Page Six reported yesterday that even though Matt Lauer has been fired from Today and even though they just announced this week that Hoda Kotb is the new permanent co-anchor, he still sends notes. This is not like a note you pass in class. In TV and film, you get notes back from the network, from the studio, on what they want changed in the story, on the set, in the format. Matt Lauer isn’t sending “hey, how are you?” notes. He’s sending “you should do this and that” notes.
We’re told the disgraced “Today” show host has been firing off notes to producers from his sofa giving unsolicited feedback on the latest episodes.
Sources say Lauer — who was swiftly canned in November after being accused of inappropriate sexual conduct — recently sent a producer an email saying that he felt they had used the wrong music to kick off a segment.
Sources say Lauer’s missives have not been warmly received by “Today” staff.
Not warmly received? No kidding. And not just because of that secret sex button he had under his desk (what is it with megalomaniacs and the penis-enhancing buttons on their desks?!) but can you imagine the audacity and the f-cking ego required to be sending notes when you are, literally, a public disgrace???
You’re Matt Lauer. You were sent packing. And there has been story after story from so many women who’ve talked about how you sexually harassed and used them, how you abused your power to violate them, how you once allegedly just left a woman passed out in your office with her pants down after you sexually assaulted her, and you are still arrogant enough to be sending production notes, with your expert opinion, to former staff members?!? It’s actually… like… beyond incredible. Because this is what I keep thinking about this morning, to the point of distraction: women who show up to work every day, and work their asses off, who do such great work, who have done nothing but great work, who haven’t been sexually harassing people and violating workplace conduct code for decades, and we still don’t have the confidence to ask for a raise. Or a promotion. We’re the ones who feel nervous, anxious – afraid even! – to politely request, if it’s OK, if it’s not a bother, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, to be compensated fairly for our efforts. Like that’s still a thing that’s hard for people. For women. For so many of us. It’s a challenge. It’s something we lose sleep over. It’s something we AGONISE over.
And here’s Matt Lauer. Who was FIRED. Who, no problem!, can still pick up his phone and shoot off an email about how other people can do better at their jobs.
Consider then the generation upon generation upon generation of conditioning that had to happen to make this possible. To make it possible for women to feel like there’s a limit to what they are deserved and for a man like Matt Lauer to feel like, even after all this, he’s still in a position to offer anyone any advice on how to improve their work.
