Audio series offers a little Biden reality
Americans who petitioned the White House to give Vice President Joe Biden his own reality TV show may be getting the next-best thing. The White House on Thursday launched an audio series to give Americans the sense they’re along for the ride for some of Biden’s behind-the-scenes moments.
Dubbed “Being Biden,” the series features photographs of Biden from events that aren’t part of his public schedule. Viewers can listen to Biden narrate the story behind the photos, curated by White House staffers.
The first installment was released Thursday. In it, a photo shows Biden, in a black kitchen apron and brown baseball cap, serving dinner rolls earlier in March at the annual charity event and wild game dinner held by the Whitehall Neck Sportsman Club, a hunting group in Biden’s home state of Delaware. “They believe that there is a Second Amendment right to own a weapon. So do I,” Biden says in the accompanying narration.
Biden then discusses last year’s Newtown, Conn., elementary school shootings and calls on Congress to pass the gun-control measures that he and Obama are pushing.
Lauer says he’ll fix ‘Today’ troubles
Matt Lauer told advertisers Thursday that he wants to get the “Today” show back to being the most watched and least talked about morning show on television, and that he expects to do it.
The beleaguered morning show host made his pitch at an unfortunately-timed NBC News sales event. “Today” is at low ebb in the ratings and a flurry of media reports has been speculating that Lauer is more of a sinker than a sail.
ABC’s “Good Morning America” has beaten “Today” in the ratings for 29 straight weeks. And the margin is growing: The last three weeks, which include Robin Roberts’ return to “GMA,” have represented the ABC show’s best stretch since 1994. On the day that NBC invited advertisers to a luncheon to show off their wares, the New York Times ran an article headlined, “At NBC, a Struggle to Revive the Morning Magic.”
Asner released from hospital
Ed Asner is out of a Chicago-area hospital after being diagnosed with exhaustion, according to a publicist for the 83-year-old actor.
Asner was released Thursday and plans to fly home to Los Angeles, publicist Charles Sherman said. He likely will postpone some performances of his touring one-man stage show. On Tuesday night, Asner was taken off the stage in Gary, Ind., and went by ambulance to a hospital.
The birthday bunch
Actor Judd Hirsch is 78. Rock musician Phil Lesh is 73. Singer Mike Love is 72. Rock singer-musician Sly Stone is 70. Rock singer Ry Cooder is 66. Rock singer Dee Snider is 58. Model Fabio is 52. Singer Terence Trent D’Arby is 51. Rock singer Bret Michaels is 50. Rock singer Mark McGrath is 45. Actress Eva Longoria is 38. Rapper-musician will.i.am is 38. Rock DJ Joseph Hahn is 36.