Weathermen = Fame Whores

I get a text message last night and it says "Turn on Larry King Live!" I comply, and am presented with the image of Tim Vincent (who despite trying to morph himself into an entertainment reporter, will always be known to me as the cute man from Blue Peter and Emmerdale who also posed naked) discussing the British monarchy.

I'm thinking, "why on earth would someone think that I'd want to hear about the British monarchy?" Well, lo and behold, guess who is subbing for Larry King? Sam Champion. That's right, Sam Champion, the main weatherman for WABC, New York's ABC affiliate. Apparently, he has also subbed for Regis Philbin on Live with Regis and Kelly as well, and when that show went literally to sea, he tagged along. (I haven't watched Live in eons, but I do watch WABC News at 6, and saw him from a cruise ship giving the forecast with Regis Philbin mugging his way through the whole thing.)

Now, I'm all for having a diverse career, but I'm sorry, why is a weatherman hosting a national call-in show? It's just weird. Then again, look at Al Roker. He practically runs the latter half-hour of Today. He's got his fingers in a whole slew of media pies (no pun intended). Some time ago, I was witness to the bizarre creature that was Roker Reports on Court TV. That's right, Al Roker reporting on a murder investigation. I hate to say this, but seeing jolly Al Roker act all serious and reporter-like was too funny. I laughed my way through the show, as well-meaning as it was supposed to be.

This trend seems to be catching on. It seems like WNYW (the Fox affiliate in New York) is trying to shape Good Day New York meterologist Mike Woods (think Al Roker with a body made for gay porn) into some sort of sexy version of Il Roker. One of their other meterologists, Tracy Humphries (a female Al Roker--what is it with the black meterologists?) does a weekly segment about expensive condos in Manhattan. It baffles the mind.

And then there's Dave Price, late of WNYW and currently on The Early Show and WCBS in the morning. If I ever come across him reporting on a multiple homicide, then I will truly see it as a sign of the Apolocalypse.