Chris Matthews' hormones get the best of him

[mudesi]

Run time: 00:39 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpxkKeNgbyU   Posted on YouTube: August 11, 2007 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: August 11, 2007 By DU Member: mudesi Views on DU: 8273

 
Watch Mr. Matthews make a jackass out of himself yesterday...

Maybe he tawt he taw a puddy cat...

[Totally Committed]

1. What the hell kind of diabetes meds is this guy on?

Or, maybe he is just a perv. Who knows. It's creepy.

TC

[The Backlash Cometh]

32. I swear his eyes were dilated at the end of that clip.

[MADem]

67. Maybe he and Kathleen are KAPUT??? He's certainly got the

"needs injections several times a day" diabetes, but Kathleen no longer works in DC at that rightwing TV station. She now works for the Mormon Marriott International, a job that requires no small amount of travel....maybe she's pitched him over the side, and he's going a little 'middle-aged crazy?'

[Giant Robot]

2. Does he know that these things are recorded?

And that they can be distributed? Internets anyone?

[Downtown Hound]

3. I thought only Bush in his flight suit and Fred Thompson turned him on.

Oh well, the man has varied tastes.

[oldtime dfl_er]

4. so glad to see he takes her seriously

as a journalist :sarcasm:

www.scarebaby.com

[shance]

5. Did anyone notice what she was saying? I thought that was much more provocative.

She was basically trying to implement more conditioning to the fact that now Americans don't all necessarily DESERVE to be homeowners?

So I guess the Media Industrial Complex will now blame American citizens for all that is being criminally enacted by those in Washington and others abusing power and privilege?

[Annces]

6. Right

She was basically saying, the poor people should just get used to be screwed by the system. We probably should not expect healthcare or police help either!

[shance]

14. While they blow kisses to each other and Chris searches for cleavage.

n/t

[Turbineguy]

19. I've noticed of late

that she comes out with some of those RW things from time to time. Maybe that's why she is paired with Mark Haines on CNBC in the mornings.

[liberalmike27]

57. I can't agree more with what you said

I was thinking, what, we don't deserve to be homeowners, but we deserve to have to pay almost twice as much in rent?

I've got a cheap house in Mobile that I rent. They rent for from $450 to $500, and are smallish 3/1 houses, with no amenities at all. Yet, if I'd been able to buy it, to get credit, my payment would have been around $250 a month. Interesting isn't it, how we don't deserve to "own" a home, but they will be happy to allow us to pay the renter class twice as much, so they can own the home.

As far as the harrassment thing, well, this is exactly what gives harrassment charges a bad name. If he did it on a regular basis, with the same girl, and she had told him to not do it, that'd be a case. But this, if anything, would be mildly inappropriate. She was a knockout, and to be honest, the reaction I saw from her says she liked it. You can't harrass the willin'.

[iamahaingttta]

59. Sweetie and I discussed what she was saying...

She was saying that Americans viewed home ownership as a right, and it may be time we get over that quaint notion.

That was much creepier than what Tweety said to her. And what he said WAS creepy. VERY creepy. And Sweetie wondered if he did it on purpose to distract viewers from the paradigm shift that she was advocating.

Tweety's brain - "Holy Shit, if people REALLY get what she just said, it's going to make the home market even worse than it is now. The stock market if freaking out because the mortgage companies are dropping like flies, and she just told Americans that they can, no they SHOULD forget about owning a home. Holy shit, not on MY show!

"Hey hon, come closer to the camera, would you..."

Of course, Sweetie may have been giving Tweety too much credit...

[Jade Fox]

63. Thank you!! My response exactly.

Yet more erosion of what a hard-working American can expect out of life. Owning one's own home is now a privilege of the wealthy? And we mere citizens of the realm should drop our sense of entitlement in that regard?

Can you say Feudalism?

[shance]

76. Glad others caught the NBC plantation promotion.

n/t

[MADem]

68. I noticed and found it bothersome. From Land of Opportunity to Serfdom, in a single generation. NT

[Amerigo Vespucci]

7. Not as bad as the legendary Glenn Beck clip...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxG2yiuQEZ0

I forget the name of the woman he was speaking with, but the look of disgust on her face is pretty unmistakable.

