Fox News has a long history of promoting sexism on-air, and 2015 was no different. Media Matters rounded up the 10 most cringe-worthy instances of sexism that happened on Fox this year -- as well as a bonus cringe-inducing moment from CNN.
Fox News' 10 Most Cringe-Worthy Sexist Moments Of 2015
Plus The Time CNN Asked A Male Politician Which Female Politician He Would Date, Marry, Or Vanish
Written by Katie Sullivan & Julie Alderman
Published
Eric Bolling: “I'm Just Laughing” At The Idea That “Anything A Guy Can Do, A Woman Can Do Better.” On the February 25 edition of Fox News' The Five, co-host Eric Bolling dismissed his fellow co-host Kimberly Guilfoyle's statement that “anything that a guy can do, a woman can do better” by laughing and saying, “I'm just laughing at the anything a guy can do, a woman can better. I won't even get myself in trouble for answering”:
[Fox News, The Five, 2/25/15]
Fox Guest: “The Most [Parents] Can Do Is Just Drill Into Your Daughter 'You're Vulnerable, You're Weak.'” On the March 24 edition of Fox News' Hannity, guest Gavin McInnes stated that “women are more vulnerable” than men and argued that parents should “drill into your daughter, 'you're vulnerable, you're weak'”:
[Fox News, Hannity, 3/24/15]
Keith Ablow: “Men Should Be Able To Veto Women's Abortions.” On the May 5 edition of Fox News' Outnumbered, Fox contributor and member of Fox's “Medical A-Team” psychiatrist Keith Ablow asserted that men should not only be able to maintain custody of a woman's frozen embryos, but also lauded himself for being “outspoken” in his belief that “men should be able to veto women's abortions”:
[Fox News, Outnumbered, 5/5/15]
Sandra Smith Criticized Women's World Cup Players For Being “Too Emotional” On The Field. On the July 2 edition of Fox News' Outnumbered, co-host Sandra Smith acknowledged that she was “going to be not popular” right before she criticized England's Women's Soccer team for engaging in “too emotional of a response” on the field when a player accidentally scored a goal for the other team during the World Cup semi-finals. Smith said, “I did not like this reaction from the other players. I don't think that men would have reacted the same way”:
[Fox News, Outnumbered, 7/2/15]
Keith Ablow: Gender Equality Means Men Can Hit Women. On the July 8 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, Keith Ablow responded to a publicly-released surveillance video of a then-Florida State University quarterback punching a female student, by saying that men not being able to hit women might be an “antiquated notion” because of co-ed sports and a culture that tries to “dispense with the idea of gender differences.” Ablow went on to justify his stance arguing, “listen, if you're saying that it's just fine to flip a girl onto her back in a wrestling match, and pin her to the ground and take some joy in that -- well then I guess if you're in a bar and she slaps you, you punch her in the face”:
[Fox News, Fox & Friends, 7/8/15]
Stacey Dash: “Divorce Rates Are So High” Because “Women Don't Know How To Take Care Of Their Men Anymore.” On the July 30 edition of Fox News' Outnumbered, Fox contributor Stacey Dash asserted that “women don't know how to take care of their men anymore” and in her opinion “that's why divorce rates are so high.” In response, guest Ryan Reiss joked, “well there is a point there, there is a reason guys sleep with the house keeper”:
[Fox News, Outnumbered, 7/30/15]
Jon Scott: “It's Better To Be A Dude In All Situations. Just Saying.” In a promo featured during the October 13 edition of Happening Now, Outnumbered co-host Harris Faulkner previewed the show saying they would be discussing “a new study [which] shows that if you want to get angry at work it's better to be a dude.” Happening Now co-host Jon Scott replied, “I think it's better to be a dude in all situations. Just saying”:
[Fox News, Happening Now, 10/13/15]
Fox & Friends Asked A Panel Of Men To Debate Whether They Were “Comfortable With The Women In [Their] Life Parading In Public In Leggings.” On the October 27 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, a panel of men were asked to judge a group of women in leggings to determine whether they were, “comfortable with the women in [their] life parading in public in leggings.” Panelist WIllie Robertson of A&E's Duck Dynasty quipped that he would “like a photo” of one of the models, while Fox's Arthur Aidala complimented another model's “physique” saying “God bless you, you've worked out, you've earned that” and joked, “We all took nitroglycerin pills before she came on, just to make sure”:
[Fox News, Fox & Friends, 10/27/15]
Brian Kilmeade Is Surprised That Supermodels “Don't Just Sit There” And Are “Very Conversant.” On the November 10 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, co-host Brian Kilmeade noted with amusement that Victoria's Secret models “don't just sit there and say, 'look at me, I'm pretty.' They talk back” and “are very conversant” during conversations, adding, “a lot of times I wrestle in conversations with supermodels”:
[Fox News, Fox & Friends, 11/10/15]
Steve Doocy Lamented That People Can No Longer Make Jokes About Date Rape. While discussing backlash generated by a controversial Bloomingdales ad that was accused of suggesting date rape, Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy asked viewers whether they were OK with the ad because “it's just a joke,” adding, “remember back in the old days when people used to make jokes?” The “joke” Doocy referred to was the ad's text, which read “Spike your best friend's eggnog when they're not looking” and featured a man staring at a woman:
[Fox News, Fox & Friends, 11/13/15]
BONUS: That Time CNN Asked A Male Politician Which Female Politician He'd “Date, Marry, Or Make Disappear Forever.” At a CNN Politics on Tap event, host Dana Bash asked Republican presidential candidate Lindsey Graham to play a “fun bar game,” asking: “OK, so, date, marry, or disappear forever: Hillary Clinton, Carly Fiorina, Sarah Palin”:
[CNN, Politics on Tap, 10/27/15]
John F. Burnett contributed to this piece