Doctor Vieira ...
On Sunday, May 18, 2008, Meredith was presented with an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from her alma mater, Tufts University; she then gave the commencement address to the graduates. What follows is her commencement speech.
Photo credit: Michael Glantz
Thank you President Bacow. Thank you to the faculty and fellow honorees, trustees, the alumni, friends, families and graduates. This is very emotional. I realize if I were to apply here today, I would never get in. So I'm really grateful to be invited back. I was invited to a dinner last night at the president's house and I couldn't go because I had an accident Friday on the Today show. We had New Kids on the Block performing and it was raining, the indignity of it all, and I fell on the stage and just took my shin off. I was lying in my hotel last night, at the Taj Mahal—the hotel, not the actual Taj Mahal. I was on drugs but I'm not delusional. And I had time with my leg up to think about how I got here today.
I don't make speeches. Despite what I do for a living, I'm basically kind of shy. But about a little over a year ago, Larry, you know Larry, Larry called. We traded phone calls and I finally reached him and he was on his sailboat. He said to me, "Listen, I want you to give this speech in 2008." And I had just started at the Today show and everything I read said the show is going to tank now that Katie was gone. I said, "Listen, Larry, I could really screw up my job and then you're not going to want me here giving the commencement address." He sort of laughed and he said, "Don't worry about it." And then I said, "Plus, I don't even know what I would say to these students." He said, "Oh, you've got a year to think about it." And then there must have been a gust of wind because his voice sort of trailed off and the last thing I heard him say was, "Speak from your heart, Meredith."
So for the past year I've been trying to think of what I should say to you. Obviously I should try to inspire you or maybe alert you to some of the potholes along the way that you're going to face.
Or I could cut right to the chase and tell you the real story behind Barbara Walters and Star Jones. I know, I know. And I do know. Actually, you know what, I'm going to get to that, I am going to get to that.
Thank you President Bacow. Thank you to the faculty and fellow honorees, trustees, the alumni, friends, families and graduates. This is very emotional. I realize if I were to apply here today, I would never get in. So I'm really grateful to be invited back. I was invited to a dinner last night at the president's house and I couldn't go because I had an accident Friday on the Today show. We had New Kids on the Block performing and it was raining, the indignity of it all, and I fell on the stage and just took my shin off. I was lying in my hotel last night, at the Taj Mahal—the hotel, not the actual Taj Mahal. I was on drugs but I'm not delusional. And I had time with my leg up to think about how I got here today.
I don't make speeches. Despite what I do for a living, I'm basically kind of shy. But about a little over a year ago, Larry, you know Larry, Larry called. We traded phone calls and I finally reached him and he was on his sailboat. He said to me, "Listen, I want you to give this speech in 2008." And I had just started at the Today show and everything I read said the show is going to tank now that Katie was gone. I said, "Listen, Larry, I could really screw up my job and then you're not going to want me here giving the commencement address." He sort of laughed and he said, "Don't worry about it." And then I said, "Plus, I don't even know what I would say to these students." He said, "Oh, you've got a year to think about it." And then there must have been a gust of wind because his voice sort of trailed off and the last thing I heard him say was, "Speak from your heart, Meredith."
So for the past year I've been trying to think of what I should say to you. Obviously I should try to inspire you or maybe alert you to some of the potholes along the way that you're going to face.
Or I could cut right to the chase and tell you the real story behind Barbara Walters and Star Jones. I know, I know. And I do know. Actually, you know what, I'm going to get to that, I am going to get to that.
A REAL LEADER
But first – yeah – but first, as I look out over your faces, the graduates, I'm so impressed by the mission of this school to create real leaders. Back when I was here, I was a student here from 1971 to 1975, I'm going to be honest, I wasn't much of a leader, except for January 1975, I led a group of female students across the campus streaking. Literally. Yeah. It was really cold, I remember that. And at one point, you know, I looked over my shoulder and the only behind I saw was mine. So as I was crouching in the bushes waiting for the campus police to drive by with the high beams on because, you know, got to catch these girls in the act, it struck me that every leader, no matter how small, occasionally will find themselves alone and exposed.
After that I did actually make a little bit more of myself, albeit with my clothes on—and quite frankly, I advise you do to the same, keep them on—to the point where nowadays, people your age often come up to me—we have a lot of interns at the Today show—and they'll say, "How did you get where you are? What did you do? What is the formula for success?"
THE 'MAGIC FORMULA'
I tell them all and I'll tell you, the only formula is that there is no formula. There is no easy way to get from point A to point B, nor is there any right way. In fact, my career, if you want to talk about a fluke, I was the kid at Tufts University who went through every major. I came in as a math major. I moved from that to drama, to French, to astronomy. I was brought into the dean's office who said, "Stop it, pick one." The only one I could pick was English because that's where I had enough credits. So I totally relate to the students out here, the graduates who might be a little scared right now. Maybe you don't know where you're headed. Maybe you haven't found your passion. Maybe your parents are looking at you like, "What are you going to do?" and you're scared. I felt all of that. I felt very lost.