[hisownpetard]

11. dupe - sorry n/t

[hisownpetard]

12. Glenn BLECCCHH! n/t

[TheFarseer]

20. OMG, Matthews looks downright classy next to that n/t

[bamacrat]

22. I agree, this is nowhere near as bad as GB...or Joe Namath.

Ok I know Joe Namath really crossed a line on tv, also he was shit faced.

[Cant trust em]

8. What the hell was that?

She's not the only one who's going to have to look at the tape later. Matthews will have to since he clearly didn't give a shit about what she was talking about. Fortunately that one was a whole lot less awkward when Joe Namath told an ESPN reporter that he wanted to kiss her.

[helderheid]

9. FIRST REC - make sure everyone sees this - and then complains to NBC

[DeepModem Mom]

10. IMO, this may be harassment. She thinks something's wrong --

either with what she said, or her appearance. She's uncomfortable because she doesn't know what he could possibly be talking about. In fact, he's leering at her, which, of course, doesn't occur to her, in a professional, ON-AIR situation!

[gordianot]

13. Wonder if he has been spending time with Billo?

Clearly he was possessed by the same stupidity arrogance demon as Billo.

[kikiek]

15. Personally I find her comments just as, if not more, offensive than his.

[RBInMaine]

16. Oh c'mon, he was just being a little playful here.

Well c'mon folks he was just trying to be a little lighthearted here and in complementing her on her attractive appearance. It was momentary and in good spirit. I don't think he was meaning to be offensive. Let's not indict the guy or read too much into it. You see people of both genders on many kinds of shows, talk shows, etc. offering similar kinds of compliments in cutesy sorts of ways. There are bigger fish to fry in the scheme of things.

[shance]

18. That I would agree with, although he is a sexist pig. What concerns me is what she was saying.

Which few seem to fully grasp.

[shenmue]

29. Oh, grow up.

"Well c'mon folks he was just trying to be a little lighthearted here and in complementing her on her attractive appearance. It was momentary and in good spirit. I don't think he was meaning to be offensive."

Huh? Watch it again. He was a rude moron.

You're too quick to give him the benefit of the doubt. Either it's because you're new here, or you don't care. But this was a serious case of lack of professionalism.

It's not cute, it's not funny, and it's not okay. It is not a compliment and it is not typical of a news show. Maybe a drunk in an alley. Not a news show.

If someone said it to your daughter, would you think it was cool?

Then again, I'll just have to hope you don't have daughters.

[Colobo]

39. If he said that to my mom, I wouldn't care.

He was being nice, in my opinion.

[cui bono]

50. You must be male, because that was anything but nice.

It was completely disrespectful, sexist and unprofessional. When a man talks like that to a woman in the workplace it means he is discounting everything she is doing professionally. He just reduced her to a mere sex object on national television. At least he didn't call her "honey". And I should know, I've had pretty much the same thing happen to me (but not on national television ;)). I don't think it constitutes sexual harassment though.

[MADem]

69. Actually, it was more of a Cecil B. DeMille "You're ready for your closeup" type moment.

It wasn't SEX--he wasn't after her cleavage--it was the 'pure photogenic beauty' of her face that he was praising.

It was an appearance-based compliment, but it was of a higher order than "Hey Hottie, I like yer tits!" or words to that effect.

It was a goofy thing to do, but it wasn't the same as a pinch on the ass, and it was a rung or two above "Hey, baby..."

[cui bono]

77. Yes, but I stand by my sentiments. He reduced her to a thing of beauty

ignoring her professional merits. It is demeaning and insulting. It has happened to me.

