RECENTLY ASHLEY BANFIELD WHO IS ONE OF THE HOSTS ON HLN
SPOKE ABOUT A STORY REGARDING AZIZ ANSARI.
IT WAS A STORY THAT WAS PUBLISHED IN BABE MAGAZINE
THAT ACCOUNTED, THAT HAD THE ACCOUNT OF A YOUNG WOMAN
WHO WENT ON A DATE WITH HIM AND FELT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH HIS
ADVANCES DURING THE DATE.
AFTER THE WOMAN VERBALLY INDICATED THAT SHE DID NOT
WANT TO HAVE SEX WITH HIM HE STOPPED AND THE DATE ENDED.
ASHLEY BANFIELD COMMENTED ON THAT ACCOUNT BECAUSE OF THE
FACT THAT IT WAS BEING LUMPED IN WITH THE ME TOO MOVEMENT.
CASES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, RAPE, SEXUAL HARASSMENT THAT ENDED
WOMEN'S CAREERS AND SHE WASN'T IN FAVOR OF THE WAY IT WAS
COVERED.
SHE NOT ONLY CRITICIZED THE WAY IT WAS HANDLED BY THE WOMAN
MAKING ACCUSATIONS WHO BY THE WAY, TO THIS DAY IS ANONYMOUS.
THEY USED A PSEUDONYM RATHER THAN HER REAL NAME.
SHE ALSO CRITICIZED KATIE WAY WHO WAS THE WRITER FOR BABE WHO
MADE THE STORY PUBLIC.
APPARENTLY KATIE WAY DID NOT LIKE ASHLEY BANFIELD'S
COMMENTARY ON
THIS AND SEND EMAIL TO HLN THAT ASHLEY BANFIELD SHARED WITH HER
AUDIENCE AND I WANT TO TALK TO THE VIDEO TO SHOW YOU
EXACTLY WHAT THAT EMAIL SAID.
I WANT TO SHARE THIS BECAUSE I THINK THIS GIVES US AN
INSIGHT INTO THE CALIBER OF THE PERSON WHO HELD THAT
NUCLEAR WEAPON THAT WAS WIELDED ON AZIZ ANSARI'S CAREER.
THE CALIBER OF THIS 22-YEAR-OLD YOUNG WOMAN AND I AM ONLY
GOING TO READ A SLIGHT PART OF HER COMMENTS TO ME.
I ASSUME THAT SHE FASHIONS HERSELF A FEMINIST IN THIS
MOVEMENT.
ASHLEY, SOMEONE WHO I AM CERTAIN NO ONE UNDER THE AGE OF 45 HAS
EVER HEARD OF, I HOPE THE 500 RETWEETS ON THE SINGLE WRITEUP
MADE THAT BURGUNDY LIPSTICK, BAD HIGHLIGHTS, SECOND WAVE
FEMINIST HAS BEEN RELEVANT FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
THAT IS FROM KATIE WAY WHO WAS ON CBS THIS MORNING.
KATIE WAY ALSO WANTED TO MAKE PUBLIC THE FULL CONTENT OF HER
EMAIL BECAUSE SHE FELT LIKE THAT WAS TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT.
I HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU READ THE ENTIRETY OF IT, BUSINESS INSIDER
POSTED IT.
THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE EMAIL, YES, SHE DOES
SAY THE THINGS THAT WERE RELAYED TO YOU RIGHT NOW, BUT SHE ALSO
TALKS ABOUT HOW GRACE WAS IN A VULNERABLE POSITION AND HOW DARE
YOU ATTACK HER, YOU DISGUST ME, READ THE WHOLE THING.
I DON'T THINK THAT IT MAKES THE CASE BETTER FOR KATIE WAY,
ACTUALLY THINKS IT MAKES IT A LITTLE WORSE FOR HER BUT
REMEMBER, GRACE REMAINS ANONYMOUS.
WE DO NOT KNOW WHO SHE IS AND SHE IS MAYBE BEING ATTACKED BY
SOME PEOPLE ON TV OR ONLINE, BUT NO ONE KNOWS WHO SHE IS
PERSONALLY,
A NUMBER OF THINGS HERE.
NUMBER ONE, KATIE WAY PICKED AT THE WRONG TARGET BECAUSE IF
YOU ARE A JOURNALIST, DO SOME RESEARCH.
ASHLEY BANFIELD IS ONE OF THE BEST ANCHORS ON TELEVISION
AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT HER, YOU SHOULD AND A LOT OF
PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 45 DO BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE
COVERAGE ON THE INTERNET, INCLUDING US.
SHE WAS ONE OF THE FEW BRAVE PEOPLE IN THERE AND SHE WAS
A RISING STAR AT THE TIME AND MSNBC PAID A LOT OF MONEY TO GET
HER FROM THE OTHER NETWORKS.
ONE OF THE FEW BRAVE PEOPLE BEFORE THE IRAQ WAR WHO
GAVE A SPEECH SAYING WE SHOULDN'T GO.
FOR THAT BRAVERY SHE WAS PUNISHED BY THE CORPORATE MEDIA.
