actor who provides voice for Geico's Gecko fired for criticising Tea Party

[JohnWxy]

http://theweek.com/article/index/202144/The_Tea_Party_vs_the_voice_of_GEICO

Lance Baxter has been fired from his job as the "voice of GEICO" after he called Tea Partiers "retarded" in a voicemail message to the Tea Party group FreedomWorks. Baxter, also known as D.C. Douglas, is the actor who says "GEICO, real service, real savings" in GEICO's ads. After his recorded remarks were posted on biggovernment.com, along with his cellphone number, Douglas accused the Tea Party of launching a campaign against him: "Harass my employer to get me fired is an egregiously disproportionate response to my actions." Did the Tea Party bully GEICO into firing him — or was the company just taking appropriate action? (Below: Listen to a recording of Baxter's angry voicemail message)

So much for free speech, Tea Partiers: I thought the Tea Party was in favor of the constitution, says Nicole Belle at Crooks and Liars. But after Baxter's criticisms they waged a "campaign of personal destruction" against him, circulating his cellphone number and encouraging people to call him and his employer. So Tea Partiers can exercise their first amendment rights, but not actors? "Chalk up yet another notch for incredible hypocrisy."



more here on DU:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x458088

[Jennicut]

1. Apparently free speech is only for the people who are not "un American".

Geico sucks if they let him go for this.

[paulsby]

6. he's a spokesperson and is paid for providing (literally) his voice

and then he uses his voice publically to make this statement etc.

i can't blame geico

[FSogol]

2. Your subject line is incorrect. He is not the voice of the Gecko. n/t

[NoPasaran]

3. "Harassment: So easy a caveman can do it!"

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. and only a caveman would do it.

Probably why the rightwingers are so against the idea of evolution, because they know they've never evolved.

[pinboy3niner]

5. "So Tea Partiers can exercise their first amendment rights, but not actors?"

This is obviously NOT a First Amendment issue. The amendment protects citizens against actions by GOVERNMENT. :eyes:

(Ed. to insert quote marks)

[JuniperLea]

7. Do as they say, not as they do...

Hypocrites. Free speech is only for those who agree with the TeaBaggers, apparently.

[Raspberry]

10. You do understand that this isn't a First Amendment issue,

right? And it really is no different from us boycotting sponsors of Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Oh, and BTW, it was a monumentally stupid thing for a spokesman to do. Totally predictable outcome. Obviously he isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer.

[JuniperLea]

11. I understand that, they don't...

I'm framing this from their perspective... and they are hypocrites.

[brendan120678]

8. He wasn't the voice of the Gecko...that is someone else.

He was just a voice-over actor for GEICO.

[IndianaGreen]

12. That's a real gecko on the commercial

The gecko has yet to explain that he is really a Brit, not an Aussie.

[awoke_in_2003]

13. he is neither...

he is a Kenyan Muslin :)

[PSzymeczek]

14. He's actually a Cockney

fron the East End.

[IndianaGreen]

17. Like Michael Caine

:-)

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Recursion]

15. He's not the Gecko

He's the "So easy, a caveman could do it". Not the caveman himself, but the narrator that continually pisses the cavemen off.

[Initech]

16. Fuck the tea party!!!!!!

[meow2u3]

18. New slogan for Geico

So easy, a teabagger can fire the spokesman.