Willie Geist

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Willie Geist
Image:Replace this image male.svg
Birth name William Russell Geist
Born May 3, 1975 (1975-05-03) (age 33)
Birth place Flag of the United StatesEvanston, Illinois, U.S.
Circumstances
Occupation Commentator and Television Personality
Title MSNBC's Morning Joe Co-Host, MSNBC.com's Zeitgeist Host
Notable credit(s)
Official website

William "Willie" Geist is co-host and frequent substitute host for MSNBC’s Morning Joe and contributor to several NBC News programs. Geist also hosts a satirical video blog on MSNBC.com called Zeitgeist.[1]

Contents

[edit] Personal life

Geist was born in Evanston, Illinois to author and columnist Bill Geist and social worker Jody Geist.

He attended Ridgewood High School in Ridgewood, New Jersey, and later went on to graduate from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. While at Vanderbilt University, Geist was a contributing editor to the University’s official student newspaper, The Vanderbilt Hustler.[1]

On May 24, 2003, Geist married his high school sweetheart, Christina Sharkey, in Humacao, Puerto Rico.[2] The couple has since announced the birth of a daughter, Lucie Joy Geist, on June 14, 2007.

[edit] Career

Geist began his career as an editor and producer for CNN Sports Illustrated, the 24-hour sports television network. He later became a reporter for CNN Sports; where he covered The Super Bowl, The NCAA Final Four, and The Masters.[1]

In 2004, he became a writer and producer for I, Max, a sports commentary show hosted by Max Kellerman on Fox Sports Net.

Geist joined MSNBC television in April of 2005 as a senior producer of The Situation with Tucker Carlson. During the show’s development, the producers decided Geist’s newsroom banter with Carlson should be a part of the show. He spent the last segment of the program, called The Cutting Room Floor (and later "In Other News"), reporting and offering his unique spin on the day’s news.[1]

Geist began filling in as a co-host on MSNBC's 6-9am morning timeslot almost immediately after Don Imus was fired in late April, 2007. Geist was named permanent co-host of Morning Joe, along with Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski in October, 2007.

He also hosts a popular satirical video blog on MSNBC.com called Zeitgeist, which claims to report All The News You Cannot Use.

[edit] Hosting credits

[edit] Popular Culture

On June 26, 2007, near the beginning of Morning Joe, contributor Mika Brzezinski, refused to read a report about Paris Hilton's release from jail. After several unsupportive remarks from host Joe Scarborough, she attempted to burn the story's script on the air, but was physically prevented from lighting it by co-host Willie Geist. She then tore up the script, and one hour later, got up and ran another copy of the script through a paper shredder retrieved from Dan Abrams's office. The incident was dubbed sarcastically by Geist "the journalistic shot heard round the world".[3][4]

On July 30, 2007, Geist reported on MSNBC’s Morning Joe program that he and Erin Burnett share a birthday.[5] The next day, Geist recanted the previous report, stating, "I told you yesterday that we share a birthday. And you know what? It turns out that Wikipedia, where I get all my information, has let me down again. We do not share a birthday."[6]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d MSNBC (2007-04-05). Willie Geist: MSNBC contributor. MSNBC. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
  2. ^ Shannon Donnelly (2003-06-01). Wedding Vows/Celebrations. New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
  3. ^ Felix Lowe (2007-06-29). Paris Hilton script screwed up, burnt and shredded. The Telegraph. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
  4. ^ BBC News (2007-06-29). Newscaster's on-air Paris protest. BBC. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
  5. ^ MSNBC video (2007-07-30). Willie Geist shares birthday with Burnett?. MSNBC. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
  6. ^ MSNBC video (2007-07-31). Willie Geist claims error on Wikipedia. MSNBC. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.

[edit] External links

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