Hmm, Mika B. is "having a well deserved break" to spend some time with family...

[CTyankee]

so sayeth Joe Scarborough, hosting Morning Joe without her today.

He is saying that she is feeling "badly" for Governor Walker. He is treating this like she just has a little vacay...

I think she is shaken by the prank call and is having a strategy session with her advisors on how to handle this. I know I would be, if I were in her position.

It looks like the overall strategy is to marginalize the prankster and bolster the governor's position. Pat Buchanan said that Walker's position with the Republicans remains strong.

Fascinating to watch this play out...

[MaeScott]

1. She didn't want people looking at her ....

..assets.

[WCGreen]

2. I can't stand that show...

There is nothing there to engage me...

[Ichingcarpenter]

4. She's not showing because of the Walker Spoof

where she was mentioned as being hot.
She interviewed Walker softball wise the day before.

Not there... means no comments.

It is interesting and I don't watch but MJ is a mouthpiece

[WCGreen]

10. Well that is interesting....

[Billy Burnett]

129. She's checked-in to the Betty Ford clinic.

Too many Vodkas for breakfast on Mourning Joke -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_N1kmnx7uI

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

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

[deacon]

8. lol!

[CTyankee]

9. I think they are "changing" that image. The dynamic didn't work out real well for her

and my guess is that she will get a "makeover" on the show. Gone will be her little giggles and pokes at Joe when he says something gross. It will be the "serious" Mika, come next week. She'll be given weightier interviews, more in depth programming and the photos used around that show's breaks will be sanitized of any suggestions that she is sexy. Hell, she may even start to wear glasses, a la Sarah Palin!

Mark my words, this woman is gonna get a "new look" starting next Monday...

[Laura PourMeADrink]

17. great analysis ! what's weird is that she had to have this tape

to tell her what she already should have known

[CTyankee]

45. You don't "know it" until you get kicked in the head...then you REALLY know it.

I have had this happen to me at certain points in my career. One door shuts forever and you are forced to find another way. Sometimes, it is the best thing that can happen to you in your career or personal relationships...

[whathehell]

24. That would be a good thing. n/t

[Segami]

76. " She'll be given weightier interviews "..Hah! Like heavy snow on a fragile roof.

[CTyankee]

78. She's not stupid, but she did do a stupid thing by letting Joe fashion her this way.

The woman graduated from Williams College, a pretty hard school to get into in the first place. It is one of the "little Ivies." I knew a woman who was bright enough to get into Yale but was rejected by Williams...

[Segami]

79. SHE allowed herself to be sold as such in exchange for sharing a morning spotlight with the Scar.

[SoCalDem]

111. Yep.. she saw the handwriting on the wall

She is a 40+ woman who saw her career going nowhere. She has two kids and a husband who apparently travels a lot ( gleaned from things she has said on air).

This was an opportunity for her to have a pretty sweet gig, regular hours, time off when she wanted it, and all she had to do was "play her part".. She's eye-candy for the 45+ guy to ogle at a bit before he heads off to work.

Intellectually, she's probably the smartest person in the room, but that is not her role, and she knows it. She made the trade-off..for the money and the career.. She knows how the game is played

[notadmblnd]

119. didn't she have a boob job?

[deacon]

5. She's having a foot being surgically removed from her mouth. n/t

[Wilms]

6. Mrs. Scab will be taking a break soon too.

After she breaks a vase over Walkers head., that is.

[peekaloo]

7. Pouting because she's an entire ass not just a "piece". nt

[Name removed]

Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Poboy]

11. Did Joe say anything about the 'one of us' comment?

[CTyankee]

15. No, but I was wondering about that myself. However, I abandoned the show early

today, enraged over Richard Stengel's remark about how public union members are a bunch of malingerers and are lazy because they don't have to work the hours and for the decreased pay of private workers. That just set me off...I'm still steaming about it...

[Saturday]

12. She's doing some more promo shots of her hot legs and her red soled shoes...

so she can be taken seriously as a journalist.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

84. The classics NEVER die...enjoy, from Huffington Post, April 6, 2009:

Mika Brzezinski's Shoes: The "Morning Joe" Co-Host Reveals What She's Wearing Under The Desk (SLIDESHOW, VIDEO)

Huffington Post | Anya Strzemien First Posted: 04- 6-09 11:18 PM | Updated: 05- 7-09 05:12 AM

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/06/mika-brzezinskis-fancy-fo_n_183833.html

*Update: Scroll down to see Mika show off her shoes (the Steve Maddens, specifically) on today's "Morning Joe."*

She shares a desk with Joe Scarborough and Willie Geist every morning, but the accessory for which Mika Brzezinski has the most love gets the least amount of airtime: her impressive collection of high heels.