And then, again in January—a lot happened in that January, I tell you, in 1975—I took a class here in broadcast journalism. It was pass/fail. I don't even know why I took it. I had no interest, none. I didn't see myself as a broadcaster in my future. I took this class. It was given by a reporter from CBS Radio in Boston, WEEI. Back then it was all news. I think maybe now it's all spots but back then it was all news.
And I found that I liked it. I really liked it. At the end, they had a final project. We were broken down into groups of four or five and we each had to do a mini radio documentary. We would research it, report it, write it and then one person would narrate the documentary. I happened to be chosen to narrate ours. They brought in a muckety muck from CBS to critique it, a man named Bill Shermer, a wonderful man who has since passed on. He listens to all these documentaries and when ours comes up he says, "Whose voice is that?" I raise my hand and he says, "I want to see you after class." I thought, "Oh my God, what's going to happen?"
I go out into the hallway and he says, "Have you decided what you want to do with the rest of your life?" Now being a Tufts student, I knew— philosophical deep question, ponder for a moment. And I did and then I said, "Gee, I don't know." He said, "Well, I do. I truly believe if you open up your mind you have a future in this business." And he offered me an internship.
And literally, that's all it took. It was in that moment. It was one person seeing a spark in me and opening a door that I went through. It was that simple. Had I not taken that class, I don't really know what direction. I would have found a direction, but that's what put me on the path.
Photo credit: Michael Glantz
ASK QUESTIONS
A few weeks later I learned something that is probably the first lesson I'm going to impart to you: remember to always ask questions. I'm an intern now, two weeks before I have to start. They give me a call and say, "You're going to be ripping wires." OK, ripping wires. Radio station. Wires out of the walls. A little weird that they'd have me do that, but fine, I'll do that. I went and I bought a new pair of overalls because I thought, "Gee, I'm going to look cute." And actually, that was the style back then. I show up to work at 4 a.m.—talk about ironies, I'm back on that schedule—I show up at WEEI and people are looking at me weird, like "Why are you dressed in overalls?" Finally it dawns on somebody about my confusion. Ripping wires, what they meant was ripping the wire services, the copy off of UPI, Reuters, AP, not wires out of the wall. Eventually they stop laughing, although if anybody that I knew back then sees me they always bring it up.
I learned a lesson that day: no question is too stupid. You're not as smart as you think you are. You never will be. There's always room to learn. Don't be scared to ask.
Luckily for me Bill Shermer still took a chance on me, which I'm very grateful that he did.
But you're going to find that in life, occasionally people will not be on your side. And then what do you do when you hit that first wall? Mine occurred about two years later. I had moved from radio to television, Providence, RI, and about a year into that job, and I felt pretty secure, I was brought in by the news director on a Friday, because that's when they do it to you. And he said, "You know what, you don't have what it takes." And they let me go.
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
I grew up in Providence so I went home to my family home and I'm in my bedroom crying. My dad comes in and he says, "What's the matter?" I told him and he said, "Well, do you think you have what it takes?" Even though I didn't, I said, "Yeah. I think I do. And he said, "Why do you care what anybody's going to say to you that would conflict with that feeling? You're going to have naysayers, and I'll tell you, you will throughout your life have people who will tell you you are not good enough. Maybe they're jealous. Maybe they think you aren't. Maybe they've had a bad day. But ultimately you have to believe in yourself."
Based on that pep talk or maybe serious PMS, I did go in that Monday. I basically pinned him to the wall. You know, and I think back on it and I said, "I don't care what you think. I am going to make it." I might have freaked him out, but he gave me a second chance. Since then, we have become very good friends. But I did learn a lesson about believing in yourself.
THE 'FAST TRACK'
After that I was sort of on a fast track. I went from Providence directly to New York City at WCBS television and then onto network news. Some of you are going to find yourselves with that same trajectory because of the kind of students that you are. You're going to move very fast and you'll find that there isn't a lot of time to pause and reflect. And I would urge you to do that. Sometimes you get on this high speed train and you never stop to think, "Well, where am I going and who am I? What am I really doing?" That's when you're tested at your core.
Probably my biggest test came with 60 Minutes that Larry referred to.
Again, I was on this fast track and I was in West 57th , the magazine. I was also married but had several miscarriages and finally was pregnant with my first child after trying for quite a few years. I was leaving on maternity leave to have Ben, and I was brought into office of president of CBS News and he said to me, "How would you like to be a co-anchor, a co-editor at 60 Minutes? And without thinking, I said yes, because it truly was the only job in the business that I ever really coveted. It was the perfect job for a reporter, the height of success.
I went home that night and I had a really bad stomachache and I figured, well, I am going to have a baby so maybe that's what's causing it. The following week I had Ben but I never got rid of the stomachache, it kept getting worse and worse. Six months later I'm at 60 Minutes and I find that every time I'm on the road for a story, I'm having that pain thinking about my family and every time I'm with my family I'm feeling guilty about my job and confused.
