Savannah Guthrie is no doubt in an unimaginable state
of agony over the disappearance of her mother, and so are we.
“We” are the millions who love her. She is one of the most beloved personalities on
American television. To the extent that it is possible to share someone else’s pain, we share hers.
The best TV hosts who come into our homes every day have a talent for presenting themselves as welcome guests. It is the secret sauce of the most successful talk shows and talk-show
personalities.
Many in the talk-show profession will tell you that authenticity is the key. They say it cannot be faked for the simple reason that such
fakery cannot realistically be maintained for long -- much less five mornings a week for years.
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Guthrie, 54, has been co-anchor of “The Today
Show” since 2012. On TV, she is as authentic as they come.
She was born in Australia but grew up mainly in the Tucson area, where her 84-year-old
mother, Nancy Guthrie, was apparently abducted from her home on January 31. As of this writing on Thursday afternoon, Nancy Guthrie had not been found.
On
Thursday, Savannah -- flanked by her sister, Annie Guthrie, and brother, Camron Guthrie -- broadcast her agony and heartache in a video she released
in which she pleaded with her mother’s captors to return her, or at the very least contact the family to begin a dialogue about their terms and demands.
The sight of Guthrie pouring out her emotions stood in stark contrast to the way we are accustomed to seeing her on “The Today Show,” where she is always radiant and filled with
life.
Currently, she is one of NBC’s top stars -- co-anchoring “Today” and bringing her
energy and warmth to hosting events such the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC.
She was scheduled to host the opening ceremonies of the
Winter Olympics in Milan this weekend, but under the circumstances, she will not be there.
Instead, she is staying home, worried and frightened about her
beloved mother. She is no doubt praying for her safe return, and so are we.