This is truly painful since I am neither a fan of Donald Trump or beauty pageants, but here it is: Is it possible that the actions taken against not just Donald Trump but his business associations are excessive? NBC has issued a statement that it will no longer air the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants and that Trump will no longer participate in “The Celebrity Apprentice.” (Univision previously banned the pageant as did Televise. Mexico swore not to send its contestant to the pageant). Now many people have long advocated a Dump the Trump position because they view him as an obnoxious self-caricature. However, NBC is now dropping its association with Trump because he said highly negative things about border illegal aliens at a political event. [Now Macy’s has joined the corporate Dump Trump movement]
One could understand dropping a personality from a show like “The Celebrity Apprentice” over public comments, but the network is shooting shows that are connected Trump’s business interests. It seems odd to pull the plug on the Miss USA and Miss Universe contestants solely because the events is connected financially to someone who has controversial political views. The Miss USA contestants expected to appear on NBC on July 12 from Baton Rouge. The network has aired the program for the last 11 years.
Trump created a firestorm in announcing his candidacy on June 16th for President in discussing illegal immigration. He said:
“The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody else’s problems. … When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best,” said Trump. “They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
I can certainly see the basis for the outcry in labeling the population of illegal immigrants as rapists and criminals (except for “some” who may be “good people”). The question is whether businesses should be punished for the political views of their CEOs or leadership. We have been discussing the increasing private sanctions for unpopular speech — the so-called “Little Brother” problem. It bears some resemblance to the Chick-Fil-A controversy after Chick-Fil-A president Dan Cathy made anti-gay comments. The question is why it is appropriate to punish an entire business — and its employees and customers — because you disagree with the political or religious views of an owner or executive. Where should be draw the line? I can see the basis for severing Trump as an on-air personality over public comments deemed offensive but is it appropriate to bar shows that happen to be financially supported by Trump?
It seems to me that, if NBC is going to bar shows due to the views of business executives, it should do so uniformly. Many CEOs hold views that can be criticized as offensive by one group or another. Is NBC going to impose a uniform speech code for businesses funding programs? The alternative is to separate the political views of business people from their products or programs, particularly when those products or programs do not in any way reflect the views.
What do you think?
Source: Hollywood Reporter
The ‘news’ venues have always been tagged ‘lapdogs’ for the left or the right. Fox news is a perfect example, however, NBC is far closer to the middle. This has its plusses and minuses. Given that the media has always depended on ‘selling’, it simply would not work if it weren’t colored with an opinion that matched a buyer. I read and comment on the Washington Post but much prefer getting into a ‘comment war’ on the Washington Times, a rabid right wing rag.
An opinion massaged by others is boring; much more interesting to start a fight and see what surfaces. On this one, my opinion is, that JT could just as easily argued the opposite and got the ball rolling, if NBC had kept the beauty pageants. It’s all just ‘Grist to the Mill’.
“Is NBC going to impose a uniform speech code for businesses funding programs?”
Not a chance. NBC is coming out of the closet in the wake of the SCOTUS decision and declaring they are officially endorsing the Democrats…any Democrat…the unRepublicans…any one other than a conservative.
A consequence of censorship is that it breeds a negative cycle of partisan divide.
Many people (me among others) decide that if NBC censors (and tolerates an anchor who routinely lies), than it cannot be trusted as a news source. Consequently we turn to other news sources – leading to increasing partisanship.
But the country suffers. A segment of the population will turn away from a center left mouthpiece and the replacement will almost certainly center right. More of us will listen to echo chambers and get reinforced in our convictions. Dialogue will suffer.
Corporations have started firing employees for what they say on face book. Corporations don’t hire people, humans that is, for what they say on face book. That sure chills free speech but corporations are allowed to do that not just by law but also by the Constitution. Is it a good idea? No. It is however legal.
As to Trump, while I don’t agree with him, he said what many people in this country think but won’t say; however, NBC has the right to say they won’t do business with him because of it.
Rosie went after the Trump beauty pageant brand. Trump said, suing her is fun. Will suing NBC be fun too? Check out NYC Mayor Rudy dressed in drag and Don at the 2:43 mark.
