Already facing terrible reviews from a mainstream media that only wants to see her crash and burn, NBC’s daytime host Megyn Kelly stepped into it again Wednesday morning when she asked Oscar-winner Jane Fonda about her plastic surgeries. Fonda, who appeared with fellow Oscar-winner Robert Redford to promote their latest movie together, looked incredulous at the question before snarling, “We really want to talk about that right now?”
Kelly quickly tried to recover with, “One of the things people think about you when they look at you is how amazing you look.”
Without breaking a sweat, a still angry Fonda calmly credited her own “good attitude, good posture,” before pivoting back with a dramatic, “Let me tell you why I love this movie we did…”
At this point an obviously embarrassed Kelly allowed Fonda and Redford to say whatever they wanted for at least a minute. Her next question, however, resulted in a second embarrassment.
Kelly asked Redford who other than Fonda he would like to work with in the future. With the audience laughing, Redford wrist-flicked the query away with, “I’d have to think about that and I don’t think we have time, but one of the things I really like about Jane that manifested itself in this film…”
Redford, who seemed sympathetic towards a still-fuming and embarrassed Fonda, continued, “She really is a force. As long as I’ve known Jane she is always moving forward…”
In the middle of Redford’s heartfelt tribute, Fonda gave Kelly what can only be described as the “stink eye.” You can watch the full interview here.
Kelly has a number of serious career problems going against her right now. First off, there was the humiliating failure of her Sunday night show. Then there is the fact that she is obviously quite unpopular within a media culture she so much wants to be a part of. Add to that her lack of a fan base; the left will never accept her, and after her failed anti-Trump crusade, the right sees her as an overly-ambitious backstabber.
On top of all that, sometime during her ill-chosen battle with President Trump, Kelly lost her composure, her self-confidence, her aplomb. The super-relaxed anchor who fearlessly ate alive all comers during the peak of her powers at Fox News, now always appears shaky, unsure, a tad neurotic — too quick to laugh, her voice just a notch above its normal pitch.
In turn, she makes her viewers uncomfortable, which is death for a broadcaster.
My guess is that things will only get worse, especially as a quiet blacklist develops. Between Debra Messing’s comments yesterday and this Fonda debacle, appearing on Megyn Kelly Today is about to become a scarlet letter among the Beautiful People. No one is going to want to appear, and if they do, like Fonda, they will be looking to score points, to make Kelly look foolish.
And when you are as uncomfortable in her own skin as Kelly is now, that is not something you are prepared to handle.
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