During the weekly left-wing panel discussion on Tuesday's NBC Today,
advertising executive Donny Deutsch announced: "The advertisers that are
still on [sponsoring Limbaugh's radio show] are basically voting, 'Yes,
we're okay with it.' They have no choice – I'm an ad guy, obviously – they have no choice but to go away." [Listen to the audio [1]]
Deutsch predicted: "Advertisers will speak and they will speak loud,
and you're just seeing the beginning of it." Near the end of the
segment, he berated Limbaugh's other advertisers: "I'm actually
imploring advertisers to make – maybe we can use this to make a change
in the voice out there, forget even Rush. Advertisers, take a stand
right now. Every single one of you."
Considering Deutsch's own past offensive comments on-air, one would
think he would be a little more forgiving. Appearing on Joy Behar's HLN
show in February of 2010, Deutsch used racially-tinged language [2]
to attack then-Senate candidate Marco Rubio: "...You almost need that
blank piece of paper. That's the new model. Like, you know, this coconut
Rubio down in Florida."
In July of 2009 [3],
Deutsch appeared on MSNBC and suggested the only reason Sarah Palin
garnered so much attention was because of her "sexual appeal."
On Tuesday, Deutsch touted an off-camera comment from weatherman Al
Roker to justify the continued assault on Limbaugh: "When you're
bullying down and you're basically sullying 97% – Al [Roker] said an
interesting thing to me, he's [Limbaugh's] attacking our daughters. He's
calling our daughters sluts if they use contraception."
Attorney Star Jones described Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke as a
"young student" and later declared: "When you go after someone's college
student, similar to Don Imus calling people "nappy-headed hos," it's
the same thing. You're looking at my kid and we don't allow that."
In reality, Fluke is a 30-year-old woman and long-time liberal activist
who was more than willing to testify at the Democratic show-hearing.
She has gladly used the controversy to make numerous media appearances.
Fellow panelist, NBC chief medical editor Nancy Snyderman, concurred
with Deutsch and Jones, ranting against Limbaugh's personal life: "I
just want to remind people, for a man who's been married four times and
has no children, I assume he's used some form of contraception or the
women he's slept with. And, we know he has used Viagra. He's been caught
buying Viagra, which is covered by medical insurance plans and
contraception is not."
Wrapping up the Limbaugh bash-fest, co-host Matt Lauer did eventually
allude to liberals being guilty of similar offensive comments: "...let's
be clear about this. Saying outrageous, hurtful, harmful things is not
the exclusive territory of those on the Right. People on the Left have
said awful things, used slurs against women and minorities, all kinds of
things."
However, rather than list specific left-wing commentators, many of them
on MSNBC, Lauer simply wondered: "Is this just the system we've now
gotten? Is this what the viewers deserve?"
Here is a full transcript of the March 6 exchange:
7:02AM ET TEASE:
ANN CURRY: Also this morning, more sponsors have now pulled out of Rush
Limbaugh's radio show following his choice words for a Georgetown law
student. How much damage has he done to himself? We're going to ask
Today's Professionals about that and a lot more this morning.
8:09AM ET SEGMENT:
MATT LAUER: Back now at 8:09 with a new installment of Today's
Professionals. Our team of Star Jones, Donny Deutsch, and Dr. Nancy
Snyderman back to break down the hottest headlines of the day. Good
morning, all. Good to see you.
By now, everyone's heard about the comments Rush Limbaugh has made
about Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown University law student who spoke out
saying that she favored insurance plans covering contraception. He
called her a "slut" and some other things. Advertisers immediately
started bailing from his program and he has apologized.
NANCY SNYDERMAN: Sort of.
LAUER: Has he done enough to set this – and get it behind him?
DONNY
DEUTSCH: No. Here's the problem with advertisers – not the problem with
advertisers, the problem with Rush. The advertisers that are still on
are basically voting, "Yes, we're okay with it." They have no choice –
I'm an ad guy, obviously – they have no choice but to go away. It's one
thing when you say something inappropriate and you're bullying up. When
you're bullying down and you're basically sullying 97% – Al [Roker] said
an interesting thing to me, he's attacking our daughters. He's calling
our daughters sluts if they use contraception. And the things that go
under the table, "femi-Nazis."
STAR JONES: This is a young student.
DEUTSCH: This is – advertisers will speak and they will speak loud, and you're just seeing the beginning of it.
SNYDERMAN: I though this was one of the most depressing weeks we've
seen. And I felt like we were, 50 years ago we were more civil talking
about contraception and women's rights than we have been this last week.
I thought it really sullied a lot of the conversation.
I just want to remind people, for a man who's been married four times
and has no children, I assume he's used some form of contraception or
the women he's slept with. And, we know he has used Viagra. He's been
caught buying Viagra, which is covered by medical insurance plans and
contraception is not. If you want to talk about a double standard, I'll
put those two medications right on the table.
STAR JONES: And remember what this young woman was testifying about.
She was testifying about a colleague, another student who could not
afford the medicine – not the contraception – the medicine necessary to
treat an illness so that she would not lose her ovary. We need to keep
things in perspective. This is an attack on women's health.
LAUER: Alright, when we say keep things in perspective, let's be clear
about this. Saying outrageous, hurtful, harmful things is not the
exclusive territory of those on the Right. People on the Left have said
awful things, used slurs against women and minorities, all kinds of
things.
JONES: Absolutely, absolutely.
LAUER: Is this just the system we've now gotten? Is this what the viewers deserve?
DEUTSCH: No, I think the system has a way of self-correcting. It's
interesting, because the viewers understand the world we live in and
then there's a line. And he crossed the line. And I'm actually imploring
advertisers to make – maybe we can use this to make a change in the
voice out there, forget even Rush. Advertisers, take a stand right now.
Every single one of you.
JONES: As Donny said, bullying up is one thing, when you go after a
politician or a big-time entertainer. When you go after someone's
college student, similar to Don Imus calling people "nappy-headed hos,"
it's the same thing. You're looking at my kid and we don't allow that.
(...)
-- Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center. Click here [4] to follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.