Until now. From Michael Kors to Steve Madden, the "Morning Joe" co-host photographed six days of fancy footwear (which she claims are comfortable), and told us a little something about each pair.

SLIDESHOW:

[Arkana]

99. Jesus, does she own ANYTHING that isn't peep-toe?

[Vinca]

13. She should have shown up and torn the governor a new one.

[Skidmore]

14. You can't really do that when your whole schtick is wiggle, jiggle, and

giggle. She spends much of her time cooing and making eyes at the men on the show...doing sultry. That behavior detracts from anything that comes out of her mouth. She literally pouted her way to a pair of expensive shoes from Donny Deutsch last year. She is in the same league with Palin--women who use sexuality to get to the top and then use it to beat others down.

[CTyankee]

18. Well, that schtick isn't working well for her if you ask me.

I think she's having serious talks about santizing her image. Judging from her remarks on the show, she can't stand Sarah Palin, and I think she resents being lumped in with her. However, it is her own fault. She could have foregone the high heels and leggy photos, particularly the one where she's sitting on a barstool while guys on the show ogle her...

[Skidmore]

27. Personally, it makes me cringe.

[SoCalDem]

113. This one makes me gag..

sorry about the dusty tv screen ..I took a pic of this disgusting promo of her skeletal legs

[CTyankee]

123. I have always thought her legs were ugly, misshapen...

[whathehell]

28. Please...I don't like her but she's decidedly smarter (and less wingnutty) than Palin

and stop already with the bs meme of her "using her sexuality".

Men flirt with women all the time...I don't see them getting beaten up for it.

[Skidmore]

30. Women in my mother's generation and in mine endured a great

deal to get past the need to use sex in the workplace and to be taken seriously for our ideas and talents. Women who behave in this manner in the workplace irk me to no end.

[seabeyond]

34. +1. nt

[truebrit71]

64. +2..

..that sort of crap has no place in the working environment..and I'm a guy...

[seabeyond]

68. thank you... guy. i like to hear guys say this. they should be as pissed

about it was woman that purposely refuse to behave that way. really is an insult to a man, too. not to mention interferring with his progression in a business.

[whathehell]

38. How about men who behave this way?

Of course they are almost always in positions of greater power

so it's usually gratuitous.

As I said, I don't like her or her flirtatiousness, either

but it may WELL be just the way she is...

After all, she already HAS the job, right?

I don't see this as necessarily "premeditated" behavior.

[Skidmore]

40. My experiences of men who use sexuality in the workplace

has large been to intimidate or prey the females who work there. Sexuality has no place in the workplace.

[seabeyond]

42. exactly. nt

[whathehell]

48. Well, what about Tweety?...He flirts with women on his show

and I really wouldn't go so far as to say he's "intimidating" or preying on them

I'm not so sure I'd go so far as to say "Sexuality has no place in the workplace"...That seems

a bit inhuman, if you will...."Unwelcome" sexuality should never have a place, and "overt"

sexuality should probably not either, but some will disagree with definitions of "overt"....

Hell, haven't you ever flirted with someone at work,

not for ulterior motives, but just for the fun of it, and because you found him/her attractive?

In some of the deadly dull jobs I've worked, it was all but required to maintain sanity.:eyes:

[seabeyond]

53. he takes them from professionalism to a thing. they didnt ask for it. he is comin on to them

and old man. and they sit there like deer in headlamps. it is totally wrong what he does with the young woman on his show that go there to talk about politics. are you kidding.

[whathehell]

67. Not kidding in the slightest

..and I don't think I was defending it, was I:shrug:

[seabeyond]

69. cant remember, lol

i posted an hour or more ago.... lol

[whathehell]

Then you'll just have to trust me, lol...

I didn't.

[calimary]

136. I think I've seen Tweety slobber more over some men.

God, every time he's had Ed Rendell on - and gushing on and on to him. I'll never forget how he went on and on during the coverage of the "Mission Accomplished" disgrace. He just slobbered on and on watching bush strut around in his flight suit, "Look at that. The President's a real GUY! We gotta GUY for President. I think Americans love a GUY for President."

