#TheDress Debate Divides ‘Today Show,’ ‘Good Morning America,’ KTLA Morning News Team (Video)
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Morning news programs across the country said yes to #TheDress debate that took social media by storm on Thursday, and NBC’s “Today Show” led the charge by dedicating a segment explaining the “optical illusion,” which divided the team.
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“This is a perception issue,” lasik and cataract surgeon Dr. Paul Dougherty said on “Today” on Friday via Skype. “It’s the way the brain processes information that comes in. And everyone’s brain is different, so even though it’s the same stimulus coming in — which it is — everyone processes the information differently.”
The majority of “Today Show” viewers polled on the subject were on team #WhiteAndGold, while only 33 percent stood behind team #BlueAndBlack. A model wearing the actual dress, however, proved it is most definitely blue and black.
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Of “Today Show” personalities Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, Natalie Morales and Tamron Hall, only Morales saw white and gold.
“Well, you think it’s blue and black because you’ve seen the actual dress,” Morales told Lauer.
“Also, I’m color blind,” Lauer said.
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“Today Show” competitor “Good Morning America” also got in on the fun, but had the complete opposite interpretation. Between George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts, Lara Spencer and Amy Robach, only one saw blue and black during the ABC morning news program’s segment dedicated to the phenomenon.
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Los Angeles local news station KTLA happened to stumble upon actress Shirley MacLaine at LAX on Friday morning, and asked her to weigh in on the debate.
“It looks like gold and white to me. Absolutely. I don’t see any black in there,” MacLaine said. “[People are spending their time] wanting to know what color a dress is? That’s amazing. Why is the interest so strong in knowing what color this dress is?”
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“Now we’ve heard from somebody important, Shirley MacLaine, about this dress” reporter Eric Spillman said.
But the interview brought up another debate amongst the KTLA morning news team: Was it actually Shirley MacLaine?
“That was really TK? She looked a little different from the last time I saw her,” anchor Wendy Burch said. “You know, maybe it’s my eyes. I see a gold and white dress, so I can’t be trusted for anything.”
Watch the “Today Show” segment, then watch KTLA’s to see if the woman they interviewed was an Oscar winner or an optical illusion.
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