It’s been a long time since I’ve watched morning TV with any sort of regularity. Generally, I’m sitting in soul-crushing traffic when Hoda and Kathie Lee are getting drunk, or Meredith Viera‘s getting a pap smear, or whatever goes on during the hours in which most people are working. However, I’ve recently started working from home, and it couldn’t have come at a better time: I got to witness the most awkward high-five attempt in history.
Tony Robbins, a motivational speaker of whom I’m only aware due to browsing airport bookstores and seeing the movie Shallow Hal on basic cable, was a guest on The Today Show this morning. Ann Curry was interviewing him about beating the winter blues, or some such nonsense.
I only caught the tail-end of the interview, but the dude looks super ‘roided up and was all wide-eyed and manic when he talked about working out and people who have jobs needing to give back to those who don’t — I’m really not sure how these two topics are related. In any event, Curry was wrapping up the interview, and she went to give Robbins a very Oprah-like, “I’m feeling you!” high five thing, and it did not work. Even a little bit.
Watch the video below and you can relive the fantastic moment. She just holds her hand up, tries to find his and kind of lowers it — all as he stares straight at her. At the end, she lowers her hand completely in his, and weakly says, “give me a five,” as she kind of rests his hand in his. Basically, it’s the talk-show equivalent of going in for a kiss and getting a cheek.
Thank you, Ann Curry, for the best 30 seconds of my morning.
Clacked by Kona Gallagher 
on Nov 09, 2010 @ 16:52 EST5EDT
. . . . .
Hokay … this was nothing less then Hillary-arious.
First off, Tony Robbins creeps me out. Those creepy eyes hint at something eerie. He could go postal at any moment of any day, without warning. And, hulky and gigantic as the guy is, if he ever did go postal, it would take half a dozen normal men to take him down.
This was a nice catch, Kona.
However, the most awkward high-five attempt in recent history was Ryan “Seacrust’s” guffaw-able flub with legally blind Scott MacIntyre in season 8 of American Idol. That one trumps all.
*POST AUTHOR*
You’re right! That one was pretty amazing. I just tend to block out all Idol-related events when it’s not on the air.
That really wasn’t that funny, slightly awkward but by no means hilarious. I actually find it sad that the people who are “creeped out” by a man who is passionate about being charitable probably have some serious self-esteem issues in their lives that forces them to be negative towards someone who is trying to spread a message of helping others. Kona, I highly recommend you do more than “browse” Tony’s books or watch him in Shallow Hal. You could benefit greatly from learning how to be compassionate to other human beings. Who knows, maybe you won’t have to talk down to others to make yourself feel better!
Daniele, I couldn’t agree more with you! Tony Robbins is AMAZING! That was so not an awkward high five, he was just really into what he was talking about. And he gave her not a high five, but an endearing, loving, low five. Id rather that..
Loved it. That is one big guy. His lower jaw is half the size of Ann Curry’s head.
I’ve been volunteering in Tony’s environment for the past 8 years… It wasn’t that he didn’t want to give Ann a high five… He gets so wrapped up in whatever he is talking about… He just missed it…
Nice, how you ripped into him; especially after admitting you only saw the tail end of the interview…