In the grand scheme of things, after seeing the segment that grabbed so much of the conservatives attention, what happened was no where near the end of the world. However, Harris-Perry, who generally takes the high road, has not disappointed. She offered a sincere apology for her role as show host and the subsequent actions. There were no “buts” or look what the other guys have done.
What more can she do? Her critics, perhaps stinging from Daddy Duck calling gays an abomination, are still nattering on about what she did. I doubt if they have watched the actual segment.
I believe Ms. Harris-Perry learned her lesson, after the media firestorm created by that segment. Harris-Perry is herself from a transracial family. Her father is black and her mother is a white Mormon. I believe she was a little too close to the situation to see the Achilles heel in the segment until her guests misbehaved and the critics brought on the storm.
I see no reason for her to be fired. She handled it as it should have been handled. She unequivocally apologized. Now if Faux News will just start apologizing and firing….I know, I know…it will not happen. Santa will turn in to a black reindeer before Faux will admit to wrong-doing.
Fair enough. One of her panelists did one offensive joke, the other comments were within the realm of civilized humor.
As a supporter of the 1st Amendment, I do not think she should be fired. She and her panelists were catering to their viewing audience. In fact, I want her to keep talking. This adoption should have been celebrated for giving a child a home. The fact that she was unable to do so shows her intolerance of others with different views.
You obviously didn’t listen to her statement or her apology or you wouldn’t say that.
Listen to both the videos.
Gee Kelly, that is not what I got out of her apology at all. I took away that she was sincere and regretted what went on. I do agree with you that she should not be fired and should keep talking. I agree with her that poking fun at peoples’ personal lives, especially their children, is poor taste. The Romney family, the Obama family, the Palin family and others should not be up for public discussion or comment.
Abject apologies for misdeeds are better than weasly, circumlocuted apologies. But why do these things happen at all? The piece was mean and petty and subjected a very fine family to ridicule for an act that is noble and correct. Much as I despise crazies like Glenn Beck and the general Fox News ideological entertainment scam on the American public, this was equally despicable and all those involved, on screen and off, should have been sacked summarily. Apologies are good and necessary things, but why does the act for which the apology is necessary happen in the first place? It happens only because networks like Fox and MSNBC create an atmosphere of enablement for this kind of juvenile nastiness. A pox on all of them. Save Chris Wallace’s Sunday Show, Morning Joe, and maybe, on her better days, Rachel Maddow, who can be terribly snarky, but does allow opposing points of view to be heard, and send the rest to whatever passes for cable oblivion. For every Hannity, there’s a Sharpton. It’s all beneath the dignity of the American democratic republic.
I don’t think it started off mean but it was open ended. Open ended is dangerous, especially with comedians on the panel. Recipe for disaster.
I also think that the Republican party was the butt of the joke, not the child.
If this had been a set piece that was planned, I would feel angrier about it. But it was a group of people trying to be extemporaneously funny responding to a picture.
So while what happened does deserve some condemnation, and an apology, these things do happen. Ideally we would all agree to leave politiocians’ kids alone – even the adult ones, I’d say – and move on to something real.
Totally agree, Rick. That picture suggests a little fun and mirth before one even notices a baby. Huge family and the outfits….I wondered how they could possibly know all the names. I think the pink and blue shirts grabbed me first…thinking what the ….
I do feel that the left bashes Palin’s daughter inappropriately.
@Moon-howler
I did not listen to the apology, but I did listen to the original video. I think the original piece turned out just as she planned and expected. It was mean and cruel and demeaning. If you watch the video closely, you see that she was laughing and then gyrating to the music before it went to a commercial. She was not chagrined or upset at all by the way it turned out.
The Romney’s showed a lot of class by accepting her apology.
I don’t think anyone is defending the original. Some things were said that should not have been. It WAS a comedy skit that got out of control.
She is a pretty decent person. I doubt that she was forced to apologize.
I think we have all been in situations where the conversation sort of ran away.
Its too bad Megyn Kelly didn’t offer an apology also. I was very impressed with Hart, she did the right thing. Eating crow is never easy.