There were all these creepy markers that should have signaled people to something wrong, but I guess nobody wanted to look any further into it.

With the recent revelations of Matt Lauer’s years of lecherous and disgusting behavior towards his female colleagues and staffers, people are digging up old footage and paying closer attention to things he’s been saying, all along.

For instance, in January 2016 Lauer and his former co-host, Savannah Guthrie appeared on “Watch What Happens Live!” and took some questions from live callers.

When asked by a caller about who he missed working with more, Katie Couric or Meredith Vieira, Lauer explained that not only did he miss both, but that he had a “kiss on the lips relationship” with Vieira.

“Meredith and I have a ‘kiss on the lips’ relationship,” Lauer explained about the difference between Vieira and Couric. “Meredith is one of those warm people. Every time she sees you, she kisses you on the lips.”

Oh, I know a lot of warm people. They don’t kiss me on the lips.

On Wednesday night, there was more uncovered footage, highlighting Lauer’s inappropriate statements to Viera about her sweater and the “view,” as she bent over in front of him.

The “kiss on the lips” thing would be creepy on its own. Given the sweater video, I think it’s more than just being “warm,” so Lauer’s characterization may be a bit “off.”

Lauer went on to say that he and Couric have a “trading barbs” relationship, where “there’s always jokes, one after the other.”

Ugh. I’m not asking what constitutes “jokes” with Lauer.

In the statement from NBC News chief Andy Lack, where he announced Lauer’s firing, he attempted to frame the recent complaint about Lauer that served as the impetus for letting him go as an isolated incident. It was only after that the stories of bad behavior began to bubble to the surface like an overflowing septic tank.

Now NBC’s entire yard is flooded with raw, stinky sewage. Great job, Lack.

I mean, apparently, other than the comments about lip kissing and the old video with the inappropriate comments about Viera’s sweater (Ok… cleavage. He was suggesting that he could look down her sweater while she was bent over), there was this from Katie Couric:

With respect to Couric, she complained about Lauer on the same show (i.e. WWHL) back in 2012 saying that Lauer “pinches me on the ass a lot.”

How is that ok, even in 2012?

The bottom line is that for years, Lauer’s star power served as a cover for his awful behavior, and the chickens have come home to roost.