Say WHAT? Matt Lauer to RFK Jr.: "How's Your Dad?"

[RFKJrNews]

YOU GOTTA BE S#*%&IN’ US, MATT

There really are no words that can fully describe the colossal stupidity of the mainstream media’s latest Kennedy Wonder Blunder.

As readers of this blog already know, we’re quick to call em out when they screw up (which is sadly, way too often these days), but this one is just beyond the pale.

Last week, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stopped by NBC’s The Today Show to promote his latest book, Robert Smalls: The Boat Thief. But before he could even begin to tell the story of this African-American Civil War hero, host Matt Lauer had to pop right off and ask him the most tasteless, idiotic question imaginable:

“So,” Lauer asks gushingly, “I just gotta ask…how’s your Dad doing?”

At first, Kennedy just registers a startled glare. Then, realizing that Our Hero Isn’t Very Bright, he nods, accepting that Mr. Lauer obviously (and inexplicably) somehow thought that the ailing Senator Ted Kennedy was his father. (Nevermind the fact that Mr. Lauer had just introduced him as Robert F. Kennedy *Jr.*, “the son of former attorney general and senator Robert F. Kennedy”, not Ted Kennedy, but ah, whatever.)

But NBC isn’t alone when it comes to boneheaded bloopers of this sort. Nope, ABC News did the same thing back in May, when they erroneously reported that RFK Jr. was the son of President John F. Kennedy!

Seriously. You absolutely cannot make this stuff up. Those of you who saw the Lauer interview live earlier this week are probably still trying to pick your jaws up off the floor. But just in case you missed this priceless little gem, here it is:

http://rfkjrforpresident.com/2008/10/05/say-what-matt-lauer-to-rfk-jr-hows-your-dad/

[McCCain4retirment]

1. NBC sure doesn't know shit about the Kennedy's

Brian Williams and now Lauer

[lynnertic]

48. spelling police: Kennedys

The plural of Kennedy is Kennedys.

I got a Christmas card from the Kennedys.
It included an invitation to the Kennedys' Christmas Party.
I won't be any Kennedy's date.
I hope Ted Kennedy's going to be there.

[LeftyMom]

2. We all knew Matt was dumb, but Jesus H. Christ.

:eyes:

[tosh]

3. I am speechless. Matt Lauer is not young enough

to have an explanation for this.

[RFKJrNews]

7. My thoughts exactly

I mean, Lauer didn't just fall off the turnip truck yesterday...the guy has been at NBC for at least 20 years.

(banging head against wall)

[lpbk2713]

4. Where in the world is Matt Lauer's ...

... brain?


Can he really be that stupid? :shrug:

[spag68]

25. Matts brain

Obviously you missed it, he is sitting on it.

[El Supremo]

5. Well at least he didn't think he was a Rockefeller!

That is who he spends more time on.

[Hannah Bell]

6. like i said re williams, the reason they get the big bucks is - obviously their political erudition.

[ColbertWatcher]

8. He should have said, "In what respect, Matt?" n/t

[beac]

35. Oh say it ain't so, Colbert Watcher!

There ya go again, pointing backwards-- Doggone it!

[ColbertWatcher]

37. You betcha it's so! Goshdarnit! n/t

[charlie]

9. Geesh

He caught himself, then went with the flub anyway.

"Can I first ask how's your dad doing? I mean... yeah... how's your dad doing?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZYtiKeh2CA

[RFKJrNews]

14. Yeah, that's the best part

Or the worst, depending on how you look at it.

He thinks to himself, "did I just fuck that up royally?"

Then, he GOES RIGHT ON AHEAD and asks the stupid question AGAIN!!?!?!

[bigtree]

10. oh fuck

he just has to resign now. idiot of the year.

[ThoughtCriminal]

11. Sometimes my brain gets vapor lock too

But geez, that's pretty dense.

[tosh]

29. Mine too. But usually I can but the brakes on my mouth until

the vapor lock gives, and come up with some benign b.s. to fill the void.

[PBS Poll-435]

12. This makes me sad, rather than angry.

Are you freaking kidding me?

