What Beef Is: NBC’s Matt Lauer Agitates Kanye West With Questions, Sounds (VIDEO!)

video

by Steve Krakauer | 1:39 pm, November 11th, 2010

» 24 comments

So now that Pres. George W. Bush has stopped hating on Conway West after the “disgusting moment” comment, a new target for Kanye West‘s frustration became Today show anchor Matt Lauer.

Today Lauer played more of the tape, and issued a challenge to Kanye to continue this epic battle a few weeks from now.

During the pre-taped interview Tuesday on the Today show set, West said he “empathize[d] with the idea of being pegged as a racist.” But Lauer wanted more. He asked West to “look at his face” as he played video of the President speaking out against what West had said. West didn’t like the whole exercise, and while he expressed why, his head started darting around the studio, getting agitated as he spoke:

I mean pre-looking at his face, I came up here because I wanted to say something to him right after the fact. You know what I’m saying, you don’t have to do the TV stuff with me. This is reality. This is the real thing going on. You know what I’m saying, I don’t need all the jazz. I would say to…could we be quiet for a second?

Then he said the quote that played yesterday, although immediately after Lauer tried to prompt him with “…and you’re sorry.” And West didn’t like the words being put in his mouth.

Then things nearly came to blows! (Kidding, obviously, like this whole post.) As Lauer brought up the stage-crashing moment, the producers played the video underneath the interview, but with the sound up. Kanye didn’t let it finish:

West: Yo, how am I supposed to talk if you’re going to run this thing in the middle of when I’m talking?
Lauer: It’s under. You won’t be hearing it.
West: But I’m hearing it when I’m trying to talk!
Lauer: Ok can you take the sound out of the overheads please? Just pick up, you said it wasn’t a race thing.
West: Please don’t let that happen again. Ridiculous.

Thinking back on it this morning, Matt Lauer was ready to THROW DOWN. “There’s nothing improper about it, there’s nothing unusual about it,” he said, issuing a challenge for West to show up and say those tweets to his mf-ing FACE on November 26 (when Kanye’s booked to perform on the Today show).

Get your popcorn ready!

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beef, Kanye West, Matt Lauer, NBC, Today, Today Show

More Liberty

I have to agree with Mr. West. It is rather ridiculous. Matt Lauer is just trying to provoke him. What an ass-clown.
dummy123

Lets not forget before Matt became the morning liberal propagandist he was a landscaper/entertainment reporter HACK.
Watch this clip.
Matt is the guy being put into a box on the failed/never aired Howard Stern FOX show!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCnPsc_NwdY
Kird

Kidding, obviously, like this whole post

Yes, because what you wrote and what I saw in the video don’t add up at all.
dummy123

Interesting Matt’s Bush interview happened in what looked like an integration room with a shitty banquet table.
Not to demeaning for a President of the United States.
Didn’t Matt cheat on his wife with a black dude dressed like a woman….Alexis Houston???
Is Matt a gay fish too??
http://mediaite.com Steve Krakauer

Hey Kird-

I meant that I was kidding about the tone…obviously the quotes are true.
Kird

Steve Krakauer said:
Hey Kird-

I meant that I was kidding about the tone…obviously the quotes are true.

Probably (depending on if they were derived from a transcript, the video or from memory), but there certainly were no “challenges” issued.

I don’t care about Lauer or West; I’m just wondering if you’re conducting a sociological experiment, or something.
ChrisNH

Yet more Lib media-hack anger & rage! It will never cease. Can you imagine waking up to someone as rage-filled as Matt Glower? Yes, he manages to stay civil…barely. He knows his audience isn’t a ‘prime-time’ one and because of that he has to mask any show of disdain and anger for people ‘not like him.’ It sure isn’t a happy time to be a Lib media hack.
Dem4Ever

Hey Steve -

I’m sure you meant to write, “Now that “Conway” has stopped hating on Pres. George W. Bush…”
yr so liberl chuck norris

Conway West hates white people.
sasha

I’m so sick and tired of TV & internet media’s baiting on everything from race, anti-semetism, homophobia…it’s really gotten sick and causing tension between people where it doesn’t need to be. We need to have honest conversations in this country with each other without fear of being labeled as being anti a group. People will do just about anything today for attention, money and ratings. TV & internet have to start being more responsible and inviting people to have honest and civil conversations about our problems and our fears.
http://twitter.com/SailRabbits Magister

I have to admit that though I’ve read most of the posts about President Bush’s book promotion on this and other blogs, the above is the first time that I’ve actually played a clip.

