Foster Friess Apologizes For Suggesting Bayer Aspirin As Contraception Method

[Botany]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/17/foster-friess-bayer-aspirin-contraception_n_1284387.html

Foster Friess, the main donor to a super PAC aligned with Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, apologized for his comments suggesting Bayer Aspirin as a contraception method.

In a blog post, the Wyoming billionaire first tried to explain the comment he made Thursday on Andrea Mitchell's MSNBC show.

"My aspirin joke bombed as many didn’t recognize it as a joke but thought it was my prescription for today’s birth control practices," he wrote on "Foster's Campfire Blog," where he posts along with other contributors. "In fact, the only positive comments I got were from folks who remembered it from 50 years back. Birth control pills weren’t yet available, so everyone laughed at the silliness on how an aspirin could become a birth control pill."

"After listening to the segment tonight, I can understand how I confused people with the way I worded the joke and their taking offense is very understandable," he wrote. "To all those who took my joke as modern day approach I deeply apologize and seek your forgiveness." He noted that his wife didn't like the joke, either

****************

It wasn't a joke but a crude sexist comment where Fries tried to say if women just wouldn't spread their
legs (aka have sex) then they wouldn't need birth control.

[mailman82]

1. It was not a joke!

It is what these creatons believe! It's always a joke or they blame the media!

[xtraxritical]

25. It was very objectionable, but yes it was a joke...

I'm old enough to remember it being told to me many years ago. It was not very funny then and these days it is beyond lame. It's currently getting the response it deserves.

[tavalon]

64. I didn't hear how he worded it

But the old joke went something like this: the woman was to put an aspirin between her knees, thereby keeping her legs closed. Not particularly funny then and downright offensive today.

[Mojorabbit]

72. I am old enough to remember it also

It was a crude way to blame any lapses on the woman for not keeping her legs closed. You are right, it was not funny then and it isn't now.

[patrice]

43. "Jokes" can be a very effective form of aggression. nt

[yardwork]

59. Yes, exactly.

[mlevans]

54. "cretins", my friend.

[SemperEadem]

60. Right! It's always a joke when the joke bombs

and everyone misunderstands them and the librul meeeeeedia is trying to silence the conservative viewpoint, blah blah fuckin' blah...

hey freiss--why not just take the safe approach and keep your damn mouth shut when it comes to topics about which it is not fit for you to weigh in on. That would be contraception choices for all of the women you did not sire as your offspring or marry to carry and birth said offspring.

[unblock]

2. just to be clear, it WAS a joke, though also a crude sexist comment.

i remember it from when i was a kid, in the early days of "the pill".

it was a not very funny joke in poor taste back then, and is even less funny and in worse taste today.

[yellowcanine]

40. Maybe but people need to get over the idea that "joke" is any kind of excuse for offensive language.

If anything, couching something as a "joke" actually makes it worse because it puts the onus on the victim of the "joke" to not take offense because it was just a "joke" and you should not be so sensitive.

[unblock]

48. agreed

it's a bit like telling someone offended that they're overreacting.
patronizing at best.

saying something was "intended as a joke" would be better than saying "it was just a joke".

in this case it was an actual, old joke from 40 or so years ago, but it was if it ever was appropriate, its time has long passed.
certainly there's no shortage of insensitive, racist, sexist, or otherwise bigotted jokes from the 50's or 60's that do NOT need to be resurrected.

[TahitiNut]

69. Yup. Old and lame. It was lame then and it's lame now.

[niyad]

3. no, frosty, it wasn't a joke. you demonstrated that you are a clueless cretin, but nice try.

the fact that you would think that the battle over woman's autonomy is a joke tells us everything we need to know about you

[deutsey]

4. Bullshit

"everyone laughed at the silliness on how an aspirin could become a birth control pill"

That is not what "everyone" was laughing about and this jerk knows it...

As the OP says, that was NOT the implication of his "joke"...

[annabanana]

5. "He noted that his wife didn't like the joke, either"

The thing is.. He's not just some random, individual backwater jackass. He's Santorum's sugar daddy and his view is the actual view of them all. He was just stupid and clueless enough to say it out loud.