Meanwhile, I became the media darling. There were all these stories, "Meredith Vieira, the woman who has it all. She's got a husband, she's got a kid, she's got one of the best jobs in the business." I just went along smiling and the whole thing, even though inside I was churning. Then I got pregnant with my second child, Gabriel, and I was brought into Don Hewitt's office who was the head of 60 Minutes at the time and he said, "You know what? You're going to have to make a choice here. What matters more to you? You going to go full-time with this and really commit to it or are you going to leave?" In that moment, I did what I urge all of you to do later than I should have. I listened to my gut and I said, "You know what, I'm out of here." And I said it in a nice way. And that night for the first night in years, I really slept well.
A few days later I was at an event and a woman cornered me and she said, "You know what, I can't believe that you're doing this. This sends such a wrong message to women everywhere who really believe you can have it all. If you leave this job, you're going to fail us all." And I thought, "You know what, what is failure?" If I stayed, that would be failure. That would be sending out a message to people that is dishonest. I had to be true to myself, as hard as that was and as scary as that was, you've got to listen to the voice in your gut. It is individual. It is unique. It is yours. It's called being authentic. There's only one of you and maybe you're not going to follow the path that other people would like to put you on, but that's OK. You're going to find the path that's right for you.
Since 60 Minutes, I've done a lot of crazy stuff. People are looking at my career and going, "She's schizoid." I went from 60 then I did documentary work, then I did the talk show, "The View." Then I did Millionaire. Now I'm on the Today show and "Millionaire." I've got a combination of both. But I feel comfortable in my shoes.
MAKE THAT CONNECTION
And what I find, and I find it a lot now at this show, when I talk to people out on the plaza, I've learned that as much as you reach forward for your dream, it's important to never forget to reach out to those around you. I can't tell you the number of people who stop me and humble me by saying, "Thank you for doing what you do, thank you for being there every morning for me. Thank you for informing me, thank you for getting me through a sickness in my family when maybe you brought a smile to my face. Thank you for touching me." That is the greatest gift you can give anybody. That is so humbling to do that and so important.
Ultimately, I've interviewed presidents and I've interviewed poor people just trying to make it—I actually prefer the latter group, to be honest with you—what I've found is that all of us need to connect, we need to reach out to each other. It is the greatest gift that you can give to anybody and ultimately the most important gift of all.
You're very special kids to be graduating from this school. I hope you know it. You're here because you are leaders. You have a mission. You also have an internal compass in each and everyone one of you, and I would urge you to listen to it. Follow that voice. Someone much smarter than me once said, "Don't go with the flow. You are the flow."
I think back to that streaking incident and about being out there naked and alone and the way all leaders will be, but that's when you're tested. That's when you find out who you really are.
As for Barbara Walters and Star Jones, you want to know the truth? If you think I'm going to tell you, you have a lot more to learn than I thought, okay? But then that's what life's about, it's about learning.
Good luck, get out of here, and may you truly live every day of your life. Thank you.
Photo credit: Michael Glantz
But first – yeah – but first, as I look out over your faces, the graduates, I'm so impressed by the mission of this school to create real leaders. Back when I was here, I was a student here from 1971 to 1975, I'm going to be honest, I wasn't much of a leader, except for January 1975, I led a group of female students across the campus streaking. Literally. Yeah. It was really cold, I remember that. And at one point, you know, I looked over my shoulder and the only behind I saw was mine. So as I was crouching in the bushes waiting for the campus police to drive by with the high beams on because, you know, got to catch these girls in the act, it struck me that every leader, no matter how small, occasionally will find themselves alone and exposed.
After that I did actually make a little bit more of myself, albeit with my clothes on—and quite frankly, I advise you do to the same, keep them on—to the point where nowadays, people your age often come up to me—we have a lot of interns at the Today show—and they'll say, "How did you get where you are? What did you do? What is the formula for success?"
THE 'MAGIC FORMULA'
I tell them all and I'll tell you, the only formula is that there is no formula. There is no easy way to get from point A to point B, nor is there any right way. In fact, my career, if you want to talk about a fluke, I was the kid at Tufts University who went through every major. I came in as a math major. I moved from that to drama, to French, to astronomy. I was brought into the dean's office who said, "Stop it, pick one." The only one I could pick was English because that's where I had enough credits. So I totally relate to the students out here, the graduates who might be a little scared right now. Maybe you don't know where you're headed. Maybe you haven't found your passion. Maybe your parents are looking at you like, "What are you going to do?" and you're scared. I felt all of that. I felt very lost.
And then, again in January—a lot happened in that January, I tell you, in 1975—I took a class here in broadcast journalism. It was pass/fail. I don't even know why I took it. I had no interest, none. I didn't see myself as a broadcaster in my future. I took this class. It was given by a reporter from CBS Radio in Boston, WEEI. Back then it was all news. I think maybe now it's all spots but back then it was all news.
