Lack of Professionalism

I was just watching CNN Newsroom a few minutes ago and witnessed this exchange wrapping up a live report:

Don Lemon (anchor in Atlanta): Are you joining us later, Poppy, tonight [at 11:00]?

Poppy Harlow (financial reporter in New York): I, I'm not, Don. I actually have a life and have some plans.  I'm sorry about that.

Then they laughed.

Perhaps I'm a bit too serious but, as a viewer, I saw this as a lack of respect for the product.  Granted, it was an odd question for Lemon to ask if he wasn't sure that the answer would be in the affirmative, but I thought it was an even worse response.  Harlow could have left it at a "No," but the "I actually have a life" part irked me.

This comes as the network has gotten rid of on-air veterans like Miles O'Brien (16 years), Jamie McIntyre (20 years), Kathleen Koch (18 years) and Kelli Arena (24 years), and countless others behind the scenes.  One must wonder if there is a correlation between letting so many experienced faces go all at once and giving increased airtime to very green (and I don't mean "Planet in Peril") personalities.

I mentioned this to two of my friends.  They both work in TV news.  One called me a prude and the other asked, "Why aren't you watching football?"

Maybe it's just me.