Joe Scarborough models bullying behavior of women in his treatment of Mika Brezhinski today.

[CTyankee]

This was probably the worst example of this type of behavior by Joe that I have ever seen. She was doing the news and was turning to a story on the obesity rates of children in New York. Joe interrupted her and said, "No, I want to go to sports...Barnicle..." Mika persisted and Joe started bellowing "Sports! sports! sports!" and then swiveling his chair with his back to her and to the camera, with arms raised in a dramatic gesture to underline his "frustration." He kept this up as she went on thru her report. To their credit, Barnicle and Halperin were clearly uncomfortable with Joe's display of disrespect of Mika. They sat silently looking like they wanted to be someplace else during Joe's inexcusable rant.

Please don't tell me it was just "schtick" and Joe was only "kidding." Bullying a co-worker so outrageously and trying to shut them up and deriding their opinion is not behavior anybody can tolerate.

Joe models the kind of guy women find totally disgusting. Sadly, too many women have to put up with it...

Yes, I emailed the show with my thoughts, but I don't think I'll get a response...I just wondered how many other viewers did the same...

Morning Joe needs to get a better "schtick." This one is nauseating.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. She's lucky no one found her on the floor in his office

Just sayin

[valerief]

8. +666 trillion!!!!

[hlthe2b]

2. Belittling is classic misogynistic bullying tactic....

I have had professional colleagues do so when females were discussing research findings--not questioning, but rudely belittling in a way that drips with condescension.

Joe needs his little smarmy ass whipped.

[CTyankee]

13. He's too much of a coward to have Rachel on.

She would take care of him in a NY minute...

[hlthe2b]

14. They overlapped on one DNC-2008 segment....

and she corrected him... There was a similar incident with KO. Since then I don't think he ever appears with either her or Keith. Gutless, bullying coward.

[TuxedoKat]

25. Yeah,

when you call them on their bullying behavior they shut up and slink off as they have no good explanation for it.

[EFerrari]

57. And belittle women is a good indicator of how a culture treats its citizens in general.

What is MSNBC selling, exactly?

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

3. I hear he's a real lady killer. nt

[chimpymustgo]

5. Joe to Mika: "Do you want me to give you the back of my hand?" Heard it with my own ears.

Mika used to "talk back to Joe"...but he has bullied her into near-complete submission. She gets to read the headlines, but rarely adds anything to the conversation, except to agree with Joe. So I guess now, he's not even going to let her do the news...

I can't believe this show is allowed. It is daily "violence" against women.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

6. He actually said that??!! What a fucking douchebag. nt

[winstars]

53. "He only hits me when I deserve it..." Mika Mouse

The best example out of many was when she recently stated that when she was a kid, she swam in the HEATED POOL at Camp David whilst Jimmy Carter was asking Americans to wear sweaters. Of course, the LK (see the post below for what that means) loved it because to him, it made Carter a hippocrite... Maybe the pool did not need to be heated, or whatever, that is not is my point. The point is that we would not now know who fucking Mika Mouse is if not for President Carter hiring her father. So nice fucking story, you ungrateful 'person' you.

The kicker was that they were making fun of her for the rest or the show and later, when some guest asked about why they were breaking her balls, she said it was about something she had said earlier and but that it was OK because she DESERVED THEIR DERISIVE COMMENTS!!!! You know, she brought that shit on herself... Jeez, why is there never a slingblade carrying motherfucker around when you need one!!!

Like she said, he only hits me when I deserve it...

That's some sick fucking shit daily from 6-9am

[CTyankee]

55. A lot of abused women have been bullied into believing that it's THEIR fault.

Perhpas her dad pulled the same shit on her.

I notice Joe doesn't pull that crap on his female guests. I think he knows not to do that to Katrina Vanden heuval, or Joan Walsh or Barbara Boxer. He knows they'd reduce the size of his testicles by the next commercial break...

[valerief]

9. Literally!!!! nt

[SusanaMontana41]

35. Geez!

:spray:

I need a new keyboard ...

[winstars]

50. Wow! That is so great.. Just say to 'em "Yo, L.K. what's up?" (or down ?) LOL nt.

[peacetalksforall]

4. Thanks so much for telling the story that goes with the subject line.

You wrote it so well that I don't even need to see a video of it.

