So Not OK: MSNBC's Ed Schultz Calls Laura Ingraham a "Right-Wing Slut"

It's been a while and I've missed my BlogHer friends. Please accept my apologies for being late to this dialogue.

I am a raging free marketeer radio talk show host who focuses on local and state issues. There aren't many of us. And in Colorado, I am the only female with my own talk radio show (not syndicated). So the anger that some have toward talk radio in general is surprising to me because you can just turn it off if you don't like it. I don't like most rap music. I certainly don't know all rap artists and therefore cannot make blanket statements about it but I just chose not to listen to it.

As for Ed Schultz -- of course his distasteful comment was a topic for my show. I always point out that the First Amendment says "Congress shall make no law..." but that does not mean speech is without consequence. What amazes me most is that "slut" was the only word that came to him in an emotional monologue. That was it? That was the word. I understand the difficulty of finding just the right word when on air. There is no script so it is mostly shooting from the hip. Still, perhaps he needs to study a Thesaurus so he can expand his vocabulary. It just seems to highlight his lack of vocabulary.

I think it was Sophia who mentioned Thom Hartman. You are correct -- he is much better. Well read and very bright. We disagree politically so I think he is just misguided on how he interprets information. :)

The beauty is that we live in a country where free expression -- even that which we find incredibly distasteful -- does not translate to a jail sentence.

Thanks for a great topic!

Not MSNBC. He is pretty clueless about economics, history and stuff like that. So that's why he can't make the intelligent arguements for things that someone else like Thom Hartman might be able to make. All he knows is how to take cheap shots at people.

I would fire him.

Quoting... "I don't think it's okay to call other women, esp. when you're a talking head on cable news..."

Labelling is always a tricky thing, and we need to respect the right of each of us to label ourselves. It is okay for me to call myself a bitch, whore, slut, whatever, but it is most certainly not okay for me to redirect those labels at anyone else.

As sentient beings, we have the power to say things that harm. Consequently, we have the responsibility to speak with care, something that all too often is left out of the process.

Make no mistake, what Ed said crossed a line. Where he fell flat, and as a professional talkmaster he should damn well know better, is that you can skewer opinion all you wish, but when you make it personal, when you throw out toss away insults that have no bearing on issues and which impugn character and person-hood, it is well out of line. What exactly did 'right wing slut' do to advance his particular point in that moment?

I'm glad Ed was called out on this, and I'm equally glad he saw the light. As one who has been called feminazi more than once over the years by people co-opting the 'word' from another talkmaster, I wish those on the right would learn Ed's lesson as well.

nellewrites ( http://nellewrites.wordpress.com/ )

You are right, Jill, anything that makes a person realize what they are doing is truly wrong is good.

Schultz's apology was sincere and moving; his anguish and embarrassment was palpable. I think he gets it, now.

ALL of talk radio disgusts me. It appeals to the back of our brains where prurient and sensationalist triggers rule and misinformation is encouraged. Hosts are hired for their ability to appeal to closed minds (regardless of political direction) and my reaction stemmed I think (speculation about one's own motives is most often dangerously flawed) from my expectation of a more expansive and thoughtful analysis here that would help me find a balanced center to react to his offensive language and to the tacit cultural approval that the misogyny behind such statements lays bare.

This is such an important subject and we are the people who can change things. I'm glad we are discussing this.

Nancy

N. F. Hill ( http://www.nfhill.com )

Build Peace ( http://buildpeace.blogspot.com )

Thanks for saying a bit more about how you read the post. Yeah - I definitely didn't read it that way but in part maybe because I was following and acting on the situation with a firm idea in my head simply about how wrong it was - and that condemnation of how wrong it was was what I focused on in Julie's post - not the what should be done about it, esp since the radio show is syndicated and not an MSNBC product. As I've pointed out in other places, there's a female conservative radio host who is on CNN regularly but on a non-CNN product, called another female journalist the B word - very little condemnation coming out about that against CNN. And I think that's wrong. Joan Walsh was wrong to say that we can call people whores (when Jerry Brown said that about Meg Whitman) and I don't think it's okay to call other women, esp. when you're a talking head on cable news, the B word. But as for what should be done to the speakers about their language? Anything that makes them change behavior would be what I'd want - and goodness knows how hard THAT is to gauge!

