Do Something! A National Call For Tucker Carlson's Apology & Explanation. Phone #'s Included Here.

[David Zephyr]

New York, Wednesday, August 29 – The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) today called on Tucker Carlson, NBC News and MSNBC to apologize for remarks made on Tuesday night that appear to condone violent assault.

On the Tuesday, Aug. 28 edition of “MSNBC Live with Dan Abrams” MSNBC host Tucker Carlson referenced an incident from his past when he was the recipient of an unwanted advance from another man. Carlson told program host (and MSNBC General Manager) Dan Abrams and fellow MSNBC host Joe Scarborough that after being “bothered” by a man in a restroom in a Washington, D.C., mall, Carlson returned “with someone knew and grabbed the guy… and hit him against the stall with his head, actually. And then the cops came and arrested him.” Abrams and Scarborough are seen chuckling throughout Carlson’s telling of the story.

Earlier today, GLAAD called Abrams' office to discuss NBC News and MSNBC's response to Carlson's behavior. Abrams' office responded with an e-mailed statement attributed to Carlson, which read:

Let me be clear about an incident I referred to on MSNBC last night: In the mid-1980s, while I was a high school student, a man physically grabbed me in a men's room in Washington, DC. I yelled, pulled away from him and ran out of the room. Twenty-five minutes later, a friend of mine and I returned to the men's room. The man was still there, presumably waiting to do to someone else what he had done to me. My friend and I seized the man and held him until a security guard arrived.

Several bloggers have characterized this is a sort of gay bashing. That's absurd, and an insult to anybody who has fought back against an unsolicited sexual attack. I wasn't angry with the man because he was gay. I was angry because he assaulted me.

The statement is not only a failed attempt to justify Carlson’s advocacy of violence, but also changes key details of the previous night’s on-air story. First, Carlson does not repeat his assertion that he "hit him against the stall with his head," instead changing his story to say that he "seized the man and held him down until a security guard arrived." The security guard element is also newly invented. In his on-air statement, Carlson said that "the cops came and arrested him."

"Carlson's story was difficult to watch on two levels," said GLAAD Senior Director of Media Programs Rashad Robinson. "To see someone brag on national television of returning, with an accomplice, to the scene of an unwanted advance to violently attack the person who made it is incredibly disturbing. But it was also hard to watch because of the sheer absurdity of most of what Carlson was saying."

"Whether Abrams and Scarborough were laughing with Carlson or laughing at him, the fact remains that MSNBC and NBC News have some explaining to do about their standards and practices," Robinson said. "They need to explain whether bragging about physically assaulting a man in response to an unwanted advance is appropriate on-air behavior for one of their employees, and whether laughter by two others is an appropriate on-air response."

PLEASE CONTACT NBC NEWS AND MSNBC TODAY. Ask Tucker Carlson to apologize and ask NBC News and MSNBC if Carlson’s on-air comments are reflective of their network’s standards and practices.

Allison Gollust
Senior Vice President of Communications, NBC News
[e-mail]
212.664.3220

Jeremy Gaines
Vice President of Communications, MSNBC
[e-mail]
201.583.5000

Leslie Schwartz
Director of Media Relations, MSNBC
[e-mail]
201.583.5000

About GLAAD
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. For more information, visit www.glaad.org.

[Horse with no Name]

1. I'd rather have him fired

I hate that little fucker.

[David Zephyr]

2. Then call and tell them to fire him.

He should be fired.

[valerief]

3. If everyone ignored him, maybe he'd go away. nt

[David Zephyr]

4. Thanks for helping GLAAD with your non-support.

It's great to know we can count on you.

[opihimoimoi]

5. I'm w Horse...fire the dude....

[David Zephyr]

6. Please make the call.

Thanks.

[opihimoimoi]

11. E mail sent.....

[David Zephyr]

27. Many thanks, opihimoimoi

:thumbsup:

[rodeodance]

7. the first time I saw that quote, it said -grabbed him by the-you know.......

[rodeodance]

8. sounds like Tucker was telling a 'fish' story the first time as it is toned down now.

