In just-released poll results from Playboy Magazine, Sarasota's own Monica Yadav is the upset winner of their highly-coveted "Broadcasting Babe of the Year" award, reinforcing what everybody on the Suncoast knew, except, apparently, for the management of her former employer, WWSB-TV, which had the uncanny foresight to unceremoniously drop the ever-popular Ms. Yadav from their newscasts in March.
WWSB-TV general manager, Harold Frazee III, responsible for terminating the contracts of Ms. Yadav and another popular long-time anchor, Heidi Godman, is the great grandson of theatrical impressario and former Boston Red Sox owner, Harry Frazee. It was Mr. Frazee who sold baseball legend, Babe Ruth, to the New York Yankees in 1920, ostensibly to finance production of a Broadway show, thereby causing the "Curse of the Bambino" to thwart Red Sox pennant chances for over 80 years. Mr. Frazee III used his profits to invest the station heavily in British Petroleum stock.
Mr. Frazee III has since been fired from his position at WWSB-TV.
In a contest traditionally won by a vapid, willowy, blond hottie from the national media, such as previous winner, ESPN's Erin Andrews, Ms. Yadav's surprise victory marks a paradigm shift in how America views TV journalists.
Ms. Yadav, whose name means "beautiful and enchanting tigress which no mere mortal can tame" in Latvian, is now being mentioned as someone who could win Playboy's Triple Crown, a feat which has never been accomplished. The Triple Crown consists of threee contests: "Broadcasting Babe of the Year", "MILF of the Year", and "Most Likely To Go Home With Hef This Year." Insiders have recently hinted that Playboy founder, Hugh Hefner, is said to be tiring of the siliconized, plasticized botox Barbie dolls with which he has been associated and looking for a more classic beauty, with considerably less drama. Yadav is viewed as a 6 to 4 favorite to win it all.
In an instance of art imitating life, Ms. Yadav has inked a contract with ABC-TV to appear in a recurring role on the network's hit comedy, Cougartown, which is depicted as being set in an unnamed Florida town near Sarasota. Her role, a thinly-veiled reference to her own situation, will be as a television journalist who loses her job to a former stripper, only to become a stripper herself when she can't find work in the local media. Hijinks naturally ensue.
Reaction on the Suncoast has been universally in favor of the magazine's decision. Said fellow WWSB alum, Heidi Godman, who was also shown the door by the station, "I'm so glad for Monica. She has single-handedly broken down the barriers for us professional journalists to now be taken seriously as sex objects. I know she'll kick ass on Cougartown. Courtney Cox better watch out....."
Ms. Yadav is said to be mulling over the standing offer for winners of the "Broadcasting Babe of the Year" contest to appear as the centerfold model for the magazine.
As expected, the official announcement from WWSB has been somewhat less effusive. "We here at WWSB-TV congratulate Ms. Yadoff (sic) and wish her well in her future endeavors. And don't forget to watch "Wheel of Fortune" every night at 7:00 PM, right before bedtime."
Sarasota also has the dubious distinction as being the home of the first runner-up in the "Broadcasting Babe of the Year" contest, via the Sarasota News Network:
Where is there press on Yadav signing a deal with ABC to appear on Cougar Town?
ReplyDeleteWhere in the world is Tony Cornish, Jr.? C'mon and admit that LOCAL SPORTS hasn't been the same since that guy disappeared from the News 40 airwaves years ago. He was a dynamo and he loved those Venice High Indians for some strange reason!
ReplyDelete