January 27, 2007:David Gregory's Mini Celebri-spiral on The Today Show

What can cause a hardened and serious White House news reporter like David Gregory to have a celebri-spiral? I think I know the answer. Put him on The Today Show for a week as Matt Lauer's sub anchor, then expose him to some of the greatest media moment inanities known to mankind.

These include:

- Script copy with awkward and funny attempts at segueing from Iraq death count to celebrity breakups ("100 people died in Baghdad today. On a lighter note, Nicole Richie wears Michael Kors for spring!");
- Chit chat outside with those celeb-obsessed enough to weather the 20-degree temperature;
- Church giggles over the silliest things, like Meredith Vierra comparing footage of a shark swimming in the ocean with hungry mouth open (after a news story about a man who who survived an near fatal attack) to her appearance without makeup.

But the real trigger of David's celebri-spiral had to be the intro of uber-grotesque model and reality TV star Janice Dickinson. Thank God You Tube catches these moments. The plastic-surgery addicted, fame-hungry fashion toothpick (PSAFHFT for short) was on to discuss her groundbreakingly tacky (a vied-for title) Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency TV show on NBC's sister channel, Bravo.

I'd lose it, too. We all would. David traverses the continuum from fighting for reporters' access to the truth hidden behind an adminstration shrouded in secrecy (who can forget his passionate 2006 stand against White House Press Shill Scott McClellan?) to trumpeting a few bottom-of-the-barrel celebutainment features.

I don't blame a smart and funny guy like David. It's what he's asked to do, which is just a sign of the times. What's fit to print, and report on, has definitely changed. Can you see Walter Cronkite interviewing Janice Dickinson?