Have a good Memorial Day. :)

Jill Writes Like She Talks ( http://www.writeslikeshetalks.com )

In The Arena: Jill Miller Zimon, Pepper Pike City Council Member ( http://jillmillerzimon.blogspot.com )

Jill, I understand what you are saying. I guess I just hold editors to a higher standard than regular bloggers. ;-)

The comment still seems a bit more on the side of firing Schultz than not, even after rereading. I don't sanction Schultz's actions as you can tell from my comment further down the comment stream, I just hope BlogHer is not in any way seen as sanctioning one political perspective nor as calling for action against anyone by posting links to petitions.

Thanks again!

Nancy

N. F. Hill ( http://www.nfhill.com )

Build Peace ( http://buildpeace.blogspot.com )

such that many times we don't notice these things. It's everywhere, in our conversations, in news stories, in headlines, in late night monologues. Everywhere.

nellewrites ( http://nellewrites.wordpress.com/ )

Nancy - Thanks for sharing your interpretation of what I wrote in my comment thanking Julie on getting this post up so quickly and offering so many hyperlinks. My comment is in regard to what she wrote in terms of making sure people are asking the right questions. I see the number of comments in the thread as a great testimony and example of how her coverage promotes discussion. With respect to how one-dimensional the online forumspace can be, I think maybe you give me and that phrase "you said it all" way more credit than it deserves. :)

Best,

Jill Writes Like She Talks ( http://www.writeslikeshetalks.com )

In The Arena: Jill Miller Zimon, Pepper Pike City Council Member ( http://jillmillerzimon.blogspot.com )

I'm Conservative so I do like Laura Ingram, but even if I didn't...if I felt about her how I feel about say, Keith Obermann - I would hope I'd have the class to disagree politely and not hurl a personal (or egads gender) attack like that one. What a low class thing to do. Apology or not, I'm struggling to understand where he has been for the last 50 years to think that was okay even on talk radio...

Jennifer Z.

Blogging here at http://www.blogher.com/member/jenniferz and elsewhere on the deeper side at ( http://mamarules.wordpress.com/ )

This kind of language is all over the place, in both liberal and conservative media -- and in liberal and conservative households.

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager
Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Jill, I am very disappointed in your comment. As an editor for BlogHer you need to rise above partisan commentary in order to check people like me who are very partisan. No one has "said it all." We need to promote discussion, not cut it off.

Nancy

N. F. Hill ( http://www.nfhill.com )

Build Peace ( http://buildpeace.blogspot.com )
A Blog about Tucson, Progressive Politics, Trends & Topics of Note

MSNBC did exactly what it should have. And he apologized in what seemed to me to be a very sincere and with real remorse. That is more than I have seen any other talking head do. This is about language, culturally embedded misogyny, generalized gender derision, and hateful speech. It should not be tolerated. It should also not be made into a partisan issue. We all have to grow up. We all have to go beyond where our society is and our emotions reside if we hope to have a better society.

Nancy

N. F. Hill ( http://www.nfhill.com )

Build Peace ( http://buildpeace.blogspot.com )
A Blog about Tucson, Progressive Politics, Trends & Topics of Note

We were listening to talk radio on the drive home (I know, I know) and a certain political pundit harped on about Schwarzenegger being attracted to "ugly women".

So the story wasn't about a Schwarzenhegger, it was about the looks of the women he slept with.

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager
Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

ABC's website. Displayed as one of the ten headlines in its right sidebar is this one:

Nancy Kerrigan Cries At Brother's Sentencing

Lessee, the story isn't that he was sentenced for beating up his dad as one more conviction on his record, it is that his sister cried.

nellewrites ( http://nellewrites.wordpress.com/ )

What Jill said. What Adrienne said. What you all said. This conversation is a strong message by women -- notably from across the political spectrum, which the women in this thread are -- to the punditocracy and to Congress: Slurring women only hurts you. Let's keep on this in the run-up to Election 2012. We're going to need it.

