In Other News...

Air America Radio host Randi Rhodes has been suspended for comments made at a recent apperance. Apparently, Rhodes called both Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton "whores."

Air America released the following statement:

"Air America has suspended on-air host Randi Rhodes for making inappropriate statements about prominent figures, including Senator Hillary Clinton, at a recent public appearance on behalf of Air America in San Francisco which was sponsored by an Air America affiliate station.

Air America encourages strong opinions about public affairs but does not condone such abusive, ad hominem language by our Hosts."

Hmmm.

Ignoring for a moment the pejorative aspects of the word "whore", this story is a complete crock of shit.

A ridiculous suspension however not unsurprising considering the target. The vindictiveness of the Clinton's has been made abundantly clear in recent months and it's no stretch to think that phone calls were made to Air America brass demanding Rhodes be publicly reprimanded.

Normally this kind of shit during an off-the-air speech to a clearly adult crowd, away from a live broadcast microphone, would NOT result in a suspension, nor should it.



These things happen all the time, when controversial radio personalities get outside invitations to speak. In fact, people EXPECT IT. This is the time when you want to see your favourite radio host let his or her hair down and curse and all that garbage.

I've done plenty of road shows with radio show hosts and simply hearing the host say "Fuck" is like sweet music to the (always drunken) crowds ears. It's like seeing a girls tanlines. Its verboten. The forbidden fruit. It tastes sweet but its just a fruit.

The one thing that made this different, is that unlike a lot of outside appearances broadcasters make, this one was sponsored by her network and thus carried the network's (and a major affiliate's) banner--so it could be argued that she was in a sense speaking directly on the network's behalf and representing it when she called Hillary a whore.

The fact that she wasn't actually on the air when she said it, probably saved her from getting the can tied to her and her contract voided.

I'd be willing to bet, though, that if this had been a privately arranged paid appearance, with no direct official ties to the network, she wouldn't have had her wrists slapped and the network wouldn't have even uttered a peep about it.

Ugh.