[INdemo]

29. Maybe...we could have more sanity in the world if his

Mother would have used the aspirin method??
..................................................................
Just for the hell of it I visited his blog and I cant say I was shocked at all the Bull shit...well typical ..but Bush Jr had very little if anything to do with the financial crisis, it was all Clintons fault

I remember in 1996 I was working a construction project which came about as a result of Clinton's budget allowing it.. I commented to a Republican co-worker about it and he proclaimed it was all because of 'Reagans trickle down economy..yes it was still trickling 16 years after the fact.

[iandhr]

6. I am speechless

[Mira]

7. It was a re-run of what supposedly

was thought of as funny a long time ago, and it wasn't funny then, either.
He showed his age, his inability to discern how, just as you said, crude and sexist it was, as he tried to take such a serious subject lightly.

What is missed in my opinion from the discussion of this offensive statement is the underlying lack of responsibility of MEN in their co-responsibility of WOMEN getting pregnant.
They get away with acting out that they think it is not their problem. They want to be in charge of the playground but if something breaks it's an act of God and they had nothing to do with it.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

[mlevans]

55. This is a very good point.

Perhaps if he had applied another joke along the lines of men having their equipment tied in a know or (god forbid!) lopped off in tandem with the aspirin remedy it might have been acceptable. But only barely.

[CrispyQ]

65. Well said!

They want to be in charge of the playground but if something breaks it's an act of God and they had nothing to do with it.

Ditto on the & I'll add afew of these

[Johnny2X2X]

8. Amazing

I am stunned that the GOP want to make this campaign about Birth Control. Don't they realize how crazy they look? Don't they realize this is a terrible and losing issue for them?

Are they this desperate already?

[Harmony Blue]

10. It is a calculated risk

Take a beating on birth control, or have to cede that the economy is turning around under Obama. Their goal is to misdirect even if means taking a PR hit. Of course if they prolong this too long till election day this may backfire.

[CAPHAVOC]

13. Just Stupid. I think it is that simple.

[chervilant]

32. Actually,

yes, I think they're desperate, AND clueless.

[Why Syzygy]

9. It wasn't a JOKE!

It was a trainwreck. It was wrong because we didn't get it? This guy is STUPID and OFFENSIVE.

And THIS is the kind of sub life form who become millionaires in this society. We are SCREWED.

[GoldenOldie]

11. It wasn't funny when he was young ....

certainly not funny 2012.

No matter how wealthy, nor how well dressed, a fool still remains a fool! I am about his age and I could just imagine if I made such a stupid statement heard by millions of viewers....how my children and grandchildren would react....it wouldn't be pretty!

[alfredo]

12. Would generic aspirin work?

[Orangepeel]

14. So he thinks people were offended because they took him literally

And now that he's explained that he was only joking, people should be okay with it.

[wryter2000]

15. What I found interesting

He was on O'Donnell last night, and he clearly didn't know that Santorum opposed birth control. He denied that several times. I didn't get the impression he was lying. He just didn't know his candidate's position.

[SunSeeker]

33. Yup. Freiss didn't even know Santorum opposed all birth control.

That's because Freiss doesn't give a crap about Santorum's position on birth control -- all he cares about is making sure he has an obedient meat puppet who will do his evil bidding on tax policy so he can get even richer.

[RufusTFirefly]

52. In fairness to that buffoon, Santorum's stance on birth control has been pretty confusing

In 2006, this is what Santorum said in an interview with Barry Nolan:

I—look, I vote and have supported, you know, birth control, because it is not the taking of a human life. But, you know, I’m not a believer in birth control, in artificial birth control. Again, I think it goes down the line of being able to do whatever you want to do without having the responsibility that comes with that. And I don’t think it—it breaks what I think—and this is from a personal point of view. From a governmental point of view, I support, you know, Title X, I guess it is, and have voted for contraception and—although I don’t think it works.

[asjr]

16. When will the makers of Bayer aspirin file

suit against him? Will there now be a run on aspirin? Bayer, that is.

[radical noodle]

17. What a jerk...

I remember it from 50 years ago, but never thought of it as a joke. There was always a sincere "just don't have sex" meaning to it.

I bet he wouldn't like his wife to use that method... but if these guys keep it up they're likely to find out just how uncomfortable an aspirin between their wives knees will become.

I am fed up with all this sexist nonsense.