[liberalhistorian]

12. Even if it WAS a "fish story", that doesn't really matter. What

matters is his making light of, and even endorsing, violence and hatred against gays; the laughter of the other guests while he was telling it only proves the point. I don't really see what's all that fucking funny, considering violence and hatred against gays remains an ongoing problem.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

17. Hi Rodeodance. Don't ask me why, but I was actually watching

this when he made the remarks. IMHO, it was a spontaneous remark - totally. He said someone grabbed him and made an advance, and he screamed for his friend and they restrained the guy up until the cops came.

There was no gay bashing about it - he was simply relating what happened. It think if everyone just took a deep breath - and put themselves in that situation (a 25 year old guy, that is)and someone grabbed them - would have probably reacted the exact same way.

[Bjorn Against]

24. He first claimed to have slammed the guy's head into the bathroom stall...

I really hope you are wrong when you suggest most people would have done the same thing had they been in that situation because that is really frightening. I honestly don't know how anyone who heard Tucker's words could defend him, it is absolutely sickening what he said.

[JenniferJuniper]

9. Tucker

Carlson is a wimpy little liar, if you ask me. It sounded like he was making up the "assault" part of his little tale to sound macho to the other two who were snickering like schoolboys at the thought of little Tucker in his bow-tie getting hit on in a toilet.

It was somewhat unsettling to watch, though.

[smirkymonkey]

29. That's what I thought, I think that if the story happened at all,

Tucker probably didn't resist and made up the second part of the story to prove what a big, tough, frat boy he was. He kept saying it over and over and over again, almost like he didn't believe it himself (kind of like the way people do when they are lying.) Actually, it was pretty funny - I was laughing my ass off.

[JDPriestly]

10. Carlson and Scarborough commenting in their right wing way

on poor Craig's reluctant outing. Both Carlson and Scarborough were very quick to affirm they are not gay. Carlson then told this story. It does not ring true. Carlson is overcompensating by telling the story. Sounded nervous. Maybe he fears that his public will see him as not as not gay as he would like them to see him. Anyway, I think the story was exaggerated if not completely fabricated. And, yes, he should apologize. I expect him, however, to produce the buddy who he claims helped him beat up the unfortunate gay guy just to show that the suspicion that he is not as not gay as he claims is not true.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

13. Sorry but this is a huge overaction. So what ! We have gone

too far - you can't say anything anymore with someone going crazy. Someone attacks you and you grab him - puleeze what in the hell is so wrong with that?

I am 100% for gay rights - Can't stand Tucker Carlson - but this is not a battle worth fighting over.

[fightthegoodfightnow]

14. Not a Battle Worth Fighting?

Hhmmm.............me thinks Tucker Carlson has something in common with Senator Larry Craig.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

15. sorry, don't get the sarcasm

[fightthegoodfightnow]

16. Of Course You Don't

The solution to bad speech is more speech and I'm doing my contribution.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

18. whatever

trust me, I'm left of Ghandi, I saw it - and there wasn't anything to this.

[fightthegoodfightnow]

19. Not Anything to This?

Even using your ridiculous logic, it was an assault, but heh...........it seems I'm not the one trivializing something.

Nah..........me thinks Tucker Carlson knew eactly what he was doing in that restroom and that.........to put it in plain language for you.........is what he had in common with Craig.

To put it another way: Me think the MEN doth protest too much.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

23. Yikes. The man assaulted HIM

He and his friend held the guy until the police came.

It is that simple. You are reading WAY too much into it. Is it just because you dislike Carlson? I do too.

peace

[Bjorn Against]

25. No he assaulted the man...

Here are his own words:

CARLSON: I went back with someone I knew and grabbed the guy by the -- you know, and grabbed him, and -- and --

ABRAMS: And did what?

CARLSON: Hit him against the stall with his head, actually!

http://mediamatters.org/items/200708290003?f=h_latest

Carlson claimed a gay man "bothered" him in the rest room, so he LEFT got a friend CAME BACK and slammed the guys head into the wall. That is not a case of Tucker being assaulted, that is a case of Tucker committing a hate crime. If he left and then came back with someone else to slam the guy's head into the bathroom stall, that is clearly not an act of self defense. I don't know how you could ever defend a statement like the one he made.