[hendo]

13. ah ha

Matt's brain is as hollow as I always thought it was.

[melody]

15. Hey, that whole "junior" thing can throw a body off

What a moron.

[Dr.Phool]

16. "He's still dead, Matt".

[Mz Pip]

19. That would have been

my response. :crazy:

Is Lauer really that stupid? I guess.

[krispos42]

68. Damn, that's the first thing that popped into my head!

:thumbsup:

[JI7]

17. he just introduced him as the son of Robert F Kennedy

he must have been reading something without actually thinking about it to ask him right after "how is your dad doing" ?. and he tried to correct himself but i think he really didn't know how Robert Kennedy jr was related to Ted Kennedy and that TEd and RFK were brothers. and that's why he didn't know what to say.

[ColbertWatcher]

20. How someone in Lauer's position could go into an interview ...

... without RESEARCHING his subject first makes Lauer qualified to be mayor of Wasilla, Alaska.

[charlie]

26. Research?

He just needed to mind what he'd read off the teleprompter seconds before. He introduced him as "well known as the son of former Atty General and Senator Robert F Kennedy."

Well known to everyone but Matt, apparently.

[ColbertWatcher]

27. I was trying to be generous. n/t

[fortyfeetunder]

36. Oh, let's go all the way!

Palin/Lauer in 2012! :sarcasm:

[RFKJrNews]

28. Yes, but notice how he did not introduce Jr. as

...the son of the LATE Sen. Robert Kennedy.

Makes me wonder if Lauer even knows RFK is deceased...and has been for 40 years.

[file83]

34. Lauer should be humiliated - this isn't just a mistake - it's a

complete fuck up which puts his character into question. The assassination of RFK isn't just some trivial backwater of history - it's one of the most deplorable aspects of AMERICAN history.

It's the kind of thing that should be second-nature to know, like landing on the moon or JFK's assassination.

Lauer = FAIL

[SmokingJacket]

47. What you said.

Lauer is a bimbo.

[glitch]

53. He'd need a serious heart/brain/soul upgrade to feel humiliation.

At least several core releases.

[JI7]

40. i think Lauer probably thinks RFK and Ted Kennedy are the same person

or that he doesn't know there is another brother RFK with his own record and history.

when he hears of RFK he probably thinks they are speaking about John Kennedy. and since John Kennedy only had one son that survived into adulthood who was very famous he assumed Robert Kennedy was the son of Teddy.

[BrklynLiberal]

18. They should be embarrassed to ever show their faces in public again.

[susanbanks44]

21. What a fucking moron!

[Bluebear]

22. "In what respect, Matt?"

[glitch]

54. LOL! nt

[susanbanks44]

This just proves that

these talking head morning show idiots do not pay attention to anything they read on the teleprompter!

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

23. I saw it live and although it stunning, I can understand how it happened. Matt probably

had Bobby Kennedy on his mind before interviewing RFK Jr. So when he meant to ask how his uncle was, Dad came out. And he didn't say Dad once, he said it twice. RFK Jr. had the most confused look on his face.

Lauer is from NY and although he was probably around 9 when Bobby was killed, I'm sure it made an impression on him then.

[RFKJrNews]

30. Yeah, must've made quite an impression on his 9 year-old mind

Such an impression that he totally forgot about it 5 minutes later.

Could be excused as a brainfart, I guess, but really...dude, you're on national TV. And thats a downright AWFUL thing to say, even if it was a mistake. Open mouth, insert big, fat FOOT!

Wonder if this clip might make Olbermann's "Worst Person in the World"?

[kenny blankenship]

24. MSM at its finest!

That is so fucked up there just no words.

[question everything]

31. And Brian Williams compared this Presidential race to Eisenhower-Kennedy

while on Letterman, and Dave never corrected him.

[TahitiNut]

32. The on-screen "talent" isn't known for its brainpower.

Takes all they got to listen to the producers' instructions and read the cue cards and dress themselves.

Matt's sure not the sharpest butter knife in that drawer. :shrug:

[lpbk2713]

33. Didn't NBC/Today dump Deborah Norville for being somewhat of an airhead?

I doubt if she ever did or said anything quite this stupid.

