I have a serious crush on the new Queen Bitch of American airwaves. Her job as host is to mock those who are deemed by their teammates unworthy of continuing on in the game, of being, per the show's title, the weakest link. The critics argue that Anne herself is unnecessarily mean, her delivery confusing, her put-downs lacking the zest to stand up in primetime. They clearly don't get the joke, but Americans seldom do, unless you hit them over the head with it. Anne's certainly much nicer to look at, but I wish she'd have a little more fun with her nastiness.
American television is increasingly barbaric.
Professional wrestling has even spilled over into the Saturday morning kiddie venue. Regis is as clean and inoffensive as a freeze-dried potato, with the accompanying texture and flavor. He may dress like a Fleet Street don but his ethos is pure American pedestrianism. He's the sanitized urbanite for the rural middle class. We enjoy watching her demean our social and intellectual inferiors.