We were pretty giddy about the Larry Craig scandal yesterday. Then we started watching the coverage, which has rapidly degenerated into a smug homophobia-fest. The worst so far: on MSNBC, Tucker Carlson bragged that when a man hit on him in a bathroom in Georgetown, he went back with a friend and "grabbed him . . . and hit him against the stall with his head."
Then Dan Abrams and Joe Scarborough laughed.
The gleeful back-slapping over Tucker's attack starts at 2:47. The relevant part of the above YouTube clip is also excerpted here on Gawker.
Last time we checked, beating up a gay man for propositioning you was a crime -- a hate crime, even.
Don Imus got in trouble for letting his disdain for black women slip out. Shouldn't Carlson get in at least as much trouble for revealing (with glee!) his past violence against a gay man?
UPDATE: Carlson has released the following statement:
"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."
UPDATE UPDATE: GLADD is asking for an apology from Carlson and MSNBC
Reader Comments ( Page 4 of 7)
46. Last we checked, assault and battery were still illegal!
Wow, big bWave TC went and got the police; oh no, a fweind, and they both went and bashed the gay guy's head against a mens-room stall,
Carlson, Abrams and the oh so macho Scarborough, now representing MSNBC opinions and policies, hugh? These three oh so stwaight BOYS forget they are not in some college, no not college, highschool, no not high school, Junior High locker room but on our airwaves, with paying sponsors broadcasting to a large diverse veiwer demographic, Is this sophomoric diatribe what MSNBC has now degenerated into and considers 'good' op ed material. If big oh so bwave TC needs to flex his biggest muscles, those being his big fat mouth in such bragadocio, why has he not notified authorities where he takes his kids to play? Because like all bullies he's a phony!
Public lewd acts are deserving of legal action, punishment as sex offenders. As a savvy senior citizen, small stature, considered attractive, never have I experience the plethora of activity TC seems to attract in mens rooms!
Steve at 9:58AM on Aug 30th 2007
47. What you see here is an identity crisis within the Republican party. Far too many of them who hate gays have outed... themselves... in criminal ways. The very "disgusting" things that they accuse the "the left" of doing, are things that they themselves do. Talk about displacement and self projection!
These guys are scared because they are realizing that the Grand Ol' Party, the GOP, is increasingly starting to stand for the 'Gay Ol' Party.'
So to all you 'men' out there who 'protect your turf,' whether it's women or your masculinity... would you like a twinky with that beer?
It's usually the ones that are ready to fight that have the most to loose... or rather something to prove. Keep on hating GOP, because people who hate others SO MUCH, usually hate themselves the most.
duke at 1:55PM on Aug 30th 2007
48. uch! Imagine it! If some guy put his foot on mine or put his hand under a stall where I was dumping, I'd finish and kick his ass for sure!
bob at 10:05AM on Aug 30th 2007
49. Seriouslly people, get over yourselves. As a gay man I watched this video and found NOTHING offensive about it. When I go into a public restroom, I do not want to be hit on. Also, if someone touched me inapproiatley, gay or straight, if I had a a friend with me I believe there might be some retaliation as well for me. Tucker clearly stated that he was not anti-gay or anything, just did not want to be hit on in bathrooms and he finds that disgusting. This is why men and women use different restrooms, to avoid such confrentation. Should gay guys and straight guys have different bathrooms? NO! This would be unneccessary! However when we are in the restroom, let us remember what we are there to do, and then leave.
Did Tucker Carlson commit a crime, absoulutly not. Anyway, if he was anit-gay, SO BE IT! This is still a free country. Mr. Carlson did nothing wrong and it's high time we STOP fliping out over such small issues as these and maybe worry about something valid.
Brandon at 10:10AM on Aug 30th 2007
50. When I was ayoung man,a guy came after me in a restaurant in NY. He invited me to a party (I had a good looking ass when I was a teen) I told him no and he started to push against me. I pulled a knife and jabbed him in the balls (actually I wished I'd did that)today, promise I would shoot the guy or cut his throat. If people do this to children the need to be outed. Absolutely!!!!! You can't cure a pedo. he hurts and hurts children and as far as I'm concerned anyone pushing themselves as in man on man deserved all the words and smirks that Tucker Carlson or anyone else makes about it. But for me leave me and all my children alone or else!!!
bob at 10:11AM on Aug 30th 2007
51. I think the fag that just wrote that he doesn't like to get hit on either in a bathroom, has something there. Put a sign on bathroom doors. Men and boys and on the other Ladies and gays. Heck, send them there and it may straighten them out (help em get straight) nah,I guess if your ass obsessed and want that thing in your mouth there is nothing that can help but gelding.
bob at 10:26AM on Aug 30th 2007
52. As a gay man who has never had, never wanted to have sex in a mensroom, and after watching Carlson's statement, I have to say it was not gay-bashing. In fact, he made a point that whether or not Craig may be gay is not the issue. The issue is that he pled guilty to an illegal activity. Craig is a product of his and his right-wing's own hysterical homophobia. That part is sad. Many of those who do such activities are closet cases, seedy characters, and those who thrive on the anonymity, the danger of it all. I'm more bothered by Craig's hypocrisy. Though there is plenty of gay bashing that comes from the right, Carlson, in all fairness, was not doing it. Let's keep things in perspective.