And I found that I liked it. I really liked it. At the end, they had a final project. We were broken down into groups of four or five and we each had to do a mini radio documentary. We would research it, report it, write it and then one person would narrate the documentary. I happened to be chosen to narrate ours. They brought in a muckety muck from CBS to critique it, a man named Bill Shermer, a wonderful man who has since passed on. He listens to all these documentaries and when ours comes up he says, "Whose voice is that?" I raise my hand and he says, "I want to see you after class." I thought, "Oh my God, what's going to happen?"
I go out into the hallway and he says, "Have you decided what you want to do with the rest of your life?" Now being a Tufts student, I knew— philosophical deep question, ponder for a moment. And I did and then I said, "Gee, I don't know." He said, "Well, I do. I truly believe if you open up your mind you have a future in this business." And he offered me an internship.
And literally, that's all it took. It was in that moment. It was one person seeing a spark in me and opening a door that I went through. It was that simple. Had I not taken that class, I don't really know what direction. I would have found a direction, but that's what put me on the path.
ASK QUESTIONS
A few weeks later I learned something that is probably the first lesson I'm going to impart to you: remember to always ask questions. I'm an intern now, two weeks before I have to start. They give me a call and say, "You're going to be ripping wires." OK, ripping wires. Radio station. Wires out of the walls. A little weird that they'd have me do that, but fine, I'll do that. I went and I bought a new pair of overalls because I thought, "Gee, I'm going to look cute." And actually, that was the style back then. I show up to work at 4 a.m.—talk about ironies, I'm back on that schedule—I show up at WEEI and people are looking at me weird, like "Why are you dressed in overalls?" Finally it dawns on somebody about my confusion. Ripping wires, what they meant was ripping the wire services, the copy off of UPI, Reuters, AP, not wires out of the wall. Eventually they stop laughing, although if anybody that I knew back then sees me they always bring it up.
I learned a lesson that day: no question is too stupid. You're not as smart as you think you are. You never will be. There's always room to learn. Don't be scared to ask.
Luckily for me Bill Shermer still took a chance on me, which I'm very grateful that he did.
But you're going to find that in life, occasionally people will not be on your side. And then what do you do when you hit that first wall? Mine occurred about two years later. I had moved from radio to television, Providence, RI, and about a year into that job, and I felt pretty secure, I was brought in by the news director on a Friday, because that's when they do it to you. And he said, "You know what, you don't have what it takes." And they let me go.
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
I grew up in Providence so I went home to my family home and I'm in my bedroom crying. My dad comes in and he says, "What's the matter?" I told him and he said, "Well, do you think you have what it takes?" Even though I didn't, I said, "Yeah. I think I do. And he said, "Why do you care what anybody's going to say to you that would conflict with that feeling? You're going to have naysayers, and I'll tell you, you will throughout your life have people who will tell you you are not good enough. Maybe they're jealous. Maybe they think you aren't. Maybe they've had a bad day. But ultimately you have to believe in yourself."
Based on that pep talk or maybe serious PMS, I did go in that Monday. I basically pinned him to the wall. You know, and I think back on it and I said, "I don't care what you think. I am going to make it." I might have freaked him out, but he gave me a second chance. Since then, we have become very good friends. But I did learn a lesson about believing in yourself.
THE 'FAST TRACK'
After that I was sort of on a fast track. I went from Providence directly to New York City at WCBS television and then onto network news. Some of you are going to find yourselves with that same trajectory because of the kind of students that you are. You're going to move very fast and you'll find that there isn't a lot of time to pause and reflect. And I would urge you to do that. Sometimes you get on this high speed train and you never stop to think, "Well, where am I going and who am I? What am I really doing?" That's when you're tested at your core.
Probably my biggest test came with 60 Minutes that Larry referred to.
Again, I was on this fast track and I was in West 57th , the magazine. I was also married but had several miscarriages and finally was pregnant with my first child after trying for quite a few years. I was leaving on maternity leave to have Ben, and I was brought into office of president of CBS News and he said to me, "How would you like to be a co-anchor, a co-editor at 60 Minutes? And without thinking, I said yes, because it truly was the only job in the business that I ever really coveted. It was the perfect job for a reporter, the height of success.
I went home that night and I had a really bad stomachache and I figured, well, I am going to have a baby so maybe that's what's causing it. The following week I had Ben but I never got rid of the stomachache, it kept getting worse and worse. Six months later I'm at 60 Minutes and I find that every time I'm on the road for a story, I'm having that pain thinking about my family and every time I'm with my family I'm feeling guilty about my job and confused.