I was in an argument with a company who made a tape for me that I could not use as they had made it incorrectly using the wrong pulldown method. As a result I could not do my work. They wouldn't believe me over the phone, so I had to take 2 hours out of my day to drive across town and explain it to them. I was dealing with someone who I thought worked for my contact person. This guy wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise, when I was explaining why the timecode/pulldown was bad. He kept cutting me off and feeding me incorrect information. I kept asking him to let me finish and he just continuously interrupted me. So I finally asked him if we could call tech support for the edit system I was using. He said yes, let's do that, thinking he would find out he was right, even though I had been explaining to him how it works for that particular edit system. He calls them and says "I'm standing here next to the beautiful (my name here)....". My contact (male) looked at me with an uh-oh look on his face, fully understanding how insulting that is. Well the other guy found out I was right, heard about how I didn't appreciate his comment or the way he treated me and never apologized for being so rude to me. Turned out he was the owner of the company.

Trust me. It's insulting to be looked at or treated as a pretty face and not be listened to because of being female even if you know what you're talking about. And when someone brings up how you look in a professional situation they're discounting everything else. And it's completely unprofessional. There's a time and a place for everything and when you're doing your job your ability is what should be at play, not how you look.

[MADem]

80. Well, given that she was saying that most Americans don't DESERVE to own a home, I'd have to say he

didn't REDUCE her, he lifted her up. What she was saying was pretty fucking ugly--it was along the lines of "The Rich get Richer, the Poor Get Poorer. And that's just the way it is. Too bad for those of you who haven't gotten their slice of the American Dream."

Look, I don't argue that it wasn't a STUPID comment. But it's no stupider than Rosie O'Donnell drooling all over Tom Cruise (which I found very strange), Oprah doing the same all over Obama, or the bullshit OBAMA - GIULIANI - HILLARY girl YouTube presentations that are being aired on the MSM. If we're going to make it a crime to "oogle on the air" it's gotta be across the board. About the only person with any dignity in that regard is Martha Stewart....!

Also, and most importantly, and this IS a fact that most people miss, Chris Matthews doesn't have a NEWS show. He's not Peter Jennings or Walter Cronkite. He is a political commentator who used to work for a number of very high profile Democrats on the Hill and the White House.

He has a talk show that focuses on political issues, but it is a COMMENTARY show, not a news program, even though his commentary is on the news of the day. As such, he can be as stupid as any other talk show host, from Imus to Limbaugh on the political side to Oprah or Ellen on the lighter side, because that's what he's running--a TALK show. Just because his "topic" happens to be politics and government, instead of Doctor Phil-like subjects, do not ever mistake his infotainment show for actual NEWS. It isn't.

It's one guy's halfassed opinions, and nothing more.

[cui bono]

81. You are making my point when you speak of what she was saying at the time.

He ignored something that was important to comment on how good she looks. Perhaps he did it on purpose so as not to have to comment on what she said.

How do you get that he lifted her up from that? Lifted her up to what? To where?

As to Rosie and Oprah, it's silly and I wish they wouldn't do it either, but what makes their situation different is they (I believe) are talking about them indirectly and those guys are public personas in a way that a news reporter isn't. Matthews comments were to a colleague while she was doing her job. It was on air during her report to his show, which I will concede is not a news show, but he objectified her while she was doing her job, completely ignoring what she had said, which was the real reason she was there.

Take if from a woman, please, it was insulting and demeaning. Note that I'm not calling it sexual harassment. But sexist it is.

[MADem]

82. She was indicating that we Americans no longer 'deserve' homeownership.

That's an UGLY assertion. Only an ugly soul would say such a thing. She was delighted to say it, too...hell, it's just a 'business' perspective.

He lifted her up by saying something nice about her, when that stance --that Americans no longer merit homeownership--is a pretty UGLY position.

As for Rosie--she did it to Cruise's FACE, as well as continuously before he appeared. On her old show. And Oprah just won't shut UP about Obama. It's all very well and good that she is a supporter, but the teen-crush gushiness is just unbecoming.

If we're going to play the "PC" game for a "Don't you look nice" comment, then we have to cease all this idiotic female whoo-hooing and fanning and "Ewwwww, he's so CUUUUUUUUTE!" crap that peppers life, the TV and these internets. And good luck with that! It ain't gonna happen.

