Runaway Bride Running to the Bank

I don't watch a lot of prime time broadcast TV--almost none.

Tonight was an exception. I watched Katie Couric's Runaway Bride interview. Yes, I gave an hour of my life, my precious time, to hear what Jennifer Wilbanks had to say.

Does that mean I should be doubting my own mental state? Maybe.

I hadn't seen Katie Couric in a while. Her hair was so blonde and limp, not a good look. She seemed to have put on a few pounds, too. Her face looked puffy. As the hour wore on, I detected Couric picking up the accent of Wilbanks and Mason. Very annoying.

As far as the interview goes, some of Wilbanks' answers were obviously rehearsed. She seemed to have concocted responses to questions she knew would be coming. Overall, it was a poor performance and kind of reminded me of Bill Clinton's contrived biting his lower lip act.

I could not believe how incredibly selfish this woman is. She's in her thirties, but has the maturity of a junior high school girl.

She is receiving in-patient psychiatric care. However, she had the weekend off from her treatment to do the interview. That's very odd. If she is so ill and in need of help, why would her doctor or team of doctors allow her to be questioned on TV? That seems a bit dangerous, with the potential to disrupt her progress.

If she's so sick, then NBC, her family, and fiance exploited her condition by trotting her out before the cameras.

I believe she needs help and she's a troubled person. I don't believe she was mentally ill to the extent that she was unable to distinguish between right and wrong.

I also hope John Mason is getting some counseling. The fact that he is still interested in marrying Wilbanks shows he isn't all that stable himself.

My guess is they're milking this for all they can. I don't think traumatized, ill people negotiate book and movie deals, and do highly publicized interviews.

Jennifer Wilbanks did not come off as a sympathetic figure. Pathetic, yes. Sympathetic, no.