It seems the current economic crisis has put the kabash on Matt Lauer's clever ruse of travelling to distant and exotic vacation locales in the name of entertainment...
Jim Bell, the executive producer of Today, said that Lauer had
solicited suggestions from viewers for possible locations -- he has
traveled to such exotic locales as the Taj Mahal and the Egyptian
Pyramids -- over the past several weeks, but many told him that in bad
economic times, the extravagant trip sent the wrong message. (Us Magazine)
It makes us feel weird that the Today Show viewers had to tell Matt Lauer about the recession. But wait, it gets better...
Instead, Lauer will take a road trip across America with his three co-anchors, Meredith Vieira, Al Roker and Ann Curry. (Us Magazine)
Are we the only ones who think this could be a potential disaster? We're taking bets on which of the co-anchors will be the first to get their head bitten off by Matt Lauer. Let's face it, Jack Keroac he is not. More importantly, we're pretty sure Oprah's already been there and done that, per usual...

We're predicting Matt Lauer's road trip will be just like Oprah's, but less fun.
Previously:
The Matt Lauer Celebrity Roast With Tom "Shecky" Cruise
Oprah Winfrey Shares The Cover of Her Magazine
Michael Phelps is Sorry For Being One of Millions of People Who Occasionally Smoke Pot