Meanwhile, I became the media darling. There were all these stories, "Meredith Vieira, the woman who has it all. She's got a husband, she's got a kid, she's got one of the best jobs in the business." I just went along smiling and the whole thing, even though inside I was churning. Then I got pregnant with my second child, Gabriel, and I was brought into Don Hewitt's office who was the head of 60 Minutes at the time and he said, "You know what? You're going to have to make a choice here. What matters more to you? You going to go full-time with this and really commit to it or are you going to leave?" In that moment, I did what I urge all of you to do later than I should have. I listened to my gut and I said, "You know what, I'm out of here." And I said it in a nice way. And that night for the first night in years, I really slept well.
A few days later I was at an event and a woman cornered me and she said, "You know what, I can't believe that you're doing this. This sends such a wrong message to women everywhere who really believe you can have it all. If you leave this job, you're going to fail us all." And I thought, "You know what, what is failure?" If I stayed, that would be failure. That would be sending out a message to people that is dishonest. I had to be true to myself, as hard as that was and as scary as that was, you've got to listen to the voice in your gut. It is individual. It is unique. It is yours. It's called being authentic. There's only one of you and maybe you're not going to follow the path that other people would like to put you on, but that's OK. You're going to find the path that's right for you.
Since 60 Minutes, I've done a lot of crazy stuff. People are looking at my career and going, "She's schizoid." I went from 60 then I did documentary work, then I did the talk show, "The View." Then I did Millionaire. Now I'm on the Today show and "Millionaire." I've got a combination of both. But I feel comfortable in my shoes.
MAKE THAT CONNECTION
And what I find, and I find it a lot now at this show, when I talk to people out on the plaza, I've learned that as much as you reach forward for your dream, it's important to never forget to reach out to those around you. I can't tell you the number of people who stop me and humble me by saying, "Thank you for doing what you do, thank you for being there every morning for me. Thank you for informing me, thank you for getting me through a sickness in my family when maybe you brought a smile to my face. Thank you for touching me." That is the greatest gift you can give anybody. That is so humbling to do that and so important.
Ultimately, I've interviewed presidents and I've interviewed poor people just trying to make it—I actually prefer the latter group, to be honest with you—what I've found is that all of us need to connect, we need to reach out to each other. It is the greatest gift that you can give to anybody and ultimately the most important gift of all.
You're very special kids to be graduating from this school. I hope you know it. You're here because you are leaders. You have a mission. You also have an internal compass in each and everyone one of you, and I would urge you to listen to it. Follow that voice. Someone much smarter than me once said, "Don't go with the flow. You are the flow."
I think back to that streaking incident and about being out there naked and alone and the way all leaders will be, but that's when you're tested. That's when you find out who you really are.
As for Barbara Walters and Star Jones, you want to know the truth? If you think I'm going to tell you, you have a lot more to learn than I thought, okay? But then that's what life's about, it's about learning.
Good luck, get out of here, and may you truly live every day of your life. Thank you.
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Merith
I listened to your speach and you spoke so well.
I would have been proud to be a graduating student who was there to listen to it. You motivated them to get out and live their life.
What an inspiration you are to everyone.
You make us all so proud.
thank you mtmmmr
Meredith
First off Congratulations on this honor. Wonder what those nay sayers are saying now.
Second must say there is one stupid question.
The one never asked!
If you never ask it how do you know. Good example last week I sort of knew I was going to get a no to a question I asked, but I asked it anyways. I got the no I expected, but at least I could sleep in and not worry I had missed an opportunity.
See you on the plaza
Dave
Hey Meredith[or should i say Dr. Meredith ;)]! Thanks for answering my question a few posts ago :) i hope your shin is ok. Congrats on the awesome speech. I'm looking forward to summer and watching you guys on Today every morning. I think it would be fun if you guys all carpooled again. It was so entertaining when you did a few months ago, and it was a great way to spread the word on helping our environment.
Hi, "Dr. Meredith" :)
Congrats on your honorary degree!
Joe
Hi Meredith,
First of all congratulations, you must be so proud to have recieved this honor. You have been through it all and came out on top.
I wish you the best.
Joan K.
Wisconsin
This was inspiring. I'm glad you didn't listen to the naysayers -- you're awesome.
Hello Dr. Vieira!!
I just want to say that if I were one of the graduates I would have been so proud to have you as a speaker. You are very inspirational!! Your family must be so proud of you.
Love watching you every morning. Keep up the good work!!
Good Luck!
I think you will do great.
Meredith
Have heard you say most of what was in your speech on The View and The Today Show, but have not heard you address your relationship with Star Jones. During your final program on The View, your son said that his fondest memories of your time there were of his conversations with Star. He said he called her Auntie Star. Do you or your son stay in contact with her?
5/20/08
i think matt will be in cairo/pyramids
Congatulations on the doctorate. Like so many others, you and Matt have become a part of my morning and getting the day going.
In the interview today, I wish you would have taken Geraldine Ferraro to task with her comment about "a typical male". If a man said that about a woman, the fur would have flown. Why is there a double standard about not calling to accountability such reverse discrimination; especially when the story this morning was about sexism and the presidential race. To me, it sounds like Geraldine wants to have it both ways when it comes to women in politics.