Holy freakin' crap.

ENOUGH with the man crushes!

WHAT an embarrassment.

[sad sally]

139. Last week when Lawrence O'Donnell went ga-ga over Ann Counter

made even my husband nauseous. Lawrence is off our viewing line-up for awhile...I keep seeing him and annie gooing over each other - yecch.

[closeupready]

61. Absolutely correct. Yet, some people seem to think sexuality DOES have a place there.

If the US were, instead, France or Italy, then perhaps so. But the US is the US, not France or Italy.

[seabeyond]

70. it isn't going so well in france and especially italy.

they like to define it as sophisticated, but reality it is the same problem world wide.

[CTyankee]

80. TV shows in Italy are just awful in this way. Women are hooted at, ogled

and are generally over the top.

[seabeyond]

88. yup....

but what i really found amusing is the old fart, or middle aged fart lookin like a fool as if he was some young dude in the running. though the girls put themselves in a bad place, the men are lookin worse.

[CTyankee]

121. they are all so unattractive, like a bunch of Berlesconis. Which is interesting

because the men in Northern Italy I found to be quite good looking. I'm afraid I was guilty of stopping dead in my tracks on the Rialto Bridge in Venice staring at 2 gorgeous uniformed young men. There were some very handsome men in Torino and Milano, also, do they DRESS. They make American men look like slobs...

[seabeyond]

128. yes. lol

you watched the same half hour video i did, lol. yes, it was amazing, old and ugly lookin like fools.

[CTyankee]

130. Actuallly, I was catching some Italian shows when I was both in northern Italy and in Sicily

in the hotel rooms. I turned them on to help me with my Italian.

It was in northern Italy that I saw George Clooney's Nespresso commercial. It's quite clever and funny and George just looks WONDERFUL: george clooney nespresso commercial.

[Matariki]

97. Ha! I had a guy actually bat his eyes at me when he wanted a favor at work

It was the funniest damn thing. He was a designer, I'm a web developer - he wanted me to put something he needed ahead of my other priorities and actually got flirty about it. I thought it was the funniest damn thing. Batting eyelashes!

[seabeyond]

98. ya, but.... did you do it. tip it in favor of you saying, ok. curious minds want to know. nt

[Matariki]

106. No. I made fun of him.

I said - "You are actually batting your eyes at me! That's not going to get this work done any faster!"

He was attractive. It was interesting to see a guy try to use his looks like that.

[seabeyond]

107. that is funny. lol

really

[whathehell]

127. Hillarious....I don't think that particular trick works for guys!

[seabeyond]

41. the word professionalism comes to mind. when in the workforce

there are parts of who we are we rein in to be professional.

[whathehell]

44. Yes, but there seems to be a tighter rein on women when it comes to projecting it.

and that simply isn't fair..

Mika isn't stupid, but neither is she all that bright,

which, frankly, makes her a good partner for Joe Scar,

who is another non-genius.

You see what that leaves us?

A not overly bright republican show for not very bright

republican people....I think that's the way it was planned.:shrug:

[lumberjack_jeff]

+1

[closeupready]

60. It's inappropriate and HIGHLY unprofessional. So I have ZERO sympathy for MB.

n/t

[seabeyond]

73. i really dont give a shit about MB but it does matter to women as a whole

and that is what makes it an issue, and why i feel it is so important for MB to call them out on it.

[livetohike]

108. I'm 58 years old....fought the battle of cat calls and wolf whistles

(worked as a manufacturing manager)and just trying to do my job and be appreciated for my skills. Exactly what you are saying, is why I despised Sarah Palin from the start.

[seabeyond]

109. yup. nt

[shimmergal]

75. The thing is...

she's doing a more complex act on the show. Pretending to be independent minded, while actually being deferential to men.

I don't know if it's her one-generation-once removed European background or what, but I wish she'd get over it and use her own mind.

[shellgame26]

116. Thank you

Summed up quite nicely. I have never seen any evidence of this woman's 'intelligence'. She lets Scarboruggh walk over her constantly.

