On the January 18 edition of MSNBC's Imus in the Morning, Hardball host Chris Matthews cited nationally syndicated radio host Michael Savage's characterization of the award-winning film Brokeback Mountain (Focus Features, 2005), stating: “The wonderful Michael Savage ... what's he call it? 'Bareback Mounting.' That's his name for the movie.” Host Don Imus responded: “Of course, Bernard [McGuirk, executive producer] calls it 'Fudgepack Mountain.' "

Imus's and Matthews's comments came during a segment in which Imus asked Matthews: “Have you lost weight?” Matthews responded, “I was at 240 and gaining a couple years ago, and I've been working down. ... I got down to 215 after I ran the other day, so I'm somewhere in the teens still,” later adding, “I'm trying to get down to 200.” Imus remarked, “You look pretty good. I mean, I'm not working toward a Brokeback Mountain situation here, I'm just saying -- I remarked to Charles -- I said, 'He looks pretty good to me.' ”

Savage formerly hosted a television program on MSNBC but was fired after he called a caller a “sodomite” and told him to “get AIDS and die.”

From the January 18 edition of MSNBC's Imus in the Morning:

IMUS: Have you lost weight?

MATTHEWS: I was at -- I was at 240 and gaining a couple years ago, and I've been working down -- I was checking, I said -- I got down to 215 after I ran the other day, so I'm somewhere in the teens still.

IMUS: You look pretty good.

MATTHEWS: I'm trying to get down to 200.

IMUS: You look pretty good. I mean, I'm not working toward a Brokeback Mountain situation here, I'm just saying -- I remarked to Charles -- I said, “He looks pretty good to me.”

MATTHEWS: I've been reading your comments. I don't think you're working in that direction.

[laughter]

IMUS: Well, I'm trying. So, Al Gore --

MATTHEWS: Have you seen it yet? Have you gone to see it yet? I've seen everything else but that. I guess --

IMUS: No, I haven't seen it. Why would I want to see that?

MATTHEWS: I don't know. I've no opinion on that. I haven't seen it either. So --

IMUS: So, they -- I don't know -- it was out when I was in New Mexico, and it doesn't resonate with the cowboys -- with the real cowboys who I know. So --

MATTHEWS: Yeah --

IMUS: But then, maybe there's stuff going on there, on the ranch, that I don't know about. Not on my ranch, but you know what I'm saying.

MATTHEWS: Well, the wonderful Michael Savage, who's on [WTNT AM] 570 in D.C., who shares a station with you at least, he said -- he calls it -- what's he call it? "Bareback Mounting." That's his name for the movie.

IMUS: Right. Of course, Bernard calls it "Fudgepack Mountain," but that's probably --

MATTHEWS: You know what? I'll bet it wins. It's either that or Good Night, and Good Luck. [Warner Independent Pictures, 2005] who'll win for an Academy Award, I think, this year. I think it's the mood. Everybody likes the movie, who's seen it, so.