Rick Sanchez Complains Mockery Is 'Baseless,' Even As He Admits 'I'm Not Good with the Metric System'
Fired CNN anchor Rick Sanchez was granted an online Q&A Monday on The Washington Post website. Sanchez still finds it unfair that he would be knocked for noting knowing how many feet are in a meter. Hasn't someone pulled him aside and told him that audiences expect an anchor to at least fake that they've taken the time to figure out feet to meters? When he was asked about why Jon Stewart mocked him so often, Sanchez replied:
I have taken to heart some of Jon Stewart's criticisms and I asked Jon about that last week. He said, "Rick, I'm a comedian and the only reason I focused on you was because I like you."
Maybe I just never saw it that way. Maybe I was too thin-skinned. I blamed it on Jon's prejudice and that was wrong. But here is my point: Oftentimes the ridiculing was simply baseless. I was ridiculed for not knowing how many inches or feet in ten meters. I didn't think that was fair, because it happened during a breaking news story and frankly I'm not good with the metric system.
Sanchez was asked by another questioner if he was favored with a television anchor job because of his good looks, and if this was discrimination. "I don't see myself in any way as other than suburban dad with four kids, a beautiful wife and a devotion to them and my god. I'm humbled by your suggestion but I do not believe that my looks have any effect on my marketability," he declared, but then added about how he has been minimized as a Christian and a Southerner:
People of all persuasions are often minimized today in our society. As a Christian I find that sometimes I am minimized. As a southerner I sometimes find that I am minimized. African Americans, Asian Americans, Jewish Americans, Hispanics ... we are all minimized from time to time. It's not intentional. And it's not confined to any one company or any one group.
The Post Q&A linked to a blog on their own website by Sam Sanders that insisted Sanchez was right that prime time was all white in cable news, although there's a lot more diversity in the day time. I liked this snippet:
And when CNN announced "Parker Spitzer," the National Association of Black Journalists wrote a feisty open letter calling for change in cable news. From that letter:
"Are you telling us that CNN could find no one better than an ex-politician who quit being New York governor after consorting with prostitutes to grace America's living rooms each night?"
Earth to the NABJ: CNN used to have a black talk-show host (for eight years) who was an ex-politician with an adultery problem. His show was Both Sides with Jesse Jackson.
- Tim Graham's blog
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Comments
Vocabulary Builder
Submitted by Pilgrim1949 on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 4:41pm.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you a man who does not know the meaning fo the word "quit", who does not know the meaning of the words "give up" who does not....
...well...
Heck, there's a whole LOT of words he doesn't know the meaning of!
*brrrump bump!*
"Ye canne change the laws of physics....." but some politicians believe that with the right legislation you can pretend they don't really apply to your own pet projects...
he don't know JACK S#!T
Submitted by ripper58 on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 4:46pm.
Sanchez is down
Submitted by JJoujan on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 4:55pm.
I think we should quit kicking him now.
Sanchez---
Submitted by matthewdean on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 5:38pm.
Looked down his nose at, distorted stories about, and flat out lied reference conservatives and Republicans.
That is on him, and CNN, not me.
If he is down and being kicked, that is on him as well.
Unless he is kicked often and hard until it is certain he is gone from the airwaves forever, there is always a chance he will surface again, somewhere, as a liberal talking head, spewing his garbage.
Give him a break, let him pick himself up and dust himself off, and we may well have to deal with him as a future shock jock liberal.
The only worthwhile reason for assisting him to arise would be to kick him in the ass hard enough to send him into permanent retirement from any of the electronic media venues.
There are waaaaay too many of his ilk as it is.
MD
MSNBC.
Submitted by samhermanmd on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 8:10pm.
He probably already is in the lineup for January.
Mike Malloy for example?
Submitted by JPR1 on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 9:03pm.
Now there's a guy with about zero relevance and that's just way too much.
Lord forgive me but, if a literal opportunity arose I just might participate.
(No subject)
Submitted by JJoujan on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 5:00pm.
Not too good with a steering wheel either
Submitted by Rukus on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 5:10pm.
Somehow I don't think it's just the metric system that gives...
Submitted by Dave. on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 5:18pm.
...Little Ricky fits.
I think general knowledge and common sense throws him for a loop as well.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
As a liberal, I am
Submitted by Guttermouth's Return on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 5:41pm.
As a liberal, I am embarrassed by this whining. It's almost as if he's fighting to justify what he had said, as if he'll regain all credibility and get his job back.
Sorry, Rick. You're no longer necessary and you're no longer wanted.
~Hey
Submitted by Wrathful Brunette on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 6:00pm.
He didn't catch this much flak when he ran someone over with his car, you can't blame the guy for being confused. LOL
HA!!!
Submitted by Guttermouth's Return on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 7:01pm.
Great point.
Who Keeps Giving This Murderer A Platform
Submitted by TylerP on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 5:50pm.
He Blew It! How is it a liberal douche bag can murder someone and still get his own newshour?
The MSM has no shame!.
Ricky's not too good
Submitted by Nick Shaw on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 7:10pm.
with the metric system. Not too good with geography (and this here would be Hawaii?) and not too good with spelling (volcanos in places with long names like Hawaii and Iceland?) and not too good with plate tectonics (too cold for volcanos?) Dear Ricky, there's not a lot you're good at, eh?
Hey Reekie
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 9:12pm.
What did you take in school for science, volleyball?
The facts!
Submitted by Michael Santomauro on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 9:33pm.
This disgusting nonsense has been deleted and the author banned.
Here's something else the new format didn't fix
Submitted by SickofLibs on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 11:12pm.
There's still no "Jooos!" button.
Anti-semite troll strikes again
Submitted by Denny Crane on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 11:24pm.
Do you just cut and paste the same thing over and over again?
Take your racist crap else where.
We Are The 53%
Access denied
Submitted by Dave. on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 11:56pm.
Mission accomplished. -DaveVote for the American in November
Post edited by author
Submitted by Dave. on Tue, 10/12/2010 - 12:58am.
Next time, NB Staff, just drop the ban hammer, not the tactical nuke, as I was blown out of every thread on the site.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Not many Americans ARE good
Submitted by wiwf on Tue, 10/12/2010 - 8:58am.
Not many Americans ARE good with the metric system...metric
Submitted by Ciampino on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 12:41am.
We lost a Mars probe because some people mixed metric and US units.