# MSNBC's Anchor Lester Holt and excessive grinning/smiling **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 18, 2001, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbcs-anchor-lester-holt-and-excessive-grinning-smiling/88301 "2001-10-18T21:18:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bigneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6f9a4e/32.png) [@bigneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bigneck)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbcs-anchor-lester-holt-and-excessive-grinning-smiling/88301/1 "2001-10-18T21:18:12Z")
This guy has this F’d up mouth/front teeth that make him appear to be smiling at all times. At first this was quite amusing, but now it drives me crazy. He sits there reporting all of this terrible news, and he’s smiling. Lester: (grinning) “In breaking news…Two new cases of Athrax confirmed today…” (more grinning) He’s not really smiling of course, but if you turn the volume down and look at him you’d be sure this guy was almost laughing. Lester seems to be a good anchor man, but I just can’t get past his mouth. There’s no real point or complaint in this post, just wondering if anyone else has noticed. Check him out… It’s funny at first, but don’t watch him too much. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbcs-anchor-lester-holt-and-excessive-grinning-smiling/88301/2 "2001-10-18T21:25:42Z")
Heh. I’ve had MSNBC on pretty constant since 9/11 and from day one I’ve wanted to hit this guy. I _know_ it’s not his fault and he can’t help it and it’s not nice, but yeah, he drives me nuts too. I’d never seen him before and was like “Why the FUCK is that guy smiling?” Oy. It’s just how his bottom lip kinda dips a bit. Constant smirk. ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbcs-anchor-lester-holt-and-excessive-grinning-smiling/88301/3 "2001-10-18T22:11:05Z")
It’s MSNBC’s attempt to counterprogram CNN’s Greta Van Susteren’s clenched-teeth broadcasting style. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbcs-anchor-lester-holt-and-excessive-grinning-smiling/88301/4 "2001-10-18T22:31:07Z")
uuuummmmmmmm…Greta! i’ve wanted to slip her the meat from the O.J. days… and whats with the hotties they got over at CNN? first it was lynne russle, now they got a whole pack of em’! the other night, i was just watchin’ the news and the next thing you know, i sportin’ wood! unfortunatly, they got so much shit on the screen with thier tickers and weather and quotes from the man on the street, i couldn’t catch her name (for stalking purposes, later). can’t even get the latest on world terriorism without puttin’ up the peepee teepee! god dammit, i’m a sick bastard! ---
**Author:** ![apotheosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba8739/32.png) [@apotheosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apotheosis)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbcs-anchor-lester-holt-and-excessive-grinning-smiling/88301/5 "2001-10-18T23:12:34Z")
Lester Holt’s twisted half-grin: Scary. Annoying. ::flips to fox news:: But John Gibson’s hair…christ, where do I begin? It’s like someone put a barbie in a wind tunnel and varnished her head when the airspeed hit 150. I wouldn’t be suprised if it was bulletproof. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2001, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbcs-anchor-lester-holt-and-excessive-grinning-smiling/88301/6 "2001-10-19T17:36:56Z")
i had to go home and check this guy out for myself– very creepy! ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2001, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbcs-anchor-lester-holt-and-excessive-grinning-smiling/88301/7 "2001-10-19T18:28:58Z")
Yeah this dude is way too happy. If you can’t picture him, here’s a link: > **[MSNBC News - Breaking News and News Today | Latest News](https://www.msnbc.com/)** > > MSNBC breaking news and the latest news for today. Get daily news from local news reporters and world news updates with live audio & video from our team. He must be replaced immediately for all sad broadcasts by Linda Vester from Fox News, who seems to be incapable of smiling: [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,1262,00.html](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,1262,00.html) Ironically of course, she’s smiling in that picture, but on FNC she always looks pretty forlorn. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2001, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbcs-anchor-lester-holt-and-excessive-grinning-smiling/88301/8 "2001-10-19T20:33:54Z")
What a relief that someone else noticed this. I’ve been complaining about it to my husband all week. Too “smirk-y”! I think what also adds to the illusion that he’s trying not to laugh is that his eyes are sorta merry/twinkly like Santa Claus or something. Very disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![tevya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tevya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tevya)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2001, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbcs-anchor-lester-holt-and-excessive-grinning-smiling/88301/9 "2001-10-20T17:17:06Z")
I’m glad someone else noticed this. It has been bothering me since the first time I saw him reporting on 9/11. It looks like he is about to bust out laughing at any moment. I know that it is just the shape of his mouth (and perhaps the twinkly eyes mentioned by voguevixen) but it drives me insane. It just seems so wrong. Can’t they assign him to sports and human interest stories? Either that or make him sit on a tack while reporting sad / serious news. That oughta wipe the smirk off of his face. :o ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2001, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbcs-anchor-lester-holt-and-excessive-grinning-smiling/88301/10 "2001-10-20T17:39:03Z")
I don’t get MSNBC on my cable system, but I have the exact same feeling about Aaron Brown at CNN. It bugged the hell out of me when he seemed to be grinning while reporting in the hours after the Sept. 11 attacks with the WTC site visible over his shoulder. I guess he just can’t help it. [sub]or maybe it’s just me[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2001, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbcs-anchor-lester-holt-and-excessive-grinning-smiling/88301/11 "2001-10-20T18:48:35Z")
I got hooked on MSNBC during the presidential election, but I’ve been switching to CNN every time Lester comes on. I wonder if MSNBC knows how many viewers are turned off by him? STOP SMIRKING, DAMMIT!! ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2001, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbcs-anchor-lester-holt-and-excessive-grinning-smiling/88301/12 "2001-10-20T21:38:45Z")
Who’s the guy on CNN who was doing a stand-up in front of a map of Afghanistan in nothing less than a full tux? He looked like he just dragged in from a Christmas party? What are these CNN folks smoking? Their boss launches a heavy effort to court conservatives in Congress and they go ape-shit over Chandra Levy between Larry King interviewing the Legal Blondes (all right, not all of them were, but you gotta admit they were verrry photogenic) and Condit’s son and daughter (yep, they’re gonna admit dad’s a horndog but he’s all right for a father.) :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2001, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbcs-anchor-lester-holt-and-excessive-grinning-smiling/88301/13 "2001-10-20T21:40:57Z")
He’s always been like that. I remember when he was doing the local news here in Chicago (on CBS, IIRC). Drove me nuts, and I was only a little prepubescent git back then.