"Well, it is Friday night." That was Al Sharpton's sheepish way of excusing the not-suitable-for-network-TV line that a guest had just uttered on this evening's Politics Nation. Australian satirist Josh Zepps' zinger came during a discussion of a video ad in which young girls drop repeated f-bombs, supposedly in furtherance of feminism.
The ad was produced by a clothing company trying to cash in with t-shirts bearing PC messages against sexism and racism. Zinged Zepps: "I'm offended by the shamelessness of the cheap ploy of the people that got them to do it . . . There's something about this company that rubs me the wrong way. They sell t-shirts for men that say 'This is What a Feminist Looks Like.'" Read the racy rest of Zepps' comment after the jump.
Continued Zepps: "Ladies: if a man is wearing that, he wants to get in your pants. That's the only reason he's wearing that." That caused considerable commotion on the set, leading Sharpton to offer the excuse mentioned above.
Guest Elizabeth Plank, whose self-described specialties include "gender advocacy," professed to like the ad, finding it "funny." Yeah, what could be funnier than paying little girls to talk dirty?
AL SHARPTON: Now changing gears to a video sparking a lot of controversy. It features little girls, dressed like princesses, dropping the f-bomb in the name of feminism. Take a look [cut to video] . . . The video was produced by a clothing company that sells shirts with anti-sexism and anti-racism messages. The company says they'll donate $5 of every sale to charities for their causes. Elizabeth, a lot of outrage about this one. Your take?
ELIZABETH PLANK: Well, look, I like the video. I thought it was funny. And I certainly heard a lot about it in all of my networks. A lot of people also thought it was funny. And the video now has more than a million views. So clearly it has run its course and people are clicking on it and sharing it.
JOSH ZEPPS: You fell for it. You fell for the shameless ploy.
PLANK: You have to remember who this video is for. It's not for children. It's not for these kids. Obviously it's starring children, but it's for young adults. It's for people like us. And frankly I'm more offended by some of things that are said by our politicians and some of the people who don't even believe in the wage gap and can say that with a straight face, than a few young actresses using the f-word.
SHARPTON: But Josh, it is young kids using the f-bomb. What do you think?
JOSH ZEPPS: I hated it, Reverend. I'm not offended by the fact that the young kids are using it, are dropping the f-bomb. I'm offended by the cheap play of the people that got them to do it. Look, I believe in equal rights for women: of course I do. But there's something about this company that just rubs me the wrong way. They sell t-shirts for men that say, "this is what a feminist looks like." Ladies, if a man is wearing that, he wants to get in your pants. That's the only reason he's wearing that. It's so disingenuous, the whole thing.
[ All speak at once ]
SHARPTON: Well, it is is Friday night, judge.
