Goodbye Matt Lauer....

[jawjateck]

...I won't miss you. I wonder which media/entertainment star is next....cause we know there are plenty more of these scumbags still on the job.

[+ WilliamM]

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/29/matt-lauer-fired-from-nbc-for-inappropriate-sexual-behavior-267887

 

by Michael Calderone

 

 

The news was quickly seized upon by the country’s most famous watcher of TV morning shows. “Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for ‘inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace,” tweeted President Donald Trump. “But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Check out Andy Lack’s past!”

 

Donald Trump calling attention to himself ---just can not stop himself.

 

Admin Note: Your reply belongs in the Politics Forum.

Edited November 29, 2017 by Cooper

[Walker1]

Wow! I was reading there was a single complaint lodged one day and ago and they fired him for that-saying there may be more . Must be something big to fire someone of his stature ? They also said this was the first complaint in twenty years-either it was terrible or something is fishy.

Edited November 29, 2017 by Walker1

[+ nycman]

Must be something big to fire someone of his stature ?

 

or he "touched" someone big.....

[EZEtoGRU]

...I won't miss you.

 

+1

 

I never liked him and I am not the least bit surprised. Glad he is gone.

 

I hope NBC bring back Ann Curry now!!

[Jakeenct]

Actually before he secured that assistant anchor position with NBC, he was extremely unemployed and started considering house-painting jobs. Never liked him either. Damn, men are pigs What a lousy rap!

[+ WilliamM]

CNN

 

Savannah Guthrie made the announcement at the top of the "Today" show. "We are devastated," she said.

 

 

The "Today" show is one of the most popular and most profitable franchises on American television. Lauer was the cornerstone of the program for two decades.

 

So his sudden ouster came as a shock to viewers -- but not as a complete surprise to his "Today" show colleagues. They knew that multiple news outlets were investigating Lauer's off-camera conduct.

 

NBC News chairman Andrew Lack said in an early morning memo to staff that the complaint was filed on Monday night. Lack said it was the first complaint lodged against Lauer in his career at the network. But he also said "we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident."

 

Indeed, Lack and other NBC News executives have known for weeks that damaging stories could be coming out soon.

 

Reporters for The New York Times have been investigating Lauer for weeks, according to sources who had been contacted by the Times.

[Moondance]

... Must be something big to fire someone of his stature? ...

I understand that thought, which a lot of people are going to have, but maybe it misses the real point, which is not that the accusation necessarily has to be about "something big," but that we have entered a new reality of ZERO TOLERANCE.

... or he "touched" someone big.....

On the other hand, maybe our collective consciousness has been sufficiently raised that we should consider the opposite: that maybe in the current climate, with employers (finally) greatly concerned about a safe workplace, it looks even worse to have harassed someone "small" -- someone much younger, less powerful, not influential, not a star.

[Jakeenct]

I'm waiting for the men to start coming out with statements of sexual misconduct they've experienced from women. Don't think it happens?

[Walker1]

I'm waiting for the men to start coming out with statements of sexual misconduct they've experienced from women. Don't think it happens?

I have shared in the other thread -it happened to me.

[bigvalboy]

I understand that thought, which a lot of people are going to have, but maybe it misses the real point, which is not that the accusation necessarily has to be about "something big," but that we have entered a new reality of ZERO TOLERANCE.

 

This....

[Walker1]

I think what I was trying to say was he has never been accused in 20 years. Accusation comes in this Monday, he is fired Tuesday. Usually they do an investigation-you can't just fire somebody on an accusation-or is that what it has come to now? Unless they had hard proof.

 

My own experience, if that fat Chinese lady is still working-do I just say anything and she should be fired, based on my recollection from decades ago? I believe evidence need to be presented.

 

I guess it is not a court of law and corporations will take action to avoid lawsuits. I just hope it does not devolve into where mere accusations can fell careers.

 

It can't turn into a witch hunt. As someone who experienced the other side -of being harassed by a woman -stayed there because at that time it was the perfect job, I am very sympathetic to victims. To be forced to stay in a job facing sexual harassment/assault because you have a mortgage , kids is soul crushing .

 

There are no easy answers.

[Okliehomo]

Clearly, that idiot in the Oval isn't familiar with the phrase " Mysogenists who live in glass houses".... who have also been accused of the same fricking thing by MULTIPLE women and even provided us with audio of his pussy grabbing ways should shut the Hell up.

 

If I was Al Franken etc etc etc... my only response would be....I will go in front of an Ethics Committee (or resign) when Trump does.

 

Just wish there was a way to fire his ignorant orange ass as easily as NBC did Lauer..... but that would take Ryan, McConnell etc crawling out of the aforementioned orange ass and that obviously isn't going to happen.

 

Sad.

 

Admin note: Your reply belongs in the Politics Forum.

