this way, or was this, to use the current phrase, too much information?

Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Hot flash to Today show list.

[alicewonders]

I have a "hot flash" when I hear these idiots speak.

[showme_the_Glory]

PMS network?

[Balding_Eagle]

Given that Snyderman had jsut announced one more reason against abortion she's lucky to have escaped with just being outed. It could, and probably will will be much worse else where.

[tiredoflaundry]

I prefer to call them "power surges".

[PJ-Comix]

I hope some future guest on the show mentions that Meredith Vieira just farted...whether she did or not.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

LOL. Rush, who likes to talk about PSNBC, should get a chuckle out of this one!

[governsleastgovernsbest]

LOL. To use another 'in' expression: you go girl!

[iceskater]

We'll have to see if Rush picks up on your story.

Is it me, or is Meredith really that stupid? The more I listen to her, the more I have to wonder how she ever got the job. Aside from her liberal credentials, that is. She seems to have a habit of making inappropriate, stupid remarks during interviews, during the chit chat moments, almost all the time.

Katie makes me crazy but I don't think she's stupid. Meredith makes me crazy AND she's stupid.

[MadelineZapeezda]

power surges..............LOL!!!

[johnny7]

Either farted... or involuntarily emptied her bladder.

[Wombat101]

In the grand scheme of things, is this minor kerfuffle really important enough to waste bandwidth on?

[governsleastgovernsbest]

In the grand scheme of things, is this minor kerfuffle really important enough to waste bandwidth on?

As mentioned in the opening line, I do think this story is a reflection of the coarsening of our culture. This kind of thing would have been unthinkable just a generation ago. But if you feel strongly about it, perhaps you should submit a complaint to the admin mods who of course have the ability to pull threads they consider inappropriate or a waste of bandwidth.

[Wombat101]

That was not my point, and you can stop with the holier-than-thou-fur-breasted-Culture-Warrior attitude.

Who cares if Meredith Viera "outed" someone over something as insigificant as a hot flash? It doesn't matter in the least, except to perhaps embarrass the outee. Your interest in the whole affair is to simply hop up and down, like a schoolboy bursting for a pee, about how inappropriate it all is, with the urgent sense that this particular incident spells the end of Western Civilization as we know it, that is common amongst the perpetually pany-bunched.

If a passing, although admittedly crude, reference to a "woman's problem" that until recently was not discussed in "polite society" gets your Irish up, you do indeed have a problem.

[PGalt]

Probably Meredith's (whoever she is...never watched her) nuanced way of attacking Dr. Nancy Snyderman's reporting of good news. Thanks for reporting.

[Wombat101]

Excuse me, that should have read:

"...perpetually panty-bunched..."

[YellowRoseofTx]

I like your term, "power surge" better than my "heat wave"

[sportutegrl]

Dr. Schneiderman was apparently on to dispel the myth that you need to destroy babies to get stem cells, so naturally she is the enemy in the View's view. Menopause is a very personal thing, rather like saying that someone is having her period, to me. It seems like an extremely catty remark.

[tiredoflaundry]

;o)