More on Glenn Beck’s bad joke…
The Daily Reel’s Mark Netter writes about Wednesday’s incident on Glenn Beck and thinks he sees a pattern…
Beck managed to bungle a softball segment about some naively salacious photos of American Idol contestant Antonella Barba (and some falsely attributed to her) with an embarrassingly sexist and demeaning come-on to Sansing.
The propensity for Beck to let slip a surfeit of information has been noted before, back in post-election November, when he asked interviewee Congressman-Elect Keith Ellison (D-MN), “Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.”
Much ado about NOTHING unless you’re a “gotcha” lefty.
Comment by ChrisM — March 3, 2007 @ 3:16 am
Seriously, I was so happy when Beck smacked down Olbermann. He totally blew it with this flub. Sigh. Back to the drawing board with discredited sportsguy.
Comment by Edward Schatz — March 3, 2007 @ 4:25 am
Beck & Coulter do conservatives no favors when they say stupid things like this.
Comment by bigred — March 3, 2007 @ 4:44 am
Was it as bad as Michael Richards /Cramer “n” word rant at the comedy club? I don’t think so!…Life will go on.
Comment by mike — March 3, 2007 @ 10:07 am
Hmmm, sexually harrassing a woman on live TV. Was it as bad as Michael Richards? No. But it is a huge problem that a one of the faces of HLN, knowing exactly what he was doing (It looked half ad-libbed, half planned) asked a guest to get NAKED so he can take pictures of her. If one of his producers had said that, they would get canned faster than you can see sicktwistedfreak. I don’t know how CNN doesn’t drop the guy.
Comment by James — March 3, 2007 @ 10:37 am
Meh, he might be worth a mention, but I still think Beck just likes playing around with people, though he might want to be a little more careful about his wording (the segment Ol’ showed with the girl in headlights, for example)
Comment by Chris — March 3, 2007 @ 11:12 am
It’s because Becks’ a Mormon. Oops a spelling error. I meant a Moron. My bad!
Comment by Roger C. — March 3, 2007 @ 11:23 am
Glenn Beck is a waste of time. He should’ve been fired when he asked the Muslim Congressman to prove to him that he’s not secretly working for Al-Qaeda.
Unfortunately, he plays into the stereotype of the far-right-wing dingos on television, which quite frankly is unfortunate. He and Ann Coulter need to permanently shut up; when they have a thought, keep it to themselves.
There are good conservative commentators out there that I love to listen to regularly. He’s a liberal punching bag that needs to be replaced.
Comment by The Voice of Reason — March 3, 2007 @ 11:29 am
Yeah…but his ‘playing around’ seemed a like like sexual harrassment to the woman. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to suggest he crossed a major line when he asked his female guest to pose naked while he photographed her. In any other workplace, he’d be canned.
Comment by James — March 3, 2007 @ 1:02 pm
The Voice of Reason — Would you use your same “permanently shut up” statement to Bill Maher and Al Franken?
You could then say — “There are good liberal commentators out there that I love to listen to regularly”.
Comment by Aunt Mary — March 3, 2007 @ 1:10 pm
Liberals have such sensitive little feelings. LOL.
Comment by spiffo — March 3, 2007 @ 1:27 pm
James, I think you have a good point there. In all respects, I don’t mind Beck, but there are some things I can’t stand about much of the right at this point, such as how they make such large sweeping generalizations of groups of people.
Comment by Chris — March 3, 2007 @ 1:52 pm
Exactly Chris. Large sweeping generalizations are the enemy of real, productive, civil discourse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUvQ7Slfo-A
Beck broadcasts 4 hours a day/5 days a week; and he’s been doing it for quite a while. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t put their foot in their mouth at some point. Beck’s pre-apology:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QMiVIx5HEo&mode=related&search=
When you say that kind of thing to someone face to face, it can be sexual harrassment; when you say it to a TV (because she’s not in the studio with you) and in front of a million people, it is a joke. And we’ve all seen this happen to public figures on both sides of the political fence.
Mr. Netter needs to get a life and find someone else to pick on. There are plenty of real deviants out there that need to be exposed.
