Gawker: Meredith Viera

Meredith Viera, Oversharing Dog Crap Expert

Jasper Reardon — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 15:16:41 EDT

I really like Meredith. She's leaps and bounds more genuine than Katie Couric. But even she has been shoehorned by her bosses into the "We Need a Blog" syndrome. She is a classy gal, and it's a shame some NBC producer drove her to such depths that she's writing openly about her dog's defecation habits (albeit in a heartfelt way Americans can relate to).

She writes:

Here’s my life in a nutshell: I still haven’t found my charm bracelet, and Jasper our dog has started "relieving" himself again in our living room, after I spent a couple hundred dollars getting the rug clean so that he wouldn’t smell himself.

I don’t understand why he’s doing it—he’s free to go outside all the time, it’s not as if he’s trapped and has no choice, he knows he’s loved… At this point I’m wondering if I should install motion sensors and hidden cameras just to see if there’s a pattern or time of day when he goes behind the couch. But maybe that’s taking it too far.

But apparently, her post found a concerned audience:

Since I’m flying to Chicago right after the show tomorrow, I thought I’d answer a few questions today…

Caroline said: Did your dog start "relieving" himself when your son came home from college for the summer? If so, this might have been his way of marking his territory!

That’s a great observation, but unfortunately this pre-dates Ben’s return home. So I’m still at a loss but determined to come up with a solution. A friend of mine suggested I just put those wee-wee pads for puppies along the living room floor where Jasper likes to ‘go’, but I’m afraid that will send him the wrong message... stay tuned.

We will.

[via Meredith Viera's blog]

Ex-Con Paris Hilton Worth More Than A Lousy 100 Grand

abalk — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 08:57:36 EDT

According to various reports—more on that later—one network or another has agreed to pay or to not pay a large or even more large amount of money to Paris Hilton for an interview. The network will not be ABC—although they figured the "credibility" and close connection Barbara Walters has with the Hilton family (oh, plus an offer of $100,000) would snag them the first post-jail interview with Paris Hilton. Some reports say Walters was out-credibilitied by Meredith Viera and at least $650,000. Others say NBC's offer is $1 million. NBC says they don't pay for interviews, and fast-talking Paris publicist Mike Sitrick says the same, which means the opposite is true.

But daddy Rick Hilton says different.

As ABC representatives described the conversation, [Rick] Hilton told Ms. Walters, "It is a money issue." He was also reported to have said that Paris Hilton had made the decision to go with NBC and that she had chosen to speak with Meredith Vieira and not Matt Lauer because she believed that Mr. Lauer had previously made remarks about her she considered disparaging.

Ms. Walters questioned the decision, the ABC representatives said, noting that the Hilton side previously emphasized that Ms. Hilton's credibility was the paramount issue in the decision to be interviewed. But ABC said Mr. Hilton replied, "Nobody turns down money like this."

An actual amount was not discussed, but Ms. Walters told ABC that based on her previous conversations with the Hilton representatives, she believed that the offer from NBC surpassed $750,000.

We're sure there'll be plenty of righteous rage about the sad state of ethics in T.V. journalism but let's be honest: It's not as if we're talking about news here. It's entertainment, pure and simple. If ABC can't pony up the dough, they deserve to lose their facetime with the talking horse. If we were at the network we'd immediately start putting some cash aside for the inevitable post-stabbing interview with Lindsay Lohan when she finally snaps and takes a knife to Dina. It's just common sense.

ABC Says It Was Outbid for Paris Hilton Interview [NYT]

Meredith Viera Covers Herself In Glory

abalk2 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 13:14:33 EDT

Will Ferrell was on "The Today Show" this morning to promote his new film It's Just Like The Last One, Except This One Has Ice Skating. Appropriately enough, Ferrell and "Today Show" co-host Meredith Viera took to the rink at Rockefeller Center. The results? Pure magic.

Meredith Coping With 'Today' Stress Our Way, Apparently

Emily Gould — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 13:40:00 EST

Martha Stewart was on 'Today' this morning, but it wasn't just another of her frequent synergytastic drop-ins. No, she was there to promote her book, which we believe is entitled How To Be An Even Better Housewife. One of Martha's hot tips is about how to remove red wine stains; apparently it's not a very good one, judging from her expression when Meredith Viera accidentally sloshed where she wasn't supposed to slosh. Watch and judge for yourself whether Meredith is just uncoordinated, or maybe doing the old Couric Irish-coffee routine.

Virtual Mutt Comforts Ex-TV Hostess

Chris Mohney — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 18:17:21 EDT

Hey, we know how hard it can be to get good Photoshop help, but please — this interior shot of Traditional Home features former View host Meredith Vieira and her beloved but poorly cropped-in dog, "Jasper." The Slug blog claims to have confirmed the dog's physical existence somewhere, somehow. Don't you worry none, Ms. Vieira. Jasper just went to live on farm, and he's very happy there.

Meredith Vieira Poses Next to Photoshopped Dog [The Slug]

Media Bubble: AMI Learns That Firing Employees Saves Money

Jesse — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 16:50:41 EDT

• Yesterday's American Media bloodletting will cut the mag publisher's workforce by 9 percent. [WWD]
• And will save the company about $10 million. [NYP]
• With Katie Couric heading to CBS, NBC is days away from a deal to bring Meredith Vieira to fill her clickety stiletto heels. [NYT]
• Gabe Sherman agrees: Times Discovery Channel might be on its way out. Plus Hearst in the new tower, Lapham at Michael's, and Raines at Harvard. [NYO]
• The New York Times has finally done something to make Jack Shafer happy. So now he'll cancel his subscription. [Slate]
• The Week names Nick Kristof Columnist of the Year. We imagine Andrea Peyser is devastated. [E&P]