Updated : Video added after the jump.
During a panel discussion on Wednesday's NBC Today, all of the pundits agreed that it was perfectly acceptable for a school in California to let former porn star Sasha Grey read to a classroom of first graders. Advertising executive Donny Deutsch went so far as to admonish critics: "Shame on people, she's volunteering for underprivileged kids." [Audio available here]
NBC medical correspondent Nancy Snyderman also praised Grey's volunteerism and added that the whole controversy was just "craziness." Attorney Star Jones concluded: "Anytime somebody wants to go into a school and help out a child, we need to let them."
Here is a transcript of the November 16 exchange:
9:12AM ET
DONNY DEUTSCH: Not at all. Not at all. They're first graders, she's volunteering her time. It's not against the law. Shame on – she's volunteering her time. Now maybe if it was high school kids and they were aware who she is. Shame on people, she's volunteering for underprivileged kids.
GUTHRIE: But they have no idea.
NANCY SYNDERMAN: She's a porn star who's literate. She can read.
DEUTSCH: But, I mean, do we have a problem with that?
STAR JONES: But to be honest with you, unless the parent told the kid...
GUTHRIE: They would have no idea.
JONES: ...one, what porn is and, two, who porn stars are.
DEUTSCH: They don't know what porn is in first grade, I mean, come on.
SNYDERMAN: You know what? She's volunteering her time, she's reading to kids.
JONES: Absolutely.
SNYDERMAN: I mean, what – this is craziness.
GUTHRIE: You don't see the controversy, okay.
JONES: You know, and anytime somebody wants to go into a school and help out a child, we need to let them.
SNYDERMAN: I agree with you.
DEUTSCH: This is the good side of what people do.
