Logo

Report: After ‘Cringe-Worthy’ Gaffes, NBC Execs Warn Al Roker to Think Before He Speaks

Nov 20, 2014  •  Post A Comment

Al Roker was reportedly recently told by NBC executives that he needs to think before he speaks, following a number of “cringe-worthy live gaffes,” reports the New York Post’s Page Six.

The story cites a source characterizing the incident as an “Al Roker intervention.”

“Classic Roker-isms that left ‘Today’ producers wincing include when he insulted a woman by asking if her husband was her father, and telling a mother in the crowd on the ‘Today’ plaza on Oct. 15 that her crying baby looked like a ‘Japanese anime,'” the story reports.

Other past comments by Roker have also been noted, such as his confession last year that he soiled his pants at the White House.

Following the “intervention,” an NBC representative said, “Al would have had a comment, but it was inappropriate and over-the-top, so we decided we couldn’t release it.” But a source indicated that Roker took the feedback to heart and was prepared to make an effort.

today show-al roker

Al Roker on “Today”

4 Comments

  1. OMG! just let the man be real!

  2. Did it ever occur to these corrective “executives” that maybe their over working a good man?

    I like his WAKE UP WITH AL on the Weather Channel and I’ve always liked him on TODAY, but if you look at the amount of on-your-feet live hours of spontaneous speaking he does for consecutive hours each of the five weekdays, it is a true challenge for anyone.

  3. “Al, thanks for coming to the meeting. We’ll get right to the point, Al. You still with me? Okay, good. Here’s the problem, Al. We need to find a way to suck more life out of the Today Show. It’s not lifeless enough. We don’t want people to identify with any of the hosts, and you’re far too natural for the show. People like you too much, and we can’t have that. How do you feel about being less appealing?”

    • That was perfect!

      I was wondering what happened to Al Roker this November. The absence of cloying TV partner Stephanie Abrams was analogous to a toothache mysteriously going away.

      Perhaps it has something to do with NBC’s fascination with jejune phrases like “It’s Amazing Out There.”

Leave a Reply to hoops56 Cancel Reply

Email (will not be published)