PETITION: MSNBC Pres Griffin – immediately institute Corporate Governance on Sexism or Resign!
May 26, 2011 by Amy Siskind
The following op-ed is featured at The Daily Caller.
On Tuesday, MSNBC host Ed Schultz referred to radio show host Laura Ingram as a “slut.” In fact, the word flowed so effortlessly off his tongue, he referred to her as “slut” twice in two sentences! Yesterday, Schultz made an on-air apology and took a self-imposed one week suspension without pay.
But, Schultz’s short work leave is hardly fodder for revelry. Schultz is but an annoying gnat in the misogynistic cesspool that is MSNBC. Under MSNBC President Phil Griffin, who has had executive oversight for MSNBC since 2006, the cable network has displayed a consistent disdain and disrespect for women in leadership and public life. Which is why we the people, we the viewers, must demand that Griffin immediately institute corporate governance in the area of sexism – or baring that, be terminated from his oversight position.
Sexist behavior is hardly new news at MSNBC. During the 2008 election, MSNBC was the leading culprit in overt sexism – the channel filled with poster-boys of sexism: Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann, David Shuster, Pat Buchanan and Mike Barnicle. There was a fallout: millions of viewers stopped watching! These viewers migrated instead to networks which evolved after 2008 – becoming more sensitized and aware of sexism.
But, not MSNBC.
Under Griffin’s leadership, the cable network has continued it’s unabated disdain for women leaders. From “a big mashed-up bag of meat with lipstick on it” (Olbermann) to “balloon head” (Matthews) to “If Palin wasn’t hot would we be talking about her?” (Deutsch). It’s like 2008 never even happened. Well sorry Mr. Griffin: it did!
It is time that MSNBC stop its on-air reign of terror against women leaders. Schultz’s recent slur is simply the most recent evidence of a toxic corporate environment where sexism has been allowed to fester unabated. When male hosts and commentators use these derogatory and degrading terms about women with such ease, we can imagine the work environment at MSNBC. (Personal anecdote: when I appeared on a network, the young woman who escorted me to the make-up artist had just recently left Olbermann’s staff – she liked her new job much better – Olbermann was apparently belligerent and degrading to his female staffers).
MSNBC’s Griffin must immediately institute corporate governance in the area of sexism. Specifically, MSNBC should immediately establish and mandate an in-house educational training course on sexism. All employees and on-air regular guests should be requited to attend. MSNBC should establish an in-house no tolerance policy for gender bias (direct impact on pay and promotions). MSNBC should also adopt a zero tolerance policy for on-air sexist commentary – meaning this: control your words or be fired.
Simply put: issues are fair game, sexism is not. Evaluate candidates and leaders on their positions and performance. Demeaning women or tying to make them into sexual objects is bad for our country, and as ratings show, bad for business.
Please also sign this petition calling on Griffin to institute corporate governance or step down. The petition will also be sent to the Board of Directors for NBC Universal , which is composed of (you guessed it) solely white men!
MSNBC is owned by NBC/Universal Studios and NBC/Universal is owned by Comcast. I will sign your petition, however I haven’t watched MSNBC since 2008 and I actually think Comcast should fire everyone associated with MSNBC since it’s ratings suck and that is obviously because it is toxic with misogyny. I seriously doubt a bunch of proud and loud sexist pigs who have attended sensitivity training could present content I would care to watch. Displaying profound contempt for 52% of the population, especially when that segment of the population makes 80% of all purchasing decisions, is just bad business. I resent that consumers are forced to subsidize MSNBC with their basic cable payment, but of course since the cable company owns the station it will linger on in it’s misogynist glory forever. Comcast/NBC/Universal Studios/MSNBC doesn’t care about female consumers (52% of the population), they don’t have to.
Ed Schultz does not know sorry. It is good news that we cannot be completely ignored anymore, but one week off will not make a dent in his behavior.
I am gladly signing the petition.
And of course the ladies on the View, including Barb, are fine with it.
http://www.realclearpolitics.c....._slut.html
Ugh Henrietta – this can’t be for real! what is wrong with those women?! Please feel free to write about it – don’t forget Mel Gibson!
The View so disheartening. All that’s left is for Joan Walsh to come out and say “whore” AND “slut” are okay and call us racists…
What is wrong with The View women is they are tools of the establishment not authentic women. Sadly women in media advance by sucking which ever hairy ass is directly in front of them. So they are not authentic women. There are not authentic women in Corporate Media. Frankly the only people I know who watch The View are retired old men, I don’t know any women who are home during the day. Oh, I know women who are currently staying home with their young children and no longer earn a salary, but they are too busy to watch TV. Never the less The View is “women’s content” because media men say so, there is no actual requirement that “women’s content” have women viewers.
Another problem is liberal women reflexively make excuses for Democrat men. It is probably why few of them run for higher office, they don’t have time to organize a campaign because they spend so much energy making excuses and turning a blind eye to Democrat misogyny.
how would that be, if all the women on the view would allow some self respect. would they still be fine with being called “slut”. also, what is the male equivalent to “slut”? it seem there is not derogatory word for promiscuous males.