[Ilsa]

74. I agree. She should have done exactly that. I can't help but wonder if

she told Joe Scab she was going to do that and then he got her relieved of duty for a few days so his good buddies wouldn't get their tighty-whities in a knot.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

16. Hi CT Yankee ! To me, if she is upset about being

talked about as a sex object, I hope she is taking time off to reevaluate her performance
and role on the show. She basically IS just plopped in there as a pretty face amid the egocentric men. She
is background noise. No one respects her opinion enough to let her talk and when she does it's typically a judgmental,
parent-like comment. that's my take on it, anyway. All you have to do is compare the way she is looked at and reacted to
to the way they treat Erin Burnett.

[CTyankee]

21. Hi there. You make an excellent point. Erin appears to be a tough cookie.

She kicks ass better than Maria whatsherface does, and without looking like she has a bad hangover.

I think we'll be seeing the "new" Mika unveiled next week. I'm kinda interested in how this is playing out...

[Laura PourMeADrink]

55. lol. You're a great media observer. Maria B - forgot about

her. She turned into a sourpuss didn't she. Last time I saw her she was constantly looking at herself in the monitor.

It's a sin that Erin can look that perfect every day though..haha

I bet you are 100% right about Mika. Can't wait to watch next week. One more thought about Mika...have you seen her when her father comes on? Yikes, it's such a classic case of an overbearing, controlling father. No wonder she is the way she is.

[Poboy]

32. Right. She's there to do the 'oh, you bad boys' schtick.

[CTyankee]

43. And that, too, is getting really old. I blame Joe Scarborough for promoting this

kind of routine. I hope she is at a crossroads in her life now, and can see some things that clearly were wrong for her to be doing. She went along to get along for too long and it has blown up in her face.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

57. he does promote it. he treats her like a bothersome gnat. n/t

[seabeyond]

19. not unexpected, but disappointing. what would it take for a woman to call bullshit. nt

[MineralMan]

20. I think she walked off, after Joe Scab told her to "suck it up."

Or words to that effect. Scab is a scumbag frat boy, who probably laughed at the whole "piece of ass" thing and probably gave Mika a bad time over it. So she walked. For how long? I don't know. What else would she do? She'll be back, and nothing will ever be said on the show about it.

[CTyankee]

23. That's possible, but I think she is pretty mad over this.

I am not liking some of the "she deserves it" kind of remarks I'm seeing because I can remember when rape victims were accused of bringing it on themselves by the way they dressed or acted. However, I think this WAS a wake up call to Mika and that's why I believe an image change is in process now.

IOW, I don't thing she can put the genie back in the bottle at this point...

[seabeyond]

25. she does not deserve, but shame on her if she stays quiet. nt

[Skidmore]

26. She does not deserve it, but I will also point out that the image she

has cultivated thus far uses puts her out there as much more of a sex object than someone who engages in serious political discourse.

[CTyankee]

31. This is a far bigger issue than just Mika Brezinski. My next door neighbor is

a local ABC affiliate on air personality. She was doing the 5 pm news but was yanked and replaced with a younger woman who dresses provocatively. My neighbor is very attractive but in her 40s. The station also ditched a long time weather guy (probably because he was pulling down a good salary and they could replace him with a younger guy at less $$$). A lot of people were mad as hell at these two stunts pulled by the station. A lot of women were outraged that a lovely, intelligent woman (my neighbor) who dressed appropriately had her slot taken away from her and now the news is delivered by someone clearly dressed inappropriately.

[Skidmore]

36. Which is all the more reason for women to speak up

about this sexist standard.

[TuxedoKat]

46. I guess I'm old school about this

but sometimes I cringe at what I see some of the women on tv wearing these days. They are often dressed so casually it just makes me wonder. This morning Norah O'Donnell was wearing a tight red knit shirt with a zipper front pulled down really low, it was pretty but that is something I'd wear to go out with friends or my husband but not to work. Savannah Guthrie has on an attractive dress but it is cut so low you can see her cleavage. Last week a women on Chuck and Savannah's show was wearing a silk tank top, I'm like, bare arms on national tv in the winter? Well, maybe she was somewhere warm but it didn't look professional to me. The men on MJ today in contrast: Joe - coat and tie, Mike Barnicle - shirt and coat, some other guy suit - and tie, and Donny Deutsch - some form-fitting knit shirt of a type he often wears -- I guess he's the man candy but he's a joke anyway.

Not all the women dress this way, but so many of them do, it makes me think the networks are encouraging them to dress provocatively. Mika didn't too provacatively but often she was dressed very casually in contrast to the men, except on Fridays when they all tended to dress more casually.

