Scarborough just said "bitch-slapped!"

[EffieBlack]

While Mika went right along!

Lawrence o'Donnell said, "Can you say that?" Mark Halperin said to him, they have a 7-second, so no one else will here it."

And Scarborough said, "we still have that 7-second delay, right? No? Uh-oh.". And he and Mika looked totally slustered, knowing they'd been busted.

The only thing more disgusting than the fact that he would say such a thing is how blase everyone else around him was about it, even Mika. They all seemed more concerned about whether other people would hear him say it than the fact that this major television host had just made an outrageously and blatantly misogynistic comment.

Please contact MSNBC [e-mail]

[EffieBlack]

1. Am I the only one outraged by this? nt

[endthewar]

22. Details please

:hi:

[Captain Hilts]

28. Would you need details for other terms intended to denigrate? nt

[endthewar]

34. See posts #14 and #18

and then scurry away troll.

P.S. Go Redskins. :-)

[polichick]

2. I think they all know that Joe is a misogynist, and still choose to work with him.

[Captain Hilts]

29. MSNBC being sexist?! I'm shocked - SHOCKED!!!!

Not.

[Marsala]

3. It's common, if offensive, slang

Scarborough is merely crude for saying it.

[endthewar]

13. Is "cunt" common, if offensive, slang?

:eyes:

[Heather MC]

23. NO!

Not if you are Cindy McLAME, it's a term of affection, only to be used in front of reporters!

[Captain Hilts]

31. Yes. nt

[LostinVA]

15. No, he's a pig -- "fag," et al are also "common" -- big deal

I hate that term, and loathe that it's allowed on here.

[endthewar]

19. But does that star say that you endorse it on this site?

[LostinVA]

20. What are you talking about?

[Poseidan]

59. words are allowed?

By God?

[City Lights]

4. Mr. "Don't make me backhand you, Mika" displayed his misogynistic side again

this morning? x(

Don't just write morningjoe. Write [e-mail] and [e-mail] .

Call: 1-212-664-4444 and complain loudly!

Beady-eyed Joe needs to go!

[No Elephants]

5. Dead Intern Joe is misognynistic? What a shock.

[NI4NI]

8. speaking of "bitch slapping" somebody, and that obnoxious beady eyed prick's intern...........

makes me wonder what were the actual results of her autopsy.

[Captain Hilts]

26. Most folks on DU think this expression is okay. Sad. nt

[Youphemism]

6. "I oughtta bitch-slap those sexists denigrating my girlfriend, Sarah Palin..."

While he didn't actually say that, it's impressive how he switch gears from bitch-slapping comments to accusing folks of sexism without even an intervening sip of coffee.

[CakeGrrl]

7. Oh Mark, you forget that there's YouTube on the Internets.

:rofl:

[Coexist]

9. what were they speaking about?

I'm so glad I don't watch him anymore.

[Captain Hilts]

10. The use of 'bitch' has become wider AND more acceptable. Another example of how we've regressed...

it shouldn't be okay.

[obiwan]

11. Well, it takes a bitch to know a bitch-slap...

...and Joe Scar is definitely a bitch...McCain's bitch.

[LostinVA]

16. Niiiiiice

:eyes:

[HughMoran]

12. Scarborough said...

Love that good and bitchy,
Mika said; right up side the face,
they love that Good-and-Plenty misogynism,
it keeps their hate train running.

[endthewar]

14. Please provide context for this exchange

Particularly, who was he talking about when he said it?

[LostinVA]

17. I don't think context is needed

I also wouldn't need context if he had said the "n-word," etc. No difference. It's a misogynistic term that makes domestic violence into a joke.

[endthewar]

18. Fine, change the word "context" to "details"

Obviously I think it's unacceptable, but would still like to know the details of how he used it in a sentence.

[K Gardner]

21. I also too am wondering if he was talking about the presidential race or what he was

talking about.. it's just curiosity for those of us who didnt see it :hi:

[EffieBlack]

46. Here's the context:

Scarborough was teasing O'Donnell who was criticizing Palin and said that Pat Buchanan wouldn't like it. He then said, "Pat's . . . going to bitch-slap you." Although it was very audible, he said it rather softly as if he was making a smart-assed crack under his breath that he knew only the people at the table would hear.

The following is paraphrasing:

O'Donnell then said, "Can you say that in the first hour of Morning Joe?" Mika and Joe said it was no problem and Mika said, "Oh - I call Joe an ass all the time."

