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Dennis Donovan

(18,770 posts)
Fri Feb 28, 2020, 03:39 PM Feb 2020

Laura Bassett: Like Warren, I Had My Own Sexist Run-In with Chris Matthews

Last edited Fri Feb 28, 2020, 04:31 PM - Edit history (1)



Laura Bassett ✔@LEBassett

In 2017, I wrote about a cable news host being gross and inappropriate with me. I was afraid to name him at the time. I'm not anymore; it was Chris Matthews! And his sexist exchange with Warren this week inspired me to revisit those moments and name him

https://www.gq.com/story/chris-matthews-experience
Like Warren, I Had My Own Sexist Run-In with Chris Matthews
The Hardball anchor frequently demeans women guests both on and off air.


1:53 PM - Feb 28, 2020


https://www.gq.com/story/chris-matthews-experience

Like Warren, I Had My Own Sexist Run-In with Chris Matthews
The Hardball anchor frequently demeans women guests, with objectifying and belittling comments, both on and off air.

BY LAURA BASSETT

February 28, 2020

Chris Matthews has a history of off colored remarks towards women.

<snip>

In 2017, I wrote a personal essay about a much older, married cable news host who inappropriately flirted with me in the makeup room a few times before we went live on his show, making me noticeably uncomfortable on air. I was afraid to name him at the time for fear of retaliation from the network; I’m not anymore. It was Chris Matthews. In 2016, right before I had to go on his show and talk about sexual assault allegations against Donald Trump, Matthews looked over at me in the makeup chair next to him and said, “Why haven’t I fallen in love with you yet?”

When I laughed nervously and said nothing, he followed up to the makeup artist. “Keep putting makeup on her, I’ll fall in love with her.”

Another time, he stood between me and the mirror and complimented the red dress I was wearing for the segment. “You going out tonight?” he asked.

I said I didn’t know, and he said—again to the makeup artist—“Make sure you wipe this off her face after the show. We don’t make her up so some guy at a bar can look at her like this.”

</snip>


He's been under fire all week for comparing one Dem candidate's rise to the Nazi invasion of Poland, plus The Daily Show put together a creepy video of him leering at different women through the years.

39 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Laura Bassett: Like Warren, I Had My Own Sexist Run-In with Chris Matthews (Original Post) Dennis Donovan Feb 2020 OP
way way past his expiration date ibegurpard Feb 2020 #1
Losing it lately. lagomorph777 Feb 2020 #23
Retire already, please n/t hibbing Feb 2020 #26
He probably thought he was being charming and flirty, instead of sleazy. BusyBeingBest Feb 2020 #2
I would believe it. I can't stand the guy. Jamastiene Feb 2020 #3
I've nailed various of his traits for 15-20 years, including misogyny/updated for WARREN paragraph 2 UTUSN Feb 2020 #4
Enlightening info. JaneQPublic Feb 2020 #10
It's an old chestnut of mine that I dig up sporadically. One DUer said, UTUSN Feb 2020 #11
Who is "G.E.RUSSERT"? JHB Feb 2020 #18
You got it. UTUSN Feb 2020 #22
A guy you didn't find attactive flirted with you? Bok_Tukalo Feb 2020 #5
Let's fill this out just a smidgen gratuitous Feb 2020 #9
At this point it really shouldn't need to be explained. Merlot Feb 2020 #16
Shouldn't, but for some reason . . . gratuitous Feb 2020 #17
seriously? Voltaire2 Feb 2020 #13
I replied to wrong post. UTUSN Feb 2020 #21
Buh-bye, Tweety Roland99 Feb 2020 #6
Yeah, Laura's a pretty serious journalist who likely just lost MSNBC gigs by saying so Dennis Donovan Feb 2020 #15
I remember he was rude and disrespectful to a new NOW president. Baitball Blogger Feb 2020 #7
Should have known his awful frown lines hid deep dark secrets? Brainfodder Feb 2020 #8
Except for Clair McCaskill shanti Feb 2020 #12
He's annoying AF. WhiskeyWulf Feb 2020 #14
It's in Variety now: Dennis Donovan Feb 2020 #19
wow, never knew this. Applaud this woman for coming forward. MSNBC. Do. Your. Job. iluvtennis Feb 2020 #20
Time to go and write a shitty book Matthews, retire NoMoreRepugs Feb 2020 #24
Out of here, Matthews. Paladin Feb 2020 #25
Character Assassination Roy Rolling Feb 2020 #27
Sexual harassment isn't "gossip" tishaLA Feb 2020 #34
and (a) there was a makeup artist present for some allegations; and (b) there is a pattern spooky3 Feb 2020 #36
Show sexual harassment evidence first Roy Rolling Mar 2020 #37
Her word is evidence. tishaLA Mar 2020 #38
Hated him since he swooned for Shrub's kairos12 Feb 2020 #28
I hated him since his 2000 interview with G Gordon Liddy rpannier Feb 2020 #29
Why are people so afraid to do, say things when they know they have to? Perseus Feb 2020 #30
This might do him in. LiberalFighter Feb 2020 #31
Both he Faux pas Feb 2020 #32
I've always been bothered Mr.Bill Feb 2020 #33
Too many men out there are clueless about this stuff Warpy Feb 2020 #35
Matthews has always seems like a 90s republican to me. WyattKansas Mar 2020 #39