[WinkyDink]

54. The networks are doing more than merely "encouraging," you can depend on it.

"The news" is nothing ore than a gsme show or cop drama to TPTB. Look at the cooking shows; Giada is ridiculous with her huge head, skinny body, and "enhanced" cleavage, playing the role of Great Chef.

IT IS ALL THE SAME NOW, in all Western nations, for women on TV.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

62. OMG - ROFLOL - Giada and the big head. I noticed that once

and it started freaking me out. Big hands too and they zoom in while she's chopping. A friend of mine actually gave me a magazine with her pic on the front - as a joke.

[Cleita]

96. All they need to do further is get up and turn letters on a board.

Sorry, but the news is not the venue to attract attention to how you dress. Just leave that for Vanna White to do on "The Wheel of Fortune". Our female news anchors should wear business suits, yes attractive and feminine suits but ones that say "I'm a professional" and "I want to be taken seriously".

[TuxedoKat]

114. Yes

the only ones I can think of off the top of my head who dress conservatively but attractively on a regular basis are Andrea Mitchell, Lesley Stahl, Barbara Walters and Rachel Maddow. There are probably more, like Katic Couric and Chris Jansing are probably okay as I don't ever remember seeing them on TV and thinking, OMG, why on earth is she wearing that if she wants to be taken seriously?

[SoCalDem]

117. Women anchors USED to wear suits/jackets

and many were made fun of for "trying to look like men", and then along came FOX.. They accentuated the sexiness of their newsfembotclones. The more cleavage the better..and the blonder the better. Big hair had a new revival at Fox..and keep those lips wet & glistening, gals..




CNN chucked their "old-news-gals" & brought in the chickies wearing tight satin blouses & spandex tops with short little skirts.

[CTyankee]

125. Norah shows more nerve in challenging Joe than Mika. Norah is pretty smart

and can be a lot tougher than Mika. Mika "works for" Joe, tho. Norah is more independent.

[MineralMan]

47. That's the difficult thing. I think she's not on the show today,

because she certainly would have spoken out about it. She's in a very tough spot, given the smarmy attitudes Joe Scab takes with her most of the time. I believe that she'll return in a day or two and nothing will be said. I also believe that they won't change a thing about how they use her to promote the show. I don't like Morning Joke. I don't like Joe Scab, and I'm not that fond of Mika, either. Her acquiescence to Joe annoys the crap out of me.

[whathehell]

33. Thanks, CTyankee...She has a right to be mad..and I also don't like the "she deserved it" bs

I'm seeing here either...It's almost like her

political unpopularity becomes an excuse

to go mysogynistic....It sucks.

[seabeyond]

37. what really sucks is a woman using it and then all the rest of us have to defend her

because of the misogynist bullshit.

i agree with you, and take it further.

kinda like what we have to do with palin, as disgusting as it is.

[MineralMan]

51. I don't like those remarks, either. They smack of sexism,

as far as I'm concerned. I don't find Mika to be all that compelling to listen to, but she is who she is. The "piece of ass" business is smarmy and uncalled for. Very annoying.

[shimmergal]

77. I hope it's more than an image change. . .

I think she's actually as bright as a lot of anchorwomen (or anchormen, for that matter) but for whatever reason, she's suppressed it, and perhaps a lot of her true feelings, in exchange for getting a national stage on MJ. Hopefully now she'll have a chance to take stock of her true reactions, as opposed to how she thinks she's "supposed" to act and believe.

[CTyankee]

81. "scared straight" as it were! LOL.

I'm thinking they're going to tone this thing down or she'll be gone...

[beac]

100. If she's mad, then she should come out and say so. Allowing that kind of statment to stand

w/out a response from her is cowardly, IMO. I don't think she "deserved" it but taking it lying down isn't winning her any points.

I also wonder if Morning Joe fans would even tolerate an image change. Is there a place for "serious Mika" at the MJ table?


(edited for typo)

[CTyankee]

126. It's funny but Mika is stronger when Joe isn't there. She doesn't "take it" when he's gone.

We'll see how it goes when she comes back...

[Poboy]

29. Completely fabricated, unsubstantiated, wild assed speculation.

[MineralMan]

49. My opinion, as is every post I make here. You will notice that

I began the title with "I think..." Good luck to you.

[seabeyond]

56. whenever i use i think.... it is an opinion. and if i think is not the beginning of my sentence

then it is not an opinion. i consciously do this. i agree, you would think a person would take note.

