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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