And again, Matthews is NOT a NEWS REPORTER. He is a political commentator. His show is glorified political/government GOSSIP, just like Oprah, Rosie, Ellen, Doctor Phil, etc. specialize in social and self-improvement "gossip"--it's the same shit, different subject matter. He's NOT unbiased. He has a program that discusses the news, like Olbermann and O'Reilly do--but they are NOT news 'reporters.' They express opinions and don't practice any sort of fairness in their scheduling--they go for ratings and they seek out a particular demographic at whom to pitch their arguments.

[cui bono]

83. Wow. You're laying a lot on her to justify him saying that.

I totally disagree that that makes him elevate her by then insulting her like he did.

I agree with all the gushing of the women, I think it's silly, however it does not have the same affect as the sort of thing Matthews did. It's not the same situation where he completely ignored everything the woman said to tell her she looks great and did it on the air during a segment of his show when she is being a political correspondent. You have to remember that unfortunately there is a double standard. Men love that stuff and also don't have to think that that's is the ONLY way they're being looked at. Women still don't get paid the same as men, still have a glass ceiling as far as advancement in their careers, still are thought of as not as able as men in certain professions where it is not warranted. When you get an even playing field then we can talk more. Right now the men are still "winning" this one even with all the female gushing.

And I never said Matthews was a news reporter. I was talking about the female, though perhaps she isn't either. It doesn't change the facts.

You are male aren't you? If so, then you can see the same thing happening here that happens in the gay issue threads, like those superbowl ad threads. You can't possibly get it until you start to see/feel it from a woman's perspective. I don't think you're doing that yet. If you're female, then I don't understand your point of view.

[MADem]

84. Now, to me, it seemed like they KNEW each other.

She didn't seem irritated to me. An insult, I suppose, is subjective to the person on the receiving end of it. And saying that someone has a face for television is NOT an insult. Unless you're in some strange tribe that prizes hatchet-faced sourpusses as a look.

If he'd "Hummmana-hummmana-hummmana'd" her, that would be one thing. But it's no different from Moica Navotny praising the sartorial splendor of Olbermann, or one of the morning female hosts on MSNBC doing the same to a well turned out male guest talking head.

If you can't say "Wow, you look nice today" we're just too PC. Regardless of gender.

I think Matthews had no intention of REBUTTING the woman--she was the "economic color" on the piece, she was giving her speil, and there was no "response" required or expected to what she said. She was the economic oracle. When she was done, she was done. I mean, ya don't rebut the weather--he wasn't gonna rebut her economic report. he had thirty seconds, and rather than saying "So how's the weather on Wall Street?" he teased her instead.

I choose not to state either my gender or orientation here, in order to deny people the "I bet YOU" replies when they've otherwise run out of gas. I've been in more diverse situations than many here, I am a strong and vocal advocate for equal rights across the board, and have a track record in that regard that I am damned proud of, but I choose not to reveal those details, because half the time, people are wrong. And I could lie, too, but I'd rather not do that. So I 'prefer not to state.'

[cui bono]

87. Well you don't have to reveal your gender, but it's not about gotcha

it's about seeing where you're coming from.

Anyway, you don't see it my way, that's fine. I don't see it yours either. I hope though, that you treat women in a less sexist manner than Tweety did, because it really does reduce a woman to just a pretty face when she should be looked at as a professional colleague. And while you may think it's nothing, I hope you consider that the person on the receiving end might think it is.

Oh, and based on your avatar I'm going to say you're a West Highland White Terrier. ;)

[RBInMaine]

47. Oh, Lighten Up!

I'm not new to this site by any means and I do have a daughter, and I certainly don't need to be lectured about propriety. First, this is Hardball and not an entirely typical news show. This was momentary and lighthearted. I'm not saying he should make a constant habit of it, but let's not indict the guy over this either. Try lightening up!
This is petty stuff to be getting all worked up about when there are MUCH bigger fish to fry. That's all I'm saying. Political correctness is running far too rampant among some on this site. Take a breath and ease up. This is minor.

[cui bono]

51. It's not lighthearted to an objectified and repressed gender. It's sexist and unprofessional.

Please see my post here...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=46689&mesg_id=46833

[TankLV]

66. Yeah - "lighten up" it's only sexist (and racist, etc. etc.) - what's the big deal...

Sexist jokes and gay jokes, etc, etc. are FUNNY, right?!

