One of the sessions I was looking forward to at the recent Advertising Week in New York City featured Lester Holt from "NBC Nightly News," Savannah Guthrie from "Today," Chuck Todd from "Meet the Press" and MSNBC's Rachel Maddow. But what was supposed to be a discussion titled "Road to the Election: A Campaign Preview" ultimately morphed into a conversation about the one -- and the certainly only -- Donald Trump.
"There is something to be said about a man in an election campaign who just calls into our show anytime he wants," said Savannah Guthrie, as chuckles (and a few snorts) were heard in the room. "He makes his own rules. He says what he wants. But as unorthodox as Donald Trump is, you have to give him credit. He knows how to get attention."
And it is that very attention that seemed like the perfect subject for this week's column. Don't worry...this won't be devoted to Donald Trump. Stop rolling your eyes. And, no...I will not trash "Celebrity Apprentice," my favorite guilty pleasure (Arnold Schwarzenegger replacing Donald Trump...really???). But Trump is the perfect segue into what I refer to as "Media's Most Overrated" (or, more simply, MMO)...the people that not always deserve the constant attention (good or bad) that they are currently getting.
So, let's begin with a classic feud that, no doubt, will put an immediate smile on your face...Donald Trump versus Rosie O'Donnell, who at the time was a co-host on "The View." "Rosie is a pig, a real loser and a woman out of control," were three comments the Donald made about Rosie after she referred to him as a "snake-oil salesman on Little House on the Prairie." This was in December of 2006, and the sparring was even better than Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) currently going ballistic on "Empire."
Keep in mind that these words -- and so many countless others -- have come from than man who wants to be our next President. And let's be thankful Twitter did not exist at the time of this Donald-Rosie explosion given Trump's current social media rampage against Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly. One recent example against Kelly on Twitter: Do you ever notice that lightweight @megynkelly constantly goes after me but when I hit back it is totally sexist. She is highly overrated!
Note to Rosie (or anyone else for that matter that may face to face with the Donald): Learn to keep your mouth shut or you could be skewered next on social media. The guy loves this!
With campaigning on the current forefront, let's shift gears to Hillary Clinton. Personally, I am a fan. Hell...I would probably even vote for her if she got that far. But after a long week when I just want to relax, there she is again...this time tending bar opposite Kate McKinnon's impression of her on the season-premiere of NBC's "Saturday Night Live." While I certainly understand the value of a politician making a comedic cameo (never underestimate then Presidential candidate bolding saying "Sock it to me!" on "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In"), can't these workaholics take ever take a day (or a moment) off?
Since controversy normally ignites viewer interest, you cannot blame ABC's long-in-the-tooth "The View" for hoping to capitalize on the latest brouhaha -- Whoopi Goldberg's so-called recent meltdown, which could mean she is exiting. But to the few who are still watching "The View" (force of habit, I presume), do we really care if Whoopi leaves? I call this the MMO-wannabe syndrome; the faces who just want the attention but really are no longer on the forefront. And then you have the more humbled MMO, Brian Williams in this case, who went from controversy aplenty after mispresenting events from the past to being buried at present on MSNBC.
Note to these MMOs -- be careful because it can come back to bite you.
An MMO from the past who has, unfortunately resurfaced, is O.J. Simpson care of recent specials "O.J. Speaks: The Hidden Tapes" on A&E and "The Secret Tapes of the O.J. Case: The Untold Story" on LMN. Sure, we were promised new insight on the murders of the century, and naturally there was some viewer interest. But like any MMO who you think has finally faded into oblivion....there they are again front and center like a bad rash. In all likelihood, we will never hear the end of America's former favorite TV Dad / accused serial rapist, Bill Cosby.
No list of these "honorees," of course, would be complete without someone named Kardashian or Jenner, who cannot function unless a camera is following their every move. Let's be thankful that "Snooki" and the rest of the "Jersey Shore" gang are taking a break.