[tawadi]

18. Guess that "strategy" he alluded to did NOT work so well, even back then

Considering how our planet is overrun with people..like rodents.

http://www.overpopulation.org

[chervilant]

34. Excellent link

I especially appreciate the piece about Constance Johnson's efforts to amend the ridiculous and sexist pending Oklahoma 'personhood' legislation with:

"provided, however, any action in which a man ejaculates or otherwise deposits semen anywhere but in a woman's vagina shall be interpreted and construed as an action against an unborn child."

The article continues with

Ms Johnson's amendment seeks to draw attention to the absurdity, duplicity and lack of balance inherent in the policies of this state in regard to women. Oklahoma already incarcerates more women than any other place in the world.

I hope 'Republican' women can see how damaging is the oppressive intent of the GOP, and cast their votes in a more 'progessive' manner.

...a girl can dream.

[Old and In the Way]

19. It's not the joke...it's the policies behind the joke that people are outraged about.

You and the wannabe cleric-in-chief need to know, the only joke we see is the moron who thinks he can be President with this platform.

[FarLeftFist]

20. And that ladies and gentlemen is why we don't want rich old people running our country.

[INdemo]

57. hello

"why we don't want rich old people running our country" Rich people own this country...
The Corporate mafia has been running this country sicne the complete take over in 2000...And we cannot change it. They will pull and tug at us untill they get everything and then tell us how well off we are...
10 Major banks own 77% of our country's wealth,and we dont have the rich running our country now?


10 Banks Own 77% of U.S. Banking Assets

http://seekingalpha.com/article/280289-10-banks-own-77-of-u-s-banking-assets

[alcibiades_mystery]

21. Fake ass apology

"To those of you too stupid to understand my old-timey folksy joke, I assure you it was just a joke we used to tell, not an actual prescription for what you should do today, though I can't believe you're stupid enough to believe I was giving a prescription!"

That's the essence of this asshole's "apology." Here's a clue, Foster Friess, you monumental dickhead: we all got that it was a joke: the problem is that it is a joke that reveals an underlying disdain for women's sexuality - one that runs through the entire conservative movement. So we got that you weren't giving an actual policy talk, but rather joking around in your usual wanker, misogynist way...but that's the problem in a nutshell. You can make women-hating, "slut-shaming" jokes on national television without even realizing how fucking odious they are.

[erinlough]

41. You nailed it!

[SemperEadem]

61. :: applauding wildly ::

very well said.

[Paladin]

73. Nicely Put. (n/t)

[Pachamama]

22. Take two aspirins and DONT call me in the morning....

I will say that his "joke" was not funny at all....it mocks the rights of women and it also insults and implies that it is womens jobs to just "close their legs" and that pregnancy is their responsibility.

That old pervert who is the main bankroller of Rick Santorum is a pig...he can pretend that he didnt mean it or doesnt know what the exact views of Santorum are, but reality is that he knows damn well and he revealed very clearly what their views of women are.....

[Iliyah]

23. Why is it that when goppers make outlandish

comments, which are basically how they truly feel, backlash comes, and HEY it was a JOKE?

A big piece of S**T. He meant it because these goppers thinks of women as objects and property that they want to control completely.

[Mz Pip]

24. Family planning isn't something to joke about

especailly when you have a major political party working to eliminate it.

IT'S. NOT. FUNNY.

And of course he gave the standard non-apology apology - "To all those ..."

[livetohike]

26. My sister works for Bayer at their US corporate headquarters in Pgh.

I will ask her what Bayer thinks of this .

[beac]

50. A corporate headache that no amount of their product can cure, I'm guessing.

They say there's no such thing as bad publicity, but I can't imagine any company wanting to be dragged into this anti-woman brawl, however tangentially.

[JohnnyRingo]

27. Why doesn't anyone get the joke?

That women who take birth control pills are whores. If they weren't, they wouldn't have to worry about getting themselves knocked up. Hahahahaha

This unfortunate "blame the woman" mindset has been around for too many years. Just like Foster Friess.

[INdemo]

31. If you are baby boomer remember that girls would use the same

aspirin joke and no one felt insulted or thought it was referring to other girls as permissquis? Did I spell that right?
and that was before birth control pill...

[chervilant]

36. Durn..

"No one felt insulted"?! I and many of my peers--both female AND male--felt insulted. Many of us worked diligently to secure women's reproductive rights.