lagomorph777

(30,613 posts)
23. Losing it lately.
Fri Feb 28, 2020, 05:24 PM
Feb 2020

I've always been pretty far to Tweety's left, but I used to tune in. I can't take his crap anymore.

BusyBeingBest

(8,049 posts)
2. He probably thought he was being charming and flirty, instead of sleazy.
Fri Feb 28, 2020, 03:43 PM
Feb 2020

I think these men don't understand how they sound, especially as they become important and people show them more and more deference. But, compared to Matt Lauer and Charlie Rose, this is merely icky.

UTUSN

(70,497 posts)
4. I've nailed various of his traits for 15-20 years, including misogyny/updated for WARREN paragraph 2
Fri Feb 28, 2020, 03:46 PM
Feb 2020
Etymology of "Tweety". During Campaign 2000 the media noise machine was swooning over the nicknames Shrub was giving some of them. Media Whores Online ran a contest to nickname Chris MATTHEWS. In the first three or so weeks, there was no clear, catchy front runner, with "The Screamer" sort of leading. Then one of MATTHEWS's own Hardball staff leaked to MWO that they themselves called him "Tweety" because of the Clairol shade of hair coloring he favored. This was immediately declared the winner. But in some quarters, it wasn't entirely satisfactory. For one thing, by the time the name was declared, the shade had changed to platinum, leading to a suggestion he be called "Carole LOMBARD".
   
Plus, "Tweety" sounded too affectionate. 

His Misogyny.  Then M-TV held its 20th or 25th or whatever anniversary, and all the cable echo chambers were doing segments of Britney shedding her duds down to almost nothing. Not to be left behind, Tweety followed suit, with a guest "culture" commentator from Time Mag, the young humor columnist, Joel STEIN. The staff kept re-running the Britney clip, and Tweety was clearly DROOLING disgustingly. STEIN said, "You're beginning to creep me out." Tweety responded, "Yeah, well, wait till YOU're 50." This led to the suggestion that "Tweety" be modified to "Tweezer" to retain the hair reference while canceling out the affection factor and also adding the (dirty old) "geezer" angle.
Back when, misogyny was a wink-wink/smirk-smirk thing among the old style flunkies like him, there were many examples of his, with HRC being his prime target for years until she was becoming a real contender, when he yearned to host her, but the bridges had been burned. 
But here's a vignette from back in the day, regarding his wife Kathleen. He deigned to host her or let her co-host a segment or so, this time with him and another recycled miscreant Mike BARNICLE. She was standing like at the front of a class and they two were sitting like the smirking, spit-balling, Catholic schoolboy-jerks that they really are. She trudged through her presentation, taking her subject seriously while the two of them smirked, giggled, and mocked all the way. But regarding Kathleen, he exemplifies one signature characteristic of misogynists: Despite the obviously hostile behaviors, they claim to adore, honor, put-on-a-pedestal women. And Tweety frequently does that over-compensating, protests-too-much thing by referring to her as, "MY QUEEN." 
*************So flash forward decades to the TWITLER atrocious era, specifically calling Senator WARREN “Pocahontas.” Tweety hosted her soon after a TWITLER episode of it, besides a manic outburst of his sputtering interrupting, almost giggling every time he said that name, catching himself each time then protesting that it was a horrible thing, like Beavis/Butthead giggling at a dirty word. So WARREN kept to the high road and that TWITLER was not going to silence her. So then he struck, like when he lashed out at DONAHUE. He was in bursting giggle mode and said, "So, for you 'Pocahontas' will be like a clarion call for you to come charging out!1" and he busted his gut. WARREN looked sucker punched. 

