Instead of focusing on the vileness of Ed Schultz twice calling conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham a "slut" on his radio show, ABC's The View co-hosts gabbed back and forth Thursday about co-host Joy Behar's catty use of the term for her colleagues.
Behar apparently calls her colleagues sluts on the ABC daytime show, and so the co-hosts chatted about the nature of her "insults" and compared them with Schultz's use of the term. The liberal talk show host and MSNBC anchor escaped their wrath for the most part, since they focused most of two minutes on Joy Behar and her salty language.
[Click here for audio. Video below the break.)
After a brief collective gasp when Schultz's comments played, Barbara Walters broke the silence by deflecting blame away from him. "I would like to say that Joy Behar, on this program, has called me a slut," the ABC co-host remarked to laughter.
After the panel traded barbs for a few moments, Walters again tried to ameliorate the situation for Schultz. "He has apologized," she noted. Shortly after that, co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck wondered if the liberal National Organization for Women had called Schultz out, to which the panel responded that they had.
Towards the end of the segment, the co-hosts finally got around to comparing Schultz's derisive use of the term with Joy Behar's more casual use of it to describe her colleagues. However, even then the co-hosts glossed over Schultz's acrid rant.
Sherri Shepherd defended Behar as using "slut" out of humor. "[Schultz] was angry," Behar added, before Shepherd asked "Aren't they colleagues? Aren't they both journalists?" about Schultz and Ingraham. That was the closest the panel came to holding Schultz's feet to the fire for his words.
"It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. The word is the word. If the word is being – if [Schultz] has been suspended because he called her a slut, and this organization is saying that he's saying bad things about women, what makes a difference about us? It's the same with the "n" word," Goldberg remarked of Behar's use of the word.
A transcript of the segment, which aired on May 26 at 11:14 a.m. EDT, is as follows:
(11:14)
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: MSNBC has given host Ed Schultz a one-week suspension for this radio rant about conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham. Take a listen.
(Audio Clip)
ED SCHULTZ, liberal talk show host: President Obama is going to be visiting Joplin, Missouri on Sunday. But you know what they're talking about? Like this right-wing slut, what's her name – Laura Ingraham? Yeah, she's a talk slut.
(End Clip)
BARBARA WALTERS: I would like to say that Joy Behar, on this program, has called me a slut.
(Laughter)
GOLDBERG: Joy Behar has called many people a slut on this program. Did you hear from this woman's organization? Ever?
JOY BEHAR: Why Barbara, when I call her a slut, the truth is an ultimate defense. That's all I have to say.
WALTERS: I beg your pardon. (Crosstalk) I am pure as a (Unintelligible) in snow.
(Crosstalk)
GOLDBERG: What's the little girl in –
SHERRI SHEPHERD: You've actually said the word slut – I've heard you say "pooton."
GOLDBERG: No you call – I'm sorry, what's the one with the bump on her head?
(Crosstalk)
BEHAR: No, you called her a slut, c'mon.
(Crosstalk)
BEHAR: – what I'm talking about gold in my ear here.
(Crosstalk)
WALTERS: He has apologized.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK: Good for him.
WALTERS: Do you want to apologize?
BEHAR: To whom?
WALTERS: To me.
BEHAR: To you? Nah.
HASSELBECK: I wonder if the National Organization for Women is going to get on him for this. He has a one-week suspension right now –
BEHAR: They did already.
HASSELBECK: They did – that's what they did. Good for them.
GOLDBERG: Have they ever gotten a hold of you and said you can't – you shouldn't be calling women sluts?
BEHAR: No –
(Crosstalk)
BEHAR: Mine is done with humor.
SHEPHERD: Don't you – don't you think it's a difference when a woman is calling another woman a slut verses a man, because he's attacking her –
GOLDBERG: No. Slut is slut.
SHEPHERD: I think it sounds different if you call –
GOLDBERG: It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. The word is the word. If the word is being – if he's been suspended because he called her a slut, and this organization is saying that he's saying bad things about women, what makes a difference about us? It's the same with the "n" word.
SHEPHERD: I think when Joy says slut, number one, it's humor. I think when she says it – when you call somebody a slut, you are attacking their integrity, but I think –
BEHAR: He was angry.
SHEPHERD: I think their – aren't they colleagues? Aren't they both journalists?
HASSELBECK: I think we have to consider intentions –
(Crosstalk)
WALTERS: (Joking) You will hear from my lawyers.
