David Moore, Asshole of the Day for February 16, 2015

Montana Rep. David Moore was the victim of a crime last year, and that crime was seeing a few naked bicyclists. True story.

But a member of the legislature doesn't have to take this sitting down, he can do something, and so he has:

That's right-- yoga pants. Of all the problems in America today, yoga pants is where Rep. Moore decides he has had enough. 

Thankfully his fellow legislature don't share his passion on this issue, and so it's been tabled. But Asshole of the Day isn't an award about results, it's about intentions and statements, and I think we can all agree, Rep. Moore is the Asshole of the Day.

It is David Moore's first time as Asshole of the Day.

Full story: Mother Jones

Thomas Corbin, Asshole of the Day for February 15, 2015

Now I suppose reasonable adults can have conversations about the pros and cons of various domestic violence legislation. However, if you're opposed to increased protections for battered women, you should perhaps lay off the jokes about women not being equal to men.

And yet, that's exactly what happened last week. While discussing pending criminal domestic violence legislation, South Carolina Senator Thomas Corbin has this conversation:

Given this other incident where he wants Sen. Shealy to leave the room, she being the only woman in the Senate, he clearly thinks that women aren't equal to men, or he'd have no problem making his bizarre criticism of Common Core in front of her.

But this statement is really over the top, and joke or not, reflects how he really feels about the place of women in society. And for that, he is the Asshole of the Day.

UPDATE: Sen. Shealy didn't think it was a funny joke.

It is Sen. Corbin's first time as Asshole of the Day.

Full Story and photo: FITS News

Eric Bolling apologizes and reveals what it will take for Fox News to stop being such assholes

by TeaPartyCat (Follow @TeaPartyCat)

Yesterday we highlighted the conversation on Fox News The Five, where Kimberly Guilfoyle was discussing her admiration for Major Mariam Al Mansouri, a Muslim pilot leading the bombing in Syria, and then Eric Bolling and Greg Gutfeld started making sexist jokes. We named Gutfeld Asshole of the Day, in part because he started it.

Well, there's an update: Last night Eric Bolling apologized on air for his part:

And I should point out that I haven't seen any reports that Gutfeld apologized on air, so I guess we picked the right winner.

And what does this tell us? Well, it's not like Eric Bolling's only prejudice is sexism. He says many awful things across a range of topics that only point out how much he believes in his own white male privilege. Just look at all the times he showed up on Media Matters on the topic of race baiting, poor bashing, sexism, etc.

But the only time he apologizes on air for being such an entitled, prejudiced boob is when he gets home and his wife glares at him.

So it appears the only solution for Fox News' bad behavior and bad attitude is for all the hosts to marry someone who is non-white, immigrant, poor, female, gay, disabled... well, you get my point.

Photo source: http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/personalities/eric-bolling/bio/

Greg Gutfeld, Asshole of the Day for September 25, 2014

by TeaPartyCat (Follow @TeaPartyCat)

Republicans tell us there is no War On Women, and in fact just this week Ann Romney said that accusations of Republicans War on Women were "ridiculous" and "offensive". I guess she is ignorant of all the restrictions on birth control and abortion Republicans have pushed through the last few years, as well as their ongoing opposition to the Violence Against Women Act and equal pay laws.

Or maybe she just doesn't watch Fox News. Because if she had, she would have seen two male hosts mock a female pilot that a female host was praising:

Even their co-host wondered "why did they ruin my thing?" after.

Yes, we ask, why can't these men restrain themselves from shitting on a woman's achievement in an area that women have historically been excluded from? Why do they feel that on air on Fox News they can do this?

Because they completely lack any empathy for the struggles of women, or frankly anyone less fortunate than their white male asses. Their only point of view is their own.

It is reassuring that not only did Guilfoyle express her frustration with them but also that later so did Greta Van Susteren. We can only hope that someone breaks through and these two assholes think twice before doing it again. But it's Fox News, so we're not hopeful.

Now there were two assholes here, but we don't give out group awards. Of the two, Greg Gutfeld was first and his comment played on sexist stereotypes as well, so it he is the Asshole of the Day.

It is Greg Gutfeld's first time as Asshole of the Day, but one of many, many Fox News personalities to be featured here.

Full story: Talking Points Memo.

NOTE: This story was updated after readers pointed out that it's Gutfeld, not Gutfield, which was misspelled in Talking Points Memo, and which I picked up without noticing.

