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Should NBC drop Ann Curry as co-anchor of 'Today'?
Give Ann Curry a lot of credit simply for punching in on Thursday morning, knowing millions of viewers would look at her on "The Today Show" and see only a Dead Ann Walking.
Rarely has the body language of a major broadcast network so clearly indicated that one of the marquee hosts on its most successful show is about to be gone.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE VIDEO OF THE 'HERE TODAY, GONE TOMORROW' FLUB
Officially, NBC has said nothing about Curry being replaced on the "Today" show and, in all likelihood, taking another assignment.
RELATED: CURRY TO BE OUSTED FROM 'TODAY'
Which may be the strongest confirmation it's likely to happen.
It's standard practice for any media outfit to refute, dismiss or at least deflect unofficial reports involving personnel moves that have not been announced.
This time NBC sat behind a closed door whistling, as oblivious to the elephant in the outer office as the "Today" staff was on the air.
Elephant? What elephant?
Oh, you mean the elephant that's about to sit on Ann? Oh, right. That elephant.
Maybe the most telling moment on "Today" Thursday came when Matt Lauer interviewed the 68-year-old woman who was bullied and taunted by students on a school bus.
Lauer looked almost physically angry when he talked about how he wished he could call out the bullies' names on national television. It suggested a level of visceral frustration Lauer doesn't ordinarily show, and viewers might have wondered if it didn't stem from more than just the admittedly troubling story he was covering.
It also didn't help when an ill-advised lower third with the head, "Here Today, Gone Today," appeared under Curry during an interview segment with Steve Carell.
RELATED: SUE SIMMONS' NAME APPEARS ON-SCREEN DAYS AFTER HER EXIT FROM WNBC
The text was meant to be a tongue-in-cheek reference to Carell's new movie, "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World," which is set during the days before an asteroid crashes into the planet. The poor timing, however, may have hit some watchers like an asteroid.
But it's even more clear that whatever is going down with Curry started well before Wednesday afternoon, when the Times's Brian Stelter published an extremely detailed story essentially spelling out what had happened and strongly suggesting what is about to happen.
That followed a long previous Times story about how the new "Today" just hadn't quite clicked on its rhythm yet. Still working on its chemistry.
Now it might be too glib to say these stories were specifically designed to grease the chute for Curry's departure. It wouldn't be too glib at all to say that was their effect.
And NBC never had to say a single official word that would trouble its viewers or its talent.
For better or worse, it could be noted, NBC has been here before, too recently for comfort. Leno. Conan. Perhaps the company found a teachable moment there and decided to try handling a tough situation differently.
It's still awkward. Awkward enough that even Curry's often communicative attorney, Robert Barnett, had no comment Thursday.
Curry has been at NBC for 22 years. She stayed loyal when she was passed over in favor of Vieira as Katie Couric's "Today" replacement. She's been a good soldier.
But since she came on board as cohost, "Today" has lost 6% of its audience while rival "Good Morning America" on ABC has gained 6%.
That puts the two shows just about even, which is not where NBC wants to be after 15 years of being ahead.
Does this all fall on Curry? Of course not. "Today" is an enterprise, almost an industry. It's not a solo act.
But from 2011 to 2012, she's the most visible X Factor. That's the way the game is played and judged.
Hello, Mr. Elephant. How are you today?