Edited November 29, 2017 by Cooper

[+ stevenkesslar]

I think what I was trying to say was he has never been accused in 20 years. Accusation comes in this Monday, he is fired Tuesday. Usually they do an investigation-you can't just fire somebody on an accusation-or is that what it has come to now? Unless they had hard proof.

 

I think the reality is that for so long this has been swept under the rug, that it turns out that - geez! what a shocker! - it is massive when it finally is brought into plain view.

 

I've referenced it before, but this is a concept worth repeating. TIME argued that it takes 20 to 30 percent of women to be in positions of power in an industry for there to be a tipping point. Before that, it is ignored or the victim is shamed and blamed. That's a theory, not a fact. But if it's true, there's going to be more of this. It's a time of reckoning.

 

Precisely because it has been swept under the rug for so long, I don't know that anyone has clear numbers on how much of this goes on, or went on. I don't think it's as easy to measure this as, say, the growth in income inequality. Samantha Bee summed it up nicely on her show, recently. She said if you need proof, just ask any woman.

 

I'm waiting for the men to start coming out with statements of sexual misconduct they've experienced from women. Don't think it happens?

 

One other thing that I'll throw into this pot is an interview Trevor Noah did this week with Esther Perel, other of State of Affairs, which is a book about the nuances and complexity of infidelity in marriages. In the interview, she seemed to argue that the reason that men are historically the ones who cause most infidelity is that women have been more economically vulnerable or dependent in a marriage. As women gain economic power, we may learn that what we thought we knew isn't true anymore. Maybe women's desires are different than we thought. She's speaking from decades of experience delving into the intimate relationships of hundreds of real couples, so she probably knows something. But there is not neatly measurable data.

 

In a "sheconomy," maybe women will act more like men - meaning infidelity, using their power over subordinates sexually. I don't think we really know. But there certainly are anecdotes. While the picture is this is mostly done by powerful men, of all races - for every Trump and Clinton there's a Cosby and Conyers - it can also be Gays and women. Surely, there must be one Lesbian with roaming hands out there, too???

 

My point is that there is reason to believe this is sort of like the same sex marriage thing. Nothing changes, and nothing changes, and nothing changes. And then there is a tipping point, and everything changes. And we have to rediscover and relearn what we thought we knew.

Edited November 29, 2017 by stevenkesslar

[bigvalboy]

Details emerge on Matt Lauer's alleged history of sexual misconduct following 'Today' firing

[+ stevenkesslar]

Details emerge on Matt Lauer's alleged history of sexual misconduct following 'Today' firing

 

Kudos to NBC for getting ahead of it.

 

"Lauer is among the worst I've heard about," [Yashar] Ali [of Huff Post] added. "Not in terms of the kind of misconduct but the way in which he manipulated these women into silence. It's evil, frightening stuff."

 

Edited November 29, 2017 by stevenkesslar

[Walker1]

Details emerge on Matt Lauer's alleged history of sexual misconduct following 'Today' firing

It makes sense now. I was going by the statement Andy lack put out-it didn't make sense. Must be corporate legalese-nobody complained to us in 20 years so NBC is not liable for any lawsuits .

That is what I was wondering, you don't just fire someone this high on one accusation.

[LaffingBear]

I have very mixed feelings about the still-developing wave of revelations regarding harassment in our workplaces.

• Its gone on too long as a dirty, unaddressed behavior.
  
• I'm glad its getting attention. Light is a disinfectant, and perhaps the behavior can be prevented
  
• I think its important that the exposure may be empowering women to speak out.
  

These positives acknowledged, I can't help thinking

• Its playing out more publicly than I care to see. I dont know what the alternative should be...handling it quietly, secretly, perpetuates the problem. Perhaps the exposures could be announced in a more low-key manner.
  
• It feels as if much of the reporting, investigative and exposure, is for sensationalism - and ratings. They're not reporting it and the public's not watching for altruistic reasons. It's become a giant game of GOTCHA.
  
• It will come down to money. The women harassed will file for emotional damages, creative charges of career hampering, etc. Many of the claims will be justified, some exagerated, and eventually, exploitive scammers will flock to the playing field.
  
• Ruining careers is really not a solution. But neither are apologies and moving-on. Not sure what the productive response is... perhaps a public figure apologizing, entering counseling with public progress reports, and very public service, such as work at women's shelters, or active participation as anti-harassment trainers.
  
• Once again, the consuming public will respond based upon their prior attitudes. If they disliked the publiic persona, they'll take some pleasure in seeing him toppled. If they liked the guy, they'll be disappointed or sad. The victims wont be of any significant concern.
  

The whole situation makes me feel very cynical about the way we address systemic problems.

[Kenny]

Donald Trump calling attention to himself ---just can not stop himself.

Trump is like the closeted homo in Congress who thinks that voting anti-gay will help him to hide. Fool.

 

Another Trump tweet this morning: “So now that Matt Lauer is gone when will the Fake News practitioners at NBC be terminating the contract of Phil Griffin? And will they terminate low ratings Joe Scarborough based on the “unsolved mystery” that took place in Florida years ago? Investigate!”