Comment by erljr — March 3, 2007 @ 2:16 pm
Exactly Chris. Large sweeping generalizations are the enemy of real, productive, civil discourse. Beck broadcasts 4 hours a day/5 days a week; and he’s been doing it for quite a while. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t put their foot in their mouth at some point. Beck’s pre-apology:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QMiVIx5HEo&mode=related&search=
When you say that kind of thing to someone face to face, it can be sexual harrassment; when you say it to a TV (because she’s not in the studio with you) and in front of a million people, it is a joke. And we’ve all seen this happen to public figures on both sides of the political fence.
Mr. Netter needs to get a life and find someone else to pick on. There are plenty of real deviants out there that need to be exposed.
Comment by erljr — March 3, 2007 @ 2:17 pm
Aunt Mary,
I referenced Coulter and Beck only b/c they were in the news recently. I don’t listen to Al Franken or Bill Maher much, but last I remember they’re not EXTREMELY left. But I’m not sure.
I’m talking about lunatics on the right who would ask a Congressman to-be, just because he’s Muslim, to prove to him that he’s not working for Al-Qaeda, or Ann Coulter who would call a presidential candidate a “faggot”. This is complete non-sense. Or Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson that almost makes me embarrassed to be Christian.
Or lunatics on the left, like a person I argued with recently who still to this day believes that 9/11 was a conspiracy, who thinks it was a government plane that flew into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and that the U.S. Government purposely detonated explosives inside the Twin Towers to bring them down.
It’s these types of people who make me want to punch them in the face, on both sides.
Comment by The Voice of Reason — March 3, 2007 @ 2:41 pm
The Voice of Reason — Your memory “DOES NOT” serve you well in the case of Bill Maher and Al Franken. I listen to both left and right shows, read six newspapers a day, etc.. to get “ALL” points of view. I am not defending Beck or Coulter, I am just tired of “SIMPLE MINDED” people only seeing life in one direction. i.e. — The MSM gives very little attention to the fact that William Jefferson(D) who is under investigation for bribery and was caught with $90,000.00 in his freezer is now being put forward by the Democrats as someone they want on the “HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE”. This gets little to no coverage and should be a front page story and should be covered like the Foley story, maybe even more as our security is at risk.
You defend Keith Ellison(D) — a Muslim — for being attacted based on the fact that he is Muslim — where is you defense for Beck against #7 on this thread for attacting Beck as a Mormon?
Comment by Aunt Mary — March 3, 2007 @ 3:53 pm
ok ok,
#7’s should cool it too…
happy?
First I hadn’t even read his comment. Second, it doesn’t matter anyway, that’s just some guys’ opinion. I made my comment about Beck b/c he’s ON THE AIR, CABLE TELEVESION!
Oh, one last thing, I said I don’t listen to Maher or Franken. I’m not defending them; I don’t listen to them so, as I said, I’m not sure how ridiculous they are on the air.
Comment by The Voice of Reason — March 3, 2007 @ 4:00 pm
Update,
the last time I watched/listened to Bill Maher on a consistent basis by any stretch of the imagination was “politically incorrect” that aired on ABC late nights, which I think was a great show, and was sad it got canceled.
I don’t think I ever listened to Al Franken consistently, not that I don’t want to get all the views, which I do, but I don’t have time to listen to EVERYBODY.
Comment by The Voice of Reason — March 3, 2007 @ 4:26 pm
I thought Beck made his point fairly well.
Comment by Philip S — March 3, 2007 @ 10:01 pm
ChrisM, do you work at the same place I do - because you sound just like some dude I work with who uses the same email sig…
Olbermann is far more credible than Glenn Beck - but I do think everyone is taking Mr. Beck’s comments way out of proportion.
Comment by Andy Marquis — March 3, 2007 @ 11:33 pm
“When you say that kind of thing to someone face to face, it can be sexual harrassment; when you say it to a TV (because she’s not in the studio with you) and in front of a million people, it is a joke”
eljr…sure didn’t look like the woman he asked to get naked thought it was a joke.
Comment by James — March 4, 2007 @ 12:07 am
No. She thought it was tacky. And rightfully so.
Comment by erljr — March 4, 2007 @ 5:23 pm
Oh, you talked to her eljr? Even if it was a ‘tacky joke’, if one of his producers said the same thing, tacky joke or not, they’d be canned and so should he.
