One of the more interesting double standards in the media and politics is how folks on the left are allowed to make sexist remarks – or, in the case of a former president, exhibit obviously sexist behavior – with total impunity. Yet, the same actions by someone on the right will be met with so much scorn as to threaten the individual’s career.
A fine example of this occurred on Tuesday’s “Hardball” when host Chris Matthews made some extraordinarily sexist comments to former Senator John Edwards and his wife Elizabeth. So as not to offend anyone, the partial transcript of this exchange follows in the “Read More” section. Furthermore, the must-see video is available here:
ELIZABETH EDWARDS: There are not that many politicians who are actually very good at jokes. John spoke one time and I said I wouldn`t even go because it was -- he was supposed to be funny and I didn`t think he could carry it off.
CROWD: (LAUGHTER)
MATTHEWS: I love it. You`re great. Behind every great man, there`s a woman trying to kill him.
CROWD: (LAUGHTER)
E. EDWARDS: He has great characteristics.
MATTHEWS: What is it? Does she do this? Does she bust your balls like this when you come home? When you get (INAUDIBLE), does she do that?
CROWD: (APPLAUSE)
E. EDWARDS: My children are watching this.
CROWD: (LAUGHTER)
MATTHEWS: What`s this with the equal marriages? Why do people marry their equals? It used to be different? What happened to the Stepford wives, the good old days? What happened?
CROWD: (BOOING)
MATTHEWS: Oh, how P.C. How -- why don`t you hiss? Oh, thank you. Finally, the freaking hiss. I needed it. It was the hiss. I needed that.
E. EDWARDS: You know have to know how smart his wife is in order to...
MATTHEWS: Let me ask you this. This is...
Now, just imagine if Sean Hannity or Bill O’Reilly said this to a Democrat Senator and his wife. How quickly would the National Organization of Women and the ACLU be filing lawsuits against Fox News?
BTW: If you like what you see here at NewsBusters, don't forget to vote for us as the Best Media Blog of 2006 here.
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
I caught a little bit of this
December 13, 2006 - 11:38 ET by paperheadI caught a little bit of this interview last night before Elizabeth came on. A female college student first asked a question about his level of experience being a Senator for only six years, which he really didn't answer anyway. Then she asked her question in a different way, regarding his level of expertise in dealing with foreign policy. His response boiled down was simply, "I have talked to people overseas." Isn't that qualification enough? He doesn't have a prayer this time. Trust me.
It's really sad that your rig
December 13, 2006 - 12:22 ET by ValendilIt's really sad that your right, Noel. If someone on the right said this, it would be front page news! All-in-all, I found the exchange quite funny.
It all goes in the archives..
December 13, 2006 - 12:28 ET by TruthMongerIt all goes in the archives...and one day, when we've achieved our inevitable worldwide domination, it will all be FRONT PAGE NEWS AD NAUSEUM...heh-heh-heh...
Terrorists are not Muslims, Nazi's were not Christians, etc, etc...
Are you the son of Isildur?
December 13, 2006 - 13:05 ET by Roger the ShrubberAre you the son of Isildur?
Funny?
December 13, 2006 - 13:10 ET by BBallleaperI don't find anything funny about "biting your balls off" on TV while I'm watching. Or some pseudointellect liberal screaming "frickin'" instead of actually saying fuc*ing which would get him thrown off TV. The woman has to complain that "her kids are watching??" and you think it's funny? Edwards is shallow, greedy, dishonest and pathetic, but no one, not even Edwards and his wife, should have to endure the brainless stupidity of this saliva-spitting moron. I find little prissy Chrissy to be intolerable. The real question is why would any sane person attend this program or watch it? Absolute vomitus!
Matthews
December 13, 2006 - 12:24 ET by PeterDToo bad Matthews didn't make the same sexist comments with a pseudo Chinese accent, ala Rosie O'Donnell.
the dog pees and the caravan tips over
EEs Introduction
December 13, 2006 - 12:36 ET by oldmanobanAm I the only one that thought CM told EE that she was "looking Catholic" shortly after her introduction? There was a moment of awkward silence before she handed CM a button.........Correct me if I am wrong....
Is Matthews trying to make Ed
December 13, 2006 - 12:49 ET by mattmIs Matthews trying to make Edwards look good by comparison or is he just a blathering fool?
I wish someone, anyone, would stand up and say, on live T.V., directly to his face, "I refuse to continue a conversation with an obvious idiot like you. You ought to be doing local cable access somewhere," and then walk off the set.