Darrell HAMMOND "Doing" Tweety on SNL. Tweety's ego was massively stroked after the debut of HAMMOND's impersonation of him, either in 2001 or 2002. He said, "I am now an ICON: I have been 'done' on Saturday Night Live'." The funniest line in the debut was HAMMOND as Tweety, cracking himself up with, "For the ... FIFTY ... people who watch this show...” (Hardball, not SNL). In the first few times HAMMOND featured him, the target was Tweety himself -- manically interrupting, spitting, and drooling. However, the characterization evolved, not true to the original, where Tweety became the "rational" character surrounded by oddball, extremist "guests", with HAMMOND-Tweety shaking his head in disbelief at their partisan spin.   

"Turning" from Being a Democrat. He (like G.E.RUSSERT and Pat CADDELL) still trades on having been a Democrat in the CARTER/O'NEILL era. In the hothouse of big time political flunkydom, STATUS and POWER come from the SUCCESS of your boss. RAYGUN kicked Tweety's bosses' rears, and Tweety gravitated to admiring that "success". When he started up his media career he was mentored by G.E. RUSSERT, who had himself already started "turning" by "reaching out" to LIMBOsevic and expending his formerly-Lib-bleeding-heart on those poor wingnuts who had been maligned and marginalized by the Liberal Elite, lo those many years. Tweety started doing video valentines to RAYGUN, promenading arm in arm with Nancy. He might have tapped into the frenzy of the FAKE impeachment, but "hatred of the CLINTONs" isn't what made him turn. The last time he was identifiably a Democrat was sometime around 1988 when Hardball (the book) was published.  Throughout the year of Campaign 2000 he savaged the Dem candidate daily and went on to years of bromance over Shrub, renouncing any Democratic heritage.  He said his parents were “cloth coat" (Rethugs), and that basically what first drew him to the Dem side was Irish-Catholic pride over JFK.  Not ideology, not idealism.  He said the reason he joined the Peace Corps was specifically to avoid going to Vietnam. 

How Tweety "Executed" DONAHUE on MSNBC. Tweety was on his book tour for another one of his "books" (large type, wide spaces between lines, blank half-pages). It was in the jingoistic hysteria in the run-up to the illegal Iraq attack. The book was about supposed "Americanism" -- an American Civ 101 ripoff about books and movies and cultural stuff that are essentially American (think, "The Great Gatsby" ). So Phil welcomed him as a colleague and peer on Phil's MSNBC show for the full hour to plug the book. From the moment he appeared, there was a strange, deadly snake look in Tweety's snake eyes. Phil was walking around the audience, apparently not sensing anything, while Tweety was motionless, following him only with his eyes. Phil brought up something or other questioning blind, kneejerk jingoism, and Tweety STRUCK! He started out with venom dripping, "You see, THIS is EXACTLY what's wrong with YOU Liberals: You are NEGATIVE about this country, you find NOTHING good about it," and on and on. It took awhile before Phil figured out what was happening. Later, Phil, devastated and spent, was sitting at the table with Tweety and, weaker and weaker, did some of his trademark shoulder shrugging and arm waving. Tweety delivered the coup de grace, "What's THIS (mimicking the movements)??!! What's with the --APE-- movements???!" Days or a week or two later, Phil's cancellation was announced and took effect. 

