The rarely idle Ryan Seacrest already wears many hats: American Idol host, Keeping Up with the Kardashians co-creator, radio personality, and E! red carpet host and producer. Now, it's rumored he could add Today show host to his lengthy resume. The Wall Street Journal reports that NBCUniversal is courting Seacrest to replace Matt Lauer should Lauer leave his co-anchor chair next year. Would the relatively lightweight Seacrest be a suitable replacement?
I can't see him handling serious news: Sure, "the morning shows are a lot of fluff these days," but "the anchor still has to have the gravitas to be able to turn to the camera at a moment's notice and say, 'America is under attack,'" says Joe Flint in the Los Angeles Times. I don't think Seacrest has that in him, and the possibility of his "hosting what is technically a morning news program" would surely rankle the journalism establishment. Really, "the only thing Seacrest can say with conviction is 'Seacrest out.'"
"The Morning Fix: Seacrest for Lauer? Really? RIP Harry Morgan"
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Latest Videos FromThe Week
Not that Today is steeped in gravitas: "Great idea," says Seth Abramovitch at Gawker. With Seacrest at the helm, the Today show could divest itself of any last shred of real journalism and "dispense with any pretense of wit or complexity." Between Ann Curry and boozy Kathie Lee and Hoda, it's already heading that way. "Crack open the Chablis, Kathie Lee!" Let's embrace Seacrest and delight in the so-called news show that's really about "giving viewers a reason to feel better about themselves in the morning before heading out the door to tackle an increasingly hostile world."
"NBC really, really wants Ryan Seacrest to join Today"
This would just add to the Seacrest overload: Look, I get that Ryan Seacrest and his "fake tan" and "sexual ambiguity" really appeal to some people, says Emily Cheever at Ology. But between the Kardashians, hosting American Idol, and manning the red carpet (just to name a few gigs), Seacrest is already plenty busy. "I really don't think Ryan Seacrest needs any more money" or work. He needs a vacation.
"Gross: Ryan Seacrest to replace Matt Lauer?"
He'd certainly be good for ratings: "Seacrest is perceived to be hugely popular among women who make up the core demographic for Today," says Brian Stelter in The New York Times. The show is already "the most watched and most lucrative morning program on television," and he would add "immediate star power and a galaxy of Hollywood contacts."
"Seacrest has options, and one may be Today show anchor"