[Beam Me Up]

38. Stop watching television. Just stop it.

Not just the "sNOOZE" -- all of it. Total brain rot propaganda.

[Rhiannon12866]

39. Jesus Christ, what a faux pas!!! K&R.

Actually, someone once said this to me, and she'd attended my father's wake, but she felt so bad that she called to apologize, a nice old lady who didn't mean any harm and I wasn't offended, but it was hardly on national television! Yikes!:thumbsdown:

[Politicalboi]

78. Same here

One of my jobs my boss had asked me how my dad was. My dad had asbestos exposure and he smoked so he was ill for a while. Anyhow my dad died in 1998 and my boss about a year later asked me how he was doing. I told my boss damn if I had known that you thought my dad was still alive I could have taken more time off work. See my dad was a hooky player and he would have been pleased that I would have used him for an excuse to miss work.

[Norrin Radd]

41. ...

[Locrian]

42. wow

MATT: So how's your dad?

RFK: Dead. Yours?

MATT: Oh, uhhh, well, uuhh...

[Shrek]

43. Kennedy should have deadpanned it

"Still entombed at Arlington, Matt, and resting peacefully."

The look on Lauer's face would have been priceless.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

44. Hoe Lee Jeebus

:banghead:

[DeeDeeNY]

45. Hey Matt! Who's buried in Grant's Tomb?!

[hootinholler]

46. I hope Robert pulled out a cell phone...

Hello? Shirley? Hey yeah, could you do me a quick favor?

Well, I'm here with Matt Lauer and he asked how Dad is doing, could you check for him?

-Hoot

[Arugula Latte]

49. RFK Jr. then goes on to say that Ted "has lost none of his mental acuity."

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Matt Lauer.

[RFKJrNews]

61. Score one

...for Oregonian!

Did you notice that little glance Bobby gave Lauer when he made that comment about how Ted hasn't lost any of his mental acuity?

Methinks he might have been thinking the same thing...uh, what Oregonian just said.

[asdjrocky]

50. I can't believe Matt disrespected the son of such a great President.

:eyes: Shhhhh, I'm trying to get a job at NBC.

[Javaman]

51. If I was RFK Jr., I would have verbally kicked lauer in the balls and left...

but I'm not him so I guess in a way that's a good thing.

[RagAss]

75. And I would have immediately died laughing.

[glitch]

52. OMG. So awful and so funny at the same time. I laughed in horror, how weird is that?

Of course we all know Matt Lauer is an idiot, so why does he continually need to prove it? And that goes for the people who employ him as well.

[ddeclue]

55. What a hugh moran!!! FAIL!!!

:eyes:

[undeterred]

56. I bet if you asked Matt Lauer something about Michael Phelp's DUI

or anything having to do with sports and scandal he'd have the details just right. His brain is built for trivia.

[Taverner]

57. Sure it wasn't a message?

Watching Naomi Wolf right now - so my paranoia level is a little high today

[LiberalHeart]

58. It was just a brain fart. He knew better and even stumbled on his own question for that reason.

[Texas Mom]

60. Really! Some of you all should try talking before an audience

every day, for hours on end. Sometimes we all misspeak. Obama has misspoken (usually when on the brink of exhaustion), Biden has misspoken, I have misspoken. Jesus guys, much ado about nothing, IMHO.

[RFKJrNews]

64. Well, that's just it, Texas Mom...

...your point is exactly right, and precisely why this got me so riled up. Y'see, I've been doing public speaking before audiences for more than 18 years, been working in the media as a journalist for 22 years now. And sure, we all make mistakes at the end of a long day (what Lauer's excuse early in the day is, I don't know), but let me tell `ya...that's not a mistake I would have made.

Frankly, it's not an error ANY responsible journalist would have made. If they somehow did, they'd correct it quickly, ON AIR.

Example: "...now American taxpayers are looking at a $600 billion bailout..." when you mean to say $700 billion, is misspeaking.

Asking the namesake son of a long-dead legendary figure in American history "how's your dad doing?" is just stoopid.

No two ways about it, sorry.

