Heather Armstrong was interviewed this morning on the Today Show by Kathie Lee Gifford and another lady I've never heard of before who had an incredibly odd name. The subject, as usual, was about the particular brand of "mommy-blogging" Heather does, although *I* wouldn't say her blog is that limited, I guess it is mostly about dealing with motherhood/parenthood. It's more about life and for most people, including Heather, life includes children. But there's no need to split hairs over that.

I love Heather's blog, she's very not serious. I find it hilarious and positively charming when she talks about wanting to throw her kid (or her husband or her dog or herself) into on-coming traffic. If you're the sort of person who takes statements like that seriously, though, you definitely have no business reading Heather's blog because as I said, she's extremely not serious. Most people can identify with her feelings. I say most people. I know there are plenty of too-serious people out there who have no sense of humor and no ability to see life from this whimsical point of view and I know those people give Heather a hard time. It doesn't matter about those people, though. They exist in their own little very serious world and there is no help for them.

I was a little disappointed in the interview, though. Kathie Lee and the other lady asked a lot of questions and then didn't listen for the answer. It didn't seem like Heather got to say very much and I know she didn't get to say as much as she wanted or as much as would have been useful in the context of her subject. What bummed me out more than anything is she didn't get to talk about her book that just came out and I sort of assumed that was the whole reason for her being on the show.

The end of the interview was also a little surreal. The conversation had gotten onto the subject of isn't Heather worried about posting so much information about her kid online from both the perspective of creeps with bad intent and also, shouldn't she be worried that her daughter will resent so much being shared about her when she's older? As though that weren't utterly hypocritical coming from a woman who gushed about her kid on national TV everyday for years. But, Heather already answered all that in a blog entry to her daughter (which she does every month) so I know what she was about to say when she began her reply to Kathie Lee by saying, "Well, you live in New York City..." and Kathie Lee JUMPED in her face (Heather actually flinched!) and said, "No, I don't! Ha!" with a level of gleeful triumph that was completely out of proportion to the context. I'm sure Heather was sitting there thinking, "What the hell was that all about?" as she had to shake hands with Kathie Lee and be thanked for coming on the show. She probably thought, "Ummm... you're welcome?" and she might just as well have sent one of those paper cutout life-size photos of herself with a little tape recorder on the back of her voice repeatedly saying "Uh huh," and "Yes, you're right, Kathie Lee," and "Probably so, Kathie Lee."

It bothered me that she didn't get say very much and right after I watched her I fell asleep (little power nap, I stayed up too late working on my paper last night) and dreamed that I was her assistant and Barbara Walters came to the office to interview her, but Heather got right on an important phone call (with her friend or sister or someone) and made Barbara wait. So Barbara was sitting outside Heather's office, just waiting and waiting to talk to her and I ended up having to make chit chat with Barbara Walters. I was working on some kind of itinerary for Barbara and gathering some notes about Heather's blog for her to use in whatever piece she was preparing. She asked me questions about Heather's blog that I answered as someone who has been reading it for a long time.

I specifically remember in my dream that just as I came back to my desk from getting things off the printer, I heard Barbara mention something on the phone about travel or time constraints or something and then she got off the phone. I asked her if she was glad she didn't have to do 20/20 anymore and said she was grateful everyday that she didn't.

Then Barbara asked me about Heather's Prozac. I actually don't think she does take Prozac anymore, but I know she takes something (I think even more than one something) and the question was really more meant to be a general one about Heather's depression and Barbara asking me about it opened up the other big topic Heather addresses on her blog (besides just being a mommy) about dealing with mental illness and how brave she's been to share with the world about it and how Heather hopes her frank discussion of her experience can help de-stigmatize mental illness and prompt people to get help.

What was funny about that, though, was Barbara asked me the question in that ungenuinely reluctant Barbara Walters-y way like she'd just uncovered some unsavory bit of scandal she didn't really want to have to make you talk about in public. I remember turning to look (incredulously) right at her face as she asked me this; seeing that condescending look she tries to cover while she contrives to seem sympathetic that we've all seen a million times when she's prying something personal and painful out of some celebrity and thinking, "Oh for Pete's sake! This is not a secret you're uncovering here," because in asking that way she completely missed the point about Heather specifically wanting to make it NOT SECRET. And why the hell would she publish it on her blog if she wanted to cover it up?

I woke up before Barbara ever got in to see Heather. Maybe Heather completely stood her up. It would serve her right after that interview on the Today Show today.

Note to Media outlets of the world: Don't shortchange Heather... she has good things to say. Funny things. Let her say them. Shame on you Kathie Lee, if only you'd been able to shut up and listen we would've gotten a lot more out of Heather. And what's with that face? I haven't seen Kathie Lee in a long, long time, but I would've expected her to look a little more aged than she does which just makes me think she's somehow managed to turn her entire face into plastic and that's just weird. I liked her hair, though.