Geraldo Rivera profile…
The Boston Globe’s Mark Shanahan profiled Geraldo Rivera last week…
He usually arrives on one of two boats - Rivera’s other ride is a 70-foot ketch called Voyager - or in a helicopter that lands on the lawn outside Seagate, the spectacular, 10-bedroom estate he bought several years ago with his fourth wife, C.C. Dyer. (Rivera is married to wife No. 5 now but remains close to Dyer, a Marion native with whom he had two of his five children.)
“Happily, I’m still an honored guest here,” he says, checking his BlackBerry while walking the perimeter of the swimming pool overlooking Buzzard’s Bay. “If you treat people right, they’ll treat you right.”
Because Rivera has not always felt well treated, especially by some in the media, he was initially reluctant to meet with a reporter in Marion. He was wary of what he called “another Geraldo hit piece.” But in the end he couldn’t resist. An entertaining talker and notorious tough guy who once pledged to kill Osama bin Laden and bronze his head, Rivera was happy to play host for a few hours.
“Look, I don’t care what people say about me. I’ve had a wonderful career,” he says. “I’ve been famous for 40 years.”
Sorry…the fact that the guy has had so many marriages speaks volumes to me! He’s seriously unstable.
Comment by Nancy — September 6, 2007 @ 10:01 am
Yikes, is this really something ya say about coworkers in the press??
“Michelle Malkin is the most vile, hateful commentator I’ve ever met in my life,” he says. “She actually believes that neighbors should start snitching out neighbors, and we should be deporting people.
“It’s good she’s in D.C. and I’m in New York,” Rivera sneers. “I’d spit on her if I saw her.”
Comment by Terance — September 6, 2007 @ 10:17 am
Geraldo touts himself as a great journalist and, as he’ll remind you often, an attorney.
It is amazing that someone who has sat across the likes of Charles Manson, has the audacity to say he would spit in the face of a fellow journalist for her views on a political subject.
It speaks volumes to his character and he owes Michelle Malkin an on-air apology and Fox News should be the one demanding it.
Comment by jrlingreenbay — September 6, 2007 @ 11:17 am
And Terance, take a guess who KO named WPITW…
That’s right… Riv-oh wait, I mean… Malkin.
Comment by ImNotBlue — September 6, 2007 @ 12:12 pm
Despicable. I keep telling myself not to expect better, but I keep getting surprised anyway. How does he get away with saying he would spit on a coworker? If she were a left wing blogger the media would have been all over him for that. He owes Michelle Malkin an apology for this statement. Disagreeing with someone is one thing. This kind of retaliation is something else and should not be tolerated. Period.
Comment by Jim — September 6, 2007 @ 12:45 pm
Anyone know how old he is? 65? 70? He’s gotta be at least 65.
Comment by erljr — September 6, 2007 @ 1:09 pm
Geraldo has some nerve whining about the possibility that the Boston Globe was going to do a hit piece on him when he said if he saw Michelle Malkin he’d spit on her; he takes the concept of the hypocritical double-standard to new heights.
Some simple facts and observations which need to be said since Geraldo Rivera is in a position to influence millions:
1. Ever since I started reading her editorials in the New York Post (the way one should - as a commuter ;-), Michelle struck me as both passionate and brilliant, with a cut-to-the-chase style that flew off the page. She remains my favorite columnist next to Dick Morris. Never have the words vile or hateful crossed my mind. On reflection, Geraldo seems to be engaging in an act of total projection.
2. Geraldo has done some brilliant, corageous work besides his exploitation/sensationalistic stuff. His coverage on the Iraq war for Fox was sometimes harrowing, if indeed none was staged, and that’s a tough call to make considering that this is the guy who opened Al Capone’s vault to much fanfare and found nothing. However, on the issue of illegal immigration, about which apparently rests his beef with Michelle Malkin, he has not one ounce of credibility. Not only are his arguements spurious, his arguements are entirely Hispanic-centric, even though he himself reputatedly went by the television name of Gerry Rivers when being Hispanic on TV wasn’t so hip. When listening to how he treats the impassioned but nevertheless honest Michelle Malkin, who will turn on a Republican as fast as a Democrat if she considers them up to no good, one gets the impression that this ethnicity-centric/ethnicity-challenged individual is much more deserving of the names he calls his co-journalists that are the co-journalists themselves.