Lauer did not catch the mistake and correct it. RFK Jr. was put in the uncomfortable position of having to correct him - and IMHE of 20+ years in the news biz, that's just F-ed up beyond belief.

[Viking12]

59. I wish he would've responded, "He's still dead, Matt. Has been since 1968."

[LibertyLover]

62. A few years ago I was at my doctor's office when one of the

nurses came up to say hi. Then she asked how my mom, who had been dead for 2 years at the time, was. I knew she meant well and had just forgotten, but still, my response of "Still dead thanks." put a lovely stunned look on her face. Too bad RFK Jr. couldn't have done something like that to Matt.

[Dukkha]

63. "Like your career, he's dead"

moran!

[kskiska]

65. Larry King mistook Chris Lawford for his father, Peter Lawford

"Producers say King's performance on the show has grown increasingly befuddled. One example: An interview with Chris Lawford, son of JFK sister Patricia Kennedy Lawford and actor Peter Lawford, where King acknowledged that for a moment he thought he was interviewing Peter Lawford, who died in 1984. King noted that his guest had married into the Kennedys. 'I didn't marry into the family. My mother is a Kennedy,' Chris Lawford replied.

[RFKJrNews]

66. Whoops! LOL:)

Now there's a great story I somehow missed! When did that King/Lawford interview happen?

[kskiska]

77. A couple years ago

when Lawford's book came out.

[bean fidhleir]

67. Go ahead and laugh, but it's a well-known cognitive phenomenon

Because of the way our brains abstract and weave together information, we can (and most of us do at one time or another) experience our train of thought being "switched onto the wrong track" by a piece of information. Obviously, Lauer got switched by "Kennedy" alone rather than "RFKennedy Jr", and it led his mouth to the wrong destination.

There are lists of such goofs that circulate in the cognitive-psych community - some of them quite funny, like the man who twice yelled "Come in!" at his ringing telephone, the second time with real exasperation. The downside is that if it happens at the wrong time, it can produce tragedy rather than embarrassment. But it's unfortunately part of how our brains evolved, so there's nothing we can do about it.

[krispos42]

69. "Still in Arlington National Cemetary, Matt"

"Can I put you down for a memorial wreath next anniversary?"




What a moran!

[rch35]

70. i just watched the video and its not as bad as your saying

it sounds like, since he was just, not five seconds before his slipup, talking about rfk jrs father, that he just said the wrong word.

it happens.

[RFKJrNews]

71. If that were the case...

he would have corrected himself, instead of leaving the murdered man's son to correct it for him.

[rch35]

74. yeah, im sure it fits matt lauers agenda perfectly to publicly insult rfk jr

there are plenty of things to be angry about

this isnt one of them

jesus shit

get ahold of yourself

[RFKJrNews]

80. Matt Lauer did not mean to insult RFK Jr

...by displaying his stupidity. He only insulted himself.

Bobby has grown accustomed to dealing with media morons. He takes it in stride, as evidenced in video above.

[1monster]

72. My husband was watching and I was sort of listineing... I was flabbergasted.

I turned to DH and disbelievingly asked, "He didn't, I couldn't have heard that! he didn't just ask how his dad was! He didn't say that did he?!!?"

Yep, he did...

[Toucano]

73. Someone vandalized his Wiki.

"Today Matt Lauer can be seen runningaround town with his new love intrest Eric Schaupp a mid 20's mechanic who fancys himself as an expert "Call of Duty" player. They have been spotted together at many Gay Pride ralleys."

I don't know what a "Call of Duty" player is, but I suspect it's a vanity spam.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Lauer

[susanbanks44]

76. LOL

[fujiyama]

79. I just saw the clip

and while I can see someone mixing up Kennedys and the relations (well maybe the less well known ones but Teddy and Robert?), it was especially odd because he tried correcting himself, obviously realizing he slipped up, and then still went along with 'dad' anyways. It would have been one thing if he immediately corrected himself in saying 'uncle' the second time.

Then again Lauer was never known to be terribly sharp.

But RFJ Jr. quickly corrects him and goes from there. Sounded gracious and understanding enough.