Well, this morning had to be my all-time most “interesting” TODAY show appearance. In case you missed it, I’ve included the link. The four minute spot that aired at 8:16 am live today made AOL’s Morning Rush list of the “five most memorable television moments from today” and at least two other comcast.net choices for “interesting TV.” Click here to see the spot but here’s a basic rundown.
I was paired with Frank Luntz, a republican party pollster, who shared what he believes are six parenting practices that raise drug-free kids. I was asked by TODAY to put a little reality check on each of the practices from the child-development point of view. I’ll write about those practices in a future blog, but right now I’m getting so many queries about whether that was my blackberry I figured I better clear things up.
First, that wasn’t my blackberry. Matt Lauer joked at the end and told everyone it was. (Thank heavens it wasn’t! I don’t know if I could exist without my blackberry!!!??!!) The blackberry was real–not a prop –and belonged to Frank. And I really don’t know if it still works after the royal toss.
Second, the “throwing incident” was a total surprise to both Matt and myself. Unplanned. And I don’t know who was more surprised –Matt or myself.
Third, the reason for the shocked look on my face was not because Frank threw the blackberry across the set. (Though I really did think it was going to hit a cameraman). My panic was due to what Frank said right before his now infamous “BB” hurl.
Frank was in the midst of advising parents to take their kids on a week long vacation (as one of his six parenting practices he says helps raise drug-free kids – though I’ve yet the see the proof on that one). He then turned to the camera and said to the kids of America that if they see their fathers ever using a blackberry on a vacation to just take and throw it at them. There was the source of my panic and the reason I was throwing my hands up in the air and saying, “No, no…don’t do that!”
All I could envision was some child sitting at home and waiting for the school bus and hearing some guy on TODAY encouraging him to throw his father’s blackberry at him. It wasn’t a pretty image. I could just see the headlines, “39 dads in U.S. hospitals suffering from blackberry concussions”
That’s my side of the story anyway. It was definitely another fun time on the TODAY show. You just never know what will happen on live TV.