MSNBC Reportedly Cutting Ties to Contributor Sam Seder Over Old Polanski Rape Joke

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

Last edited Mon Dec 4, 2017, 11:04 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Mediaite

MSNBC has cut ties with contributor Sam Seder, allegedly over a tweet he wrote in 2009.

Seder’s contract isn’t up until February but the network is so upset over the tweet that he will not be making any more appearances.

The Twitter account for his show Majority Report tweeted out a link to the initial report on the news.

...

Seder, however, took to his podcast to accuse members of the alt-right, namely Sebastian Gorka and Pizzagate “guru” Mike Cernovich, of conducting a smear campaign, noting that the original tweet was sarcastic, meant to lampoon liberals who continue to defend artists they admire long after they have been accused of doing awful things. It must be noted that 2009 saw a major push by members of the creative community to allow Polanski to return to America.

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/online/msnbc-reportedly-cutting-ties-to-contributor-sam-seder-over-old-polanski-rape-joke/

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Total bullshit - MSNBC is caving to a smear and deliberate dustortion by Mike "Pizzagate" Cernovich and firing Sam, even after it's debunked.

His response, from Friday:
https://m.

&ebc=ANyPxKoYuhPotM_v7K_nqyviymRESrs4nP58CfLhn2ADpB1izBDAHkUZhSFonAsi4xtBIKVoUhmaMc8L4y0Lg_Mt9zgy7a5_uA

MSNBC phone: [phone]

[dchill]

1. MSNBC: "Hmmm.. Who to believe - Sebastian Gorka and Mike Cernovich...

Or Sam Seder. Hmmmm....

[brush]

12. Al Franken, Joy Reid and now Sam Seder. They're going after effective progressives.

Let's not fall for it.

[iluvtennis]

23. +++ Agree

[brooklynite]

48. How is Sam Seder an "effective progressive"?

Radio/podcast hosts broadly play to an audience that already agrees with them.

[brush]

56. You can say the same about Joy Reid then.

[brooklynite]

57. I dont disagree, but the OP is about Seder...

[brush]

58. They are both effective in the sense that they stay on message. It still seems to me that some...

forces out there want to take them down.

And there are probably others in their sights as well who they are doing oppo researchon, if you will, who they've yet to go public with.

[riversedge]

42. Easy choice. But seems msnbc made the wrong choice IMHO

[mopinko]

2. oh ffs.

[7962]

3. Well, that was a TERRIBLE joke. But obviously a joke. And today, you're gonna pay for it.

People are soon going to be offended by pretty much anything.

[yodermon]

13. The joke was attacking *Polanski apologists*

It was manifestly, profoundly and obviously *anti rape*, and it got him banned.

MSNBC really screwed the pooch with this one, oh wait I must be pro bestiality now

[RhodeIslandOne]

33. We're canceling your contract!

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

14. There was nothing wrong with the joke

He was sarcastically imitating Polanski defenders who are so bankrupt they think a child rapist should get off the hook due to his filmmaking skills.

Sam was was ahead of the curve and on the side of the angels here.

[Mister Ed]

36. It was obviously not a joke at all.

There was no humor intended. The only intent was to mercilessly skewer those who were advocating that we absolve a child rapist like Polanski.

[phleshdef]

54. It wasn't really a joke. It was a biting condemnation of rape apologists.

[7962]

62. Yes, but we've gotten to the point where there is no dividing line.

And its going to get worse I believe

[StevieM]

4. This is horrible. MSNBC just gave into a lie. And they wonder why facts no longer matter. (eom)

[marble falls]

5. Its probably better to make anti-rape points without rape jokes even sarcastically ...

I hope this thing can get sorted out, Sam Seder is great commentator and I really don't think he believes in any sense that rape is funny. He was right about those in the eighties and nineties who thought Polanski deserved a pass to the point of harassing the victim to where she just wanted the whole thing over and never have to talk about it ever again.