You are a blathering FOOL...

[RBInMaine]

72. Then I guess Hillary Clinton is "sexist."

Only a "blatherhead" would use that term toward a complete stranger in the first place, so first take a good long look in the mirror before hurling out juvenile name-calling.

Second, I guess by your standard Hillary Clinton is "sexist" since in her first run for the Senate she said in a debate with her male opponent that he was a "good looking young man". ("Oh my! Call the cops! Hillary must be sexist!" - Heck, it was a light moment and NO ONE seemed to take offense, hmmm. - And then John Edwards saying something about the color of Hillary's jacket in that recent debate. "Oh no! Call the cops again! Edwards must be sexist too!" Oh please.)

Finally, you must have WAY too much time on your hands and a pretty skewed sense of priorities if you are going to get worked up about something that's pretty damn minor. Again, Mathews shouldn't make a habit of it, but he doesn't deserve to be indicted either over a momentary lighthearted isolated comment anymore than Hillary should have been over the comment she made concerning her first Senate opponent.

So yes, lighten up and move on. This is getting silly.

[cui bono]

78. I'd call her sexist if that's what her remark was, I didn't see it so I can't comment.

However the jacket comment is a completely different scenario. The candidates were asked to say something nice about their opponent and it was a joke.

Matthews completely ignoring what a female reporter is saying to him ON AIR DURING A REPORT TO HIS SHOW and telling her to lean into the camera and saying she looks great is completely sexist. You may not think so because you're probably male and obviously can't empathize. But instead of saying this is silly and get over it, why don't you try to imagine what that's like? Because I have to tell you you don't get it, and I think you should try to.

[RBInMaine]

85. No, YOU don't get it. And please drop the "sexism" card.

First yes I am male (sorry, it happened at conception or shortly thereafter), happily married, have a daughter, a good profession, and for years now have been an active Democratic activist in my community and state, and I have NEVER been accused of sexism or anything approaching it in my life.
In 2000 in the final debate between Hillary and Rick Lazio, the moderator asked each candidate to say something nice about the other.
In a very lighthearted way, Hillary CHOSE to say "He is an attractive young man."
Was she being "sexist"? Was she being sort of "elitist" or "gratuitous"? NO! She was being polite in a lighthearted way in the moment and paying him a compliment on his appearance. And why not? Have we stopped being human? In fact, Lazio returned the compliment saying Hillary was "an attractive woman." Hm, maybe they're both "sexist".
Please don't overplay this gender-bias sexism card here.
You and some others are blowing this 10-second incident entirely out of proportion when there are many larger problems in the world.
And please, I could cite MANY occasions where women have done similar things. On Oprah (I believe) a woman guest commenting about Barack Obama said, "I had a dream that I took a shower with Barack Obama last night and he Baracked my world." There were oohs and ahs and laughs and no one was chastised by the host. I have seen women in campaign event settings tell both Bill Clinton and John Kerry that they were "good looking men." No one was offended or chastised. Not that I mean to brag, but I wish I had a dime for every time I received honks and whistles from women (moreso when I was a bit younger) while jogging in the summer. Hey, I'm not saying I would have done what Mathews did, all I'm saying is let's not make more of it than it was, let's lighten up a little, and let's not be overly politically correct. The political correctness just goes too damn far sometimes and people need to lighten up.

[cui bono]

88. It was and is sexist. I don't think as some seem to that it was harassment.

Doesn't make it less sexist though. And it's not about pc, it's about treating women as human beings before sex objects, especially on the job and most especially on the air. I've experienced the same myself and it let me know that I was not being looked at for my work/professionalism but was being reduced to just another pretty face, and by doing that it discounts the rest of it, and I am damn good at my job so yes, it is insulting and it is sexist.

And by basically saying lighten up and get over it you're dismissing the feelings of many women. Rather than project your feelings about it onto the woman, how about trying to empathize with women. And if you can't do that how about at least realizing that a lot of women feel this way and be compassionate and respectful of that instead of dismissing it as trivial.

