Spike Lee turns 52 today. Fashion designer Nicole Miller turns 58. Lady GaGa is 23. Holly Hunter is turning 51. Actor William Hurt is 59. Mike Francesa, the radio and TV talk show host, is 55. Author Kathryn Harrison turns 48. BET host and author Touré is turning 38. Photographer Mary Ellen Mark is 69. Christopher Heinz, the son of Teresa Heinz and stepson of John Kerry, is 36. And actor/director/writer Carl Reiner turns 87 today. Weekend birthdays after the jump!

The world awoke this morning to the chirping of little birds resembling Kristin Chenoweth and Neil Patrick Harris, perched at a podium in the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, announcing nominations for the 60th Emmy Awards. While most rolled over and tried to get back to sleep, we sat bolt upright as usual and sprinted to the window, our furious note-taking chronicling a few snubs, surprises and plenty of the conventional wisdom we've come to expect from the annual ritual.

Unfortunately for Miller and unknown to the crew, her IFB failed before she began speaking with Hunter. Another host might have known to alert the crew about the problem and delay the interview while the technical issues were worked out, but the inexperienced Miller gamely tried to speak with Hunter without hearing her responses.

Merry Miller - who conducted that atrocious interview with Holly Hunter - only made it onscreen because it was ABC film critic Joel Siegel's dying wish (she was his booker). She won't be appearing live again, says ABCNewsNow Executive Producer Jessica Stedman-Guff. In case you missed it, or want to relive the agony all over again, you can find the interview here.

Generally speaking, the blame for most junket disasters can be assigned to the talent, as the punishing demands of nonstop press obligations often leaves performers a little sleepy or disoriented by a handful of jetlag helpers, suboptimal interview conditions that invariably lead to erratic results. But in the above clip, all of the technical difficulties seem to be affecting only the personnel on hand in the news studio, leaving a game Holly Hunter to suffer her way through four of the more uncomfortable minutes you're likely to ever see.

We never thought we'd find someone who made chesty "internet personality" Amanda Congdon seem competent, but this "ABC News Now" interview with Holly Hunter is an amazing example of a celebrity fluff piece gone bad. You will not be able to look away, but, trust us, you'll want to.