About a month ago another woman surfaced and made basically made the same claims. And apologists for Polanski tried to play it as "well in Europe such things are accepted." Drugging preteens and raping them is acceptable behavior in Europe? I really have to doubt it.

[deancr]

6. A too typical crock

What a slimy scam and an absurd lack of critical thinking on the part of msnbc. Or maybe it was just a convenient excuse for them to continue "sanitizing" their network. Sadly, likely. I donated what I could to Sam Seder's efforts. Wish it could be more.

[Chasstev365]

7. Why do right wing lies and false eqivlencies always win?

SO DAM tired of this! Sam is a good guy!

[Honeycombe8]

8. That seems like an overreaction to me. From 2009? A joke? Come on. Ridiculous.

I've said it before: I give comedians (or a joke) a wide berth for inappropriateness. It's not the same as a political statement or statements made seriously.

This is getting out of hand.

[7962]

38. It certainly IS getting out of hand. And its gonna get worse.

we're close to Any comment that isn't liked by a single person becomes reason for exile.

[7962]

39. And heres some proof of it getting out of hand.

Last edited Tue Dec 5, 2017, 07:15 PM - Edit history (1)

People actually complaining about a 1/2 funny SNL skit from Saturday.
http://www.entertainmentdaily.com/filmandtv/snl-backlash-aer-lingus-goes-viral/

I mean, come ON.

[Honeycombe8]

45. Okay, now. They better not go after SNL, or there'll be hell to pay. nt

[BannonsLiver]

55. It's a weak sketch but FFS is satire forbidden now too?

[7962]

61. Thats where we're headed. if not there already.

What a screen name!!!

[femmedem]

40. I don't even see it as a joke, but as a furious, sarcastic lashing out at rape apologists. n/t

[bdamomma]

9. MSNBC

is totally wrong for doing to Sam Seder.

[TeamPooka]

10. You fucked up MSNBC. Big time. Huge.

[byronius]

11. Well, it's important for MSNBC to move away from actual journalism when it can.

Sam Seder is a brilliant political analyst and satirist. Honest, unflinching, dedicated, American.

I pay for his podcast. Worth every penny.

MSNBC, take it or leave it. Aside from Maddow or O'Donnell clips, a few other bits and pieces, it smacks of Moneyed Interests.

Sam, however, is unimpeachable. Love his show.

[still_one]

19. You nailed it byronius. A wolf in sheep's clothing

[StevieM]

25. I think Chris Hayes is awesome. (eom)

[byronius]

29. I agree absolutely. Forgot his name.

[McCamy Taylor]

15. Two words. Bill Maher.

We are watching the celebrities of tomorrow get slinged and arrowed right up to superstardom.

[McCamy Taylor]

16. Are we sure that Seder dide not do this himself to get out of his contract early?

This would be a great way to get your boss to break a contract and you would then be at liberty to do whatever you want.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

20. No, the joke was from 2009

Cowardice by MSNBC in reaction to a rightwing smear campaign from the Pizzagate hoaxer, in which his followers dig through decades of Tweets, looking for something to distort in their targeting.

[Skittles]

27. or maybe

they're just looking for a reason to get rid of him

[TexasBushwhacker]

30. His contract was up in February n/t

[pansypoo53219]

17. oops, the baby just went out the window.

[byronius]

21. +1

[still_one]

18. After MSNBS was one of the first networks to characterize Comey's letter to the republicans in

Congress as "the email investigation was being reopened", 11 days before the election, and then proceeded to parade every republican politician across their screen to propagate that LIE, I realized that just because they have a FEW progressive personalities, does not mean they do not have an agenda.

Hear that Andrea Mitchell

Shame on MSNBS, but I would put it past the network that gave us Matt Lauer, CNBC which is loaded with extreme right wing personalities such as Joe Keenan, Maria Bartolommeo, and Rick Santeli. CNBC is the financial network that was started by guess who, Roger Ailes.

[Laffy Kat]

22. This is shocking and totally unfair.

It was an anti-Polaski, anti-rape comment. What idiots. This is frightening. I stand with Sam on this. MSNBC owes him his job back and an apology.