 

That “unsolved mystery” is that Scarborough was banging the intern who turned up dead, a suicide or accident, in his district office when he was a Congressman. Markos Moulitsos got banned from MSNBC for bringing up the subject a couple years ago.

 

Admin Note: Your reply belongs in the Politics Forum.

Edited November 29, 2017 by Cooper

[+ stevenkesslar]

And then there's this take, put together by some lunatic on the Trump Train. Interesting concept, executed without even the slightest hint of irony.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5pYfDAZ-h8

[TruthBTold]

I say bring on Susie Orman. How many lesbians do you hear this sort of thing about?

[Kenny]

Given that Lauer’s long-term philandering was a poorly kept secret, and given that lots of reporters at other news outlets (NYT, HuffPo, etc.) had been working on the story for many months, how is it that Savannah, Koda and the others boo-hooing on the TV about the ousting of their dear friend Matt are so shocked and surprised? They really are crappy journalists. Maybe they should be let go, too, for cause.

[+ stevenkesslar]

I have very mixed feelings about the still-developing wave of revelations regarding harassment in our workplaces.

• Its gone on too long as a dirty, unaddressed behavior.
  
• I'm glad its getting attention. Light is a disinfectant, and perhaps the behavior can be prevented
  
• I think its important that the exposure may be empowering women to speak out.
  

These positives acknowledged, I can't help thinking

• Its playing out more publicly than I care to see. I dont know what the alternative should be...handling it quietly, secretly, perpetuates the problem. Perhaps the exposures could be announced in a more low-key manner.
  
• It feels as if much of the reporting, investigative and exposure, is for sensationalism - and ratings. They're not reporting it and the public's not watching for altruistic reasons. It's become a giant game of GOTCHA.
  
• It will come down to money. The women harassed will file for emotional damages, creative charges of career hampering, etc. Many of the claims will be justified, some exagerated, and eventually, exploitive scammers will flock to the playing field.
  
• Ruining careers is really not a solution. But neither are apologies and moving-on. Not sure what the productive response is... perhaps a public figure apologizing, entering counseling with public progress reports, and very public service, such as work at women's shelters, or active participation as anti-harassment trainers.
  
• Once again, the consuming public will respond based upon their prior attitudes. If they disliked the publiic persona, they'll take some pleasure in seeing him toppled. If they liked the guy, they'll be disappointed or sad. The victims wont be of any significant concern.
  

The whole situation makes me feel very cynical about the way we address systemic problems.

 

This will sound weird, but your post made me feel good.

 

The word that struck me from that YouTube of Savannah Guthrie above is the word "transparent." That works for me. For the most part, I don't feel like the media failed in the past year. I read TIME and The Economist and I knew everything I needed to know last year about why and how Trump would be a disaster. And guess what? He is a disaster. So I don't feel cynical about the media. They did their job. So now the media is doubling down on bringing the truth forward, and I'd argue it's gradually working. But there's a whole hell of a lot of people out there who just want to ignore facts. To the point of saying The Washington Post and The New York Times are basically toilet paper and the only value of them is to wipe shit from your ass.

 

So the predatory sexual harassment theme will play out the same. I don't feel cynical about the media on that one, either. They are doing their job. And there is this reaction of, "This is really uncomfortable, and maybe it's unfair." What you said above sounds honest, emotional, and transparent - and conflicted. I'm glad it's getting attention, but I don't care to see it. Savannah Guthrie's very personal statement hit the same conflicted themes: I love this guy, but I respect the courage of the women who came forward and called him out for being a pig. How do you get your mind around that duality?

 

Your post actually made me feel good, in the sense that this is how change works. There is no easy or simple or clean way to do change. People like Lauer and Conyers and Clinton and Trump got away with this for a very long time. And, yeah, there will be people who manipulate it and abuse it. But mostly it feels like the message is getting through and we are being forced to deal with some very dirty laundry that needs to be cleaned.

Edited November 29, 2017 by stevenkesslar

[bigvalboy]

Given that Lauer’s long-term philandering was a poorly kept secret, and given that lots of reporters at other news outlets (NYT, HuffPo, etc.) had been working on the story for many months, how is it that Savannah, Koda and the others boo-hooing on the TV about the ousting of their dear friend Matt are so shocked and surprised? They really are crappy journalists. Maybe they should be let go, too, for cause.

 

Exactly...

 

Although it is not in this video clip, Stephanie Ruhle ended her show this morning tearing up over Matt Lauer. Like Weinstein, he apparently was a known predator, using his power to control the women he abused.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miSvecHDZE0

Edited November 29, 2017 by bigvalboy

[bostonman]

Cynic that I have become, I am waiting for the royal tweet about "failing NBC News" and Lauer's demise. I can't imagine that the moron who can throw out a "pocohontas" slur during an honor ceremony for American Indians and retweet anti-Muslim videos will be able to resist.