[Toasterlad]

30. Funny...That's Not How Tucker FIRST Explained It.

The first time he told his jolly little tale, the guy was merely hitting on him, causing Tucker to freak out, run screaming like a little girl out of the men's room, and come back with a friend to pound the guy's head into the wall. This was a FOND MEMORY for him. The fact that you choose to believe the story he revamped AFTER someone bothered to tell him that he just admitted to gay-bashing on national television says much more about you than your feeble claim to be "all for gay rights".

Thanks but no thanks for your support: a friend of Tucker's is no friend of Dorothy's.

[fightthegoodfightnow]

35. Ghandi or Your Left Credentials Don't Have Anything to do with this

Ghandi or Your Left Credentials Don't Have Anything to do with this

[Warren Stupidity]

32. "Someone attacks you and you grab him"

According to both versions of the Tucker Tall Tale 25 minutes elapsed between the sexual solicitation and the return of Tucker&Cru for some good old fashioned Gay Bashing (or in v.2 some good old fashioned holding him until the police showed up.)

[AZBlue]

33. "I am 100% for gay rights"

Oh really????!?!?! Then you forgot the sarcasm smilie.

[glowing]

20. I didn't see the comment, but if some stranger grabbed me in the

bathroom, I'd fight tooth and claw to get away from them (from a women's point of view).

[Disturbed]

22. I don't give a damn if Tucker apologizes or not.

His 2nd story should be investigated. I am sure if his story is true that a police report is still on record.

[David Zephyr]

28. Exactly. His "stories" (there are two competing ones) should be investigated.

1.) Did any of this really even happen or did Tucker just make it up?

2.) Where's the police report?

3.) Which of the two stories that Tucker has told (and which contradict each other) is true?

Dan Rather, an award winning journalist with nearly 50 years of solid reporting credentials was tossed to the wolves for reporting a story that actually still may be true. Meanwhile, this son of a very wealthy man has his own vanity television program that is allowed to continue to air even though the ratings are below the floor and have been.

NBC needs to fire this self-absorbed creep.

[The Backlash Cometh]

21. Can someone explain the details to me?

Carlson was a high school student, a man grabs him in the bathroom. Physically grabs him to the point where a policeman could be called in to do to the man worse than what Carlson and his buddy did?

Perhaps Carlson should have called the police instead of what he did do. Would that have been acceptable?

[flyarm]

26. i have been calling every week for over a year for that asshole to be fired..

his ratings are the lowest...on MSNBC...if it was more people calling and demanding he be fired maybe it would work..but remember his father was the one who started the defence fund for scotter libby...

and the only thing other than calling and writing is ..shut his damn show off..do not watch..

make him tank further..

make him have no viewers..

if no one is watching ..no one will buy advertizing..it is all about the ad's...

now listen to me slowly..it is all about the advertizers!

if they can't sell ad time on his show ..he is gone..

shut him off and shut him down!

fly

[GoldenOldie]

31. Lil Tucker attempting a total makeover

Nixed the bowtie. Nixed the fluffy hairdo. Nixed the nerdy dancing. Nixed the nerdy clothes. Now roll-playing Mr. Macho???? Me thinks Lil Tucker doth protest to much about personal attacks on Sen Craig and his own public bathroom experiences.

Something just doesn't smell right in Lil Tucker's world????

[orleans]

34. david, thanks for these links.

i watched that the other night and was disturbed by it for several reasons.

not only was i extremely disturbed by carlson's gay-bashing remark, and the fact that he was "bothered" on TV and physically grabbed in the statement the next day, but he stated that this happened when he was in high school. he was a minor. and if that story is true he was being solicited by an adult. and those other two morons were laughing!

it reminded me of three homophobic high school boys with two of the boys ganging up and picking on the weakest one who had to lie his way into a story to show how tough he was.

i thought the whole episode was disgraceful, and i thought the three of them were terrible.

i sent emails to all of your links.
k&r
and thank you.