Perhaps she could take a lesson from you; a successful woman in business who does not need to makes excuses for her success as a human being who happens to be a woman.
I was wondering why your wardrobe people insist on dressing you in clothes I associate with old women. You are always sharply dressed on Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Protest! You are a beautiful woman.
You said Hillary was being held back from winning the nomination because she is a woman.
The only reason that Hillary is running for President is because she was Bill's wife. The reason she has done everything in her life is due to her being Bill's wife---a partner at Rose law, a seat on Wal Mart, the 35 years in public life (all but 6 were as a wife) and the senate seat she took due to name recognition as a first lady. If we are to elect a first woman President, shouldn't it be for what she has done instead of who her husband was? Otherwise, the way to the White House for women is through whom you marry.
Meridith,
Thank you so much for addressing the sexism that has been rampant throughout this campaign. I wish other stations would be willing to address the issue as well. In particular, I have found MSNBC and pundits Chris Mathews and Keith Oberman to be the worst. They have ridiculed and demeaned Hilary more than Fox news has. Never thought I would say that. When this has been brought to their attention they refuse to look at their own behavior and once again blame it on Hilary's "whining". Frankly, I believe they are placing NBC in jeopardy of losing their objective status as a news station.
Meredith...Congratulations on your well deserved honor. And thank you for sharing your inspiring speech with us.
Meredith, my family & I believe you are the perfect addition to the Today Show! We watch as often as we can. Can you tell us what has been the toughest obstacle for you professionally to overcome or deal with? You have such an easy going way about you that we can't imagine you having ANY obstacles to deal with, but we also realize you are human. Don't ever leave the Today Show!
Jenni
Nashville, Indiana
Congratulations Meredith. I would like to know how I can contact your husband. I have an idea for publication and I would like to share the idea with him. I'm a registered nurse and I know absolutely nothing about publishing, editing or starting a magazine but I think he might know how to go about getting something published that is just an idea in my head. I don't want to put to much information about it online but I would appreciate it if he could contact me or you could let me know how to contact Richard. Thanks.
Hey Meredith.. I thought your speech was amazing.. It was so inspiring and full of perfect advice.. and as a young person it had a lot of wise guidance.. Im only in high school and I already find myself worrying about the future and the road ahead..(which is just my type of personality) but it was an amazing speech! I also loved it when your went trucking today.. it gave a new perspective on trucking.. love the show and love you.. your an amazing person...
Hi Merdith
I enjoyed watching you drive that big rig this morning with lots of envy. My son has over 2 million miles on the road and everytime he comes home, I ask him to let me take it for a spin, unfortunatly he doesn't trust his mother and won't.
though he did let me start it once and rev the engine thats as far as I have gotten. Sometime in my life I plan on doing it. I thought you did a great job!!!!
Disappointed in you for not spending the night at the truck stop. It's good enough for those who taught you to drive the 18 wheelers, so why not for you?
Meredith,
I have been a fan of yours for years. You are absolutely amazing!! You are so intelligent, street smart, REAL, witty, and without a doubt on of the best news anchors/talk show hosts to date - you are the best!. Did I forget to tell you that you are a naturally beautiful person inside and out. I never blog . . but for some reason, I just wanted to write this to you.
Marie
Dr. Meredith,
Now THAT has a ‘ring’ to it! Congratulations!
That being said, I want to express my appreciation AND MY SURPRISE at your segment on Dangerous Jobs: The Trucking Life. I lived it for 18 years and have never seen nor heard such GOOD words about it! Your portrayal of "trucking"(especially from a female point of view) will surely give some much deserved respect to a misunderstood job that was for me, a single 'WAY OF LIFE' as well.
The following will be worth reading only if your 'Touch of Trucking' sparked a personal fascination with the trade. If that is so, my website on the subject may be of interest too. http://web.gccaz.edu/~ermccoy/ The site was part of a college assignment, as I had to retire when I suffered a truck related injury in ‘98. I must admit, at age 67 those ten years ago, a small ‘computer mouse’ seemed a much greater challenge than those Big Trucks ever were.
I know this rendition is more of a blog than a comment, but I thought maybe, since you can somewhat identify with that different world I call PLANET INTERSTATE, you might enjoy more information regarding its past as well. Then again, it might be too much like “taking your work home with you”. If that’s not the case, here is more on the subject.
I think it all started with Barbara Walters’ early 'Killer Truck" campaign. It drew nationwide attention to 20/20 and promoted what turned out to be MAJOR changes in truck transportation. Fortunately, they were all for safety’s sake. However, with those changes came gender discrimination, probably more crude than the prejudice Barbara had to deal with in her first 'female anchor' days.
After her Killer Truck expose’, the resulting Government 'crack-down’ forced guilty trucking companies to keep more accurate files as related to the miles each truck had been driven. In keeping with the log book that recorded a truck’s miles, many cross country truckers would be forced to ‘quit falsifying’ their hours of driving, loading, unloading, sleeping, eating, etc. Such a ‘crack down’ meant that ‘in future’, company files better produce on demand, a driver’s 'legal' log book, one that would match up with the time and distance each truck trip entailed.