Phyllis Schlafly, Asshole of the Day for September 2, 2014

by TeaPartyCat (Follow @TeaPartyCat)

Every now and then the GOP will try to hide their war on women by pushing front and center a woman who is also happy to do so. Last summer during Rick Perry's push to restrict abortion under the guise of protecting women's health (despite there being no exception to save the life of the mother), they trotted out Rep. Jody Laubenberg who justified the lack of exception for rape by claiming "rape kits prevent pregnancy", instead of that they are merely to gather evidence of the crime of rape. Last week I satirized this as

And of course one woman has relished her role in trying to keep women oppressed for almost 40 years-- Phyllis Schlafly. And over the weekend, she spoke out and claimed that rape and domestic violence are the fault of single, career women:

She starts by identifying that women are less likely to marry men who commit violence against them, which should adequately explain why domestic violence is more common among unmarried women. That makes sense and we can all agree on that. I've even made that exact same argument in June when Bradford Wilcox blamed single moms for the sexual abuse of their daughters.

But rather than stick with the wisdom of women to explain these differences, she goes the other direction and assumes that in marriage women calm men down so that they are no longer interested in hurting women. Thus women who haven't married are the real culprits here. It's important to note how ridiculous this is-- where many conservatives will blame a woman for her own rape because of what she was wearing, etc., Schlafly is blaming all single women (and especially career women) for all the rapes and domestic violence in the world.

Another point here is that she assumes that domestic violence and rape are part of the nature of single men. To her men are all monsters, but that's OK, because that's how God made them. It's not their fault-- women are supposed to fix that, and if not, well, that's the woman's fault.

So, for blaming single women for domestic violence and rape, Phyllis Schlafly is the Asshole of the Day.

It is Phyllis Schlafly’s second time as Asshole of the Day. Her previous win was for saying the best way to help women is to pay men even more or women will never get married.

Full story: Right Wing Watch.

Is Tucker Carlson Asshole of the Day for saying statutory rape victims are "whiny"?

But don't worry, he's only criticizing statutory rape when boy is the victim:

"It's ludicrous that we are calling this a rape. Are you serious?" Carson asked on Fox News' "Outnumbered." "I'll tell you what's wrong to this extent — he went and tattled to the police and destroyed her life. Are you joking? What a whiny country this is."

“You’re this boy, and all of a sudden you’re a rape victim? You pursue an older woman, and have a relationship with her, and you’re a rape victim?" he said. "It defies common sense. And anybody who’s being honest with himself knows exactly what I’m talking about. We all have to pretend."

Yes, and when called on the obvious double standard here, he says it's different for a boy than a girl, you know on account of how sexist he is.

Photo source: https://twitter.com/TuckerCarlson

Pat Robertson, Asshole of the Day for May 30, 2014

by TeaPartyCat (Follow @TeaPartyCat)

Aside from pontificating about politics, Pat Robertson also dispenses advice and answers the questions of his listeners. Sounds harmless enough, and yet he still finds plenty of ways to show what a misogynist he is.

Why just the other day he suggested that wives are supposed to reward their husbands with sex for helping with chores around the house:

To Robertson, the man is helping with what he considers the woman's work, and so the woman owes the man. Sexually.

Aside from how creepy this sounds coming out of Pat Robertson's mouth, it probably doesn't occur to him that many women also work, and some provide better than the man does. But no matter, if a man picks up his socks, Pat Robertson thinks the man is owed sex.

And Robertson doesn't even address what an asshole the husband is being by proclaiming every small thing he does. What could be more of a turn on for women I guess than a man who tries to take credit for every tiny thing!

And this isn't out of character for Robertson. In the past he told a woman her husband cheated because she doesn’t keep a nice house. Really. Not the husband's fault for cheating, but her fault for not keeping a nicer house.

So, for telling a woman she owes the man sex for helping around the house, Pat Robertson is once again the Asshole of the Day.

It is Pat Robertson's seventh time as Asshole of the Day. Previous wins were for

Full story: Raw Story

Keith Ablow, Asshole of the Day for May 15, 2014

by TeaPartyCat (Follow @TeaPartyCat)

It seems not a day goes by where someone in power or in the media says something horrible about rape. Today we add Dr. Keith Ablow, a Fox News's expert. Dr. Ablow defended a middle school banning tights on the grounds that boys will be boys:

"I don't know that we can restrain boys from being boys." And he also thinks we shouldn't even try. Sorry, girls, your needs don't matter when they interfere with boys' needs. I mean, why would we even try to restrain boys so that girls could be allowed to learn?

The sexism here is so breathtakingly clear: Boys will be boys and there's no need or desire to change that. Girls must accommodate themselves to boys, not the other way around. Only the girls have to make accommodations according to this sexist asshole.