How Tweety "Triggered" a Gun Incident (re: Kathleen WILLEY). At the height of the FAKE impeachment, Ms WILLEY claimed that a mystery jogger had threatened her or her cat or somebody, with the insinuation that there was a CLINTON connection. Several months later, there was gossip that the jogger had been identified. Tweety hosted her and it appeared they had discussed the identity off camera. He tried mightily to get her to say the name on the air, which she wouldn't do. Finally, he himself blurted it out, "Was it (Name/Surname)?" She wouldn’t confirm it. Within days there was a bizarre incident, with the mentally disabled brother of Pat and Bay BUCHANAN going with a gun to the house of the supposed jogger named by Tweety, where there were only some foreign exchange students present. Later it was determined that the person Tweety named on the air had NOTHING to do with the supposed jogger incident. 

"Heroes" Tweety and Tom DeLAY. In the aftermath of the 07-24-98 shooting of two Capitol police officers when the slain officers were duly eulogized and called heroes, Tweety latched on to this, the way we have seen him attempt to glorify himself in other instances: Like saying he was assigned to Africa in the Peace Corps and "WALKED THE SAME GROUND" THAT CHURCHILL had passed through. Or when he said, "I am an ICON! I have been 'done' by SNL!". So now that the Capitol policemen were being called heroes, Tweety came forward to say that HE had been a Capitol policemen, TOO, JUST LIKE THEM, when he was starting out. It turns out that he had worked a (temporary?) job for three months as that. In all the years before the officers were shot and eulogized, he probably NEVER referred to that job, most likely thinking of it as a rent-a-cop turn, until he could see in retrospect the glory that he had been DESTINED to from the beginning.  But he is not the only glory hog. When that incident was happening, the news of the moment reported that Tom DELAY had hopped a plane out of town and immediately turned around in Houston when the incident was over. This show of courage is why he has been dubbed, "Tom-DePLANE!-DePLANE!-DELAY".  But searches of countless news reports of that time show no mention of the hopping-the-plane. Only this is left: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm /... "...House members, many rushing out of town, did not have to remain behind. DeLay slipped out the main door of the Capitol less than 15 minutes after the shooting. He looked stricken. Asked if he'd seen anything, he said, "Did I ever. I don't want to talk about it." Aides rushed him into his waiting car. ...."

------------







JaneQPublic

(7,113 posts)
10. Enlightening info.
Fri Feb 28, 2020, 04:06 PM
Feb 2020

I could barely stand him before; now, not at all.

His time slot on MSNBC should go to any number of deserving would-be hosts who -- unlike Tweety -- are NOT a sexist pig or a horrible interviewer.

UTUSN

(70,497 posts)
11. It's an old chestnut of mine that I dig up sporadically. One DUer said,
Fri Feb 28, 2020, 04:09 PM
Feb 2020

"When Tweety is on our side, there's nobody better."

It's just that there's all that REST of the time!1 (I say)






gratuitous

(82,849 posts)
9. Let's fill this out just a smidgen
Fri Feb 28, 2020, 04:05 PM
Feb 2020

A very powerful married guy with connections out the wazoo in the major media, invited a media colleague of much lesser stature to be on his show. On several occasions the powerful guy was overbearing, demeaning, and objectifying to the woman, someone whose career the powerful guy could crush on a whim.

Does it sound any more horrible now?

gratuitous

(82,849 posts)
17. Shouldn't, but for some reason . . .
Fri Feb 28, 2020, 04:44 PM
Feb 2020

Sorry, this isn't directed at you personally Merlot, but it's a bugaboo of mine own and has been for several years. Liberals and progressives often act as if they explain something once or twice with flawless logic and impeccable examples that everyone should "get it." I know I am often persuaded by facts and evidence as well as real world examples. You might be, too. Good on both of us.