MSNBC NOT ONLY TOOK OFF AIR BUT THEY WOULDN'T LET HER OUT
OF HER CONTRACT BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT ANYONE SPEAKING
AGAINST THE WAR ANYWHERE ON TV.
AT THE TIME THEY WERE OWNED BY GE WHICH IS A DEFENSE
CONTRACTOR.
THAT IS HOW THEY MADE MOST OF THEIR MONEY AND NOT ONLY
THAT, JUST TO TEACH EVERYBODY A LESSON, THEY MOVED ASHLEY
BANFIELD'S OFFICE FROM AN ACTUAL OFFICE TO INSIDE A CLOSET
AND SHE SUFFERED THROUGH ALL OF THAT AND SHE CAME BACK AND
SHE MADE IT BACK ON AIR AND WHEN SHE WAS ON AIR AT CNN, SHE DID
SOME OF THE TOP HIS INTERVIEWS DURING THE 2012 ELECTIONS.
SHE IS ACTUALLY A GREAT JOURNALIST BUT YOU DIDN'T
BOTHER RESEARCHING THAT, YOU JUST JUDGE HER FOR HER
LIPSTICK AND HER HAIR AND HER AGE WHICH I'M PRETTY SURE IS
NOT THE PROGRESSIVE WAY OF HANDLING THINGS.
THE COMMENT ON ASHLEY BANFIELD'S APPEARANCE IS THE
EXACT REASON WHY I DID WANT TO DO THIS FOLLOW-UP
BECAUSE I THINK IT WOULD BE TOTALLY FAIR TO MAYBE
RESPOND TO ASHLEY BANFIELD BASED ON THE MERITS OF HER ARGUMENTS,
MAYBE YOU WANT TO CRITICIZE THE OPEN LETTER THAT SHE PUT
OUT THERE TOWARD GRACE WHO WAS THE WOMAN THAT YOU WROTE ABOUT.
THAT IS COMPLETELY FINE, BUT YOU IMMEDIATELY WENT TO ATTACKING
HER AGE, HER APPEARANCE, HER LIPSTICK, HER HIGHLIGHTS.
THAT IS A REALLY WEIRD POSITION TO TAKE OR A WEIRD ATTACK
TO MAKE CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT YOU PRIDE YOURSELF ON
BEING THE SELF-RIGHTEOUS FEMINIST WHO WANTS TO
PROVIDE A VOICE FOR SOMEONE LIKE GRACE, WHO BY HER OWN
ADMISSION DIDN'T MAKE IT CLEAR THAT SHE DIDN'T WANT TO
HAVE A SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH ANSARI AT THAT MOMENT UNTIL
SHE FINALLY SAID NO AND HE COMPLETELY STOPPED.
I WANT TO SHOW ASHLEY BANFIELD'S TO RESPOND TO HER AS WELL.
IT'S VERY SHORT.
IF YOU TRULY BELIEVE IN THE ME TOO MOVEMENT, AND
WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND FEMINISM, THE LAST THING YOU SHOULD DO IS
ATTACK SOMEONE IN AN AD HOMINEM WAY FOR HER AGE, I'M
50, AND FOR MY HIGHLIGHTS, I WAS BROWN HAIRED FOR A WHILE
WHEN I WAS A WAR CORRESPONDENT INTERVIEWING YASSER ARAFAT
AND IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ, GAZA AND THE WEST BANK.
GOOGLE THOSE PLACES.
THAT IS NOT THE WAY WE HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AS WOMEN OR MEN.
WE DON'T ATTACK.
AS JOURNALISTS.
LET'S BE FRANK.
WE DO NOT ATTACK PEOPLE FOR THEIR AGE OR THEIR HIGHLIGHTS
OR THEIR LIPSTICK BECAUSE IT IS THE MOST HYPOCRITICAL THING A
WOMAN WHO SAYS SHE SUPPORTS THE WOMAN'S MOVEMENT COULD EVER DO.
WOW.
I APPRECIATE THAT SALTINESS.
I REALLY DO.
AT AS FAR AS OVERALL STORY, WHETHER IT WAS ASHLEY
BANVILLE THERE ARE COVERAGE AND LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR
COVERAGE FOR A 2ND.
I THINK THERE ARE LEGITIMATE CRITIQUES YOU CAN MAKE AND
I THINK SHE COULD'VE GOT IN THAT DIRECTION.
A LOT OF PEOPLE POINTED OUT, YOU SHOULD'VE EMPHASIZED FOR US, YOU
SHOULD BEEN BESIDES MORE OF THE PARTS WHERE AZIZ ANSARI KEPT
INSISTING AND PERSISTING AND MADE NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO HOOK
UP AND THEY DID HOOK UP IN DIFFERENT WAYS AND THEN
EVENTUALLY SHE SAID NO.
WHETHER YOU WANT TO CALL IT FEMINIST, PROGRESSIVES ETC.
MAKE THOSE CLAIMS AND I THINK THEY ARE LEGITIMATE.
WE CAN DISAGREE ON A LOT OF IT BUT IT IS FAIR TO POINT OUT.
