Bizarro F&FW Moment

“Fan”: “Bill Clinton is a rapist!” Wow! After a segment whether comedy shows like Saturday Night Live should take down candidates, e.g., Donald Trump, an F&FW “fan” seemed to want to do the very same to Hillary Clinton a la SNL style.

As this morning’s co-hosts Tucker Carlson, Abby Huntsman, and Ed Henry began the subsequent block on the patio promoting the awareness of shelter pets, an apparent young Alex Keaton appeared (amongst the fans) behind them in shirt and tie atop a police barrier. Pulling up his tie and opening his shirt to reveal a tee that had the face of former President Bill Clinton with the epithet “RAPIST” on it, he began to shout, “Bill Clinton is a rapist!” When he did, security rushed him and he subsequently began to cross the barrier toward Abby, Tucker, and Ed. The young man continued to exclaim, “Bill Clinton is a rapist!” After he was taken away, he seemingly escaped security for a moment and then returned behind the day’s co-anchors , exclaiming the same remark with renewed vigor. And, security returned to facilitate his another exit.

Taking it in stride, Tucker laughed, “We have a very excitable young man behind us. Not a Bill Clinton fan! He’s a little bit upset: But, that’s okay. Everything is fine on Fox & Friends because we are surrounded by dogs. And, if there is anything that calms the human heart, it’s a canine.

Well played, Tucker! Another F&F moment that viewers will likely not forget!

F&F: “F**king” Gaffe

Smiley apologizes. Talk show host Tavis Smiley had some Fox & Friends fans frowning this early morn. In a segment where Smiley touted his new co-authored book, Before You Judge Me: The Triumph and Tragedy of Michael Jackson’s Last Day, he said, “I was a fan of Michael like most of us: And, the day that Michael died, I was just gobsmacked because I had already purchased my tickets, my concert tickets, my plane ticket, hotel reservations to go to London to go to the old [inaudible] to see his final concert. I was ready to go!”* Elaborating, he remarked, “And, I wanted to know as a fan ‘what happened from the moment you said you were going to come back, “this is it, one more time,” sixteen weeks later, you’re dead. My ultimate question is ‘Why are you f**king’–you know, pardon the phrase–‘why are gone so soon?'”

Co-anchors Steve Doocy and Ainsley Earhardt and guest co-host Pete Hegseth simply ignored his obscenity. Concluding the interview, Steve shook Smiley’s hand saying, “Tavis, always a pleasure!” Some fans, especially parents, of young children, may have heartily disagreed. But, at least, Smiley did apologize for his gaffe: Unfortunately, Steve, Ainsley, and Pete did not. Oops!

*Fox & Friends – 06/24/16 (@ 8:29 am. ET).

Gretch: Sorry, I Actually Was Valedictorian!

Trust me. Fox & Friends co-anchor Gretchen Carlson is a blond former Miss America but she is not “dumbing [herself] down” as Jon Stewart suspects. In fact, as she seems to insist, the classical violinist and Stanford alum is smart–really.

After a F&F viewer mail segment today on a school that had thirty valedictorians, Gretchen proudly proclaimed, “Well, speaking personally, I, I was valedictorian, and I have to tell you that there were others at my school who also were. I graduated with over nine hundred kids: we all earned it. I forget if there were five or six of us but it is a huge honor.” Shaking her head earnestly, she concluded, “So, I think that they should not, you know, make it not as big of a deal because it’s something that you work really, really, really hard to attain.”

Seeming to sense that Gretch was waxing too melodramatic, co-host Brian Kilmeade waggishly remarked, “I would have been if there were 220 people less in my class.” Laughing uproariously, co-anchor Steve Doocy joked, “So you had 221 kids in your class? Smiling, Brian deadpanned, “Sometimes, luck doesn’t break your way.”

Still quite serious, Gretchen interjected, “Trust me. You have no idea how many times I have liked to pull that one out of my back pocket.” Amused, Brian asked, “Why?” Gretchen somberly responded, “Because having blond hair and being a woman, it’s easy to be under attack. And, it’s very nice to be able to say, ‘Sorry, I actually was valedictorian.”

No matter what they might say.