If there’s one thing you can say about the men at Fox News, it’s that they sure are consistent. At a time when the network’s biggest names are either leaving and accusing their co-workers of sexual harassment or getting fired because of sexual harassment, you’d think those remaining would learn that the workplace–especially one that exists in front of millions of people–is not a space for lewd, crude jokes at women’s expense. But here they are, not learning that.
During a segment on Tuesday night’s episode of The Five, host Jesse Watters was discussing how Ivanka Trump was booed at the women’s summit in Germany after she called her father a “tremendous champion of supporting families.” Watters criticized liberals because, “the left says they really respect women and then when given an opportunity to respect a woman like that, they boo and hiss.”
Here’s the thing, Jesse. We on “the left” have PLENTY of opportunities to “respect women.” We do it literally all day, every day. Do you count the number of men you see each day that you respect, the ones you don’t boo? Well, that’s how we view women. We don’t really need an ‘opportunity’ to prove our respect for women. We just treat them like humans. As such, when there is a specific woman we distinctly don’t respect, we allow ourselves to express that sentiment without it being reflective of our views on the entire gender.
As if that comment weren’t doltish enough, Watters proceeded to follow up his criticism of the left’s lack of respect with a STUNNING show of disrespect with this disgusting comment: “I don’t really get what’s going on here, but, uh, I really like how she was speaking into that microphone.” At which point he mimes holding a microphone close to his mouth, moving his hand up and down, ever so slightly.
Yeah, it’s not subtle. This Fox News creep was making a blow job joke at the expense of Ivanka Trump.
WATCH: Jesse Watters on Fox News re Ivanka Trump: “I really like how she was speaking into that microphone” pic.twitter.com/HoJHLpMtq1
— Yashar (@yashar) April 26, 2017
Watters immediately came under fire from basically everyone watching, on both the right and the left.
Congratulations, Jesse Watters, you’re a disgusting pig as well as being a racist moron. https://t.co/lZbydxIV7l
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) April 26, 2017
Jesse Watters is everything I loathe about everything.
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) April 26, 2017
When a company sends the clear signal that women are basically sub-human, vile behavior thrives even after top offenders are fired.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) April 26, 2017
So on same day Fox News mandates sensitivity training, Jesse Watters oddly praises Ivanka Trump’s technique w mic. pic.twitter.com/rhGlbMZtL6
— David Folkenflik (@davidfolkenflik) April 26, 2017
Watters tried to play this off as if it’s our minds in the gutter, like a child telling a dirty joke and blaming others for thinking of the punchline. He said the panel was talking about her sultry voice, like a “smooth jazz radio DJ,” and that’s what he was referencing. Do we really need to say this? Even if that were the case (WHICH NO ONE BELIEVES IT WAS), that’s still wholly inappropriate. It’s belittling to use your platform to discuss how pleasing you find the tone of a woman’s voice. It’s creepy. Just don’t.
But again, no one believes that’s what he was doing anyway!
You are so full of shit it’s coming out your ears, you disgusting creep. https://t.co/1cnrfc8rDC
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) April 26, 2017
I’m no fan of Ivanka Trump (as I think I have made very clear), but just as we talked about with Kellyanne Conway, she gives us more than enough substantial material to criticize without reducing her to a sex joke. Even for her opponents and critics, sex jokes are a cheap, lazy attack. For someone trying to scold those not paying her enough respect to do this is just baffling in its ignorance.
(via Yashar on Twitter, image: screengrab)
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