I write to thank you because it is rare to read the supporting story.

Good job. There won't be five messages in sequence asking what he did.

[spanone]

7. i quit watching...when i take a peek it only pisses me off...fuck them

[lunatica]

10. The most effective way to protest this is to refuse to watch him and let them know

It seems to me that Joe 'gets' why Beck et al seem so popular. So he's flexing his I-can-do-anything-as-long-as-it's-more-outrageious.

When will enough of this crap be enough to turn them off?

[CTyankee]

30. I used to think that way but now I think we should register our strong disapproval of

his behavior. It is abusive and that cannot be tolerated. It must be condemned...

[Ninga]

11. Maybe it was a weak attempt to model families who care more about sports than

their children's obesity.

[monmouth]

12. I lasted a whole four minutes then Halperin came on with all of his

negativity for Dems so I came to DU instead.. Not much better I'm sad to say.

[CTyankee]

15. True, but these are two distinctly separate issues.

I'm used to Halperin's take on Dems in the fall elections...that's just talking head stuff.

This is far more serious, IMO. And Halperin did look pretty uncomfortable. This is no longer a "comedy" routine. It's modeling borderline abusive treatment of women...let's just say it out loud and call it what it is...I hope plenty of people emailed them to register their complaints...and I hope Joe apologizes...but I know he won't...serial abusers don't apologize unless really under a threat...

[UTUSN]

16. & yet he is said to be the darling of the Lib gliteratti. & he's been doing that always.

As for e-mailing, their e-page is active during the circus's live hours. They read on the air only the cute ones, meaning the ones that don't deal with serious issues. I suspect that they pass around the critical ones on their internal screens because I've seen BARNICLE's face drop soon after I send one with the word "plagiarist" in it. Even BUCHANAN and SCABS have looked affected.

As for the Mika Mouse and SCABS relationship, who knows. She's a Daddy's Girl and plays little-girl-hostess and is deferential (overly) to the older men. I've long posted snide comments about her and his joint "book tours" TOGETHER all over the country. When do these people see their own families?!1 The recent magazine profile appears to be serious about citing her "vodka in the coffee cup" that he's always mocking her about.

This morning I was tempted to send a one-word e-mail: "CLICK."

[MineralMan]

17. Why on Earth does anyone care about this?

Seriously. It's a freaking television show.

[Jim__]

19. Isn't that the point? Unfortunately, TV matters!

Modern American culture is largely based on TV.

[MineralMan]

20. Sadly, it does. And discussions about television programs

as though they meant anything do nothing more than promote TV as something of value. Do you know how few people in this country watch Joe and Mika on weekday mornings? It's meaningless. The only people watching that program already know how they will vote and will vote precisely in that way. The reach of Morning Joke is zero past that group.

It's not even an issue. Joe's an asshole and Mika's a twit. Thus has it always been. They have some interesting people on their show, but I'd rather read what they have to say elsewhere. I don't have time for Morning Joke.

[CTyankee]

23. I know what you are saying, but people watch it...including White House staffers

who often go on the show (Jarrett and Gibbs usually). So they pull an audience.

That is EXACTLY why this kind of bullying of women is so destructive. And it does matter. It is disgusting behavior and we should speak out against it. I don't care if Mika "goes along"...to a certain extent she seems to be uncomfortable with it herself. And she should be. But we also need to raise our voices against the perpetuation of the lie that it is just "joking" and not a serious abuse of a woman who is co-host of this show.

[MineralMan]

34. I certainly agree about bullying of women.

But, Mika can stand up and walk out of that show if she wants. She's not a slave. She does not, so there it is. I watch the show occasionally, but not regularly. I can barely stand either Joe or Mika. They do have good guests sometimes, though.

[CTyankee]

36. Yes, she can get up and walk out, but that's a separate issue. We need to

condemn HIS behavior and not try to dilute his guilt in this by blaming the victim...

[MineralMan]

39. I'm not blaming the victim at all. Frankly, theres not a damn

think we can do about Joe's behavior. It's their show. We can condemn it, but that's it. It's Joe and Mika's schtick, apparently, and it's been that way for a very long time.

