By David Futrelle
Chris Matthews’ abrupt on-air resignation from his MSNBC show Hardball on Monday caught a lot of people off guard, none more so than the network’s go-to political numbers guy Steve Kornacki, who found himself with nearly an hour of live television to fill after Matthews walked off the set. (He got through it.)
Matthews’ passive aggressive resignation speech made it pretty clear that he had been pushed out (a fact that’s now been confirmed) While offering a sort of apology for some of the behavior that got him in trouble with both women viewers and network brass, his weirdly defensive language and the tone of his remarks both made clear he still didn’t quite understand the complaints against him. He said the right words, or something close to them, but it’s clear he wasn’t feeling the music.
“Compliments on a woman’s appearance that some men, including me, might have once incorrectly thought were okay, were never okay,” Matthews begrudgingly acknowledged. “Not then, and certainly not today—and for making such comments in the past, I’m sorry.”
That’s what you’re calling them, “compliments?”
Matthews, a man with almost no filter, has been talking about women’s looks on his show for decades now — mostly gushing over the “beauty” of guests and fellow journalists who appeal to his own personal boner, but sometimes (as in the case of Ann Coulter) putting them down.
The Daily Show gathered together some of his, er, greatest hits here.
For many, many more examples, see here.
Matthews’ comments in private seem to have been even worse. Way back in 1999, NBC paid out $40,000 in a settlement with a woman who had accused him of sexual harassment. Last week, journalist Laura Bassett wrote about Matthews allegedly creeping on her backstage in a piece for GQ. Who knows how many more women have similar stories.
But Matthews misogyny extended way beyond “compliments” on air and off. His commentary on female politicians and other public figures was tinged with sexism and often outright hostility — describing Hillary Clinton, one of his bete noires, as “witchy” and “anti-male.” For examples, see this Media Matters piece by Jamison Foser, who ultimately concluded that
Chris Matthews has been treating female guests as sexual objects for years. He has been judging women — senators, presidential candidates, the speaker of the House — on their clothes and their voices and their appearance for years. He has been referring to women as “castrating” for years. He has been applying double standards to male and female candidates for years.
This was written back in 2008, by the way, and it’s still as true now as it was then.
Despite this long and hardly secret history, some have been defending Matthews and decrying his forced resignation. Kornacki, even thought he was the one left holding the bag for Matthews after his sudden departure, offered his former colleague a glowing tribute on air. On Twitter, Matthews has been defended by fellow MCNBCers Joy Reid, Nicole Wallace, Andrea Mitchell and Morning Joe’s Joe Scarbourgh and Mika Brzezinski. Columnist Kathleen Parker offered this hot take:
One person’s innocent flirtation is another’s sexual harassment. That’s why you’re not supposed to pull this shit at work — a lesson Matthews somehow failed to learn despite having been called out for this behavior for more than two decades.
It’s good he’s out. I just never thought I’d see it.
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@Naglfar, Paireon
Thanks. It’s not so much for my own benefit, as anxiety about who she might be harming with talk like this that isn’t in a position to see through it due to vulnerability or trust.
@Allendrel
I’ve been in a similar situation as well, and my thought was “what if she tells a person in crisis ‘at least you aren’t a heroin addict single mother with five kids’ or ‘have you considered just accepting your role (as scapegoat)'”. A bad therapist can mess up people hardcore, that one nearly had me give up all together because what if I was just being selfish and weak?
I did report mine, and later saw she was no longer with that organization.
Yes, the weird manipulation from the therapist is definitely ethically problematic. It sounds like some sort of misapplication of confrontation or REBT.
I can tell you that my counseling program was very intentional in screening candidates out who would display the behaviors of the therapist. In addition to the admissions interview, we were evaluated three times throughout the program by our faculty for things like ethics, openness to change, etc. I think it was part of our CACREP standards. Most people had no problem meeting the standards, but there have been a few throughout the years. I’m sure that therapist would have been bounced way before she got to her practicum in my program if she had displayed those behaviors.
Chris Matthews? Dude was an annoying loudmouth to say the least. I could never watch one of his interviews, because he’d never let guests finish their thoughts.
Enjoy your power while you can, feminist. When the Men’s Rights Movement gains cultural and institutional power, we will waste no time purging the media of feminists and manginas. That is to say: you will be fired for being a feminist or a mangina.
@CenterFold
Let me know when you get any power. You’d think as the most privileged group on the planet you’d have some by now, but even most of the patriarchy ignores your pathetic little movement.
Ooh, scary, an idle threat from an anonymous dipshit online. Are you going to go through every thread necroing and leaving comments? Because that sounds boring.
It has. There’s a sexual predator and proud misogynist in the WH and two sexual predators on SCOTUS.
And you still haven’t gotten women to shut up and go away. You never will.
It has. There’s a sexual predator and proud misogynist in the WH and two sexual predators on SCOTUS.
Trump’s not an MRA. He is at best “not a feminist.” We have yet to have our first MRA President.
And you still haven’t gotten women to shut up and go away. You never will.
Only women who are feminists will be fired.
@CenterFold
Well, I hope that never happens. And I’m pretty sure it never will. Though you are one of the few people I’ve met to complain that Trump isn’t bigoted enough.
My job has nothing to do with feminism. Why exactly should I be fired?
@CenterFold
Are you gonna take a shit in every thread?
@Naglfar
I’ve met a few. My favorite was the old high school friend-of–a-friend who was angry about the border patrol firing tear gas across the border at refugee children. He was angry that they “only” gassed the children instead of killing them.
@CenterFold
That’s some workplace discrimination.
Aww look the baby troll. I want to pat the top of his head so badly. He’s trying so hard but missing the mark so easily.