[UPDATED, infra: “Bocephus going, gone.“] Hank Williams, Jr.: Obama/Boehner on the links “like Hitler playing golf with Netanyahu.” In a rather bizzare Fox & Friends interview today, country star Hank Williams, Jr., so compared President Barack Obama to Hitler. When pressed by co-host Brian Kilmeade, Williams dug himself in even deeper, surlily replying that Obama was “the enemy.” As the surreal promo for NFL Monday Night Football (and his illustrious deceased father‘s new release The Legend Begins) finally ended, relieved co-anchor Gretchen Carlson said, “I just want to say that we disavow any of those comments or analogies that he made. At least…the analogy between Hitler and the President.”
Interestingly, the segment began with Brian lauding Williams as “coming from country music royalty” and being the “voice of Monday Night Football for over twenty years” who “knows a little about politics, too.” Subsequently, co-host Steve Doocy enthusiastically welcomed Williams, exclaiming, “Joining us right now to break down the 2012 GOP field is country singer superstar Hank Williams, Jr. As he did, Bocephus sat back with his arms crossed and shook his head with a laugh. Somewhat incisively, Brian waggishly interjected, “Your body language says [to] leave you alone. Your hands are crossed. You’re shaking us off.”
Perhaps, in an adumbration of the fractious nature of the interview, Williams stuck out his tongue and uncrossed his arms, retorting, “Yeah, whatever. Yeah!” Then, he added, “I’d rather be there looking at Gretchen.”
Smiling, a flattered Gretchen cooed, “Good morning to you, too. Good morning to you, too. Let’s just have a little intimate discussion right here.” Ironically, prefacing her question, saying, “I’d love to pick your brain about politics….I’ll start with an easy question, she asked, “Who do you like in the GOP race?” Quite curtly, William answered, “Nobody!”
“Nobody?” Brian incredulously interposed. Williams nebulously responded, “You remember the golf game they had, ladies and gentlemen?…That was one of the biggest political mistakes ever. That turned a lot of people off.”
Trying to clarify his response for her F&F audience, Gretchen asked, “You mean when John Boehner played golf with President Obama?” Agitated, Williams answered, “Oh, yeah, yeah. And [VP Joe] Biden and [OH Guv John] Kasich, yeah. Uh, huh.” Probing further, Gretchen queried, “What did you not like about it? It seems to be a really pivotal moment for you.”
Animatedly, Williams answered, “Come on, come on! That’d be like Hitler playing golf with Netanyahu. Okay? Not hardly!” As a stunned Gretchen meekly replied, “Okay,” Brian asserted, “I don’t understand that analogy actually. Arching his eyebrows in disbelief at Williams’ comment, Steve interjected, “Well, it’s, it’s out there.” Unrepentant, Williams snarked, “Well, I’m glad you [Brian] don’t, brother, because a lot of people do. You know, they’re the enemy. They’re the enemy.”
Stone-faced, Brian monotoned, “Who’s the enemy?” In response, Williams groused, “Uh, Obama! And, Biden. Are you kidding? The Three Stooges.” As Gretchen grimaced, Williams moved on, saying, “The one that makes the most sense is Herman Cain. Herman Cain makes more sense than any of them.”
Before segueing to the promo of Monday Night Football, Gretchen pressed Williams, saying, “One thing I’m gathering from your very emphatic statement this morning is that you are not a big fan of the parties coming together at all to kinda find compromise?” Looking at his watch and then crossing his arms over his chest again, Williams replied, “No. Come on….We’re more polarized than we’ve ever been, guys. You know it….I’m not going to sugarcoat it.”
Gretchen responded, “Well, you didn’t. You didn’t because…you used the name of one of the most hated people in all of the world to describe the, I think, the President.”
Smiling, Williams answered, “Well, that’s true. That is true. But, I’m telling you like it is. That…just wasn’t a good thing. It just didn’t fly.” He concluded, “Like Fred Thompson said, ‘You don’t want to ask me a question, because I’m gonna give you too straight of an answer. Let’s talk about something else.”
Later, when Williams had touted MNF and The Legend Begins three-disc compilation, Gretchen cheerfully bid him adieu, saying, “Hank Williams, have a great football season. Have fun at the game!” After he tersely replied, “Bye,” Gretchen concluded, “I just want to say that we disavow any of those comments or analogies that he made. At least, I’m going to say that–disavow the analogy between Hitler and the President.” As Steve nodded his concurrence with Gretchen, Brian derisively declared, “I asked him to define it.”
Define Bocephus’s analogy, Brian? At best, bizarre.
[Author’s aside: After Williams’ appearance, F&F guest comedian George Lopez joked, “In America, we love when we take somebody out….When [bin Laden] was taken out, [Obama’s] approval rating soared. So, I think it’s time to kill someone else…maybe, Hank Williams, Jr., after [Obama] sees the interview this morning.”* As Brian beamed and Steve laughed, a grinning Gretchen replied, “Uh, yeah!]
*Fox & Friends – 10/03/11 (@ 8:33 a.m. ET)
Update: Bocephus, going, gone. After Williams made his remarks, ESPN decided to can his Monday Night Football promo, “Are you ready for some football?,” for the night: In response, Williams conceded that his “analogy was extreme” but insisted that he had been misunderstood. Today, ESPN announced that the pull was permanent, saying, “We have decided to part ways with Hank Williams, Jr.” Striking back, Williams countered, “I have made MY decision. By pulling my opening Oct 3rd, You (ESPN) stepped on the Toes of the First Amendment Freedom of Speech, so therefore Me, My Song, and All My Rowdy Friends are OUT OF HERE.”
Carpe Diem 