At that point, Mark Halperin said to O'Donnell, "They have a 7-second delay so no one will hear it." Scarborough said, "Like Imus had that big button. We still have that 7-second delay, don't we? No? Oops." At which point he and Mika both looked totally busted, but stammered their way into another conversation, clearly trying to change the subject.

It was stunning. One thing that was particularly striking about it was how casually everyone seemed to treat it and the ease with which they talked to one another about how it was no big deal. To them, the problem was not that Scarborough said it but that someone outside of the studio would KNOW he said it.

THAT's the context.

[endthewar]

51. YAWN

[genna]

52. Ok. Yesterday I wondered where all the outraged women were for these skirt comments to Palin

because the kinds of remarks men have made about her have been based on gender. I said it bothered me because it was obvious her MIND was not at issue for these guys. I don't think she speaks too well nor do I think she is ready to lead, but I found it CRAZY that none of the outraged people from the primary who saw gender behind most comments were ANGRY at this low brow dialogue.


I'm not really upset with men checking the woman out. I am aggravated that it is about how tight her skirt is or whether you can see her pantyline? What is that a qualification for office?


I am not into this at all. I heard Joe Scarsborough make that comment this morning and it didn't bother me at all. I was also not outraged with David Shuster for the Chelsea being pimped out in some WEIRD WAY. I'm consistent.


African American expressions have come into such common usage that they're slipping into what white commentators say on air. If harsh language is something women need to battle, women should have taken hip hop apart by now. I can go back to decades to the rise of pimp/prostitute language in hip hop. I don't think with the prevalence of these expressions in our society that Joe Scarsborough should be singled out and isolated.


I don't draw a moral equivalence between being bitch slapped and a person being taken to task as a N word lover. In the context on Morning Joe, the exchange was between 3 white males about a fourth white male. These men were not going after a woman telling her (intimidating her) if she didn't shut her mouth, then she'd be bitch slapped. If you want less of a locker room presence in the morning, Morning Joe needs to bring less men on set to give their opinion. If you want outrage from me, let's talk about pay equity.

[Janice325]

58. Thanks so much for the explanation.

It sounds like much ado about nothing. I say that (as a a female, by the way) because Joe's an asshole anyway and gets by with crap all the time-not that it's right. Even though I didn't watch his evening show much, usually when channel-surfing, I was glad he was moved from the evening to "Morning Joe."

I'm not trying to be snarky, offend or flame you, EffieBlack. I guess I just expected something "bigger" regarding the context, but that's just my two cents. :)

Thanks again, EffieBlack. :thumbsup:

[OwnedByFerrets]

24. I wont watch Faux news because they offend me.....why would I

watch Joe the Intern Killer? He is usually just as offensive.

[endthewar]

25. All these posts and nobody has details of what he said?

[Captain Hilts]

27. Watching MSNBC is like watching a fraternity party. Ugh. nt

[bushisanidiot]

30. Scarborough reminds me of the bully who has to surround himself with yes people

who will go along with everything he says and does.. Sort of like a gang leader.

He is a completely biased repuke, just like David Gregory and most of the Conservative News Network.
No wonder Fox's ratings are dropping.. their viewers are watching all the other conservative pundits on cable. They're everywhere.

[Doctor_J]

32. And yet you continue to watch every day, and post about it every day

No wonder they never change.

[endthewar]

35. Pressure can be brought upon Scarborough w.r.t. his language

but not really his political views. If Limbaugh had a show on MSNBC, I'd want to document bad language he said and then try to pressure MSNBC to take him off the air.

[Doctor_J]

37. Yeah, sure

He'll get fired for saying "bitch". :crazy:

[endthewar]

38. Nobody said that

but please, continue using that crystal ball of yours. :crazy:

If you watched the show, you could tell that they've been getting quite a few complaints because every now and then Joe will give a half-hearted apology that sounds completely forced. Obviously he's manager has had a couple of words to say to him about what he says on the show. He also mysteriously took Tuesday or Wednesday off at the last minute, a day after he was ranting and raving about how he was going to call all of the media outlets to make sure that they were covering Biden's comments as a lead story. :rofl:

[Ozma]

33. That Morning Joe show is all about Joe! He's not worth watching anymore! n/t

[ShortnFiery]

36. Morning Ho-Jo is becoming totally ridiculous ... like a dysfunctional right wing family.

:crazy:

Suggestion: Mornings with Rachael Maddow?!?

Or any other AM show that would have "a mix" of people VICE some patriarchal has been politician lording over a group of dumbed down sycophants.

Specifically, Mika Mouse is an embarrassing example of a professional woman. Always gazing longingly into the camera as if "posing" ... WTF is up with that action. Also, she's way too concerned with people's CLOTHES and LOOKS. She embarrasses me as a woman. Haven't we evolved further than that?

