September 3, 2007Poison Phrase - will you move closer to the camera?
I’d like to think this doesn’t still happen in 2007, but it does. On the, August 10th episode of Hardball, Chris Matthews interrupted Pundit Erin Burnett during an interview to ask,
~
- MATTHEWS: Could you get a little closer to the camera?
BURNETT: What is it? Is it (garbled) in strangely?
MATTHEWS: Come in closer…no…come in…come in further…come in closer…really close.
(Burnett leans towards camera.)
BURNETT: What are you, what are you doing?
MATTHEWS: Haw! Haw! Just kidding! You look great! Anyway, thank… Erin it’s great to have…look at that look… You’re great…
BURNETT: I don’t even know. I’m going to have to go look at the tape here. I’m in a strange location.
MATTHEWS (laughing): No, you’re beautiful! I’m just kidding! I’m just kidding! You’re a knockout!
~
Why should I be surprised? With all the recent concern about what women in politics are wearing, I suppose I shouldn’t be…but I am anyway.
Can you imagine him doing this to a man? Or a woman announcer doing it to a man?
I do occasionally hear tales like this from women who appear to invite it. Some women do not realize the effect they have on men - and need to be made aware of the signals they send. (I saw no evidence of that in the Matthews - Burnett exchange.) But even that would not justify a response like Matthews’ any more than a bully can justify violence because someone made them angry.
Whether elicited or not, this kind of focus is way out of line.
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He’s lucky she was a professional, or she might have had a few choice words to say about his looks.
But, just to exercise my ideas of appropriate behavior, how could he have addressed his opinions of her looks.
First, definitely not while she was in the middle of a discussion. On paper, it looks like an attempt to belittle her opinions by commenting on her looks.
If he really REALLY had to comment on her appearance, the only way I would see would be to say at the end of the interview state “It was really good to see you”.
If there was any personal message he wanted to send her, I’m sure he had her email.
Second, by making the comments private, he could speak to her in the manner he chooses without diminishing her position or authority in public. But then, maybe that would spoil all his “fun”.
Comment by Jelyho — September 4, 2007 @ 10:55 pm