[MineralMan]

63. Right. I try to do that, too, but sometimes forget.

That's why I have the disclaimer in my signature line, making it clear that what I write on DU is my opinion. But, it's important to make that distinction when reading posts here that aren't quotes from some pundit or something like that. Pundits are only writing their opinion, too. We sometimes make the mistake of believing that punditry is news, and that's a serious mistake.

I also try to consider all posts on DU to be the opinion of the poster, whether the poster makes it clear or not.

[SpiralHawk]

39. "Silence is golden, or, um permanent, or whatever." - Lori Klausutis (DSI*)

* DI = Dead Scarborough Intern

[MineralMan]

50. Joe Scab is a consummate scumbag, all around.

Can't stand the guy.

[butterfly77]

85. Scar mo...

DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!DWO!!!

[snappyturtle]

22. I'm not a fan of Mika's however, I greatly object to the talk on the

spoof phone call in regard to her from either the reporter or Walker. I've always thought that Mika regards her opinions/asssessments policy worthy...like she has the 'special' insight....so being looked upon the way the phone call pointed out must have been a blow to her psyche.

[CTyankee]

35. Oh, I think she is deeply depressed over this. I feel sad for her.

So I understand why she is off the air for the next several days. but I do think she is reassessing her image. I can't imagine the other women on the show, like Nora O'Donnell who was on this morning, aren't pretty upset, too...

[SoCalDem]

118. Norah is a cutie & she knows it.. She giggled all through the comments on her leather dress

They all know their "cutiepie" time is limited and they will be replaced by a younger cutiepie someday, so they cash in on it.. These shows are formulaic, and everyone knows the drill

[TuxedoKat]

58. Yes, I feel bad for her too

I don't think she deserved to be made an object of ridicule by that reporter.

[snappyturtle]

131. I think that's the biggest criticism. The reporter didn't need to go there.

All the reporter needed to do was prove that the Governor's interest lies in busting the unions and in corporate backers.

[checks-n-balances]

52. Before feel too awfully sympathetic toward her, remember she supposedly said

she's sympathetic to Gov. Walker - not the public employees - the governor who works to take everything away from her. Why is she feeling sympathy for HIM?? Does that sympathy extend to all the other govs trying to do the same thing, but who weren't "punked"?

[CTyankee]

82. Maybe she feels the gov. got a raw deal. You and I don't see it that way but if that is what

she said, then she obviously believes it. I think she's cutting the gov. too much slack. He responded "yeah" to the "piece of ass" remark, didn't he?

[closeupready]

59. I can't stand Mike Brzezinski - can someone give me a cliffnotes on what this is all about?

Thanks.

[CTyankee]

122. The phony Koch mentioned seeing Walker on Morning Joe and said

that Mika was some piece of ass. Walker responded "Yeah." It's in the printed transcript of the call and on the tape. Kinda shocking that someone would say something that outrageous but I guess the ploy was that he was drawing Walker into his trap so he could "get" him...

Unbelievable that Walker could be so greedy and stupid to get caught in this scam...

[MineralMan]

65. In some ways Mika Brzezinski and Donny Deutsch are the comic relief

on Morning Joke. Neither have substantial credentials as commentators and appear to be on the show as foils or second bananas. Both use their appearance to good effect and in contrast with the rest of the people who appear on the show. I find it difficult to take either of them seriously on the rare occasions I tune in Morning Joke. In fact, I find it difficult to take any show that features Mr. Fratboy, Joe Scarborough, and Pat Buchanan, for pete's sake as worthwhile commentators on the news of the day.

It is my least favorite program on MSNBC.

That said, I truly deplore the whole "piece of ass" nonsense, regardless of my opinion of Mika.

[Angry Dragon]

66. Everyone here is talking about mika being a piece

No one it talking about walker saying no one watches the show anyway and he just goes on it to argue with them

[whathehell]

72. Uhh, no...They are talking about her being referred to as "a piece" -- BIG difference.

[madmom]

71. So she doesn't like being looked at like a piece of meat. This can't be the

first time this has happened to her, considering the company she keeps. Why take a stand now? Is it because it happened for the whole world to see and she only now feels vilified?

[CTyankee]

83. Of course! This is horribly embarrassing! She was singled out as a piece of ass!

Can you imagine what her father is feeling right now, and her mother? I know how I'd feel if one of my daughters was treated that way...