Perhaps someone can enlighten me and maybe it was simply phrased differently in the book, but how did “one of the most disgusting” become “the worst” between the quote and Lauer’s outro?
http://mediaite.com Steve Krakauer

Dem – I did mean to write Conway. That’s what Pres. Bush mistakenly called Kanye yesterday.

And Magister…glad you watched!. not sure how it was in the book, but Bush specifically said “one of the most disgusting”.
http://twitter.com/SailRabbits Magister

Thanks Steve – After posting my comment, I went back to read your prior transcript and then I watched the full clip of the original exchange and after Bush answered, Lauer read a clip from the book that called it a “low point” and after the former President agreed, Matt quoted that George had told Laura that it was “the worst moment”, then he wrapped it with the context of everything else.

So, again pardon my interruption, but it appears that “the worst” wasn’t just editorializing by Mr. Lauer.

(See what happen when you watch a clip, you sometimes have to go back and view others for context)
http://twitter.com/SailRabbits Magister

IOW: Before commenting, it’d help if I had done my homework.
Newsjunky

Kird said:
I don’t care about Lauer or West; I’m just wondering if you’re conducting a sociological experiment, or something.

So, you are here reading this story why? Oh, that’s right. You’re a message board troll. Perhaps you should find something more constructive to do with your time.
Michéle – Ft Leavenworth KS

Steve Krakauer said:
Dem – I did mean to write Conway. That’s what Pres. Bush mistakenly called Kanye yesterday. And Magister…glad you watched!. not sure how it was in the book, but Bush specifically said “one of the most disgusting”.

Mr. Krakauer: Excellent article.

I agree with Magister as well!

You sometimes have to either reread or listen/view a clip to get the full context of the discussion.

Lauer in my opinion was going after ratings. Using a moment of reflection to then get a rise out of a guest. There is a reason that Lauer remains a talking head for morning shows, this incident reminds us why, that while he could be promoted to a higher gig, he just doesn’t have the metal to do so.

Then again look at the competition he might be against. Again, I only see Lauer when mediaiate posts an article, morning news shows are more entertainment than substance. Really what is the point of having them on anymore?

Again Mr. Krakauer, your article is illuminating to the interview.
Some_Dude

Kanye’s first album, still one the greatest of all time. Greatest of all time!
SpineCrusher

Matt Lauer hates black people.

sorry, had to be done..lol!
Michéle – Ft Leavenworth KS

sasha said:
I’m so sick and tired of TV & internet media’s baiting on everything from race, anti-semetism, homophobia…it’s really gotten sick and causing tension between people where it doesn’t need to be. We need to have honest conversations in this country with each other without fear of being labeled as being anti a group. People will do just about anything today for attention, money and ratings. TV & internet have to start being more responsible and inviting people to have honest and civil conversations about our problems and our fears.

An articulate observation, though I doubt you will see the discussion you have requested.
Dem4Ever

Steve Krakauer said:
Dem – I did mean to write Conway. That’s what Pres. Bush mistakenly called Kanye yesterday.

And Magister…glad you watched!. not sure how it was in the book, but Bush specifically said “one of the most disgusting”.

Steve – You misunderstood. I was not addressing your use of “Conway” vs “Kanye”.

In your article you began,”So now that Pres. George W. Bush has stopped hating on Conway West…”

I’m sure you meant to write the opposite.

“So now that Conway West has stopped hating on Pres. George W. Bush…”
notsofast

Matt Lauer doesn’t like black people.”
ititiiti

When is matt Lauer going to grill Limbaugh and Beck for calling Barack Obama a racist…? Perhaps he’s as racist as George Bush, who’s first order during Katrina was to order the national guard to shot to kill the black “looters” but not the white ones — who were merely “looking for food to feed their families.” (Not GB’s extact words but his sentament.)
http://www.anonymousfinch.com AnonymousFinch

Why does anybody take this fool seriously? Hasn’t he embarrassed himself enough times?

And the same goes for Kanye West, too.
CAconservative

This no-talent jerk will do anything to keep his face on TV. Kanye, your 15-minutes are up, GO AWAY!