The Canadian-born Reynolds remains firmly planted in a show that insiders said still delivers a healthy chunk of the coveted 18- to-49-year-old demographic. And she's key to what fans see as "Good Day LA's" gothic psychodynamic: the troublesome, unpredictable younger sibling who constantly tests boundaries laid out by veteran anchor/father figure Steve Edwards and entertainment anchor/bubbly older sister Lucey.
Reynolds' sometimes hipper-than-thou affect comes through clearly when she buries her gaze in a magazine or a text message, as her colleagues deliver the news.
People who know Reynolds tell me that very little -- from the outrageous outbursts, to the pronounced disinterest -- is studied, or an act. "This is just the way she rolls, as she would say," said one, who asked not to be named, in order to maintain a cordial relationship with Reynolds. "She is sincere."
One could psychoanalyze the roots of her relentless exhibitionism. Reynolds has spoken before about growing up in foster care and suffering sexual abuse. She seemed to grant herself license in the Stern interview by acknowledging she is the "same idiot goofball" she has always been.
But, girl, you're middle-aged and expecting a second child (as announced on the air this week).
You are working for a station where dedicated newspeople are soon to be out of work and suffering, mostly in silence.
Isn't it time to grow up, just a little?
--
james.rainey@latimes.com