[whathehell]

86. Words and phrases matter... "Piece of ass" is ugly because it turns a person into a "thing"

This is something, BTW, I never hear women say about an attractive man.

And no...She doesn't "deserve" this for any reason and certainly not

for being attractive and a bit flirtatious....Frankly,

the "BuffaloBeast" guy, whatever his name is, shouldn't have said it first.

[madmom]

95. My point is, why did she wait till it was done so publicly, why didn't she do it before? If

it were me or my daughter I would have busted their ass the first time. Her mother can't be happy with the image her daughter is portraying on that show. Unless of course she really is a dumb bubble-headed bleach blond, who is there only to flash some skin and make the guys feel good.She has no substance on that show and she was ok with that?

[mercuryblues]

87. Mika

just came to the realization that the republicans she promotes, think of her as nothing more than a piece of ass. She has deluded herself into believing she was a "real" journalist and the men respected her. Now when ever she does an interview with a male political type, in the back of her head she will be questioning if they respect her or just want her to get naked for them.She just learned she is the prostitute, not the pimp.

[seabeyond]

89. "She just learned she is the prostitute, not the pimp." exactly. rush comparing first lady

so SI soft porn girl.... as if she represents womanhood, not classy michelle, did the same thing.

[opihimoimoi]

90. PLUS 99999999.08

She is not hot....just a piece of meat for hungry dogs,,,

[whathehell]

124. In a metaphorical way, perhaps

She's not a "prostitute" and shouldn't be called that, even metaphorically...It's WAY

to easy to demean women we "don't like".

[Kurovski]

91. Ucch, who can blame her? the mention of her in the call was disgusting.

Sometimes the testosterone level on the show reminds me of high school lockeroom crap, but with way-old dudes who should know to reel it in.

I'm sure she would not be allowed to fully express herself on the matter on the Scar's show. Too bad. She would have done a fine job of it, i bet.

[seabeyond]

92. testosterone does not make boys/men talk like this. feeling of superiority/privilege does. nt

[Kurovski]

93. I would argue that in high school, it does. Those boys are insecure.

They are together alone (lockeroom) and hormones rage. I was a teenage boy. Yes, I know you have a son.

In older men, it does not "rage" and they can make better choices, based also on experience. And whenever I've tuned in to the Scar, the one thing that screams from the screen--yes--is "privilege". The hormone level "reminds me of" not "is the same".

We're actually agreeing, except that I will not divest the brain from the body.

[seabeyond]

94. being insecure is not a product of testosterone, either. putting on a show for buddies

has nothing to do with hormone, and all to do with conditioning, fitting in, the manly thing to do. who do they learn this from.

no, it does not have to be.

or, we can blame on testosterone and then there is the excuse for it.

[Kurovski]

102. Physiological reactions are never an excuse, should never be allowed as one.

I agree with that.

And when something is new, there is always going to be some insecurity about it for humans, when the body changes, it's very new. I think it does have something to do with hormones. I've seen it many times, lessons and training learned or not.

There must be a balance, one should never override the other. Both, i feel, are true in the young.

The young men today I see and know, and are also in my very large extended family, have far more interest in women as people and friends than the round table of aging goofballs on the Scar. (they hardly ever let mika speak) So something good is happening once they got past the "hormonal" stage. And even during it. Maybe the popularity of wrestling? :-)

Probably because more people like you are raising kids. Yes, because most of behavior is taught. we have these bodies, now what are we going to do with them? 50, 30 years ago, you weren't even supposed to talk about it.


Basically, what I said initially was that the crew on Scarbo are immature men, and are allowed that platform. They often look ridiculous, and it isn't self-parody or ironic in any way. What you might excuse as a lapse in judgment in a 13 year old is inexplicable in the adults on Morning joe.

[seabeyond]

103. gotcha.

my other boy has stepped into 13. my oldest and i will talk often, but we are bringing the youngest into the conversation now. he walked out on one conversation, and i am like, no no... 13, get butt back in here.

we talk, a lot. i let them ramble and explore in conversation. i am often amazed how much more perceptive they are than what i expect them to be, with comments of out of control teenager, and especially boys.

mostly, i dont like to sell them short.

[Kurovski]

104. Young people are wonderful. I know I was.

:D and while he loves her very much, A boy doesn't tell a mother everything. ;-)

thanks for the talk, seabeyond, i've always thought you were a great mom. you really invest, and that's what it takes. :hi:

[seabeyond]

110. i just have to say

i know i dont know everything. nor would i want to know everything. i have told him, really, i dont need to know everything.

it is his journey to walk.

but i do like knowing who he is and where he is coming from.