I despise Trump. I despise NBC. My “FEEELINGS” toward the two are irrelevant. FEEEELINGS have become the primary motivation for actions in our PC culture. Maineuh is correct. What has attracted myself and many others here is the sober and unemotional[usually] analysis JT provides. No one can question the fact that small people, the people who make hourly wages producing these shows are injured MUCH more than Trump. And, the a-hole Trump does make a good point about NBC nurturing a lying SOS in Brian Williams. Hopefully all here realize NBC is a lapdog for Obama. Here’s how you know it’s PC. If a liberal candidate spewed a screed about “redneck, hillbillies, gun totin’, white trash, racists and killers, well some might be alright” would the same thing happened?
It seems that there are two ‘What do you thinks?’ here from JT. The first is that it’s OK to drop stuff like Celebrity Apprentice but not the other indirectly connected stuff. The second is that NBC should scour its format for all like bigoted connections and drop any bigot related sponsors, shows, whatevers, etc.
What is missing here is a basic realization of the news media. The left, as well as the right, have their news media conduits. Fox news is anything but left or neutral. NBC is far closer to the middle but leans to the left. The Washington Post is left, the Washington Times is right. This is true throughout the country as well as the world. In France there are four major newspapers, one for each political party.
Typically each news media venue reports pretty much the same news but with a degree of lean one way or another. So, this is not about immigrants and what they do. This is about how NBC should select how it is to punish Trump for his mouth.
In a perfect world with absolutely non biased news medias there would be an argument for reporting everything and showing everything related to any and every one. But not in this world. NBC is not a government agency and can tailor its format to suit its viewers which predominantly lean left. Perhaps Fox will pick up the scraps from the table.
Again, from what I have read over the course of 700+ postings by JT and others, if NBC had selected some but not all of Trump stuff to can, there would have been a ‘What do you think?’ on that.
My first reaction upon initially hearing the news was, “Ha! Good; the jerk who relishes firing people just got fired himself, justifiably for ignorant, derogatory, and bigoted stuff he said on the air about practically all immigrant Mexicans.” But then I started thinking about the longer view, i.e., the ramifications of chilling political speech, etc., even though it is from a member of the so-called “GOP Clown Car.” Perhaps NBC acted a bit rashly. Perhaps not. I do think that Mr. Turley is right that NBC taking Mr. Trump off the air is appropriate, but not necessarily all the shows in toto. However, NBC has sponsors to consider too, and Mexico threatened not to send its contestant to one of the beauty pageants, and I heard Telemundo and Univision weren’t too happy with Mr. Trump either. The way I figure it, NBC just decided to cut its potential losses. It was an economic decision, and Mr. Trump can certainly understand that. Moreover, he’ll probably cut another, better deal with another network, since he is so expert at “The Art of the Deal.” Perhaps a Chinese network. I think the problem NBC faced runs deeper than just broadcasting Mr. Trump’s face on television. He caused a furor in some significant economic quarters, and NBC just extinguished the fire before it spread out of control. That’s all. Trump can spout his zenophobic ideas all he wants during his campaign. But NBC doesn’t have to associate itself with those ideas either. Think of it as NBC’s freedom and right of disassociation. I don’t see a problem with their decision. Not really.
fyi: I didn’t find the comment really that offensive. Cuba did the same to us. Trump’s still a chump because it is not the Mexican government dumping people on us. It is people trying to leave that fascist hell hole and come to a better country.
I would also like to say that people have been immigrating and emigrating around the world for 25 thousand years +/-. Governments get together and try to control and restrict this and it makes people into criminals (illegals). You have the right to live and if you are forced to leave one country and go to another how can that be a criminal action. Because fascists that rule the various governments say so? It is an individual right and as long as you justly acquire property or contractually lease it, you should be able to live and work there. If they are criminals we can deport them but then again you can’t make everything illegal and expect people to survive and prosper. The protection of individual rights does pay off in the long run. People want to selectively pick and choose which rights should be protected and which shouldn’t; a big mistake because once one right is usurped it opens the door for the others until you wake up one day under fascism like here in the USSA and Mexico.
It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. The personal stories here in So. Florida abound about what a cheating smuck this guy is. He apparently doesn’t like to pay people after entering into contracts with him, especially for products and services rendered on his real estate projects. Apparently he is also the king of bankruptcy, another one of the ploys he uses to get around paying people. He’d be perfect President for helping us get through the US government bankruptcy that appears to be coming down the pike.