[JohnnyRingo]

37. I do remember it...

...and it's true it was accepted as a humorous anecdote in those days, but so was any story about "jewing somebody down". Nobody looked around for lurking Hebrews before telling it back then, but if Friess said it today he'd raise at least as much public scorn, and rightly so.

As a successful self made professional, I think Andrea Mitchel was rightly shocked at the age old reference that sexual liberation is the mark of a loose woman.

Friess wouldn't appologize if he weren't in the wrong.

[uppityperson]

44. I am of that age, heard it back then and was insulted that all I had to do to keep from being

was not spread my legs. Yes, we did feel insulted.

[LeftyMom]

56. promiscuous

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/promiscuous

[INdemo]

58. Thank You

I rushed through that post and did a terrible job of trying to convey my point of view but thanks for the spelling lesson...

[4_TN_TITANS]

28. LOL....

Man, I love this place!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

30. Learn from Earl Butz

Don't tell stupid jokes to reporters.

Duh.

[DearAbby]

35. Epic fail

To insinuate those who need birth control are sluts. Hateful view of women, either you are a virgin, or a slut.

[RainDog]

38. fuck off and die, Foster Friess n/t

[jwirr]

39. He said that anyone under 50 did not GET the joke. I am 70 and it was no joke then and it is not now

[patrice]

42. Brings up something I have been thinking about: With a few exceptions, most of the attractive and

actually interesting guys these days are gay.

So, Foster, perhaps the kind of "men" you're talking about have to engage in more or less coercive behaviors and your remark takes advantage of the Plausible Deniability that such "men" use so often to excuse THEMSELVES at the expense of women . . . so, perhaps you can also see why a lot of women aren't spreading it for anyone anymore and you, Foster, are an example of why a lot of women are wondering where all of the good men went.

[lovuian]

45. It just shows how this billionaire donor of Sanatorum

looks at women

as underclass citizens and stupid

when it is he who looked very stupid on public television

The propagandists Andrea Mitchell who interviewed him

couldn't have set him up better

Santorum is Pathetic as well as Romney
Palin and Bachman

all running on withholding contraception for women


Women are way too smart for this crap

[Canuckistanian]

63. "donor of Santorum"

That's hilarious

[Vogon_Glory]

46. So What Were The Teen Pregnancy Rates Back In Your Boyhood, Mr. Friess?

So what were the teen pregnancy rates back in your boyhood, Mr. Friess? I'd bet dollars to donuts that the teen pregnancy rates were HIGHER than they are today.

Looks like that aspirin didn't work so well as you thought, did it? And if you or your pet politician can't face inconvenient facts, there's no good reason for sending him to Washington again to foul up another time.

[beac]

49. Don't forget to add the stats on deaths from back alley abortions to Mr. Friess'

trip down memory lane.

Of course, those "lives" didn't matter. Only zygotes are worthy of "personhood" and protection in Friess' Let's-Go-Back-to-The Fifties fantasy.

[Myrina]

47. ... because he got flak from the lobbyists at Tylenol and Excedrin ...

... claiming that their product would work just as well as a Bayer.

[RoccoR5955]

51. He's the only one who needs an assburn...

I mean aspirin... sorry for the poor spelling, but then again, not sorry. No joke either.

[Yavin4]

53. You Know, A Woman Can Hold An Aspirin Between Her Knees And Still Get Pregnant

It can be done. It would take some dexterity, but it could still be done.

[fascisthunter]

62. Take the Cowboy Hat off, you Pretentious Dork!

[47of74]

66. God, would someone PLEASE take that picture of Friess off the front page

My man parts are inching closer and closer to the back of my throat every time I see that damn picture.

[Beartracks]

67. "I used to be sexually adventurous; then I took an aspirin to the knees."

Skyrim humor. Sorry.

[glinda]

68. Again. Repub. says something and then "Oh my... I am so so sorry".

[secondvariety]

70. Typical

GOP humor-unfunny jokes from the vaudeville days. Maybe Friess can put an aspirin between his lips and keep his gob hole shut.

[Gringostan]

71. It wasn't a joke

Exactly. It wasn't a joke and the misogynist right wing neanderthals still think it's a great idea.

[DCBob]

74. Too late. This is one of those unique comments that will be remembered for a long long time.

and the GOP, especially Santorum will pay the political price.