MSNBC Fires Host Savage for Wishing AIDS on Caller

Yahoo! News ^ | July 7, 2003 | Ben Berkowitz

[weegee]

This article neglects to mention what was heard prior to the "unintellgible". it was the name of 2 rival shock jocks.

The caller was a prank caller who proceeded to insult Michael Savage personally. The broadcast feed dumped the sound but Michael heard it in his earpiece.

Michael has also claimed that he thought that they were off the air at that point.

Michael apologized for the comments today and explained some of the background (but not the precise nature of the caller's insult).

[weegee]

This article also dropped his comment that the caller should eat a sausage and choke on it.

Both this and the AIDS comment could be summed up as "drop dead".

I thought at first that the sausage comment could have been a euphomism but from what I gather, there was some cooking on the show and even Michael was eating some sausage.

This article is a hatchet piece.

A commentator on CNN called Michael a neanderthal today. Don't look for that person's termination or for an apology.

[weegee]

That was Henry Hyde and family that Alec Baldwin advocated killing. He still gets plenty of positive exposure in the news and still gets work.

[Symix]

Tell me more about these Done and Mike.
Do you think it was one of them or their fan that called Mike?

[weegee]

He apologized for his remarks, even though some who blindly support him do not take him at his word that he is really sorry somehow.

???

Its his critics don't care for his apology.

I'm listening to his show and some homosexual callers have heard his apology and accepted it. They don't believe that he meant someone should catch AIDS and die.

[weegee]

But that wasn't a talk show host, that was an advertiser (Benetton) who put forth those AIDS photos of Ronald Reagan. And the graphic designers who did the work said that they wouldn't wish AIDS on anyone yet they put the time into creating such vile work.

That took far more effort and money than Michael's off the cuff comment.

Outside of life itself, is there any terminal disease that is pleasant?

[Hugin]

Really don't know much more, jut what I've read on other threads and heard on another talk show. They are supposed to be like Stern but not as smart and aim for an even lower denominator.

[Bob J]

You are so right. I wonder why there was no outrage from the media over Baldwin's comments which were clearly worse by far than Savages?

Because Baldwin is an ignorant actor who is expected to say dumb things. Savage is supposed to be a professional.

If he were on RadioFR, I'd probably can him too. Regardless of what you think about homosexuals, wishing aids on them is like wishing sickle cell on a black American, breast cancer on a woman or a concentration camp on a Jew. It hits home, it hits hard and it is nasty.

[weegee]

Didn't Ringo Starr and George Carlin do that role better?

[Naspino]

At least Savage didn't say "Bring it on..." or Dashhole might be gravely concerned.

[weegee]

I thought that Alec Baldwin was a "well spoken" actor who was an invited guest on talk shows and an activist who's comments about the war in Iraq were given equal weight with those in the Bush Administration.

Are you sure that you're talking about the same Alec Baldwin who I've seen get press coverage?

[MarkL]

Savage is a blowhard. He and O'Reilly ought to get together. Would be sort of like two loudmouth Jerry Springers getting it on.

Nah... O'Reilly isn't in his league. Savage and Bob Grant! Now that would be interesting!

Mark

[weegee]

trichinosis???

I didn't know that there were 3 death threats for the caller.

Is trichinosis a predominantly homosexual disease?

What is trichinosis?

Trichinosis is a foodborne disease caused by a microscopic parasite.

Who gets trichinosis?

Anyone who eats undercooked meat of infected animals can develop trichinosis. Pork products are implicated more often than other meats.

[drjimmy]

When they said that Savage had only marginally larger show they were lying as the audience he brought was a different, very effluent one.
This has to rate as the funniest unintentional line of the day (look up effluent in the dictionary).

[Bob J]

Which only shows how out of touch liberals and the liberal press are with mainstream America. Joe and Joan six pack may enjoy Smart-Alec Baldwin's performance on the screen, but the minute he thinks he's smarter and starts preaching down to them, ciao baby.

[NJJ]

Don't forget James Carville's suggestion that Prosecutor Ken Starr ". . .is this close to being knee-capped."

[A Vast RightWing Conspirator]

What Savage said was just plain dumb. I think he should have been fired. But it pains me to see the GLADD folks win.

Ditto. A good talk show host should be able to express revulsion over homosexual practices without cursing or wishing the homosexual caller dead.

[Conservative til I die]

Well, distasteful, but warrenting firing? I think not. I'veheard worse on liberal talkshow/tv. eg: (re: Newt Gingrich: "We should stone his house and kill his children." (paraphrasing) Alec Baldwin.

Here's a test: Say the same thing to someone at your job, and see what happens.

[Conservative til I die]

Savage is an ass. He has little to offer, like many Rush knock-offs. I've heard Savage berate and constantly interrupt people who agree with him 75% and not let them get a word in edgewise.