THERE'S ALSO THE ILLEGITIMATE CRITICISM.
A BUNCH OF THE RIGHT-WING CITY TO CARE ABOUT THIS ISSUE
AND THEY SAY YOU GUYS ONLY CARE ABOUT IT BECAUSE AZIZ
ANSARI IS MUSLIM.
I HAVE TO BE HONEST, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HE WAS MUSLIM.
WHAT DOES THAT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS?
THEY SEE THINGS ONLY IN TERMS OF GROUPS SO THEY ARE LIKE,
AZIZ ANSARI IS A MUSLIM, SO THEREFORE I HATE HIM AND
BELIEVE THE STORY.
WE ARE VERY CONSISTENT.
ANY TIME A LIBERAL GETS ACCUSED WE GO AHEAD AND SUPPORT
THEM RIGHT?
ANYTIME ANYONE WE AGREE WITH GETS ACCUSED WE AGREE WITH THEM?
COME ON, I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT CRITICISM AT ALL.
FOR LEGITIMATE CRITIQUES, I HEAR YOU AND THE PERSISTENCE WAS
DEFINITELY EVIDENT IN GRACES ACCOUNT, BUT HERE'S THE
THING, SHE DIDN'T MAKE IT CLEAR THAT SHE WASN'T INTO IT.
AT TIME SHE COMPLIED, AT TIMES SHE CLAIMS SHE MUMBLED
SOMETHING UNDER HER BREATH.
IT'S NOT CLEAR COMMUNICATION AND TO PUT IT ALL IN AZIZ ANSARI AND
MAKE IT SEEM AS THOUGH HE'S SOME CRAZY PREDATOR THAT WE ALL NEED
TO LOOK OUT FOR, I JUST THINK THAT IT UNFORTUNATELY COULD
DESTROY SOMEONE'S CAREER WHEN YOU DON'T CLEARLY STATE
THAT YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED IN HAVING A SEXUAL
RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT PERSON.
AND HE WASN'T THE ONLY ONE IN THE ROOM.
I DON'T WANT TO WAIT TOO MUCH BACK INTO IT, BUT IT MAKES
IT SEEM LIKE AZIZ ANSARI IS THE ONLY PERSON WITH A
COGNITIVE ABILITY THERE WHO CAN ACTUALLY ACT.
THAT IS CRAZY.
IF YOU ARE FEMINIST, COURSE YOU SHOULDN'T BELIEVE THAT.
I KNOW WE HAVE LEGITIMATE DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT THE STORY,
HERE'S WHAT I AM NOT OKAY WITHOUT.
I AM NOT OKAY WITH ANYONE TRYING TO SHUT ME DOWN BECAUSE
THEY DON'T AGREE WITH MY OPINION.
I WANT TO HAVE A DIALOGUE.
I WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AND I WANT TO DO SO IN A
CIVIL WAY WERE PEOPLE ARE NOT ATTACKING ONE ANOTHER BASED
ON STUPID THINGS LIKE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE OR WHATEVER.
IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A DIALOGUE IN A CONVERSATION LIKE AN
ADULT, I HEAR YOU AND I WANT TO HEAR THIS CRITIQUES BUT IF
YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THAT YOU WANT TO SHUT PEOPLE
DOWN THE SECOND THEY SAY SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU
UNCOMFORTABLE, I'M NOT INTERESTED IN YOU.
IF YOU ARE OFFENDED BY THAT, BY OPINIONS AND DIALOGUE, THIS
IS NOT THE PROGRAM FOR YOU.
LAST THING, AND THE REST OF THE LETTER YOU ARE RIGHT,
SHE DOESN'T DO ANY FAVORS.
I HAD NO OPINION ON THE WRITER BEFORE BUT AFTER INSULTING
ASHLEY BANVILLE'S CAREER AND APPEARANCE, ETC.
AND SHE
SAYS, I WILL REMEMBER THIS FOR THE REST OF MY CAREER.
I'M 22 AND SO FAR, NOT TOO SHABBY.
I CAN'T.
I WAS 22 ONCE AND I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE 22
AND THINK THAT YOU ARE ON TOP OF THE WORLD AND YOU KNOW
EVERYTHING AND THEN LIFE RAINS DOWN ON YOU AND IT HUMBLES YOU.
IT'S A COMMON THING.
IT WAS TRUMPIAN THE WAY SHE CAPITALIZED, SHE DISGUSTS ME.
THE WAY SHE PUTS THE EXCLAMATION MARK ON NOT TOO SHABBY.
ASHLEY BANFIELD TOOK A STAND AGAINST A WAR THAT
KILLED MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AND YOU WROTE THIS PIECE THAT YOU
ARE NOW SO PROUD OF AND YOU THINK THAT MAKES YOUR CAREER
BETTER THAN HERS AT THE AGE OF 22 BECAUSE OF THIS PIECE BUT
THEN
IT MAKES ME THINK THAT MIGHT BE PART OF THE REASON YOU WROTE THE
PIECE BECAUSE HEY, LOOK AT MY GREAT CAREER.
YOU DIDN'T DO ANY FAVORS WITH THIS LETTER.