Tareq and Michaele Salahi — the couple Jon Stewart on last night’s Daily Show dubbed “The Real A–wipes of Washington D.C.” — told Matt Lauer on The Today Show this morning, “Our lives have been destroyed.”
Well, we can only hope that’s just a melodramatically exaggerated signal that the Salahis will be denied the fame they seem to seek so shamelessly and desperately. “We were invited, not crashers,” said Michaele.
The couple told Lauer that their appearance at a White House state dinner has been “mischaracterized in the media and other paparazzi forums.” Ha! In one bumblingly inarticulate phrase, the Salahis summarized their dubious triumph: Their story, which due to the underlying seriousness of its creepy reality-TV subtext, has rendered serious media such as The New York Times and other print and online publications extensions of the paparazzi. It’s giving the Salahis their well-dressed moment in the spotlight.
How do they plan to stretch these moments of fame? By telling The Today Show that they can’t go into details about how they were admitted to the White House because they’re “working with the Secret Service” and its “timeline” in investigating them. In other words, our lawyers said to get in front of a prominent camera and then shut up.
But they also assured Lauer that they possess “documentation” that “you’ll get a chance to see,” which the Salahis believe will vindicate them. As the couple sat in a D.C. studio being interviewed by Lauer in New York, the key sentence followed:
“We are looking forward to coming up and seeing you.”
Yep, you can be sure if there’s one thing the self-described “devastated” couple (they sure looked content to me) is looking forward to, it’s getting on camera again.
No word this morning on whether these well-dressed “idiots,” as Jon Stewart called them, are still in contention for a spot on Bravo’s The Real Housewives of D.C. That’s a tricky question Lauer doubtless had to sidestep, since Bravo is part of the NBC corporation. In any case, I’ll take the admission that Lauer elicited from the Salahis — that they’re “sad, devastated” — as a lie that was betrayed by their eager eyes as they gazed lovingly at the camera.
I’ll give Jon Stewart the last word. Note the great guest appearance by Jim Gaffigan as old-school journalistic tut-tutter “Edward R. Brokaw-Amanpour”:
(And you can follow me on Twitter.)
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Cut from same cloth of the Balloon Boy episode – the Salahi’s are famous for being infamous. Let’s just hope there is a sad place in reality pergatory for these “well dressed” freaks of nature
The only good thing about these “losers of the week” is that we don’t have to hear about the others: Jon/Kate, Speidi, Octodope etc… I hope the crashers burn out soon…. please, and maybe we can focus on “real entertainment”
by destroyed – do you mean wearing that hideous dress to the white house – then baby – you deserve what you asked for – fashion barf
Not that I’m defending these d-bags at all, but what they did is illegal. They haven’t been arrested yet. Why? There may actually be more to the story.
They may not have been arrested yet because the Secret Service is investigating thoroughly before bringing charges. They would have to interview the Secret Service agents at the check point, people from the White House and State Department that put together the guest list, witnesses that saw the couple at the check point, and of course, the Salahis. They would also have to review all copies of guest lists, requests to be on the guest list, and any correspondence the Salahis had with a State Department staffer. In their e-mail correspondence with the State Department staffer, the Salahis claim that she invited them to the dinner, but she claims that she told them that she did not have the authority to invite them.
In other words, they need proof that they knew they were not invited, and that they lied to the Secret Service.
They showed up an the Secret Service let them in. They were even announced. It’s the Secret Service who dropped the ball.
Yes, the Secret Service dropped the ball. But, but if they lied to the Secret Service and said they were invited, then they committed a crime.
Oh I’m so devastated, thats why I’m charging 6 figures to tell my story. boo hoo.
I’m Canadian but must admit, if they are not charged with something, it reflects badly on the US Govt. and Secret Service as all over the world. You can be sure some real crazies are taking notes on how to get into the White House.
There is a picture of this couple next to the phrase “media whore”, in the dictionary.
“Our lives have been destroyed.”
So destroyed they were looking for a big payday to be interviewed and were willing to give up whatever self-respect they had to be on a reality show.
I’m afraid that Jon Stewart took it too easy on them.
Go
Away
Now
Ah, once again shameless media whores are being courted by all these “news” programs, inevitably giving them the publicity they sought in the first place. Has the Today Show, or any other “news” outlet, ever considered just ignoring them???
Yesterday I saw Michaele at Target looking at ceoss necklaces. She found one at the dollar store which she wore on the Today Show. Rumour has it she returned the necklace after the show because she needs the money for a down payment on the trailer they will soon be living in!
Yup – they’re so devastated that they have to appear on every talk show that asks them.
Do you really have to give credit to Jon Stewart for calling them “idiots”? Hardly a clever turn of phrase there, Ken.
Watch the clip…that’s not exactly what he called them.
Now, these two losers can be part of the year-end summaries of 2009. Jon & Kate, Susan Boyle, Balloon Boy, et al. What a douchie year…
You forgot Sarah and octo-mom
bad year indeed
Not that I want to defend these bozos, but what law did they break? Is party crashing a crime? If they were allowed in–ushered in, it seems–what was their offense (aside from general obnoxiousness?)
Lying to a federal authority is a crime. If they lied to the Secret Service and said they had been invited, then they committed a crime. Martha Stewart went to jail for lying to a Federal Authority.
Lying to a federal authority is a major crime. However, before their appearance on the Today’s show where they blamed everyone but Santa Clause they seem to face minor charges of trespassing.
If they continue the story that Jones indeed “invited them” and they were on the list—they could be convicted of lying to Congress.
The emails have already prove that she indeed told them she had not found them tickets. If they lie before a Congressional hearing that will be hard time.
Are they Heidi and Spencer’s parents? They should be arested. they lied to a Federal Officer. Trespassing. Who ever let them in also should loose their security clearance job. This is bad.
I am thoroughly disgusted with the Today Show for having these creeps on. And how much did they pay them?? ugggh.