The Radio Equalizer: Brian Maloney

12 February 2008

Randi Rhodes Faults Others For Unhinged Anti- Romney Skit

NOT MY FAULT!

Rhodes Blames 'Weird Bloggers', Producers For Latest Flap







Continuing a long history of shirking personal responsibility, Air America Radio host Randi Rhodes is pointing fingers anywhere she can to escape heat over a creepy anti- Mitt Romney skit that aired on her program.

As reported first here at the Radio Equalizer last week, the pre- recorded Rhodes bit suggested Mitt Romney supporters would commit mass murder if John McCain became the GOP's presidential nominee.

In case you missed it, here's a YouTube clip with the "ad":





Subsequently, a number of blogs on both the right and left jumped in, hotly debating the appropriateness of her would- be "parody". In addition, the New York Times picked up the story, providing further discussion online.

Curiously, however, Rhodes failed to address the flap on her show, carefully avoiding the topic.

Today, however, she finally did respond to the issues we raised, but only to a newspaper reporter. Tim Cuprisin of the Milwaukee Journal- Sentinel reports Rhodes blamed "weird bloggers" and her producers for the incident:


Liberal talker Randi Rhodes, whose show airs from 2 to 5 p.m. weekdays on Chicago's WCPT-AM (820), e-mails that the only heat she's taking for a bit on her show about Mitt Romney backers going berserk is from "weird bloggers who constantly try to make me VIOLENT Randi." She continues that "after the bit aired, I was offended as well, apologized to the audience and told the bit producers NOT TO DO THAT KIND OF HUMOR EVER."


Randi, YOU aired the "parody". Air America's producers merely created it. You are responsible for your own broadcast. You can't blame bloggers or support staff for what occurs on the Randi Rhodes Show.

It is inexcusable to allow material to run during the program that you haven't first reviewed. No one familiar with radio broadcasting's cardinal rules would dispute this point.


Not surprisingly, some liberal Radio Equalizer critics used the same tactic last week, but TC of the Leather Penguin blog shut them down with this comment posted under the New York Times story:


Jack Frost said:“What the right-wing watch-dog site fails to mention however, is that immediately after that skit aired, Randi Rhodes actually reprimanded her staff on-air for playing it– saying (and I’m paraphrasing here) “No, no, no. We can’t play that kind of stuff, it’s inappropriate.” The skit may indeed have been in bad taste, but at least Randi Rhodes has the discrimination to know when her writers have gone too far.”

That’s a big FAIL, Jack. The post did acknowledge Rhodes’ apology, and also pointed out that pre-recorded bits are not introduced onto the airwaves without the on air host knowing what’s coming.

Personally, I thought it was funny, but really, Jack, don’t try defending her as some innocent snowflake caught unaware in this. She knew exactly what was contained in that bit before it ever hit the air.

— Posted by TC@LeatherPenguin


Between her previous skit controversy (featuring a Sopranos- style hit on the president) and other erratic past behavior, it seems Randi Rhodes just can't seem to learn from her mistakes.

Even worse, Randi believes she's exempt from broadcasting standards that apply to everyone else in the business. So far, Air America has been willing to coddle this walking loose cannon, but there's no question she will eventually self- destruct.


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11 Comments:

  • Code Pink what a bunch of idiots. They fit perfectly with the morons on the left. In Berkley I would expect this crap. Now we have the Democrat mayor of Toledo telling the marines to leave the city by six o’clock. The commander should have told the mayor “no” and armed his marines.

    If this is how the Democrat’s support the military, then the military does not need their support.

    Where are the presidential hopeful’s on this important subject.

    By Blogger pf1, at 13 February, 2008 02:14  

  • Code pink are not the ones slashing veterans benefits...... that would be the Republican party.......

    PF1, the military knows who supports them hence they have been donating to the Ron Paul campaign and to the Democrats. sorry, wing nuts, code-pink's little counter recrutiment thing, will not result in military families voting Republican, the money from the military families is not going to neo-cons.

    live with it

    and I think Randi should play the bit over and over and over, it is pisses off you traitors, and your selective use of the 1st amendment, good for her. SCREW Mitt romney and his wing nut supporters

    By Blogger Minister of Propaganda, at 13 February, 2008 12:51  

  • We don't need your so-called "military", pf1.