Matthews
December 13, 2006 - 21:10 ET by BufordMat, don't worry about anyone on tv talking back to him, look at his media numbers....no one watches.
Maybe Matthews spent too much
December 13, 2006 - 13:14 ET by GalvanicMaybe Matthews spent too much time sitting alongside Olbermann on Election Night. He's getting testier and more intrusive.
Could it be that his producers/handlers are trying to 'toughen' him up to bolster ratings?
I wonder how his wife Kathleen would have reacted if Hannity had confronted she and Chrissy with those lines?
How quickly would the Natio
December 13, 2006 - 13:19 ET by Jack BauerHow quickly would the National Organization of Women and the ACLU be filing lawsuits against Fox News?
As fast as they can -- after getting their hair done followed by a manicure and a pedicure.
(Only kidding ladies.)
Proud member of the all-powerful and vast
militarist/industrialist/capitalist/zionist-bagelist complex
If Rush Limbaugh had made t
December 13, 2006 - 15:28 ET by PSOSIf Rush Limbaugh had made these remarks, or done an impression of the Chinese language a la Rosie O'Donnell, we would have constant, round-the-clock coverage of the media's outrage for the next two weeks.
It's funny how Matthews complains about the P.C. culture, but is always the first one to promote such thinking when it suits his purposes (e.g. the Harold Ford ad about "white men fearing black men stealing their wives"). Incidentally, this is hardly Matthews first offense. A few months ago he was calling Joe Lieberman "an Uncle Tonoose, schmaltzy-looking guy."
The bottom line here is that
December 13, 2006 - 16:05 ET by NoMoreClintonsThe bottom line here is that almost nobody saw this tow-headed liberal fool - his ratings are almost as low as Olber what's-his-name . . .
Why do they call him Wolf? He looks like a Weasel to me.
I saw this whole unbelievable
December 13, 2006 - 20:28 ET by bigtimerI saw this whole unbelievable venom towards women show with the Edwards yesterday...it was weird to me for Matthews...
I immediately wondered if he and his Queen as he calls her are having some real problems...that is immediately what I thought of....it was uncharacteristic, even for Matthews.
Quite the rant....the was a reason for it, whatever it was, political purposes or personal.
The loony-bin isn't far from his front door...seriously.
"Once the coffers of the federal government are opened to the public, there will be no shutting them again." - Grover Cleveland
BT,Did you notice that Chriss
December 13, 2006 - 20:44 ET by BlondeBT,
Did you notice that Chrissy's laugh sounded like a love-sick seal?
Hoooowwmmmm, hoooowwwm, hooooowm....
I suspect la prissy Matthews thought he was trying to be cute....but he's about twenty years beyond cute.
And why, on earth, would he invoke "balls" and "frickin"......
I think John Edwards' wife was appalled by that....I know nothing about her....but she reacted as I would have, if some idiot had thrown out those words at me on national TV.
Evening B...My perception was
December 13, 2006 - 20:53 ET by bigtimerEvening B...
My perception was they were both uncomfortable and appalled by him yesterday.
It really was strange for Matthews...I am being serious. I have watched him forever, and it was weird. I don't know if you were here the night I posted about Matthews comments to Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez awhile back, but he said how hot he thought she was at the end of his show, I think there is really something slippin' in his mind or he and his wife are really having some kind of a personal problem....
I think it is funny all and all....but he is really going over some kind of cliff...
Wonder if anybody is going to catch him....
Splat!
"Once the coffers of the federal government are opened to the public, there will be no shutting them again." - Grover Cleveland
BT,I suspect you have nailed
December 13, 2006 - 21:02 ET by BlondeBT,
I suspect you have nailed it (yet again).
Obviously, CM has been off the air for a while due to "health"...perhaps it was due to "mental health" (evidence seems to support that theory, yes?)
I suspect he's really gone over the top....time will tell.
In the interim, though, I am laughing at his antics (I just can't bring myself to take him seriously).
Oh, and I'm trying something...writing this in italics, so maybe the thread will get back to regular type)
Let's see, one of cable new
December 14, 2006 - 00:20 ET by Howard_BealeLet's see, one of cable news' best-known talking heads makes sexist remarks to the wife of a prominent Democratic politician, and gets apparently no criticism for it. And this proves the media is biased towards liberals.
Um, yes, it is more evidence
December 14, 2006 - 02:37 ET by UnsaneUm, yes, it is more evidence for Leftist bias, for if it were someone on the Right, like Sean Hannity, for an example, the media would not shut up about it for months on end.
"Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance and the gospel of envy." -Sir Winston Churchill, British statesman (1874-1965)