[LisaM]

26. It is frightening.

First, I think they are wildly misinterpreting what he said, but is everyone going to be on the hook for everything they've said in their whole lives? This is way different from people who committed actual criminal assaults and deserve to be worried.

[Laffy Kat]

31. But they'd have to be so dense to mistake such a clearly anti-Polinsky..

Swipe as a pro-rape-my-daughter joke. Truly, I hope they rethink and rescind their statement and actions.

[riversedge]

43. If anything-it is the pattern of the person-like @MooreSenate--who had a pattern of trying to

hook up with under aged teenage girls. I do not think Sam has the pattern IMHO.

[Dave Starsky]

60. It is fucking ridiculous.

Anyone with an above-room-temperature IQ knew what he meant by that joke, and it was definitely ANTI-Polanski. It is absurd to think otherwise.

This whole thing smacks of a hit job.

I haven't seen so much faux outrage and drama since the last professional soccer player collapsed in agony.

[Dr_Pretorius]

24. The entire U.S. mass media is contolled by billionaires

They throw you a bone from time to time, but it is all right-wing propaganda with a veneer of objectivity.

[mentalslavery]

28. Good thing sam does not need them

just like cenk....

[rusty quoin]

35. Yeah, he talked about this last week.

He never depended on one source of revenue, because political talk, especially for the left has constantly changed.

I’ve listened to Sam and others since 2004. And there is one thing for damn sure, you need to work at it to find them.

To find Rush Limbaugh is as easy as rolling off a log.

[mentalslavery]

47. One thing MSNBC did

was give him a platform to promote the podcast. Its too bad he won't be able to do that anymore, but hopefully MR got bigger in the process....

[byronius]

49. And we must all admit, as Bill Clinton did to Randi Rhodes at a party --

That the Telecommunications Act of 1998 was a Disaster. Who could have thunk it? Deregulation was so popular right then.

Now we know why we regulate things. Because Libertarian Paradises quickly devolve into Somalia.

Sorta like us. Long way down, but we'll get there eventually.

Unless we decide to stop digging. Or the Democrats take back the House, Senate, Presidency, Governorships, and Gorusch gets caught having an affair with a Russian teen. Which would be totally logical, considering Gorusch.

He's a 'traditionalist' in the Paleolothic sense.

[RhodeIslandOne]

32. The right loves to use Polanski as a talisman for "liberal hypocrisy" on rape

Yet they arranged for a guy to get fired who mocked that very premise.

[OnDoutside]

34. This is nuts.

[dembotoz]

37. Every now and then I think I might wanna get msnbc.then they do something like this

Sorry sling.. not spending the extra 5 for them again.

If they brought back ko. In a heartbeat, but they would fire him in a week

[oberliner]

41. They also have Hugh Hewitt as a morning host

I will never forget him interviewing Trump to clarify his claim that President Obama was the founder of ISIS.

[Blue_Tires]

44. MSNBC management can alway be counted on to cave in

[Nitram]

46. Lesson learned? don't tweet, email, post on FB, etc. anything you wouldn't want to be used by

the right wing (or anybody else) to punish you for your political stance. Someday you might want to run for a position on the School Board, or City Council, or County Board of Supervisors - or even get a teaching job, or any kind of government job.

[mentalslavery]

50. Hes getting play on huffpost

whatever you think of huffpost....it does get wide distribution...so hopefully this will help him.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sam-seder-msnbc-fired_us_5a25c064e4b086e4e503ce2f?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

[CatMor]

51. I have to admit I overreacted about this on another thread..i

I had no idea who Sam Seder is and thought he was making a horrible joke about the horrendous act of rape. After reading it again and now knowing who he is I can see he was going after the people defending Polanski. My apology for overreacting and I do think MSNBC overreacted.

[Doodley]

52. We are moving further towards a dictatorship when media outlets like MSNBC are so easy to manipulate

[Gothmog]

53. I disagree with MSNBC's actions here

[demmiblue]

59. This is complete B.S.