[RBInMaine]

89. YOU ARE BLOWING THIS OUT OF PROPORTION !

You are blowing this, I say again THIS PARTICULAR, 10-second thing WAY out of proportion. No one is denying that some sexist attitudes exist among some people in our society. And, as I have indicated, they exist within BOTH, I say again BOTH, genders. You don't seem to want to acknowledge that point. All too often it seems that when a woman compliments a man's appearance (as Hillary did) or when a woman whistles or honks at male joggers or construction workers, or when a woman on Oprah receives oohs and ahs and laughs for saying she had sex dreams about Barack Obama, that, I guess, is just "girls being girls"??? All I'm saying is that if you are going to play the
sexism-victim card at least be consistent and fair. I not NOT "trivializing" anything! I am entirely opposed to sexual harassment (and I mean REAL sexual harassment - check your laws because the Mathews thing doesn't come close) and any kind of discrimination in the workplace (and other social venues) no matter who is doing it.
I will also tell you that up here in Maine in 2005 we had a referendum to make sure sexual orientation remained as a protected class in our
anti-discrimination laws and I, a very happily married straight man, led local efforts to prevail on that referendum fight which we did.
I am a lifelong and active pretty damn progressive Dem and officer in my local Dem committee. At the same time, we also don't have to be so politically correct that we have to be uptight about every single little thing anyone says or does in this world. It's called keeping things in perspective and in balance. We are still human. Regarding something like the Mathews incident, there is a VAST difference between a lighthearted momentary thing like that and abject, ongoing, intentional sexual harassment and discrimination.
A HUGE difference. One is a real problem. The other is not. Political correctness is going way too far, and I'll say it again, some people just need to lighten the hell up a little and re-think what is worth getting uptight about and what is not. The Mathews thing is not.

[Divine Discontent]

43. I wasn't totally offended either

but this is the guy that repeatedly does things like this, and lets idiots like Coulter say Al Gore----Total Fag - without telling her you don't do that on my show...

but yeah, still, it was only a lil creepy, she didn't seem to disgusted, but if there are people totally offended by it, I can't fault them for their feelings that ol tweety gets a little excited about LOOKS of men & women a bit too much on air...

[TankLV]

65. You've got to be kidding - that was creepy and anything but "boys will be boys"...

Offensive - damn right wing it was offensive!

Indict the guy? - Damn right wing we do...

There was nothing "cute" at all about it...

[whistle]

17. The hip on this has been pure bullshit, Erin was not showing any cleavage at all....

...Chris was infatuated with her face for christ sakes!

[maseman]

21. This is a petty as

people talking about Hillary's cleavage last week. I am not much a fan of Tweety but once I saw this it was not much of anything. I think what she was saying is much more damaging then Matthews thinking she is a hottie.

[ray of light]

49. ownership society until 2004, now it's a tough luck society in 07.

Thanks Bushies for nothing.

And that message is being overlooked completely. We already knew Mathews was a jerk. It's up to her to file charges.

[BornagainDUer]

23. I agree totally. Sometimes I think these posts are meant to make DU

look idiotic.

PS. I can't blame Tweety for getting hot and bothered that woman is a knockout.

[noamnety]

25. It's hardly unreasonable

to expect that a reporter treat women with basic respect as professionals.

If he can't do that, he's in the wrong job.

[BornagainDUer]

26. Unfortunately I don't have audio capability on my computer. I will

be the first to condemn sexism. I see it all the time and it pisses me off. But in this case it doesn't seem like much more than a guy playing around a bit. There is enough blatant sexism to deal with.

[noamnety]

28. I disagree pretty strongly

She's talking about classism and home ownership. He reduces her entire interview to "You're hot."

It's exactly the same sexist bs that women deal with on a daily basis - having their ideas completely dismissed as irrelevant because of their status as sex object.

[Colobo]

40. No: He expresses admiration for her beauty. Had it been the other way around

I wouldn't give a damn either.