    Get OUT of our progressive neighborhoods!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 13 February, 2008 14:22  

  • (in my best Sally Field imitation)

    I'd like to thank the academy for this award....

    By Blogger Unknown, at 13 February, 2008 18:08  

  • "We don't need your so-called "military", pf1.

    Get OUT of our progressive neighborhoods!"

    I would love to see how your "progressive neighborhoods" do without their federal funding!!
    Who will pay for all your failed progressive/liberal programs?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 13 February, 2008 18:54  

  • If you all want a good laugh, do a Google image search on Code Pink. A stranger looking lot you will never find.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 13 February, 2008 19:03  

  • Randi has absolutely nothing to apologize for and, quite frankly, I'm disappointed she disavowed the bit rather than embracing it. Parody and satire are cornerstones of good radio and this one is both funny and appropriate. In comparison to some of the outrageous bits produced by Paul Shanklin and aired by Limbaugh (much of it very funny) this is tame.

    As for Code Pink and Berkeley and Toledo protests, all I can say is, big deal! As one of the few former Marines who read and contribute to this blog I am offended not by the protests but by the archaic anti-gay attitude of the U.S. military. I served with Marines who I knew or suspected to be gay and they served honorably. One of those Marines was buried in Beirut rubble. Gay Marines, soldiers, sailors and Airmen have fought and died in every war their branches have served. And they and I served because we actually take freedom seriously... even the freedom to protest the military.

    Tell you what, you knuckle dragging neocons. Until you are willing to put your ass on the line and don the uniform rather than shaking and peeing in your frilly little panties as you rah rah rah America and wave your tiny flag and drive around with your pathetic little yellow ribbon magnet, your hystrionic rants are meaningless. You pathetic little nancyhawks annoy me a helluva lot more than mothers who protest war and bigotry.

    I didn't become a jarhead to get lip service from your asthmatic pantie boys with Reagan mancrushes, I served for those moms. Got a problem with them? Take it up with this Marine if you have the cajones. Oh, wait... that's right. You didn't serve because you don't have any. That's reflective of your anonymous postings.

    Typical.

    By Blogger Dave Carroll, at 13 February, 2008 19:10  

  • Keep thinking the military votes for lib's. Example look at the vote in SC. As for slashing benefits stop with the lies MOP.

    Hash the military does not need your support. Try and force them out you little magot.

    By Blogger pf1, at 14 February, 2008 01:14  

  • Per his/her usual style the so called, minister of propaganda gets it wrong again: "Code pink are not the ones slashing veterans benefits...... that would be the Republican party"...

    Oh yeah! When did this happen and what do you have to back it up? Did Ron Paul vote to slash veterans benefits? Got something credible to back up that statement?

    Budget function 700 covers programs that offer benefits to military veterans. Those programs, most of which are run by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), provide health care; disability compensation; pensions; life insurance; housing loans; and education, training, and rehabilitation benefits. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that outlays for function 700 will total about $68.6 billion in 2005, including discretionary outlays of about $30.2 billion.

    In recent years, the Congress has expanded health and education benefits for veterans, and spending on those programs has increased accordingly. Outlays for medical care, which are subject to appropriation, rose from roughly $19 billion in 2000 to almost $28 billion in 2004, an increase of more than 45 percent over those four years. Similarly, spending on education, training, and rehabilitation benefits--all of which are mandatory programs--almost doubled during that period, from $1.4 billion to $2.7 billion, primarily because of higher caseloads and legislated increases in the amounts of education benefits.

    Spending on disability compensation, a mandatory program, has also grown significantly in recent years--from $19.2 billion in 2000 (adjusted to reflect 12 monthly payments) to $26.3 billion in 2004, a rise of nearly 40 percent. That growth results primarily from increased caseloads, stemming from a push by VA to reduce the backlog of pending cases and from the addition of newly compensable diseases.

    By Blogger juandos, at 15 February, 2008 08:49  

  • "I didn't become a jarhead to get lip service from your asthmatic pantie boys with Reagan mancrushes, I served for those moms"...

    Hmmm, a jarhead like John Kerry was a war hero?...

    By Blogger juandos, at 15 February, 2008 14:29  

  • Dave glad to see you severved also. As for "asthmatic pantie boys" should not say anything. According to MOP thats why he could not join. So MOP from Dave and me shut-up.

    By Blogger pf1, at 17 February, 2008 02:13  

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