There used to be a saying about someone who was conceited and had an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance. You don’t hear it much these days, but I recall my Dad talking about someone who had gotten “too big for his or her britches.”
Megyn Kelly in a dress inappropriate for serious news coverage. (dailymail.co.uk)
Over the past year, I have observed that Megyn Kelly of Fox’s week night The Kelly File program fits that description. Generally, she sits behind a plexiglass desk on an overly glitzy set, often dressed as if she were attending a cocktail party.
I have been a regular viewer of The Kelly File, but her rude interview of Fox contributor Newt Gingrich Tuesday evening, constantly interrupting him while he challenged the veracity of a Cook poll, was embarrassing and uncalled for. She ended the interview with a cheap shot – “… take your anger issues and spend some time working on them Mr. Speaker.”
During a seven-minute interview that followed with Gen. John Allen (Ret.), a Clinton supporter, Kelly allowed him to attack Donald Trump uninterrupted. She took the Fox slogan of fair and balanced too far.
Megyn Kelly dressed as if she was covering the Academy Awards. (12News.com)
I believe her meteoric rise at Fox, placing her in a key time slot for her nightly program, her selection to co-moderate a Republican primary debate, co-anchor post presidential debate coverage and the constant promoting of her program all day long, has boosted that sense of importance.
I must admit she is attractive, quick, and knows her subject matter and her interviewees well, all while having a bit of a sense of humor.
You may recall that Trump wasn’t happy with her when, during the first Republican debate in August 2015, she reminded him of some of the insults he had levelled at women, and asked him if that sounded like the temperament of a man we should elect as president. Trump was not happy with her and in the following days expressed his displeasure on the campaign, saying she was not fair to him.
It was a question that was going to be asked of Trump sometime along the campaign, but it made Kelly the news of the day, something they say moderators try to avoid. But I believe Kelly loved the attention.
(Courtesy Conde Nast)
She has admitted she has a desire to be the next Barbara Walters, and with that in mind she hosted a special, Megyn Kelly Presents, that not only included a “make-up” session with Trump, but interviews with actor Michael Douglas and O.J. Simpson attorney Robert Shapiro. Not a success, it placed fifth among five programs in that time slot.
She was the subject of a cover story in Vanity Fair and has made appearances on the late night shows as well as the morning shows on other networks. Her book, Settle for More, is now available.
With all of this exposure, it isn’t surprising that Kelly is now in contract talks with Fox, seeking a $20 million package, following the last year of her current contract said to be at $15 million.
I still believe she has “gotten too big for her britches,” and I plan to tune her out for a while.
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