In other words, a second real live BODY would have to be 'on board' a moving truck in order to account for a truck’s wheels turning close to 24 hours a day. Voile'! Thus was born the need for TWO drivers to ‘team’ a perishable load ‘down the road’ or from coast to coast. The modern concept of huz/wife teams was thought to be an ideal solution.
However, with the acceptance of MIXED GENDER, came the SINGLE woman’s demand for her “equal rights” and incidentally, with equal pay as well. Forced by law, companies had to accommodate this NEW threat to what for some had been satisfactory pill popping, hard running, record altering, sleep deprived solo drivers. During those late ‘70s and early ‘80s, a ‘demanding female’ was assigned to an average truck with cab/bunk space no bigger than a circus lion’s cage on wheels. Ah! But not alone! Oh, no! For a ‘trainer/traveling companion’, she would be ’teamed up’ with the company’s rudest crudest, most socially unacceptable cross country driver, and usually for a minimum of 7 consecutive days/nights, round trip. Yes! When Lady Truckers made the grade in those days, it was up-hill all the way. Breaking into ‘cross country trucking’ was an obstacle course deliberately geared by many trucking companies to hopefully ‘wash a single female OUT’.
Bigger sleeping accomodations followed, but not soon enough to prevent endless and sometimes frightening ‘mixed team, social problems’. As would be expected, the enforcement of "Equal Rights" opened a ‘trucking’ door that had not yet closed on "Sexual Harassment". Thanks to the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas case too many years later, those unbelievable circumstances finally began to change too.
Meredith, I started in 1977(I was 46) with a Truck Driving School, but not at all like the one you experienced during your segment. Back in those days many unregulated truck schools were charging outrageous prices for very little learning. The huz/wife concept was still in its early stages and school instructors assured most women that their (barely trained) husbands would probably do most of the teaching/driving anyway. Two years later, I had managed to survive the ‘teacher/husband’ pressures. But I can't say the same for the marriage. A 'health related’ divorce changed my status. As a SINGLE woman of 50, I was THROWN into the full-blown ‘mixed gender’ melee. Somehow I survived those next three horribly harassing years.
Looking back, I still think Barbara's 'Killer Truck' campaign* was over all a good thing. It was responsible for eliminating many dangers to the motoring public, as well as influencing the positive changes that finally honored females as equal (if not better!) professional drivers. I can’t help but wonder though, if Barbara Walters has the slightest idea how many ‘trucking trade’ feminine rights changes she indirectly set in motion.
* I have heard that the ‘then’ failing Railroads were behind the Killer Truck campaign, and have always wondered if that theory had any merit.
Hi Meredith. Congratulations on the Dr. status. Just want to say how much I appreciated your segment on Dangerous Jobs - Truck Driving. I drove one for 18 years, 13 of them by byself. Didn't start till I was 48. It was my life and I loved it. Breaking into what was THEN a man's work world wasn't easy, but I hung in there!!! I would have paid to do what I was getting paid to do. I am retired now 10 years. Trucking has changed a great deal since computers. but then, so have I!!!! I love you on Millionaire as well as your versality with your other programs. You did that Trucking Thing so well and contributed a positive outlook on what is most often a THANKLESS and very misunderstood JOB!!!! I hope all the 'four wheelers' saw it. Again, Congratulations. Your speech was so REAL, so down to earth and as you said, from the heart! I'm sure you are too. It's what makes you so special.
Wild Parties!
I sure am glad I ain't your neighbors, you guys throw too many block parties.
Meredith congratulations on the honor you've received, that was a great speech and it paints a clear picture of who you are; it's also a good perspective on life for young people that feel alone or lost about their future; there are some very interesting comments by bloggers in here too specially about the elections, the country seems so divided and it looks like sen Obama will win however I don't see genuine passion in his voice as I do with sen Clinton, she talks like she wants to go somewhere with this nation and not just to not fail at the job as seems to me to be the case with sen Obama. Thanks
JP
Meredith,
I don't know if you're ever going to have time to read or answer this but a couple of questions just struck me while I was watching last week. First, if Matt or you is doing an interview, does the other one just hang out on the sidelines somewhere or can you have a bathroom break or whatever? Also, do you review tapes aftet the show to see what worked and what didn't? Thanks, much love to you all.
Flannery
meredith i just saw this video of you, ann, and al on youtube, you're gonna love it. http://youtube.com/watch?v=ek9MyzWGkKk
I haven't had time to gather my thoughts this morning but I
figured that someone was spending to much in my bathroom
trying to find a flaw? You look great thank you for all your
efforts. Maybe one day I'll be able to meet and greet you
respectfully.
