Daily Blague

This is a picture of Matt Lauer's mitt on Katie Couric's knee. He is bidding adieu, and she is smiling sweetly - sheepishly, even. I have scanned it from the print edition because the full image was cropped for the Times's online story, whether meaningfully or not.

Kathleen and I weren't offended, exactly. This is showbiz, after all, and most male viewers probably thought that Mr Lauer's gesture was paternal, not "inappropriate." Kathleen and I, however, live in a world where paternal behavior that doesn't involve very small children is inappropriate, particularly in public. Mr Lauer's gesture is truly objectionable because it was televised. Ms Couric may not have minded, and in fact I would assume that over the years she and her partner have worked out every element in the vocabulary of their body language. And the offense would have been similar, if not identical, had Mr Lauer been patting the trousered knee of a male colleague. Hands on knees, pats on backs: these are gestures of subjugation, as anyone on the receiving end will tell you. (Among men pats on backs are often signals of admittance to the club - and subservience to the pack-leading patter.)

Mr Lauer ought to have held her hand. That might have looked a lot more romantic, perhaps even sexy. But it wouldn't have sent the message that, in our culture, very few people are equal.