First, Salon.com’s Joan Walsh: now, Tea Party’s Michele Bachmann. Are women being the butts of politician’s sexist remarks still “funny” to Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace? Seemingly, so. In his promo for his show on Fox & Friends, Chris immediately sided with Democratic Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter who condescendingly told Republican Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann to “don’t interrupt me” and to “act like a lady” (Wedneday on Dom Giordano’s Radio Show).
Apparently, Wallace was so amused that he began his segment, jesting, “I want to make this clear right from the start: Brian, I’m going to treat you like a lady, and I expect you to act like one.”* F&F co-anchor Brian Kilmeade replied, “I just hope you treat me a little bit better than Arlen Specter treated Congressman Michele Bachman….Was that the angriest you have heard him?” Wallace answered, “No….You know, he’s cantankerous and that’s just part of his personality. But, again, I’m treating you like a lady: act like a lady, Brian.”
Meanwhile, grimacing agitatedly and clearly unamused, co-host Gretchen Carlson exclaimed, “Hey, but, come on, Chris! Yeah, but there’s a difference between being cantankerous and being sexist.” She continued, “Do you think that he would do that same exact behavior to you: he would use a derogatory term like “act like a gentleman,” Chris. Dismissively, Chris smirked, “He’s never said to me, ‘Act like a lady,’ but he’s stuck it to me a couple of times. Yeah.” As the boys on the curvy couch chuckled, Gretchen insisted, “You know what I’m getting at.”
Then, for the audience’s benefit, Gretchen had the producers air the actual audio of Specter lecturing Bachmann on a proper lady’s role. When the recording had run, Brian asked, “That’s going to come back to haunt him. Don’t you think, Chris?” Chris responded, “I got to say, I find it kinda funny.”
For some, it might seem “kinda funny” since it came at conservative Bachmann’s expense. However, they may well remember that Wallace found “pretty funny” a similar remark about liberal Joan Walsh, Salon.com’s editor in chief, by Dick Armey less than a year ago (January 28, 2009) on Mike Gallagher’s radio show. In that instance, when Gallagher asked Wallace about feminists being very angry that Armey had said, “I’m glad you [Joan Walsh] couldn’t be my wife,” Wallace replied, “It’s pretty funny actually.” (For the full import, Armey’s full quote was “I’m so damn glad that you can never be my wife because I surely wouldn’t have to listen to that prattle from you every day.”)
Sexism still funny in 2010? Yow!
*Fox & Friends (01/22/10) – @8:34 a.m. ET
Carpe Diem 