[Kurovski]

112. Respect, love, and dignity.

that's what that sounds like to me.

[TuxedoKat]

115. I wish

everyone raised their sons like you. Really impressed with what you've posted about your sons in various posts.

[seabeyond]

134. i wish....

lol

i just really wish, we would not play so much in the conditioned gendering that we do today, for the health of all our kids. i am as worried about our girls, as our boys. it behooves neither.

thanks.

[itsrobert]

101. She thinks it is suppose to be the Joe and Mika Show

They told her they just call it Morning Joe because that's how some people say coffee. Joe Scarborough knows it is his show and Mika is like Ed McMahon.

[OxQQme]

105. Make the most of your looks

http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Mika+Brzezinski+3rd+Annual+More+Magazine+Reinvention+69c7uQkyxsol.jpg

[livetohike]

120. Mika used to be on one of the major networks (CBS?) and

something happened where she lost her job. I hear her make comments from time to time about how hard it is to be a woman in the media business. She has alluded to this on Morning Joe several times and used to stand up for Sarah Palin when people just wanted to talk about Palin's looks.

So these prank call comments hurt her and I understand that. There is a line that gets crossed when you are sitting with your co-workers and feel they are laughing at you, or disrespecting your contributions.

[Aerows]

132. She's terrified of answering questions

And having her name linked to it. Walker got shown for what he is, and Mika Brzezinski is terrified of having to field questions about how she feels being described as a "piece of ass".

You know, Lara Logan got beaten up and sexually assaulted in Egypt, and she went to the hospital because of the brutality of the actions against her. She released a statement a few days ago about exactly what she went through, to set the record straight. She's a journalist. She even described those who rescued her throwing their own bodies upon her own, because she was there - in danger. She doesn't fear damage to her reputation for telling the truth. She tells the truth and lets the chips fall where they may.

Mika Brzezinski is afraid of criticism, and a few hard questions. I don't know Logan's political affiliations. You know why? She's a journalist. Brzezinski wilts the second her name comes up, and isn't woman enough to confront it. I'm a woman, and work in a male dominated profession. I wouldn't stop for a second to confront the idea that I was just a "piece of ass", because I'm not, and I dare anyone to say it.

Mika Brzezinski can't even stand the light of a camera shown on her in a bad light, and apparently is incapable of standing up for herself. I guess she is waiting for a billion dollar campaign and somebody else to take up for her.

[seabeyond]

133. you are right on. that is what pisses me off. if a woman is not even capable of

standing up for herself.....

[Aerows]

135. Well, perhaps I didn't express fully my opinion -

she won't stand up for herself, because then, she will make the GOP look bad. So instead, she has to come up with an "Oh pity me" strategy, instead of just saying what she truly feels.

Apparently, she hasn't even got the guts to do that.

She has a chance to choose sides, and she chose to be a wallflower in this debate because it might affect her corporate masters. That reveals her character more than anything else anyone could ever say about her, because those are her own ACTIONS.

[CTyankee]

137. I think she clearly wants to have it both ways: she wants to be "seen" as a liberal

but doesn't want to upset Joe. She wants to be revered for her concern for civil rights, then when Eugene Robinson gently criticizes her, she is nearly in tears. She "says" she thinks Walker is doing this to break unions then says she feels "sorry" for him in the prank takedown of Walker.

Mika, this is what comes from never standing for anything really because you are afraid to. This is what happens to people who are not serious about what they believe in. This is what you get for being lily livered when Joe starts yelling and waving his arms.

The middle of the road is for yellow stripes and dead armadillos...

[seabeyond]

138. i never did weak, well. nt

[Zoeisright]

140. Face lift?

Probably. And Morning Joke, what about that dead intern in your office?

[CTyankee]

141. Really? This woman has been "branded" as a "piece of ass" and you say this?

C'mon, really? OK, this had nothing to do with JOe's dead intern. Let's just deal with this one issue. I think it is a problem for Mika. If you don't care, fine. Leave. But really this has a lot to do with women's place in TV journalism. If she is deficient, then so be it in the real world. No problem with that as a debate topic.

This is far beyond the "dead intern" issue. It IS an issue, but not THE issue right now...