[cui bono]

53. Ugh. You don't get it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=46689&mesg_id=46833

[wake.up.america]

45. Agreed- I mean how many women reporters compliment male reporters like that?

[liberalmike27]

58. Hmmm

I've never felt I wasn't respected when someone complimented my appearance. Since when has a compliment been so demoinzed that it translates to disrespect. In no way do I think she took it that way, or Chris meant it that way. If anything, he let her talk much more than the average guest, who usually has to sit through almost repeated over-talk from Chris.

If I were to fault Mathews for anything, it would be his inability for allowing his guests to speak.

Let's face it, this type of behavior would have to be repeated, and often, with the same girl, who had told him before to knock it off, to even meet the criterion laid out for sexual harrassment. Now the laying on of hands, the fake massage, the constant brushing up against someone (in unconfined spaces), repeated advances and rebuffs, well that'd be different.

[noamnety]

62. There's a thing called "the reasonable woman standard"

which many courts use, and it recognizes that women are in a better position to recognize sexual harassment against women than men are.

Things that men don't recognize as harassment are often very clear to women, just as things that white folks don't recognize as racism are often very clear to black people, and things that straight people don't recognize as harassment against the GLBT community are very clear to them.

It's a weird concept to wrap your head around, that your perspective, which you know as true and correct, may not be true and correct. The first time I ran up against that, it was like having to turn my brain inside out a little, to grok that there are multiple truths, and some are more true than others.

Those in positions of high power have a vested interest in preserving their place in the hierarchy, so their views of social life are more distorted than the views of persons who gain little or nothing from existing power relationships.

Dismissing a woman's opinion and reducing her to a sex object is sexist. From a man's perspective, it may be that he did it one time to that one woman, therefore it isn't harassment. Change the scenario to a woman walking down the street, and a man makes a cat-call at her. One comment directed at that one woman. For the man, no big deal. It's not repetitive (toward her by him), it's not a "laying on of hands," she hasn't told him previously to knock it off. For the woman, it's part of a constant pattern, it's demeaning, and it sure the hell is harassment, although by your definition it isn't. This too, is part of a constant pattern.

[cui bono]

52. It doesn't matter, it's still sexist, demeaning and unprofessional.

Though not harassment.

See my full replay here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=46689&mesg_id=46833

[MADem]

70. Thank you--I noticed that too. He liked her face in a "movie star" way.

He was telling her that she was pretty, that she was "ready for her close up."

It was a bit strange, but you read it right.

[bluestateguy]

24. Guess Tweety didn't get laid out at the Bohemian Grove

Never mind.

[Mutineer]

27. I smell lawsuit!

That girl could own MSNBC if she played her cards right.

[emulatorloo]

61. Rude and boorish -- but not everything is a Lawsuit. EOM

[The Doctor.]

30. It was a bit off of him, but it wasn't harrasment.

I know, there's a grey line between flirtation and harrasment, but this was just being a flirt under inappropriate circumstances.

At least he didn't fondle the German Chancellor.

[noamnety]

31. I'm pasting from a friend's email

"How we are listened to" and giving or withholding attention and respect are just as much markers of class/gender/race dominance as
the explicit utterances of slurs and slights.

[DuaneBidoux]

33. Unbelievable!! Right out of the 1960s.

[GaYellowDawg]

34. Looks inappropriate to me.

Yes, she's attractive, and no, she's not dressed provocatively, but aren't both of those entirely beside the point? She was giving new opinion (note that I did not say she was giving the news), and he completely blew it off to make comments about her appearance. I thought it was unprofessional.

[rabidchickens]

35. Unprofessional maybe

But the tone was playful, I dunno I saw it live and I was like, Chris is at it again, didnt really bother me that much, but i can see how its total unprofessional and inappropriate

[Colobo]

41. I don't think she even cares.

[rabidchickens]

36. btw come to think of it

She was just leaning into the camera at the beginning of the clip and for her little bit before the clip even started, he might just be referring to that, i dont think its that big of a deal, but im a young male so maybe im not as sensitive to this as i should be

[Colobo]

42. You are just a normal person.

Some people love to be offended. They look for it- they love to be victims.

