Megyn Kelly Embracing Her Demons

It’s clear to objective observers that NBC errantly gave away the farm to secure the services of Megyn Kelly from Fox News. Kelly’s credentials were that she was an attractive 40-something blond lady who enraged Trump. There were others, but not in the TV news business. 

The deal made sense in that “let’s give up tons of top draft picks to trade up for RG3” kind of way. Entirely on paper. NBC is clearly a progressive, left-leaning news joint. They wanted to stick it to Fox News for a mere guaranteed $23 million a year for Kelly. Congratulations, here’s your prize.

Kelly has turned out to be a bust. That’s a title many are competing hard for at NBC News. They stuck her in a Today show third hour time slot where she’s fractured viewers brains with beyond Kathy Lee Gifford levels of insipid tea party clucking and dancing worse than Ellen. There was likely tons of internal dispute over hiring Kelly in the first place. Her mega-salary likely didn’t help calm any anger. It may be that she wasn’t such a great number one pick. 

Kelly reads the papers. She hears the chatter, she knows she’s the water is circling the toilet clockwise and it’s not rising. Like a dictator facing rumors of a  coup, Kelly’s become obsessed as to who in the media might be out to get her. She landed her crazy pointer on Jezebel, the robotic feminist blog with the fill in the blanks Mad Woman Libs articles. More specifically, blogger Bobby Finger, the lone Jezebel male staffer suffering workplace gender humiliation like a pre-op Opus Dei. The fact they have him use the byline, Bobby Finger, tells you about what you need to know.

Finger has been penning a running snarky column documenting his fascination with the foibles and missteps of Megyn Kelly’s morning show. Kelly’s apparently become obsessed with Bobby Finger’s thinly veiled criticism of her talk show work and tracked him down for an invite to the show audience. Said the spider to the fly, and all that. Kelly made an exaggerated show of excitement at the sprightly blogger in the red suit, including calling him a “rockstar” and running into to the crowd for a big girl hug. Molestation victims hug their former abusers with more conviction. 

The awkwardness of the moment about sums up the future of Megyn Kelly. A flailing dye job with all the money in the world and zero affirmation. When you find yourself hugging a Jezebel man-cooze, you’re clinging to a lifeline tied at only one end.

_{Photo credit: NBC}