The issue whether a Presidential candidate has a right of free speech during an election campaign period and, secondly, whether a private broadcasting network has the right to censor the views of the candidate. The answer to the first question is yes and to the second question the answer is clearly no. Trump is being punished for his right wing views by one of the “liberal gatekeepers in the US. The seriousness of the action taken by the broadcaster should not be underestimated from a political/constitutional perspective. The content of Trump’s statements are unimportant as long as they are not so excessive as to violate US civil or criminal law. Legal action should be taken now to prevent NBC from infringing Trump’s, or other candidates’ proposals or commentary. The campaign period has just started.
I will tell you what this is. As part of the main stream media, NBC realizes how much the illegal immigration problem resonates with REAL America. Every illegal immigrant who gets a job, takes a job from a Black person. Or another poor Hispanic or White person. There is absolutely no legitimate school of economic thought that maintains the way to end unemployment among low skilled or unskilled workers, is to bring in millions more from overseas.
It is so obvious that the liberals and the MSM are going to do every thing they can to smear Trump, and also scare anyone else from bringing up something that should be obvious to the meanest intelligence. The Democrats don’t care if Blacks are barefoot and pregnant, and in fact, prefer them that way! Illegal immigrants ensure a steady stream of poor, broke, beat down people to pull the “D” lever at the polls.Plus, another way to stuff the ballot box!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
JT,
You know date, channel, and how many years on air of the Miss USA Pageant. LOL!
Who’s your favorite to take the crown!?!?….LOL
The left has become the biggest threat to freedom since the 1930’s in Germany. A fact that’s becoming more clear on a daily basis.
Agree – separate the political views of business people from their products or programs
What’s not being mentioned here is that the network would have to dump “The Celebrity Apprentice” show entirely if Trump remained on it. As a presidential candidate, they would have to give his opponents equal time, and they couldn’t afford to do that considering the number of potential candidates in the race. It appears that the program is getting good ratings, so they would want to continue it as long as he isn’t going to be on it. The lower ratings of the beauty contest show, and the fact they are in negotiations for its contract, probably have some relevance to them threatening to drop it, too. Follow the money . . . and the politics. NBC is notorious for their liberal political positions. By making this out to be all about his stance on illegal immigrants, they can make him look like a villain to many people and damage his candidacy. If you think that NBC, and other big media corporations, don’t want to control who gets elected, you haven’t looked carefully at what they have done in past elections, and what they continue to do today.
I think a legimate reason for dumping Trump would be the equal time rule for declared candidates. That not withstanding, I would like to see Trump get extensive exposure.
The more he shoots off his mouth and the more publicity he gets about the multiple bankruptcies of his business, the sooner his candidacy self- destructs.
I don’t know anybody who is as capable of setting emotion aside and examining a situation from a place of pure objectivity like Mr. Turley. I don’t always agree with everything printed here, but when all is said and done, I’m always comfortable that I’m getting a fair assessment of things. For one reason or another, this particular piece really brings it home for me. Trump isn’t a very likable fellow and his hair is just absurd. It would be very easy to just pile on and dismiss the ramifications of a move like NBC has made. Other pundits and bloggers are already doing just that. Mr. T, though, he sets irrelevant sentiments aside and assess only the pertinent facts of the case. It’s not hard to see why he’s been so successful in his careers. That said, it’s the “uniformly” part of the NBC decision that strikes me. I’d suggest that they’re guilty of cherry picking and of hypocrisy. It’s going to be a long, weird election season.
Unfortunately it’s often in for a penny, in for a pound. If NBC were to let Trump slide or select some but not other associations then they would be pilloried for having double standards. There are consistent examples of the sort of observations that expose a politician or judge for not completely following an ethical line of actions.
Trump is the whole package. It is a better decision by a narrow margin. JT’s criticism illustrates the problem. If NBC had 86’d Trump partially, he would have been asking why not all connections.
It’s one of those dammed if you do dammed if you don’t deals.
Again, free speech is denied. Not to worry, lots of stations are ready to televise all his shows. As to what he said, the truth is tough to take. I live in Southern California and stand in line behind women with children. If I bump them or something and say “I’m sorry” they just stare at me. Legal/illegal it is so important they learn English. Even if we teach them English in schools they are not allowed to use it at home if an elderly relative only speaks Spanish. I don’t think law enforcement bothers with illegals here.
The girl who does my nails is from Vietnam. Came here as a baby. And works hard to speak
English correctly. Her two sons beginning are learning better. If she pronounces a word wrong, she wants me to tell her. I do and she tries again. It’s very hard to use your mouth and tongue completely differently. I’m proud of her.