Thursday, April 12, 2007

Still Worried about Her Job, Rosie Keeps Defending Imus

I will be updating the Sponsor List tonight. I'm a bit behind in my monitoring of "The View" by way of my TiVo. I'm sure you all understand.In the meantime, here's an exchange courtesy of News Busters:

Rosie Still Worried About Her Job? 'View' Co-Host Continues to Defend Imus' 'Free Speech'
Posted by Justin McCarthy on April 11, 2007 - 15:10.
The April 11 edition of "The View" again discussed Don Imus’s recent racist and sexist remarks about the Rutgers women’s basketball team. Rosie O’Donnell likewise continued her tirade about Imus’ alleged "free speech." In a statement too bizarre even for Joy Behar, Rosie said the next step is the "thought police" locking everyone up in Guantanamo Bay without a lawyer. Perhaps Rosie is feeling the heat after her own controversial remarks.

JAMIE-LYNN SIGLER: I think people who have a public voice just need to be conscious then of what they’re saying and the effect that it can have and understand that there’s going to be consequences if they say things like that.

O’DONNELL: Right, you just worry if the consequences, you know --

BEHAR: Because you could be next.

O’DONNELL: -impede upon- which is all right. If that happens, it happens. But the point of the story is, if it impedes on free speech in America, democracy is at stake. Because democracy is based on freedom of speech and freedom of the press. So we really have to worry about that in this country.

[Applause]

HASSELBECK: And we should be concerned and responsible without freedom too.

O’DONNELL: Right, but it’s not a freedom if you outlaw certain words or thoughts, because then the thought police come and then before you know it, everyone’s in Guantanamo Bay without representation.

HASSELBECK: That would be impossible to enforce.

BEHAR: What a jump!

Earlier in the segment, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and surprisingly, Joy Behar commented on the lack of moral authority Imus’ harshest critics, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton possess.

JOY BEHAR: There’s also something about casting the stone, when you-- everybody else is so innocent? You know

ELISABETH HASSELBECK: Yeah look at Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. I mean they, they’ve been quoted-

BEHAR: Jesse Jackson, don't you remember his "hymietown" remarks?

HASSELBECK: Yes

ROSIE O’DONNELL: Yeah

BEHAR: That, you know, he’s not innocent either on this topic. So, you know, let’s not be so hypocritical about all this.

HASSELBECK: And where does that stop? Where do you draw the line?

BEHAR: It was an obnoxious, racist remark, true, but it's all over the place.

Justin McCarthy

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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can you imagine anyone actually admitting that they watch The View for either entertainment or information? This show is a blasphemous misuse of communications technology!

Anonymous said...

Hate to find myself siding with Rosie, but I worry that firing Imus will empower the Stalinist left.

The left will use their PC to kill us, starting by shutting down individual talk radio shows and then, once the Dems take control, a reincarnation of the 'Fairness' Doctrine.

Anonymous said...

Sharpton and Jackson have a lot to answer for. For them to act as if they are the moral authority for this country is wrong. I hope Rosie is taking notes. Either way her stupid nonsense about 9/11 is ridiculous. Any way I look at it she should not be given a podium for free speech either.

Shannonymous said...

Why is PCness so bad?!? What would it hurt to have a little more of it? Oh wait, might it help to create a more sensitive world, where people actually try not to offend others with hate and ignorance? Oh man, that would be terrible, LOL!

I am all for free speech, and I think outlawing words is going too far, but I think when you are a celebrity and you’re being paid to do a radio or tv show, then you should have to watch your mouth. If it's a concert, where people are paying JUST to see YOU, that is one thing, but when it's a show that has other guests on and purports to be informative, that is a different story. Also, I believe in free speech and think if someone wants to go out on the street and get on a soapbox, they can say whatever they want, but they should also be ready to face the consequences of what they say (having people hate them, yell at them, etc.).

To quote South Park, “Words are like bullets.” ;) Some people can dodge ‘em, but most get hit.