Say it ain’t so. Now Matt Lauer

[Mizzoufan]

Well that makes it all better. Sheesh. He is only sorry he got caught and got canned.

I don't know his heart, but I hope for his own sake he is truly sorry and can;t get help he deseperately needs and can make things right with his kids. because at the end of the day the don't deserve any of the stuff they are going through because of him.

 

[mnrose]

He *might* be truly sorry, but geesh, he should have KNOWN this was coming (given all the other stories in the last few weeks). If he was truly sorry, he'd have fallen on his sword. He didn't. He waited till he was "caught." Too little, too late.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

A statement from Matt Lauer: "There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions. To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry."

No, he isn't.

 

[melanielll]

If he was truly concerned about the people he was hurting, he would have sought help and stopped hurting them. Repeat offenders are not sorry. They are pitiful excuses for humans, but they are not sorry for those they hurt.

Edited to add - His actions show what is in his heart. So - we know what is there.

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

Ann Curry , Tamron Hall just sitting back drinking tea right now I'm sure. Lauer is a jerk, I'm so glad that all of these jerks are falling. Hope it goes all the way up the ranks.

 

[cabanafrau]

Stretching the truth seems like such small potatoes compared to all of this going on now.

I get your point and absolutely agree it's important no one is being sexually harassed, assaulted or intimidated, but I think we also have to remember the vital importance of press in a free society, so important it's constitutionally protected.

 

[nkereina]

One article I read cited a source as a "former Today show reporter" who said everyone knew about this, and I'm wondering if that could be Jenna Wolfe. She left the Today show on bad terms and had some beef there, talked some crap after she left, etc. And ironically, her partner Stephanie Gosk is now the one assigned to covering the story about Matt.

 

[design_mom]

I'm disappointed in Lauer and his weak apology. However, I think the NBC News executives also come out looking awful in this and I hope that they face some repercussions too. In their official statement, they indicated that this was the first complaint about him in his 20+ years at "Today." But the variety article indicated that multiple women filed complaints but that Lauer was deemed untouchable because of his ratings and clout with the sponsors. It seems like they only "did something" when confronted with the fact that the NYT and Variety were about to break the story.

In addition, it sounds like he had a button that he could press to lock the door without ever having to get up from his desk. Surely, he didn't have that installed himself. What kind of valid business reason would there be to have such a thing (that would outweigh the potential problems that could arise from having it?)

 

[msjprincess]

I'm disappointed in Lauer and his weak apology. However, I think the NBC News executives also come out looking awful in this and I hope that they face some repercussions too. In their official statement, they indicated that this was the first complaint about him in his 20+ years at "Today." But the variety article indicated that multiple women filed complaints but that Lauer was deemed untouchable because of his ratings and clout with the sponsors. It seems like they only "did something" when confronted with the fact that the NYT and Variety were about to break the story.

In addition, it sounds like he had a button that he could press to lock the door without ever having to get up from his desk. Surely, he didn't have that installed himself. What kind of valid business reason would there be to have such a thing (that would outweigh the potential problems that could arise from having it?)

I'll have to try and find where I read it, but I read that he isn't the only one with the button. Other high profile employees have it for security reasons.

 

[msjprincess]

I found it, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/business/media/nbc-matt-lauer.html

In 2001, the woman said, Mr. Lauer, who is married, asked her to his office to discuss a story during a workday. When she sat down, she said, he locked the door, which he could do by pressing a button while sitting at his desk. (People who worked at NBC said the button was a regular security measure installed for high-profile employees.)

 

[cabanafrau]

I'll have to try and find where I read it, but I read that he isn't the only one with the button. Other high profile employees have it for security reasons.

NBC had better hope plenty of people have such a button, because that's a very material fact they would find hard to explain away.

The NBC statement is pretty telling "current management had received no prior complaints". I'm guessing if asked they never inhale either.

 

[RangerPooh]

I'll have to try and find where I read it, but I read that he isn't the only one with the button. Other high profile employees have it for security reasons.

I read that too. In my office we have "panic buttons" that when pressed notify the campus police department to immediate come to our office. So I can see this being a real, however abuse of the feature for ones sexual pleasure remains unacceptable.

 

[tinatark]

Honestly, I think much of what is being presented as harassment is taken out of context. Not just with this case.

 

[cabanafrau]

Honestly, I think much of what is being presented as harassment is taken out of context. Not just with this case.

I'm not following your meaning. Are you saying this case is harassment & a lot of other claims aren't, or are you saying that a lot of this case isn't harassment because it was taken out of context also?

 

[Mizzoufan]

I saw on a news program that they said Matt Lauer will have jobs offer pouring in. What do you all think? Will this be the nail in coffin or will he be on another station before we know it.

 

[RangerPooh]

I saw on a news program that they said Matt Lauer will have jobs offer pouring in. What do you all think? Will this be the nail in coffin or will he be on another station before we know it.

That's a good question. I can see how as a big name news anchor he could easily be swooped up by another network, however is it the best decision right now in light of recent events? Perhaps it won't be one of the big 3 (CBS/ABC/NBC), but another network that is willing to take the risk.

 

[anniemae]

I saw on a news program that they said Matt Lauer will have jobs offer pouring in. What do you all think? Will this be the nail in coffin or will he be on another station before we know it.

I don't know. I kind of think he is done, I don't thing anyone wants to be associated with him given the info coming out. He has so much money I can't imagine he will have to work again. Wasn't he making over twenty million a year? I can see him maybe writing a book once the dust settles, but being on tv again? I don't see it.

 

[cabanafrau]

I saw on a news program that they said Matt Lauer will have jobs offer pouring in. What do you all think? Will this be the nail in coffin or will he be on another station before we know it.

I don't think so, I think he's toxic -- which is one of the top reasons NBC removed him. Frankly I also think they are secretly somewhat relieved to be freed from his mega salary.

It's been interesting watching the commentary spill from so many in the public who say they haven't been able to stand him, yet he was treated and compensated as NBC's most valuable asset while many, many women have been removed or walked away with little or no attempts by the network to encourage them to remain. They let Jane Pauley walk away, actually probably encouraged it by making her feel so unappreciated. The Ann Curry debacle -- should have never put her in the anchor chair, simply expanded the role she was a rock star in. Rolled out a pretty big unwelcome mat for Tamron Hall recently as well.

There was more than a rumble of chatter that a lot of viewers didn't like Matt Lauer for a long time. Ratings weren't as guaranteed to be #1 as they used to be, yet he got an even larger contract extension. I think in the Katie Couric era the show had a lock on #1 for several years, yet they couldn't structure a deal to keep her, yet always found a way to keep Matt?

 

[elgerber]

Oh, I just Love Lester. I think he really knows how to deliver a story. It would be great to see him as Lauer’s replacement.

I love Lester too, but I don't think he would step down from nightly news Anchor back to the Today Show.

I saw on a news program that they said Matt Lauer will have jobs offer pouring in. What do you all think? Will this be the nail in coffin or will he be on another station before we know it.

I don't know, I think he is done. With some of the details of the allegations and todays environment, I am thinking I hope he saved up enough of his $25mil a year salary to retire on.

 

[mnrose]

Eh. Lots of disgraced people find a way to come back after they've done a mea culpa, written a book, and gotten "treatment." Hey, some of them don't even get treatment. They just deny, deny, deny, and somehow, enough of the public forgives them or doesn't care that they are "back" before they've even left.

I predict the same for Matt Lauer. Give it a couple of years. At most.