For a man who, if memory serves, claimed to be a sex addict when his affair with Bette Midler was found out (not unlike Clinton who tried to drag his lover through the mud before he was faced with irrefutable evidence - what a guy!), who made his name in sensationalistic exploitive television and now, once Fox gave him a leg up when his creer had bottomed out and is now trying to make a bigger name again, he has quite alot of nerve calling Michelle Malkin so hateful he’ll spit on her.
He seems to try to make himself appear to be a gentleman, but a gentleman he has proven he is not, IMO. All one need do is to argue effectively against his pet peeve, the immigration staus of his fellow Hispanics, and the great Hispanic champion Gerry Rivers will show you just exactly what he’s made of, and it’s neither pretty nor gentlemanly.
In this person’s opinion, his is a face no longer welcome on the TV screen.
Comment by Mr Conservative Cat — September 6, 2007 @ 2:43 pm
He’s the worst hire Fox ever made. Completely worthless.
Comment by spiffo — September 6, 2007 @ 2:45 pm
I like Geraldo. Ya gotta like a guy with a funny mustache.
But seriously, he was originally hired as a war correspondent, and I doubt FNC would have hired him under other circumstances. Also, I don’t think Geraldo would have joined FNC if he hadn’t wanted to be a war correspondent so bad. Still, I like Geraldo. Just not his immigration opinions.
Comment by jmkaib — September 6, 2007 @ 3:32 pm
Geraldo, stated of Michelle Malkin, I would spit on her if I saw her, he was so lucky he was so far away, when he made that comment. Then as usual, he didn’t have to back up his chest beating. Lets examine his chest beating “Spitting On a Woman” a smart, articulate, intelligent woman…what’s the matter Geraldo feeling insecure? Fox News needs to get him back out in front of the Camera and have him apologize to Michelle Malkin in person. This is very, very unprofessional. Fox News has called others out for this same type of behavior on other networks. Fox News it is time to uphold your standards across the board. Mr O’Reilly, Geraldo is dissing one of your brightest talents on your Fox program “The Factor” Why have you said nothing, what gives?
Comment by Ree — September 6, 2007 @ 5:35 pm
I agree with those who state that Michelle is owed an apology. The language Rivera used toward Michelle is a disgrace, and I’d think it would be treated as harassment in the workplace. And while I know they’re in two separate cities (NYC and D.C.), harassment can come via other media just as easily.
And as Nancy and Conservative Cat have mentioned, his treatment of women in affairs/marriages is also substandard. He’s a putz (a word I believe he uses himself!).
Comment by Missy — September 6, 2007 @ 7:26 pm
Just looking at Rivera has always made me ill because he reminds me of Jerry Springer type trailer trash. Why fox employes him is beyond me….
I sometimes bring myself to watch him on The Factor, but no more and I always turn the channel during his Sunday evening show.
Comment by dina — September 7, 2007 @ 12:29 pm
To me, this isn’t about whether Geraldo Rivera is a gentleman (never was; never will be) or whether Michelle Malkin, because she’s a woman, needs protection from Rivera (never did; never will). To me, this is about Rivera knowing full well, despite his bravado, if he ever did actually spit on Ms. Malkin–or hit her with his purse–that she would b*tchslap him into next week. Consequently, he waits until they’re in different cities and then beats his chest to a newspaper instead of saying it to her face.
I am seriously disappointed in Bill O’Reilly’s lack of integrity for giving Rivera a pass, though, and continuing to feature him on The Factor. O’Reilly lost me as a viewer over this.
Comment by Phil — September 8, 2007 @ 1:31 am
Geraldo is a scumbag and O’Reilly, who’s clearly giving him a pass, is a hypocrite.
Comment by Leo Daher — September 13, 2007 @ 6:23 pm