[cui bono]

79. And some people just like to deny their sexist attitudes. n/t

[George II]

37. Imus got suspended and then fired for stuff like that.

[RBInMaine]

48. No, Imus was fired to direct insults. Very different.

Again, I'm not saying there should be a constant habit of this, but in the scheme of things this is pretty minor stuff and there are much larger fish to fry. Imus was fired for directly insulting people in pretty nasty ways. (Although I also think that that was part of his style, everyone knew it, and after his many apologies and even going on Sharpton's show to take the heat and apologize a suspension and new contract limiting his antics rather than outright firing would have been fair enough.) The Mathews thing was momentary and minor.
Let's move on.

[Colobo]

38. It's no big deal. Nothing to be pissed about.

[Honeycombe8]

55. Not angry. But that was weird. She's a newsperson talking about something...

important, and he totally disregards what she's talking about and starts in with some weird thing about leaning toward the camera. Nothing that has ever happened to Matthews himself, BTW...or to any male newsperson that I can think of. And as a political junkie, I've seen lots of newspeople on various shows.

O'Reilly is the only other person I've seen go off in a similar way.

It's very odd. It clearly made her uncomfortable. That's the test, really. Whether the recipient feels uncomfortable.

[Divine Discontent]

44. yeah.. she's talking about not being able to own a F'n home

and tweety says, "yeah...." and is thinking the whole time, i want her baddddd, he could care less what she's talking about. arse.

[Hulk]

46. What a cheesy pig....

[Honeycombe8]

54. Wow. That was weird. What was he doing? He made her uncomfortable....

and totally disregarded what she was talking about. Is he going through a mid-life crisis?

[Summer93]

56. Standard business practice

Now that I have seen this clip. It is clear that he was trying to "bring her down a peg" to rattle her while on screen. He must have felt threatened by her knowledge/competence so he had to make her look like a silly girl. This is a power trip for him. To make someone else look less than, he thinks, will make him look better.

I have seen this in business a lot. When a male manager asks a female manager to get him a coffee, etc. She is made to look like a waitress, less than a manager.

[Annces]

60. No big deal

It reminded me of the failed sitcom by Norman Lear "All that Glitters" about role reversal. Women just don't act this way, but she probably could.

All That Glitters - Norman Lear

""The world was exactly like ours EXCEPT that women were the dominate gender. Women were the captains of industry and men were household workers, secretaries and waiters trying to attract attention with their sexuality. To add some additional twists to that twist there were characters into dominance/submission, a woman who had been a man (played by Linda Gray) and, of course, women CEOs having affairs with their secretaries. ""

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075658/

[TankLV]

64. MSNBC & matthews "left"?! No, repuke asswipes - it's just another Faux wannabe..

and a poor one - if that can be said - at that...

No, repuke asswipes, faux & matthews are just more repuke synchopants, hence, they are sexist - goes with the territory...

And, FYI repuke asswipes - WE have wanted to get RID of that REPUKE syncophant for years now.

(Look at the comments on YouTube - this is in response to the repuke comments - they have no clue...)

[MissMarple]

71. Now, here I thought he wanted her to think she had spinach in her teeth,.

or something in her nose. Either way it was inappropriate, rude and patronizing, but hardly rises to the level of a classic Billoism. That takes a special talent. IMHO.

[JAbuchan08]

73. If he had just come right out and said something to the effect of

"It's always nice to have the lovely____ on our program" or something of that nature it wouldn't have bothered me, but it is the way in which he said it that bothered me. It was like he was implying that she was there for his benefit. It wasn't a good-natured compliment at all, he was basically saying "you look good - for my benefit" It was tacky and creep and harassment to boot, and I am generally off the opinion that harassment is over-stated in our society.

[Doctor Panacea]

74. Matthews

I actually shouted at the TV: "Both hands above the desk, Matthews!"

[WCGreen]

75. If you watch her on CNBC, she is always jumping right up to the

Camera...

Matthews was just giving her shit...

[CabalPowered]

90. I've noticed the same thing

on CNBC.

[hatrack]

86. She didn't strike me as very English Leather and Cuban cigar . . .

Or does Drool-Boy now get woman-crushes as well as man-crushes?