Mmtx2002

Guys, I really don't think they are on the verge of breaking up. Mika comes into the studio when they are both out in CT; Joe just frequently stays in the bunker (maybe to spend more time with his kids?). I think they've gotten some pretty nasty responses on Instagram, FB, and Twitter, and now they curate what they say more than they did before (maybe in connection with the NRA thing). They are the real deal, I think, as much as some of you may wish it were otherwise! If they've been together as long as some speculate, then they probably made absolute certain that it was going to work before going public, knowing the speculation it would spark when they finally did go public. Read that NY Magazine article and the comments that the author made again -- what they have is pretty rare. And for those of us who have seen them in person, it's also pretty obvious.

I think Joe is at the NBC Sports studio in Stamford, CT. I see “sports” in the background. I doubt they work at 6 am at NBC Sports, hence the basement look.

The whole exchange over holding hands and acknowledging being engaged was kind of fascinating. Joe was definitely rude in the exchange with the author, but Mika never seems to mind it (or is just so used to it), but the on-air make-up made her deeply uncomfortable. She doesn't seem to mind references that acknowledge they are together -- like, even at the beginning of this show she pointed out that Joe had exercised yesterday, which was "historic" according to her, but also something that someone who was just a co-host (and not a romantic partner) would not know. They certainly make references to what they do on the weekend, after hours, etc. -- like the whole pig squealing thing a few weeks ago or when they showed the pic of Mika (in Joe's house) cooking from A World in Disarray. (And they are fine with discussing it on other shows or in the media; they held hands on The View and discussed being engaged; they held hands on Colbert; they've discussed it in numerous articles, the Couric podcast, etc.) But she has a line about the relationship being referenced directly on Morning Joe itself -- like it made her uncomfortable for Joe to say they were "engaged," which seemed utterly silly. (Joe didn't say he gave her a ring, but that she was wearing his ring -- a suggestion that everyone knew it and it was crazy not to acknowledge it, and I agree with him.) The hand holding thing definitely uncomfortably blurs the line between "news" (such as this show is) and something else like tabloid, which understandably makes Mika uncomfortable -- perhaps because she wants to be seen as serious. That said, I will say from having seen them off-air at several events, including the 10th Anniversary show, they are quite affectionate when the cameras are not on them. Indeed, at the 10th Anniversary show, Mika would occasionally put her arm on Joe's back, when the camera was off them. (She also has kissed Joe several times during his live feeds for his band's performance, including the one on Saturday in Boston.) It's about being "caught" on camera during MJ for Mika, and what that suggests -- and I think it goes to her fundamental insecurity about not being as good as the rest/not being as smart as or as knowledgeable as, and only being seen as Joe's romantic other.

Joe was back in the CT bunker. He got to sleep in while Mika had to trek into the office. He also disappeared for the last hour or more.

I thought it might be the Nantucket bunker for a bit but then Mika posted the social media pic with her mom... I can’t imagine Joe would go to Nantucket by himself. The only Mika bunker appearance I recall was when they were in London. I agree it is time for joint bunker appearances, but I suspect the CT bunker was only built for one. Maybe the new house will have a bunker for two!

I guess her extra vacation time carries over for this year. For what it is worth, I think they are in DC — Mika posted a picture with her mom on social media. And Joe doesn’t have the CT bunker background, which is like poster board quality. This is like an actual screen image (indeed, it went dark at one point with a glitch). I think it is strange that they always say where everyone else is at the top, but not where Joe is. If he is in DC, a little weird that he didn’t do it live with Katty and Ignatious and the Rev who were also in DC...

It's interesting because I've seen them interact off camera a few times at events, and their dynamic suggests a lot of mutuality -- if Mika is not actually in charge. I don't think Mika sees their relationship as anything other than a relationship between equals even if, as the article points out, others might see Joe as being in the superior position. But she certainly does not see their story as having anything to do with all of her sermonizing on work relationships, which is a little much -- even for me (one of Mika's only fans around here!). Clearly there is a huge, huge difference between what Matt Lauer and others were doing and Joe and Mika. But, that said, some of the reaction will no doubt spill over into relationships like theirs. And surely there are other, less high profile people within NBC/MSNBC who have had mutual relationships within the work place. But policing these things becomes tricky. What would have happened if Mika were not interested in Joe's advances? (Or vice versa -- everyone seems to assume that Joe pursued Mika.) The bottom line is that if it had not worked out, it surely would have affected or ended the show, which may have been a good thing for some but probably not for NBC/MSNBC!

She is definitely wearing a ring today -- hard to tell if it is the original, but it still looks large and of a similar style. All is well! (phew -- ha ?)

Mika is really working hard to hide not having her ring. I don't remember her ever spending a week covering up her hands with her sleeves or a scarf. She kept wearing her wedding ring for a long time after she was divorced (and until the Page Six report of her divorce). So maybe the ring got lost in the chicken coop.

Yes, I highly doubt they have broken up -- they have been acting very "together," including having Mika speak for Joe this morning -- they present a united front in that regard. Joe's animals are almost always at Mika's house. Joe's house is on the market. I suspect something happened to the ring and Mika has been trying to hide it just to avoid having people speculate (like I am doing -- ha!). I think they are most definitely in it for life.

Mika did a FB live on Tuesday after the show and Joe was in her house, and she showed him during the video (he was reading a book by the fire, bundled up in a blanket looking pretty at home). She even responded to a commenter during the video that she and Joe "acted like they were married," confirming that they do. I don't think they have broken up, but something may be going on and she has definitely been trying to hide not wearing her ring.

She is not wearing her ring and has been trying to hide it all week. I wonder if they have really put things on hold or something.

Good observation -- I think she was also not wearing it on Monday, too, which may have had something to do with why her hands were in her sleeves. Maybe she was self conscious about not wearing her ring. They have been very flirty on tv so I doubt there has been a change in their status, but I wonder if something happened to the ring!

Agreed -- I thought she might have pulled her comments back more than she did after reflection. She seemed to acknowledge that she had gotten some heat on Twitter for Friday. And she pulled back a bit -- have an early drink/dinner, don't get sloshed, she said -- but I just think the conversation needs to be more nuanced. I totally understand her not wanting to put her own experience into the light, but the reality is that a lot of us may have feelings for coworkers or even subordinates and make a pass (sloppy or not), and there are shades of gray here. Mika would be better served (or at least her audience would) in the conversation by putting herself into it, not taking her own experience out of it.

I really do think Mika has an opportunity to have a more nuanced discussion of sexual relationships and sexual harassment in the workplace, since both of her long-term relationships in the last 30 years began at work. The reality is that many of us meet our spouses and partners at work, because we spend so much time there/share things in common. It's a tricky thing, dating someone at work. Mika surely knows that as well as anyone, and that refusing to socialize is surely not the solution -- so it was a very strange comment, and she probably had not fully thought it out. I also think she doesn't want to talk about her own personal life on the show, which is a little odd given how many other aspects of her personal life she shares -- but the reality is that everyone knows that she's sleeping with someone who could be seen as her "boss," though I suspect that is not at all how she sees it (and it's also not literally true -- Phil Griffin is her boss). Still, Joe has some power over her (they do have a difference in income, which is public knowledge/well established, for example), and that makes it complicated -- at least more complicated than she made it seem on Friday.