It has ZERO to do with sexual preference - Rachael Maddow's behavior is both "intelligent and attractive" ... the sort of behavior I would envision successful young women to look up to.

Can Ho - Jo and bring in Rachael for the AM show on MSNBC. :thumbsup:

[peaches2003]

39. It STILL would be nice to know the context??

Why can't those that are so outraged say exactly what was said and in what context?! I'm not going to go crazy until I know why he said it. I use the word bitch, have in fact used it in posts on DU. Sometimes it is warranted.

[endthewar]

40. Don't waste your breath

As you can see, I've asked this same thing quite a few times already and can't get an answer. Did Scarborough say this to Mika? Was he referring to one of the political candidates? Perhaps the Thursday night edition of SNL? God forbid someone actually give a detail or two about this.

[NJGeek]

42. Second - we need details

How many times have our candidates been misquoted, out of context. yes the term is bad, but be fair and apply the same standards...

what was Joe talking about?

[EffieBlack]

47. Please see above for the context

FYI - because I do not sit in front of the computer 24-7, it sometimes takes awhile to respond to someone's request for information. And since I was not aware that there was an appropriate context in which to use such a term, I didn't realize that context was required in order to ask anyone to contact MSNBC. But that said, rather than resorting to insults, just try to be a little more patient.

Thank you.

[endthewar]

49. Please see post #48 as an example of many posts here

demonstrating why you should include details in the original post if you want people to contact the media. What were we supposed to tell MSNBC? EffieBlack sent us? :rofl:

[DefenseLawyer]

41. My slang hand is not strong, but I always thought "bitch slap" meant

to slap someone in the manner that a woman would slap them and not to slap someone the way one might slap a woman. Now maybe I am wrong, and even if I am not, maybe the definition doesn't make it any less offensive to those who are offended by such things. That is the problem getting worked up over slang. Once it enters common usage, it can take on a more generic meaning, often losing its original meaning entirely, e.g. David Schuster's "pimped out" comment that caused such a hullabaloo in the spring.

[genna]

53. I thought the expression was to keep your pimp hand strong

The expression points to the same place: a pimp slapping a prostitute so that her head rears back...as in Pretty Woman. Bitch slap is from the same place.


I think the shock and outrage comes from it leaving the black community and entering into the white community. There is back alley talk you don't bring into the house. The hip hop community gave that language a megaphone.

If women wanted to stop that back alley language, they should have taken the cross over appeal of hip hop to task LONG before now. Those expressions are in common usage and are a done deal now.

What are you going to do? Fire every male anchor/commentator who uses the back alley talk on air?

If I was advising anyone on what I think would work is go after the 'pimps up and hoes down' culture that makes these expressions common...if you want to get at the heart of this language. I don't think that is practical nor desireable.

[DefenseLawyer]

55. No one keeps his slang hand strong

It was just a silly attempt at a play on words. I am not in agreement that a pimp slap and a bitch slap are the same thing, but I am not an authority. I do know that pimpin ain't easy, as I have had this fact confirmed from numerous sources. I do apologize that you are trying to make a serious point and I am clowning. You make a good point.

[Janice325]

43. Come on, please!

Could someone puhleeeez provide the context??? I can't stand the scumwad, but I would like to know exactly what he said.

[MagickMuffin]

44. Content and Context are essential, if you're wanting us to contact MSNBC

Otherwise............. How can I write a complaint since I did not see or hear it myself?.?.?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

45. Holy shit!

And I saw somebody talking about Israeli-Palestine issues! In public!

And I also saw somebody make a personal attack at somebody else, IRL, and no police officer came by to stop them!

Why oh why aren't innane DU sensibilities applied to real life situations?

[Drunken Irishman]

48. WTF is the context?

[EffieBlack]

50. Please see Post #46

But I had no idea that there may be an appropriate context for such a term.

[Janice325]

61. There probably isn't an appropriate context for such a term, but I guess

I've become accustomed to hearing it used often enough,usually in a joking, manner that I don't get offended depending on the context. That doesn't make it right on my part when I'm not offended, though.

Thanks again, EffieBlack. I bet you didn't think you'd be starting such a lively thread!

[TheDonkey]

54. Pots n Pan brigade should be charging the Morning Joe Gates?

[yardwork]

56. It's possible that Joe Scarborough was involved in the murder of a young girl

so nothing he does or says would really surprise me.

[budkin]

57. A YouTube moment in the making!

[DainBramaged]

60. Morning Schmo, the media Ho, it's expected, no bother