You Know You Love Them: Gossip Girl Cast Matched With Their Media Mates

Kelly Ripa: Hazel Williams

Maybe it’s just the blonde bob, but there’s something about the way Hazel waffled between good girl and bad that reminds us of Kelly Ripa and her own reinvention, from soap star to superstar. Of course, Ripa’s Hayley Vaughn, of All My Children fame, participated in her fair share of debauchery, and like Hazel, found herself often out of her element and unprepared for the Roman Coliseum of social arenas.

The women of The View: Blair Waldor’s posse

They can be strong and independent when they so desire, but they’re just more comfortable sharing the spotlight as the toughest clique in town. But while they might put forth a solid front, we’re not totally convinced that there’s not some love lost behind the scenes, with each tough lady jockeying for position. And while the women of The View are infinitely more well-mannered and mature, they might’ve been the Plastics a few decades back. There’s Sherri Shepherd, the loyal Isabel-type; Barbara Walters in the bookish Nelly Yuki mold; Joy Behar as the sharp Penelope; Whoopi can be Elise, and that leaves…

Elisabeth Hasselbeck: Jenny Humphrey

These waifish blondes seem sweet and harmless enough, but don’t dare to get in their way because they’ll blow right through you. As a co-host on The View, Hasselbeck has defined herself as, dare we say it, a maverick — pitting herself against guest and co-star alike time and again. Jenny, too, is back and forth in the good graces and crosshairs of those powerful social forces around her, balancing a budding career in fashion and school-time pressures. Just watch out because each have smiles that can soon turn to sneers should you cross them.

Matt Lauer: Rufus Humphrey

Matt Lauer is not quite a rockstar, but then again, neither is Rufus Humphrey these days. Both fit far more comfortably as generally likable, youthful father-types. Rufus always has his own drama to juggle — ex-wives, missing adopted children, old flings — but he’s never too busy to engage in a bit of playful verbal sparring with his kids. Lauer also mixes an independent streak with a warm familiarity; after over a decade hosting Today, we know we can turn to Matt to keep us grounded, like Rufus, no matter how crazy things get.

Jimmy Fallon: Dan Humphrey

Jimmy Fallon is to Late Night what Dan Humphrey is to prep school: a little bit of an outsider, but a welcomed change of pace. The two young guys share a tender goofiness and self-deprecating comic style that only fools us some of the time — we know these dudes think they’re under-appreciated. Both are keen to laugh at their own jokes, but still come through as relatively humble when surrounded by a fair share of gigantic warring egos.

Maureen Dowd: Georgina Sparks

When things start to seem a little too quiet on the front steps of The Met in Gossip Girl, a visit from the ultimate noisemaker, Georgina Sparks, is never far behind. And in print, the New York Times’ champion spark plug is none other than op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd. They both run in elite social circles, their moods can often be described as biting or ferocious and neither hesitates to engage in some good old-fashioned name-calling. Stephen Colbert once described Dowd as sitting on “an overstuffed divan, petting her prize Abyssinian and sipping a Dirty Cosmotinijito” — and we imagine that, at least pre-rehab, that’s how Georgina cooked up her evil plans, too.

Next page: The original Gossip Girl, exposed! Plus, fan-favorite Dorota…

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