Dear Meredith,
It was appropriate that you received the Litterarum humanarum Doctorate and have now the responsibility to hold higher wisdom and be a pinnacle of knowledge. Congratulations!
It was one week ago on the Today Show you had made comment about how you were represented in the graphics accompanying a feature where you were driving an eighteen wheeler. At the intro to the segment you made comments, such as, “I look like a Transsexual”, and later, “I look like a man.” Although you do not fit the criteria you expressed, it does indicate an observed bias present at NBC and having past roots on the Today programming.
I am a Transsexual and have struggled many years to overcome my affliction and to integrate into society in a positive way. You likely would not at first glace recognize me as anything other than a woman. I would suppose that with in your discrimination you may come to the conclusion that I am not an authentic woman, or perhaps justifiably fitting in the normalcy of the human race. You have that right and are free to so represent that point of view.
I do want to impart some information so that you may humanely understand the struggle many of us attempt to survive, and that there are even more who cannot. 1/2500 children are born ambiguous, and the attending physician cannot determine the sex, or gender. Some enter the world AIS (Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome) where as men they develop as females. All fetuses are first female and according to gene, chromosome, and endocrinology become androgen sensitive and become males. Or something in between. 1/150 have some form of intersex condition varying from urethra hypoplasia to any number of genital and body mixtures. Transsexuals are a small segment. Est 1/30,000, of which only 5% transition and have reassignment surgery. The world is not so rightly divided male and female, nor is it in application of justice and equality. I know as I have had to overcome elements of anatomy and legal definition. Even though I have transitioned from a recognizable male role, and am now legally and anatomically a female, I must endure the bigoted and often dangerous treatment of the workings of society around me. I pass well, but for many it is impossible.
Again, you made the comments a week ago, and I accept that you may have had no malice or cruel intent. It does, however, no less continue to promote a public perception and level of ignorance that once was also inflicted upon the Blacks and Gays.
Simply, “Doctor”, you now are held accountable to show your viewing public the heights of humanity and the knowledge that you understand your viewers and hold them with respect.
(I am a long time Today Show viewer)
Estelle
Okay I know you have heard this before ,but if you don"t have time to blog Don't .Just post a note sometime when something happens.I really enjoy all your work ,but your blog is frusrating.Some other people who I enjoy hearing from have "blogs" and do the same thing.Its like waiting for that letter in the mail box !So let the bloggers blog and you do what you do best ,today show,millionare and family woman Thanks
This morning you and Dr. Nancy Snyderman discussed teen pregnancy without mentioning the effect of the ubiquitous sexual messages bombarding teens (compliments of the media). If you are genuinely concerned about this problem, please cover that aspect as well.
For $ umpteen-million, per year, for what you do - you could, at least, have time to do your blog. Even rock stars and prima donna athletes work harder for ther excessive pay. For what it's worth, you have lost a Today Show viewer and a blog reader.
To James M. McEntire:
Who cares? Considering your nasty comment history on this blog, loss of your viewership and readership isn't worth a thing.
Meredith did you abandon your blog?
Wow, Mr. McEntire, that's a really angry reaction to something that isn't a very big deal. Do you know how much Meredith Vieira makes on the Today Show? Do you know how much time she spends preparing for each show, and the research and travel involved? Do you realize that she also hosts "Who Wants to be a Millionaire"? And that she has a husband with a serious chronic illness, and children that she actually takes care of, cooks for, etc. herself?
She is not obligated to you or anyone else to blog; it's something extra that she does when she has time. Nobody knows what might be going on in her life that prevents her from blogging very often. I agree that it would be fun to see more consistent posts from her, but I'm not going to get in a snit about it.
Meredith
My sister was so influenced by Sex And The City that she tried to do all that was done on that show. She spent so much on shoes that she's still in debt. She's been to rehab for alcohol abuse and was just diagnosed with lung cancer. Her smoking started because of the character of Carrie. I won't go into how Samantha affected my sister, but it has only added to her problems.
During The Today Show piece on women and alcohol, one of the women interviewed said that her drinking had increased when she started watching the Sex And The City Women drinking cosmopolitans. When all of the consequences of behaviors aren't shown on screen, impressionable viewers suffer.
UPDATE ALREADY!!!!!
Has she left us?
I just wonder if some of you people have adequate reading comprehension skills. Did any of you read her postings on April Fool's Day and the day after? Meredith said she will not be able to blog every day. What part of that did you not understand? Relax and stop the melodrama over something that is supposed to be fun.
For Sister-
Just one question- How old is your sister? If your sister is an adult she has no one to blame but herself. To blame fictional caracters is crazy. I have family members that have some problems like your sister and they own up to it. Sounds like your sister need some support and help from her family and by going to meetings for her abuse.
I wish your sister well. It's not easy. But to blame a movie is not the way to do it.
Hey Meredith- Thanks for the blog. I LOVE IT!
When you yell "follow me!" and then look back and find no one is behind you, that doesn't mean you're going in the wrong direction, that means you have some convincing to do.