But we fall down when it comes to the "Aw Jeez, not this crap again" stage. We thought we'd put the issue to bed, and everyone understood it. Now, maybe the feigned ignorance is troll behavior, but often it's impossible to tell for sure. Watching our conservative "friends," they never ever tire of trotting out the same old (often debunked) arguments. They hammer on it and hammer on it even when it's conclusively shown that whatever they're yammering about isn't true. It might go away for a while, but when the issues fades from memory, here it comes again because in certain hidden corners of social media the lie kept going, lying doggo until it was time to erupt again. I confess that sometimes I've forgotten why conservatives were wrong on this issue several months ago, and have to go searching for the counterargument again.

So I've resolved that when "everybody knows that sexual harassment is wrong" (or some other settled point), I'll take the time to explain it all again, even if it's exhausting, even if I might be getting trolled. Going through the argument again helps other people who want to push back against the ignorance, and keeps my tools sharp for the job. It shouldn't need to be explained, but I'll explain it again, just for the late arrivals and the folks in the back.

Dennis Donovan

(18,770 posts)
15. Yeah, Laura's a pretty serious journalist who likely just lost MSNBC gigs by saying so
Fri Feb 28, 2020, 04:14 PM
Feb 2020

IIRC, I saw her a few weekends ago on it.

Baitball Blogger

(46,576 posts)
7. I remember he was rude and disrespectful to a new NOW president.
Fri Feb 28, 2020, 03:57 PM
Feb 2020

Many moons ago. It was a weird television angle. The woman was in clear view of the camera, but Matthew's open hand was in the corner bottom of the shot. As he criticized her on her pro-choice stance it looked like he was going to smack her in the face.

Brainfodder

(6,423 posts)
8. Should have known his awful frown lines hid deep dark secrets?
Fri Feb 28, 2020, 04:05 PM
Feb 2020


He has a whiny demeanor for a wealthy journalist I find off & unappealing?

I guess it is his shtick, but for us it made his show intolerable unless REALLY REALLY into the topic at hand.

In summary: won't miss him 1iota, bubye!










WhiskeyWulf

(569 posts)
14. He's annoying AF.
Fri Feb 28, 2020, 04:13 PM
Feb 2020

But I'm sorry to hear this. I don't understand how people can still behave this way after all the attention the subject has received in recent decades.

Dennis Donovan

(18,770 posts)
19. It's in Variety now:
Fri Feb 28, 2020, 05:03 PM
Feb 2020
https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/chris-matthews-hardball-inappropriate-remarks-gq-1203519185/

MSNBC’s Chris Matthews Faces New Accusation of Inappropriate Remarks to Women
By VARIETY STAFF

A freelance journalist said in a column published Friday that veteran MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews made inappropriate comments to her while she was getting ready to appear on his program – the latest account of allegedly insensitive behavior over the years by the longtime political commentator.

Writing in GQ, journalist Laura Bassett described a 2016 encounter with Matthews while sitting in a makeup chair to appear on “Hardball,” the program he has anchored for many years. She writes: “Matthews looked over at me in the makeup chair next to him and said, ‘Why haven’t I fallen in love with you yet?’ When I laughed nervously and said nothing, he followed up to the makeup artist. ‘Keep putting makeup on her, I’ll fall in love with her.'”

An MSNBC spokesperson was not able to offer an immediate comment.

Matthews was reprimanded after being accused in 1999 of making inappropriate comments about a female employee, and the woman received a payment as a result, MSNBC confirmed in 2017. The network found Matthews made comments that were deemed to be in poor taste, but also determined they were not meant as propositions.

</snip>

NoMoreRepugs

(9,260 posts)
24. Time to go and write a shitty book Matthews, retire
Fri Feb 28, 2020, 05:41 PM
Feb 2020

and save yourself the embarrassment of being tarred and feathered.

Roy Rolling

(6,854 posts)
27. Character Assassination
Fri Feb 28, 2020, 06:14 PM
Feb 2020

That’s what this is called. Regardless of Matthew’s behavior with this one woman, the story is to smear Matthews and damage his reputation by insinuating that this woman’s experience is all there is to him.