Lisa Stone, BlogHer Co-founder ( http://www.blogher.com/member/lisa-stone )

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News ( http://www.blogher.com/topic/politics-news ).

Isn't that how it is? If we disagree with someone...we use dumb name-calling?
I'm not a fan of it. But I know I've even uttered "jerk" or whatever under my breath when I'm frustrated with someone else.
I totally feel it's inappropriate for ANYONE (left or right) to blurt out "crap" like that.
The world would be a different place if there were such a thing as consequences for our actions.

I can't see where our country is heading (positively) with politics and such as it is.

Thanks for posting this. If there's one thing women on both sides of the aisle can agree on it's not using derogatory or misogynistic names.

I'm not a big fan of MSNBC, but good for them for suspending him. I'd love to see him call Ingraham on her show and apologize.

Adrienne works in the conservative movement and blogs at Cosmopolitan Conservative ( http://www.cosmopolitanconservative.com )and ( http://www.cosmopolitanconservative.com )Adrienne Loves. ( http://www.adrienneloves.com )

in our language and culture, half the time people use it without giving it much thought, much like some will use expletives as adjectives in every sentence they utter.

On the other hand, when someone says 'right wing slut', there is a bit more of a conscious effort involved, although absent thoughtful consideration.

Because we dislike a woman or dislike her opinion, she's a slut or whore or bitch? When I was handling unemployment claims, I had four cases of discharges that involved the fired employee using the word 'cunt' towards someone. Those cases always managed to find me, rofl. (Is fun to sit in an office and discuss via telephone the circumstances of such usage. Those are very explicit calls that seem quite surreal in a professional office environment!)

Actually, we humans should really take a hard look at the things we do by rote.

nellewrites ( http://nellewrites.wordpress.com/ )

except 'one' should be 'won'! Ah, the workings of my brain...

nellewrites ( http://nellewrites.wordpress.com/ )

Historically, the worst insults are gender- and genitalia-based. We call women we don't like "bitches" and men we don't like "dicks." If we want to get serious about our dislike for a woman, she's called a "cunt." "Douchebag" and "prick" are also common, as is "whore" or "slut." Using somebody's gender or sexuality against them in a vulgar and insulting way is part of our culture, and we need to put a stop to it immediately.

What Ed Schultz said was completely unacceptable and unfortunately completely common. The best way to bring change is to begin on an individual level: each one of us needs to stop propagating the idea that using misogyny and misandry in everyday emotional conversation is okay. Surely we can find more inventive ways to express our distaste for people, male or female alike.

Solidarity.

--Kristina

www.OnBlank.com ( http://www.OnBlank.com )

I don't think he deserved to be fired, but I'm glad MSNBC moved swiftly for suspension, Shultz apologized sincerely, and the organizations involved all worked together.

Now if only the people on the conservative side would respond this well when the shoe's on the other foot.

...

Sarah Granger blogs here ( http://www.blogher.com/blog/sarah-granger ) and there ( http://www.sarahgranger.com/Sarah_Granger/Writing.... ).

Well, I like loudmouths! But respectful loudmouths.

aka Honeybeast
Managing Editor, BlogHer

bombastic opining no matter where the speaker falls on the political ideology spectrum (for the record, I'm left of left.)

I didn't care for the treatment of Hillary or Sarah in 2008, did not like how Chris Matthews tossed out misogynistic explanations for why Hillary one this state's (NH) primary, and I'd prefer all the loudmouths go away so that we can temper down the polarised divisiveness and get on with solving issues.

Off to scribe my name on the petition.

nellewrites ( http://nellewrites.wordpress.com/ )

Going over there now. IMO this is NOT OK whichever side of the aisle it takes place on (in this case, it's mine and I'm infuriated).

Julie
aka Honeybeast
Managing Editor, BlogHer

You said it all - thank you.

For those inclined to take action, they can visit this petition at Women's Media Center:

http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-msnbc-to-susp... ( http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-msnbc-to-susp... )

Jill Writes Like She Talks ( http://www.writeslikeshetalks.com )

In The Arena: Jill Miller Zimon, Pepper Pike City Council Member ( http://jillmillerzimon.blogspot.com )