[elleng]

18. You WATCH that crap, yank???

(ps, where was Friday challenge?)

Good morning!

[CTyankee]

26. Hi Ellen! The Friday Challenge was on Thursday last week...I was expecting

to be out of power on Friday afternoon due to the storm that never was! So I decided to do it on Thursday...

I do watch MJ to catch the good guests. I would have missed this particular segment except I literally had just turned it on when it transpired. It was like watching someone pummel a puppy. I just had to speak out against it. There is NO justification for it...

The Friday Challenge will be back right on schedule this Friday and next Friday but I'll be you know where the week following...

Yes, it's a great morning! What a nice day...hope yours is the same!

[elleng]

33. Thanks, yank, and I do understand, used to watch for same reason.

Will look for Thursday's Friday challenge, to catch up!

[CTyankee]

38. It'll be kind of fun this Friday...tune in around 5 pm, if possible...that's when I post it...

[TuxedoKat]

21. I sent them one for bullying

last year. Both Mika and Joe and the producer, Chris? (one who reads the emails) were all guilty of bullying another woman. Usually it was just Mika bullying her but that day all three of them joined in except Willie. Although Willie has been disrespectful too a few times of Pres. Carter. Anyway, I suggested they change their name to "The Morning Bullies" for the way they were all ganging up their colleague. I didn't get a response either but the next day there was no bullying of the colleague so I think alot of people must have called them on it and the woman in question got her own show later on too.

For someone who has grown up bullying people all their life it is hard to suppress those tendencies all the time and it will slip out occassionally (Joe). Anyway, I would definitely email them when you see this type of behavior because they read the emails and they know people discuss their shows on the message boards and blogs too and I don't think they want to be perceived too negatively.

[AngryOldDem]

22. He always treats her like shit.

Always. Classic example of battered wife syndrome.

I'm a Top Chef fan. A few weeks ago, the show had a contest where they fixed a "power lunch" at a high-class DC eatery. Among the guests tasting the food was Joe and Mika. Whenever it was their turn to comment, Joe did all the talking. Mika just looked down at her plate like a cowed housewife. Pretty telling behavior.

If it is indeed a "schtick," then someone needs to tell these two to knock it off. It isn't funny, and it isn't cute.

[CTyankee]

27. I'll bet that Mika hates having to do this. When she hosts the show alone

she is far more outspoken and even has some interesting things to say. Joe is an overbearing Neanderthal (apologies to Neanderthals). He obviously feels "entitled" to perpetuate this kind of behavior. I may email again and ask him if he would approve of some guy treating his daughter like he treated Mika...

[AngryOldDem]

40. She does a fine job when she's on her own.

Keeps people on track, moves the show along well...but when she's with Joe, she's totally submissive. At first I thought it was the "routine" they had -- she tolerates his bombastic rants with sighs and eye-rolls while he imitates Ralph Kramden, but now it's turned dark and mean.

If she's being told to act like that by the MSNBC brass, then I really don't know what to say. You'd think she'd have more self-esteem than that.

[CTyankee]

43. Perhaps now that this rant of Joe's is getting uncomfortable and ugly

enough people will speak out, including other would be guests on the show, to get Joe in line.

Re Mika's self esteem: I remember when women were abused by their partner, people would ask why she didn't leave, thereby turning the spotlight on her, not her abuser. I think we need to concentrate on HIS behavior. Essentially, she works for him; he is her employer. I've seen lots of abused workers by bosses. They can't quit or feel that they can't. It must be a horrible feeling.

[Enrique]

24. Tweety used to be really mean to women

I think someone must have talked to him about it, because I haven't noticed it in a while, but it was really bad. Pretty much what you described.

[CTyankee]

29. I don't recall seeing Tweety in those days. I know he's pretty good with women now.

I think he was defintely "schooled." He's really good with Joan Walsh. You can tell she likes him and he likes her...he actually says so right on the show...

[chimpymustgo]

31. Tweety has been "schooled". He was a SEXIST PIG toward Hillary (as was Keith).

it's one thing to disagree about policy...but when the criticism is based on your so-called "shrill" voice - or that "you sound like every man's ex-wife"???? How is that crap ALLOWED on the air????

