Please Muzzle Kathie Lee

I used to be a fan of Kathie Lee Gifford's. I would defend her when other people found it sport to tear her down. I am now finding her television resurrection annoying and wishing for her sake that she had stayed off of daytime television. Staying off television entirely would be my preference for her.

Why am I now finding her annoying, the constant nitpicking at her co-host Hoda Kotb. Yes Hoda seems to take this well and I will admit that Kathie Lee has brought out a much more fun side of Hoda. What really annoys me is when Kathie Lee makes fun of Hoda's journalistic integrity. While Hoda has the good grace to accept this on camera her laugh is not as genuine regarding this issue as it is with say the dating issue. Perhaps Hoda should in return make fun of Kathie Lee's writing, singing or creative abilities. You know something as near and dear to her professional life as journalism is to Hoda's.

Kathie Lee would respond to this by saying that we only kid the ones we love. So I guess that means Jay Leno and David Letterman must love Kathie Lee a great deal. I remember her on Live telling Regis how people took the nighttime hosts words to heart and being very upset by this, stating even that she received calls and letters referring to the monologues. She ended her feud with Letterman and even guest hosted his show. Leno, however, continued to use Frank and Kathie Lee as fodder for jokes until she signed with NBC. Since then there haven't been any references to Frank's revolting escapade on Leno's monologues. By the way, Leno is even more revolting by keeping this very personal saga alive.

Unfortunately Kathie Lee is a horrible guest on talk shows as well. She tries to be funny. It is almost painful to watch. Ok it IS painful to watch. She ends up doing schtick. She was on the Tonight Show announcing her upcoming gig and it was truly uncomfortable to watch. I'm sure that had to do with the constant barrage she has endured from Leno. He looked as uncomfortable as she looked overbearing.

The woman is creative, generous and warm but these characteristics only came out with Regis. Perhaps the lemons that life has dealt her have made her into the shrew she now appears to be.