The Trouble With Tweety

Chris Matthews does appear to be going off his rocker. After pining over "big, beefy" Democrats and suggesting that to him, looks matter over policies, he then goes out and outright harasses a woman reporter on the air (h/t Digby).

BURNETT: Well, they were part of the biggest increase in home ownership in this country that we've ever seen. I mean, home ownership's ticked up a few percentage points over the past few years, thanks to low interest rates --

MATTHEWS: Yeah.

BURNETT: -- and all those creative types of mortgages. And you could say that's a good thing, but, you know, Chris, I guess just to throw it out there and, you know, be provocative, but also ask a fair question -- you know, maybe not everybody is able to own a home. We like to think of owning a home as a right in this country.

MATTHEWS: Yeah.

BURNETT: It might not be.

MATTHEWS: Could you get a little closer to the camera?

BURNETT: My -- what is it? Is it zooming in strangely?

MATTHEWS: Come on in closer. No, come in -- come in further -- come in closer. Really close.

BURNETT: What are you -- what are you doing?

MATTHEWS: Just kidding! You look great! Anyway, thanks. Erin, it's great to -- look at that look. You're great.

BURNETT: I don't even know. I'm going to have to go look at the tape here. I'm in a strange location.

MATTHEWS: No, you're beautiful. I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. You're a knockout. Anyway, thank you, Erin Burnett.

BURNETT: All right, Chris. See you later.

I think what Tweety would say that he was referring to was the fact that the lens was a little fish-eyed, and so her moving closer distorted her features somewhat. It's a lame excuse made ridiculous by the "just kidding, you're beautiful" comment afterward.

I saw it live and was completely offended as well. Glenn Beck did exactly the same thing to Erica Hill, who is a former co-worker of mine, on the first day of his shitty show. Him and Tweety are cut from the same cloth. A lot of these shows set up these power relationships with the white male host and the young chippy correspondents, who usually know plenty more than the hosts but are consistently demeaned by them. The execs doing the hiring are all a bunch of sexists, and so they thrust these pretty girls into these situations, and the old hosts are of the same mindset as the execs. I've been in enough newsrooms to know that this is a far more serious problem than anybody wants to admit.