I know how I should feel about Meredith Vieira’s sexual harrassment of a young, strapping Navy pilot who showed up on that-show-I-did-not know-still-existed, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. I should feel unamused. Dour. Embarrassed. Wet willies came up. Eeeewwww.
Instead, I thought it was kind of hilarious. Vieira may be horny as she admits, but she ain’t old, and Max Shuman (which I originally heard as Nat Sherman, with my cigarette brain, which was doubly-exciting!) handles the attention with aplomb and playful modesty. My reaction was more along the lines of, “Getchusome, Vieira! And then pass me a piece of that action.”
Yeah, yeah, if the sexes were reversed, it would be unbelievably icky. But I can’t get riled up about it, because Mr. Shuman seemed quite capable of taking care of himself and, honestly, I do enjoy a little reverse exploitation in good humor. Feel free to disagree, or share your own appreciation for Max or Meredith (looking fine herself) in comments.
ButtercupPunch - "La clique, c’est chic!" 
October 8, 2009 at 3:33 pm
“Mama horny, Michael.”
October 9, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Ahh, bless AD. A reference for every occasion.
October 8, 2009 at 8:40 pm
You know, I would TOTALLY do this because the guy was smoking, so I can’t blame her.
But on the other hand, yes, it was kind of gross. I felt sorry for the guy. It was funny the first couple of times, and then it became really objectifying and made me feel uncomfortable. I mean if someone did that to my son in five years, it would annoy me as much as if someone did it to my daughter.
October 9, 2009 at 8:39 am
Agreed! I’m ok w/an initial comment, but beyond that it’s just tasteless and crass for anyone.
October 9, 2009 at 8:59 am
Yeah… Given how unremitting it was, I imagined that they were introduced backstage before the show, she said, “Would you be okay of I made some cracks and innuendo?” He said, “Go for it,” and then she milked it.
That was kind of my impression, anyway.
October 9, 2009 at 6:50 am
Didn’t she facially molest Brad Pitt? Or was that someone else?
October 9, 2009 at 6:52 am
Wait, that was Ann Curry.
October 9, 2009 at 11:31 am
I didn’t watch the whole thing but I get the gist of it. I’m not going to say she was out of line or anything, but she just went on too long with it.
October 16, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Lighten up!! Seriously, does no one have a sense of humor anymore. I am so sick to death of this over doing it of political correctness. First of all you all act like this was going on for an hour, it was about 3 minutes..and it was all in good fun..I don’t believe that Mr. Shuman felt particularly exploited. In fact, if you watched it he played along, offering to give her a “wet willie” to demonstrate how it was done. He was eating up the attention, as most men would. My God, like I said LIGHTEN UP!!!!
October 17, 2009 at 10:44 am
Dear Billy,
Perhaps you missed the part where she said, “Instead, I thought it was kind of hilarious.” Understandable, all those exclamation marks do get in the way.
– k
October 20, 2009 at 3:16 am
The handsome officer was in no way afraid or felt threatened. Caught off guard..yes but notice how he took conrol of the situation and got on the drivers seat. Inappropriate perhaps on her part but sexual harrassment…hardly. True it is a double standard but one men aren’t too caught up with as we are not vulnerable to it as are women..we view sex as something of pleasure not power.
July 13, 2011 at 9:02 pm
I thought the incident was highly entertaining. Viera is a class act and her repartee with max was highly charged with a natural ease between the two! Both were having a good time!! Del
November 17, 2012 at 1:39 pm
Wow you’re a stupid bitch. So it’s okay if a woman sexually harrasses a man on air since he “can handle himself” but if a man does it to a woman it’s not okay?