Lee at 10:24AM on Aug 30th 2007
53. We need to run O'Reilly for President. That would help keep stuff straight in this twisted, spin-zone of a country. I don't bash liberals, just what they say and how they say it and actually mean it. Just imagine what would happen if libs were in control of our government. Everybody would have to bow to everyone else and accept all the shit in the world as righteous. Heck, we'd have gay for President saying family with man and wife don't count, pedophiles should be given respect and everyone gets a 90-percent tax increase so we can pay for the education and hospitalization for illegal immigrants and that's just a start. We need to make "nice" with Iran and talk to this hitlerized foul country and we really need more imams in the US to make the moslems happier so they don't bomb our subways.
bob at 10:33AM on Aug 30th 2007
54. I find no fault in what Carlson said and or did at the time in, in which he did what he said did.
I actually agree I work with abused and neglected children and long after the physical scares have healed the emotional scares remain. I am a survivor myself of such an attack. Its scary, insulting and all together demeaning! The age or the time of an attack is irrelevant. Adult or not, a forced or unsolicited act is just that forced and unsolicited! If pursued without consent it becomes a violation, a crime committed against the victim.
It is morally wrong to over take someone. Hey and get this, it is illegal and dam right humilating!This is not about gay bashing; its about protecting oneself from unwanted sexual assault! Call it what it is!
What's wrong with protecting the innocent? Obviously, for the under cover operation to have been in place a concerned had been voiced and thank God the authorities looked into it. That could have been a kid in the next stall. I know of an incident where a young boy was attacked in a bathroom while visiting a well know mall in Central New York. The kid and his Mom never knew what hit them; they were both found sprawled out on a filthy bathroom floor.
Regene at 11:23AM on Aug 30th 2007
55. Geez - this is what passes for news? Why on earth does anyone care what Tucker Carlson says about something he supposedly did? And if this really happened and he went to get a friend, I wouldn't be surprised - I'm a 5'4" female, and I'm sure I could beat up Tucker! His job is to stir people up, and evidently he's good at it. If people would stop making him news, maybe he'd just go away.
Bas at 11:15AM on Aug 30th 2007
56. I think it is so funny that men get so upset when another man hits on them. My next door neighbor is a hot straight man that gets hit on constantly by men and he just shrugs it off and says, "No thanks". He says it doesn't bother him too much because he could care less. He doesn't even understand why people hate gay people so much. Someone being gay has no affect on his life. I am a lesbian and also considered attractive by straight males, so I get hit on constantly and I have never used violence to turn them down. These "straight" men like Tucker get so angry because they are feeling like they are being exposed. They are insecure because they have obviously had secret feelings about other men or they experimented as a young man with another guy. This could be the only logical explanation because the thought of being with a man repulses me as well, but I have never been so insecure that I felt the need to loose it on any of those aggressive males that wouldn't leave me alone. They don't affect me because I am gay. Do you guys get this yet?!!?
If you doubt me, look at all of the men that claim to hate gays. They all end up having sex with other men. Denial is a very telling and the more you protest, the more you must want it.
ybestill at 8:50PM on Nov 5th 2007
57. The fact that Tucker needed his friends help is disgusting and demonstrates why republicans send others to fight their wars. Collectively they are wimps and gutless, full of talk and rhetoric hiding their crippling inadequacies of incompetance and personal cowardice. Sounds like someone we know in the white house.
DaleF at 11:54AM on Aug 30th 2007
58. Personally, I don't think Tucker Carlson is physically capable of bashing anything.
Chris Schultz at 11:59AM on Aug 30th 2007
59. Are you people insane? According to this video, Carlson had a run-in with a pedophile, held him for the cops with a friend and HE'S the asshole? Wow. You are morons.
Bilko at 12:23PM on Aug 30th 2007
60. Tucker is always making comments about being terrified of Hilary Clinton, so, as a huge wimp it is not surprising that someone would think he is gay. It is also not surprising that he had to get help to pick a fight. 2 on 1 is the wimpy style!
lsn07 at 12:30PM on Aug 30th 2007