Kelly Ripa calls out Mark Consuelos for 'negating his own argument' on 'Live'

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos might be on a seasonal hiatus from Live With Kelly & Mark, but their pre-taped episodes are still serving us late-summer spice. Wednesday's episode of the talk series included a segment about "Just Because Day," which Consuelos introduced as a family holiday created in the 1950s aimed at celebrating the ability to do things you want to do "just because." "Oh my God, I'm taking the day off -- just because," Ripa joked, before the couple broke down the intricacies -- and potential dangers -- of saying "just because" to certain people. "When you say 'because I said so' or 'just because' [to a child], it literally sends kids' brains into a short circuit and it makes them feel unempowered," Ripa told her husband as they discussed a scenario in which children aren't given a concrete reason for avoiding ill-advised behavior. Consuelos then countered his wife's point, saying, "They should. They're kids." He then posed a new scenario to illustrate his point. "Listen, when you're an adult and you miss a flight and you're like, 'Why did I miss the flight? Why is the plane broken? Why can't I get on the plane?' and they say, 'Just because, it's broken...'" "They don't say 'just because,' they say 'because the plane is broken,'" Ripa said as the audience cheered. "I don't need a dissertation on why, what happened because it's meaningless," a frustrated Consuelos replied. "They just have to accept things. Just accept it. They don't need to feel things so much." Ripa then turned to the camera with a message to "airlines everywhere," outlining her husband's activity at airports. "The next time you see Mark standing -- hovering -- ready to board because he wants to get on before the elderly, before parents with small children, when you see him doing that, say, 'You can't get on right now,'" she said. "And when he [asks why], just say to him, 'Just because.'" Consuelos attempted to defend himself, telling the audience that he usually likes to "understand the nature of the delay" of a plane, and that learning the specifics of the maintenance issue allows him to better understand why he should seek another flight. "In your scenario they're not telling you that," Ripa pointed out. "They're saying to you, 'Just because.'" After Consuelos said he wouldn't inquire about why the plane was broken, Ripa turned to the crowd for support, saying, "You understand he's totally negating his own argument." Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more. Admitting defeat, Consuelos joked that he's now going to say "just because" to "a kid that's not even mine" as revenge. Live With Kelly & Mark airs weekdays in syndication. Check your local listings for showtimes in your area. A new season of the show premieres Tuesday, Sept. 2.