Thursday, August 30, 2007
Those Manly, Manly MSNBC Men
Apparently, Tucker Carlson didn't think the bowtie brought out his most masculine features, so he thought he'd recount the time he beat the crap out of a guy that "bothered" him in a restroom.
CARLSON: I have. I've been bothered in Georgetown Park. When I was in high school.
ABRAMS: Really?
CARLSON: Yes.
SCARBOROUGH: Wow.
[...]
SCARBOROUGH: Was he the guy in Georgetown, Tucker?
CARLSON: No, actually. I got that -- my point is -- let me just say --
ABRAMS: Tucker, what did you do, by the way? What did you do when he did that? We got to know.
CARLSON: I went back with someone I knew and grabbed the guy by the -- you know, and grabbed him, and -- and --
ABRAMS: And did what?
CARLSON: Hit him against the stall with his head, actually!
[laughter]
CARLSON: And then the cops came and arrested him. But let me say that I'm the least anti-gay right-winger you'll ever meet --
[laughter]
CARLSON: -- but I do think doing this in men's rooms appears to be common. It's totally wrong, and they should knock it off. I mean that. I think it's -- I can't bring my son to the men's room at the park where he plays soccer because of all these creepy guys hanging around in there. I actually think it's a problem. I'm sorry.
Now, Tucker went back and clarified later that, apparently, he'd been assaulted, and he and his friend had actually merely "restrained" the guy until the cops showed up. Which I suppose is fine, if it is the truth.
What really bothers me, though, is how his coanchors take the revelation in its original form. One of their coworkers was apparently hit on, in a restroom, by a gay man. In his original telling, he wasn't assaulted, and he wasn't molested. His response, however, was to bring a friend back and slam the guy's head into a stall.
And his friends laugh. Because gay bashings are so fucking hilarious.
Really, Tucker's ego moment is the least of my concerns in this situation. The fact that of his coworkers, two grown men who host their own primetime shows, find the idea of a gay bashing to be delightfully humorous is the real sticking point for me. What a message to send to the people of America.
CARLSON: I have. I've been bothered in Georgetown Park. When I was in high school.
ABRAMS: Really?
CARLSON: Yes.
SCARBOROUGH: Wow.
[...]
SCARBOROUGH: Was he the guy in Georgetown, Tucker?
CARLSON: No, actually. I got that -- my point is -- let me just say --
ABRAMS: Tucker, what did you do, by the way? What did you do when he did that? We got to know.
CARLSON: I went back with someone I knew and grabbed the guy by the -- you know, and grabbed him, and -- and --
ABRAMS: And did what?
CARLSON: Hit him against the stall with his head, actually!
[laughter]
CARLSON: And then the cops came and arrested him. But let me say that I'm the least anti-gay right-winger you'll ever meet --
[laughter]
CARLSON: -- but I do think doing this in men's rooms appears to be common. It's totally wrong, and they should knock it off. I mean that. I think it's -- I can't bring my son to the men's room at the park where he plays soccer because of all these creepy guys hanging around in there. I actually think it's a problem. I'm sorry.
Now, Tucker went back and clarified later that, apparently, he'd been assaulted, and he and his friend had actually merely "restrained" the guy until the cops showed up. Which I suppose is fine, if it is the truth.
What really bothers me, though, is how his coanchors take the revelation in its original form. One of their coworkers was apparently hit on, in a restroom, by a gay man. In his original telling, he wasn't assaulted, and he wasn't molested. His response, however, was to bring a friend back and slam the guy's head into a stall.
And his friends laugh. Because gay bashings are so fucking hilarious.
Really, Tucker's ego moment is the least of my concerns in this situation. The fact that of his coworkers, two grown men who host their own primetime shows, find the idea of a gay bashing to be delightfully humorous is the real sticking point for me. What a message to send to the people of America.