Without context, it’s gossip. And gossip that masquerades as news is often propaganda because it has a motive, or two:

1. Revenge
2. Force him off the air

Neither of which makes a compelling argument why this is a political story and not, instead, a gossip story.

Matthews annoys me and is slowing down, but forcing him out with gossip is a Trump tactic.

tishaLA

(14,176 posts)
34. Sexual harassment isn't "gossip"
Fri Feb 28, 2020, 06:53 PM
Feb 2020

and MSNBC has had to settle with at least one woman previously because of Matthews' behavior.

Try not to diminish serious accusations made by a woman against a powerful man as "gossip," especially because that term is sexist in itself.

spooky3

(34,303 posts)
36. and (a) there was a makeup artist present for some allegations; and (b) there is a pattern
Fri Feb 28, 2020, 07:30 PM
Feb 2020

of bad behavior toward women, including insulting misogyny directed toward Hillary Clinton.

Roy Rolling

(6,854 posts)
37. Show sexual harassment evidence first
Sun Mar 1, 2020, 03:23 PM
Mar 2020

It isn’t gossip if there’s evidence. Accusations aren’t evidence. Accusations are how propagandists destroy a person’s reputation. Don’t accuse me of being sexist for being even-minded and not affected by hyperbole.

I’ve been fighting for women’s rights for decades, I don’t need a lecture on “understanding“. I understand propaganda and how it forces people from jobs prematurely.

Al Franken is one victim.

I don’t know Bassett from anyone, but she pinned this tweet to the top of her page. She’s very proud of cashing-in on her story, it’s her autobiography on Twitter.

"

rpannier

(24,304 posts)
29. I hated him since his 2000 interview with G Gordon Liddy
Fri Feb 28, 2020, 06:26 PM
Feb 2020

Matthews was all positive toward Liddy saying Liddy never wavered in his beliefs (hinting that Clinton and Gore were not men who stuck to their principles)

 

Perseus

(4,341 posts)
30. Why are people so afraid to do, say things when they know they have to?
Fri Feb 28, 2020, 06:27 PM
Feb 2020

It must have been my upbringing, but I have never been afraid to say what I need to say, to do what I have to do and to make sure I don't take shit from anyone. Why are people so afraid to do the right things and act when they know they have to?

Is it fear that keeps John Kelly, Bolton, Tillerson, and more to go to a TV station and tell all they know about the corruption they lived while in office? Why are they afraid? Have they been threatened, are their and their family's lives at stake?

But in this case, this woman who was afraid to mention Chris Mathews, why? The guy behaved like a pig, then let everyone know he is a pig, if he behaves that way then he wants to be known as a pig.

People have to stop fearing everything, I know it is easier said than done, but it leads to bigger problems when we don't act immediately, an example is Epstein, Weinstein, trump, etc.

Warpy

(110,913 posts)
35. Too many men out there are clueless about this stuff
Fri Feb 28, 2020, 07:09 PM
Feb 2020

and incapable of reading the cues when they're making us oh, anything from uncomfortable to downright nauseated. I don't know if their egos get in the way or they're just too used to tuning us out in conversations that aren't directed toward getting them laid.

It's so bad I've been really tempted to bite their sexist, clueless little heads off, but that would be counter productive to any effort I needed their support for, whether it's a 6 minute TV segment or that new job.

Hey genius! If she's pulling away from you in her seat and giving curt, one word answers, you can take it to the bank that SHE IS NOT INTERESTED IN SHAGGING YOU or even in being your frienc, since you're creeping her out.

WyattKansas

(1,648 posts)
39. Matthews has always seems like a 90s republican to me.
Sun Mar 1, 2020, 03:43 PM
Mar 2020

He landed a lucrative career coming from a middle class family. Now he is more worried about his own financial portfolio taking a hit if the economy leveled back out to what it was like when he rose to fame and fortune. Matthews got his and that is all that matters, so that is what is critically important to the country to him... And he speaks for America.

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