The Vice President was a guest on Barrymore's daytime talk show, which aired on Monday. The conversation between the two women covered a range of topics, including Harris's distinctive laugh.
In a moment that Kelly found particularly uncomfortable, Barrymore moved closer to Harris on the couch and implored the Vice President to take on a maternal role for the entire nation. Barrymore said, "But in our country, we need you to be Momala of the country."
May 01, 2024
Kelly expressed her disapproval of this interaction on her own show, 'The Megyn Kelly Show,' on Monday. She felt it was inappropriate for someone to get so close to the second-highest-ranking official in the country. "I feel like Secret Service is probably like 'a little farther away, madam.' And the, 'Ah!' When [Harris] is like, she's got her mother's laugh," Kelly commented.
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Kelly further criticized the interaction, saying, "Oh my god, it's so demeaning. Can you imagine someone speaking to Donald Trump that way? It's just demeaning. It demeans both the anchor and the guest. Drew Barrymore is not very good at this."
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During the interview, Barrymore leaned forward and held Harris's hands as the audience applauded. The actress gazed into the Vice President's eyes with a deep, soulful look, while Harris appeared to grow slightly uncomfortable.
In another segment of the interview, Harris defended her laugh, suggesting that those who mock it are displaying a form of sexism. "You were asking me earlier about what it means to be like, the first woman [vice president]," Harris told Barrymore. "And you know, it's funny because people still gotta get used to this, right?"
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Harris then argued that the public's focus on her laugh or mannerisms is an example of lingering misogyny as people adjust to having a woman vice president. "I mean, my staff for example, sometimes they'll show me little things that just amuse me. Like, apparently some people love to talk about the way I laugh," Harris said.
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Kelly criticized the interview for lacking substance. "It's classic Kamala Harris trying to offer fake profundities with her fake affect when she's saying nothing," Kelly said. "She delivers her normal air sandwich and even worse is Drew Barrymore leaning in, she must be three inches away from Kamala Harris."
Harris explained to Barrymore that her laugh is inherited from her mother and addressed the criticism she has received for it. "I have my mother's laugh, and I grew up around a bunch of women, in particular, who laughed from the belly," Harris said. "They laughed, they would sit around the kitchen and drinking their coffee, telling big stories with big laughs."
Harris continued, "You know, I'm never gonna be like," before mimicking a dainty chuckle into her hand. "It's just I'm not that person. And I think it's really important for us to remind each other and our younger ones: don't be confined to other people's perception about what this looks like, and who you should – how you should act in order to be right."
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Barrymore, known for her empathetic interview style, responded, "I love your laugh, and I love that message."
Kelly acknowledged that the Vice President's laugh is unusual, but suggested that Harris's laugh and its timing are part of her persona. "The mocking of Kamala Harris' laugh — it is a little odd, yes. But it's because it is deployed at very odd times. She uses it… maybe as a deflection or a protective mechanism. She laughs at the wrong times," Kelly said.
Kelly concluded, "No one gives a s**t that she got the laugh from the mother. What you're seeing up there is entirely performative by both women."
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