Comment by James — March 4, 2007 @ 6:52 pm
Glen Beck did NOT say “Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.” He asked the congressman if he could understand why people would feel a need to ask that. Just like most of the media-vocal liberals, you leave out the important bits of something to make it seem like something else.
Comment by Charles — March 4, 2007 @ 10:15 pm
Pardon me, I meant “NETTER leaves out”, not “you leave out.”
Comment by Charles — March 4, 2007 @ 10:17 pm
Charles,
You are an embarrassment to the “media-vocal” conservatives on this board. Do your research the next time.
Here is the Beck quote:
“I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, ‘Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.”
Comment by elmonica — March 4, 2007 @ 10:36 pm
I didn’t say ‘tacky joke’ James. It appears from the last several comments that people on all sides need to stop putting words into others mouths.
Thanks for the exact quote Mónica. Do you have a link?
Comment by erljr — March 4, 2007 @ 10:49 pm
Earl,
Here is the link
http://mediamatters.org/items/200611150004
Comment by elmonica — March 4, 2007 @ 10:54 pm
That’s right eljr, you said:
“When you say that kind of thing to someone face to face, it can be sexual harrassment; when you say it to a TV (because she’s not in the studio with you) and in front of a million people, it is a joke.”
and you ‘guessed’ the woman thought it was tacky.
Therefore, through detailed and well documented research, this scientist concludes that you consider the comments a ‘tacky joke’.
I’m also interested in finding out why if something happens in an office it’s sexual harrassment, and when cameras are rolling and thousands are watching it’s a joke? You can guess that Beck was just kidding around (I’m sure he was) but it’s not how remarks are intended it’s how they’re received that determines harrassment from horseplay.
I’ll say it again, if he were some producer, he’d be on the breadlines by now.
Comment by James — March 5, 2007 @ 2:02 am
Glenn Beck’s career relies on the fact that he has no filter and zero tact. That he’s a radio shock jock with a camera really shouldn’t surprise anyone at this point.
Comment by Caufield — March 5, 2007 @ 9:43 am
I am certain the woman found it tacky, as did we all James. It is a great stretch to put two words together from two different posts, and try to put them in my mouth or hers. Has the woman in question given you approval to use her appearance on Glenn Beck’s TV show to back up your political bias? I’m sure she doesn’t like words put in her mouth any more than I do. You can play semantics games all you want, but I’m not going to lose any sleep over it. My original point still stands: Glenn Beck, unlike O’Reilly and Olbermann, has no qualms about apologizing - even pre-apologizing - for putting his foot in his mouth, offending someone, or admitting he was wrong.
Comment by erljr — March 5, 2007 @ 10:15 am
There’s no leap putting ‘tacky joke’ together, i think you are just figuring out how lame that excuse is. If you don’t want people to make logical conclusions from your own words, be careful about saying them.
I’m guessing you work for Beck if you know the woman thought it was tacky…and that’s fine. Maybe that’s what she told the producers of the guy who, at the very least, embarrassed himself and her on national tv. If she did feel sexually harrassed, she probably wouldn’t tell you…she’d tell John Klein, or whatever the CNN boss’ name is.
If it makes you feel better to compare Beck to O’Reilly and Olbermann that’s fine, but that’s all it will do, is make you feel better.
I don’t care who you compare him to, because I have no agenda other than pointing out what happens when a TV Host sexually harrasses as opposed to anyone else.
Lastly, pre-apologizing is the LAMEST term I’ve ever heard in my life. “I’m a crazy guy, I’m gonna say crazy things, so be forewarned” That does not absolve you from future words or actions. That’s like saying, I’m a hothead, I might get into a barfight tonight, so don’t arrest me if I do. It just doesn’t work like that.
I understand he makes his money being outrageous, but making blanket apologies for offending people before he does it is laughable.
I would accept a post-apology…and I hope he issues one. I think this happened wednesday? And I haven’t seen one yet.
Comment by James — March 5, 2007 @ 11:41 am
No leaps from me James. Only clarification and responses to accusations.
However you make a number of new leaps in your last post.
And yes, there was a post-apology as well, way before you ever heard of the incident.
Comment by erljr — March 6, 2007 @ 2:54 am