Continuing her media book tour on NBC’s 3rd Hour Today show Tuesday morning, the network’s former morning show host Katie Couric complained that her failure as anchor of CBS Evening News was due to America’s “sexism.” She bitterly whined that she was “not sure if the country was ready for a female anchor” during her tumultuous five-year tenure at network.
“But then you also sort of notice a change. And I think it sort of happens when you decide to leave the Today show,” fill-in co-host Tom Llamas observed. He then wondered: “I wanted to ask you, do you think you changed? Do you think the person that became so successful in the Today show became a different person when you decided to leave?”
Couric denied having changed: “I don’t, really....I don’t really think I changed at all.” Llamas pressed: “The fame and the money, you don’t think it changed you?” Couric insisted: “No, I don’t think so. I really don’t. I’m essentially the same person who I’ve always been.”
Ultimately, she began to bash CBS and the American people:
But I think the problem is probably I didn’t change enough when I went to CBS. I was more of a product of the Today show and NBC and I think it was a real culture clash. I don’t think people internally really accepted me. And I thought we were much further along when it came to sexism because I enjoyed such a great position at the Today show. I thought America was really ready for a female anchor of the Evening News. And I think we were just not as far along as I naively thought, I think.
Moments later, she concluded: “You know, I’m not sure if the country was ready for a female anchor. Maybe they weren’t just ready for me as a female anchor because of their perceptions of me.”
Perhaps that attitude is why Couric has been banned from hawking her book on CBS.
Couric’s pity party was brought to NBC viewers by Verizon and Neutrogena. You can fight back by letting these advertisers know what you think of them sponsoring such content.
Here is a transcript of Couric’s October 19 comments:
9:16 AM ET
(...)
TOM LLAMAS: And when you’re reading the book, you realize why you were so successful. It is so funny, so relatable in the beginning. You’re so self-deprecating. But then you also sort of notice a change. And I think it sort of happens when you decide to leave the Today show. And so when I was reading this, I wanted to ask you, do you think you changed? Do you think the person that became so successful in the Today show became a different person when you decided to leave?
KATIE COURIC: I don’t, really. I mean, I think I wanted to try something new and have a new challenge. I loved my years on the Today show. It’s such a great job and it’s so much fun and the people are so wonderful. But, no, I don’t really think I changed at all.
LLAMAS: The fame and the money, you don’t think it changed you?
COURIC: No, I don’t think so. I really don’t. I’m essentially the same person who I’ve always been. You know, I think it’s hard because, you know, you get all these forces and, you know, you feel like, gosh, this is – this is a lot to handle. And I think there were times when probably the hubris got to me. I think it gets to everybody and you have to kind of level set.
But I think I’ve always had my priorities straight and I think that when my husband died and my sister died, I realized very quickly what really matters is, you know, your family and the people who are closest to you.
But I think the problem is probably I didn’t change enough when I went to CBS. I was more of a product of the Today show and NBC and I think it was a real culture clash. I don’t think people internally really accepted me. And I thought we were much further along when it came to sexism because I enjoyed such a great position at the Today show. I thought America was really ready for a female anchor of the Evening News. And I think we were just not as far along as I naively thought, I think.
AL ROKER: You mean the folks at CBS?
COURIC: Both internally, but also externally. You know, I’m not sure if the country was ready for a female anchor. Maybe they weren’t just ready for me as a female anchor because of their perceptions of me. But I really went there to say a woman can do this job with confidence and competence. And that’s really what motivated my decision, not because, oh, I’m – you know, I mean, I was doing great here.
(...)
