Appearing on Thursday’s Megyn Kelly Today, NBC reporter Jacob Soboroff couldn’t bring himself to condemn left-wing Full Frontal host Samantha Bee for calling First Daughter Ivanka Trump a “feckless c**t” on the TBS show Wednesday night. Instead, he seemed to excuse the nasty attack, claiming: “Look, she’s a comedian and she said it on her show.”
Anchor Megyn Kelly brought up Bee’s vile remarks – the only network morning show host to do so on Thursday – while discussing the controversy swirling around Roseanne Barr’s offensive comments on Twitter with Soboroff and MSNBC anchor Craig Melvin: “President Trump is upset about the double standard in the media....I do have to say, yesterday, on TBS, Samantha Bee was going after Ivanka Trump....she called Ivanka Trump a ‘feckless c-word.’”
The news was met by audible gasps from the largely female in-studio audience. Kelly denounced Bee: “It was so jarring. It’s – to me, hate is hate. And I think she should be condemned for it, too. It’s not to word police, hate is hate is hate.” The audience applauded the statement.
Soboroff, who just moments earlier had forcefully condemned Roseanne for using racist rhetoric on social media, could only manage this mild reprimand to Bee: “Fair enough. I mean, of course, it’s never constructive to call anyone the c-word or any word that’s in the ballpark of that type of language.” It’s not “constructive”? Talk about an understatement.
Kelly pressed him: “But will there be any backlash against her?” Soboroff offered a dissembling response: “Look, she’s a comedian and she said it on her show.” Kelly pushed back: “So’s Roseanne.” Soboroff feebly tried to explain his reasoning: “Right, but she didn’t say it – she didn’t say it in the context – ”
Kelly cut him off: “Do you think it’s better to say it on Twitter than on your show? Like, on your show seems worse.”
Soboroff attempted to justify the clear double standard: “Well, Roseanne was not in the forum where she was presenting it as a joke. In retrospect, she goes back and said, ‘Actually, you know what, I was joking about it.’” Kelly easily dismantled that argument: “But she says she was joking. I realize it doesn’t sound like a joke, but she says she was joking.”
The host followed up: “But is it okay to call a woman a c-word if you say it’s a joke?” Soboroff continued to downplay Bee’s outrageous insult: “No. And I actually don’t think we need to compare the two. Because again, Roseanne went out and said this, not in the context of making a joke. She went out and said it in the context of being an outspoken person on Twitter.”
Kelly called him out: “I think you’re splitting hairs....They’re both wrong, period.”
Moments later, Kelly pointed out the hypocrisy of those in the media refusing to denounce Bee’s language: “How do you rip on Trump for all of his sexist comments...and then just let it slide....it was so jarring and Samantha Bee undermined her own position...”
Soboroff then got a little closer to actually holding Bee accountable: “I think that’s fair. It is a horrible word, and when you call somebody it, you know, I don’t know if you need to face the consequence of getting your show fired, but you should hear the backlash from Megyn Kelly.”
That was it. That was the strongest condemnation he could muster.
When Roseanne crossed the line, the press rightfully criticized her. But when Bee hurled her invective at the First Family, Soboroff’s first instinct was to claim she’s just “a comedian.” The hypocrisy is stunning.
Here is a transcript of the May 31 panel discussion:
9:06 AM ET
(...)
MEGYN KELLY: Have to point out, you know, President Trump is upset about the double standard in the media. And you know, this isn’t about him, but you know how he makes everything about him, and so do his critics. But I do have to say, yesterday, on TBS, Samantha Bee was going after Ivanka Trump. And the criticism that she made of Ivanka on her father’s policies when it comes to separating children from their undocumented parents, fine, totally fair game. But she called Ivanka Trump a “feckless c-word.” And to me, it was so jarring. It was so jarring. It’s – to me, hate is hate. And I think she should be condemned for it, too. It’s not to word police, hate is hate is hate. [Applause]
CRAIG MELVIN: You talked a about the that yesterday.
KELLY: Just yesterday, we talked about how Bill Maher uses this word about women. And it’s no better when a woman uses it about a woman.
JACOB SOBOROFF: Fair enough. I mean, of course, it’s never constructive to call anyone the c-word or any word that’s in the ballpark of that type of language.
KELLY: But will there be any backlash against her?
SOBOROFF: Look, she’s a comedian and she said it on her show.
KELLY: So’s Roseanne.
SOBOROFF: Right, but she didn’t say it – she didn’t say it in the context –
KELLY: Do you think it’s better to say it on Twitter than on your show? Like, on your show seems worse.
SOBOROFF: Well, Roseanne was not in the forum where she was presenting it as a joke. In retrospect, she goes back and said, “Actually, you know what, I was joking about it.”
KELLY: But she says she was joking. I realize it doesn’t sound like a joke, but she says she was joking.
SOBOROFF: After the fact, though. After the joke.
KELLY: But is it okay to call a woman a c-word if you say it’s a joke?
SOBOROFF: No. And I actually don’t think we need to compare the two. Because again, Roseanne went out and said this, not in the context of making a joke. She went out and said it in the context of being an outspoken person on Twitter.
MELVIN: I think –
KELLY: I think you’re splitting hairs.
MELVIN: Beyond this –
KELLY: They’re both wrong, period. [Applause]
SOBOROFF: I’m not saying they’re not both wrong.
MELVIN: I do feel like we’ve created this culture in our country right now, where just name calling in general is just – you know, everyone’s calling someone out. Whether it is on Twitter, like we’ve just created this culture of – [makes disgusted noise]. You know?
KELLY: How do you rip on Trump for all of his sexist comments which, you know, somebody raised at a debate a couple years ago, and then just let it slide in a very – like TBS is normal television. You know? Like yesterday, somebody was making the point it’s HBO, right, with Bill Maher. This is TBS. And I just feel like, to me, it was so jarring and Samantha Bee undermined her own position because she could have made a valid criticism of Ivanka –
MELVIN: Without using the word.
KELLY: Completely. And we would have been talking about the criticism as opposed to her language.
SOBOROFF: I think that’s fair, I mean, I think that’s fair. It is a horrible word, and when you call somebody it, you know, I don’t know if you need to face the consequence of getting your show fired, but you should hear the backlash from Megyn Kelly.
(...)