[CTyankee]

37. Exactly! That is why we should speak up and speak out every time we see it!

[PCIntern]

28. He is one Sick Fuck...n/t

[PBS Poll-435]

32. No wonder she drinks...

:cry:

[lame54]

41. It's the "Beck Effect"

[SoCalDem]

42. Mika is fine with it.. She's playing her "role" & well paid for it

It's a formulaic "show"....just like a sitcom or drama.. It's NOT "news":

They have:

The curmudgeon-ish older guy ----Barnicle, the Plagiarizer

The eager, young, wet-behind-the-ears Jimmy Olsen-esque ..... Willie Geist

The flippant, joke-cracking weatherguy...what's-his-name

The Jock-ish, loutish big mouth "host"..Joe (dead aide) Scarborough

and then there's Mika..

Eye candy for the 35-60 year olds of the male persuasion. To most women she is probably a bit of a scold, and a bit too "aware" of her slimness:evilgrin:

She's the blond gal-pal..the butt of sexist jokes.... the one who gets all "embarrassed" on cue when the boyzzzz say crude things..the one who pretends to need things explained to her because she's too demure to understand what they said.

She can blush on cue, get all stern & blustery on cue, and boss those naughty boys around on cue..

She's a safe dominatrix in tailored/designer duds...

She knows her part, and no doubt, prefers it to the choices she had before. As a 40-something, her star was fading, but as the "girl" in this tried & true format, she's got a well paid position in exchange for pretending to put up with Joe's shenanigans..

[CTyankee]

45. It still doesn't justify HIS behavior, the way he treats a co-worker.

I don't want my 3 granddaughters to live in this same kind of environment. I want to shame him and make him suffer for his abusiveness. What Mika does or doesn't do isn't my point...

[SoCalDem]

47. He makes money for GE..they like it

and people watch it..

Half hate him but watch anyway..half love it and wish they could get away with it..

He's just playing a role..

But then his first wife dumped him, so maybe he's that way at home too..

He's not special..lots of men act like him..and are well paid for it:(

The more that people complain about him only shows that people are watching.

MSNBC knew all about the dead aide thing and other rude things he had said BEFORE they hired him.. He's not going anywhere..

I have started to record the show, and then just fast forward through it.. I can "watch" 3.5 hrs of it, in about 20 minutes:)

[CTyankee]

48. Well, I'd like to see his behavior considered unacceptable and hold him up to derision.

When I was a little girl, there was a show on the radio called "Amos and Andy," two white guys who affected a patter that was extremely insulting and derogatory towards black people. Today, that show would be considered the outrage that it is and should have been considered thus back in the day.

My point is that if we put up with this kind of "oh, well, boys will be (bad) boys," we only let it go on. People have to object strongly and let their feelings be known. I'm sure Amos and Andy had lots of people listening in, in the bad old days, too. But it shouldn't stop us from condemning abusive behavior.

[DainBramaged]

44. If you don't watch Schmo, you'll extend your life....

:shrug:

[CTyankee]

46. not my point.

[DainBramaged]

54. But it is mine.

I stopped watching over a year ago. Now I don't get upset when I wake up.

Changea la canal

[CTyankee]

56. Well, as I said, I was just tuning in to see who was going to be their guests.

It is a way of getting info on what the right is up to with their talking points. That much of Joe I can tolerate, then I switch it. However, this morning I was just sitting down to my coffee when I switched it on and there was this incident.

It was one of those "click!" moments when feminists really see an egregious case of bad male behavior. I knew then I had to speak out. I don't usually email because the guests I do watch tend to be smart liberals that Joe won't mess with, since he is a worthless coward. And of course he's all smarmy nice to the righties.

In a way, it was good because I got in touch with my feminist vibe and I fought back...

[Swamp Rat]

49. Every time I have watched that stupid show, Scarborough bullied Brezhinski in some way

Every. Single. Time.

Joe Scarborough is the archetypal misogynist.

[HipChick]

51. Did they break up?

or something? The way they get so cosy on the show

[Swamp Rat]

52. Maybe he can't just 'eliminate' her like an intern?

So, he's starting to throw tantrums.

[Enthusiast]

58. I will not turn it on.

I can't stand Joe Scarborough.