And the part that really annoys me is that middle school might be a great time to start explaining to boys that it's not acceptable to treat women as sex objects, and that they should act with restraint and empathy towards all people, including those of the opposite sex. It will be a lot easier to teach this lesson at 13 than at 23, at which point you'd have to unlearn all the bad lessons. But Dr. Ablow doesn't want to do that-- he wants boys to have no restraint and do whatever they want, no matter who it hurts. This is sexism, and to some extent what rape culture is based on. And for that, Dr. Keith Ablow is the Asshole of the Day.

It is Keith Ablow's first time as Asshole of the Day, but of course one of many, many people featured here who've excused rape and blamed women for the crimes committed against them:

Full story: Media Matters

Clayton Morris, Asshole of the Day for May 5, 2014

by GirlGetALife (Follow @GirlGetALife)

There was a time when women were relegated to the side lines, they had no control over when or how they were educated, who they would marry or whether or not they could choose to have a child. That time is long gone. It's 2014: women (in developed nations, at least) are no longer sitting idly by, letting others dictate their lives. They can go to school, any school they want, choose who and when they will marry, if at all, and, despite numerous attempts to stand in the way of reproductive rights, they have the right to decide if and when they want to be a parent.

With all the rights women have gained in the last several generations, it makes sense that they would also become more successful in their chosen careers, climbing the corporate ladder and - gasp! - sometimes even earning more money than men. This is a good thing...and we should all be evolved enough to realize it.

Fox News host Clayton Morris, sadly, still thinks it's 1952 and stated on air that women “breadwinners” are emasculating men by violating their “innate” biology. While hosting a panel discussion, Morris asked if there was a "problem with men earning less than women in the household?" He also wanted to know if the panelists thought women 'breadwinners' "could actually cause marital problems?"

Now, implications aside, it seems like Morris was asking a pretty innocent question, playing devil's advocate even. But he didn't stop there. After the panelists outlined why it's lame to delve into gender roles in this way, Morris said:

By blaming successful women for 'emasculating' men, and implying that women 'breadwinners' are bad for marriage, Morris takes us back to a time when women were little more than arm candy and silly little creatures who had nothing to contribute to society than recipes and great cocktail party chatter.

Morris' question also implies that men are weak, and can only determine their worth based on the size of their paycheck. If that's so...that guy has a problem. It's not the woman's issue.

Here's the reality: there are more women enrolled in colleges and professional schools. Nearly one-third of women will have their college degree by age 27, compare to just 24-percent of men. If you look at these numbers, it's safe to assume that more and more women will become "breadwinners". And, as families assess the options in front of them, many will decide it makes sense for the "breadwinner" wife to continue her ascent up the corporate ladder, while the husband takes on the difficult task of managing the home front.

This is where we are as a society. Men who have a problem with it are going to have to deal. Clayton Morris is going to have to deal.

We don't know if Clayton Morris will ever be able to get on board with women who earn more than their men. But we can name him Asshole of the Day.

It is Clayton Morris' first time as Asshole of the Day.

Full story: Raw Story

Phyllis Schlafly, Asshole of the Day for April 16, 2014

by TeaPartyCat (Follow @TeaPartyCat)

In the last month or two equal pay laws and the gender pay gap have been in the news, and the excuses to do nothing about this have been all over the place. And not in a good way. So far we've seen:

But of course all those people are rookies compared to Phyllis Schlafly, who won't be left out of the conversation. She's been pushing for women to be second class citizens for 40 years! Her argument against equal pay laws? Women won’t find husbands if they’re paid equal to men:

If you boil down her argument, it's

But does this even make sense? No. Since not every woman will eventually get married to a man— because some won’t get married, and because others will marry women— that prior to getting married, it would be better for women not to be paid less than men as a rule, because they won’t know whether they will fall into the married to men, married to women, or not married later in life category. The women who don't end up married to a man will be sacrificing fair wages but not getting the "benefit" of better paid husbands.

And even among the women who do get married to men, there's two other problems that Ms. Schlafly isn't addressing-- divorce and death. What happens when this better paid husband is gone? Should the woman forgo fair earnings then too? With half of all marriages ending in divorce, why should women ever accept unfair wages just to prop up the wages of husbands who may not be there when they need them?

And let's go back to her original statement as well-- Ms. Schlafly says that not all women prefer a man who makes more, nor do all men prefer to make more. But those people should just suffer along with the single women and gay women and the divorcees and widows so that some women can get better paid husbands.

And, yes, she's old, so it may be understandable that she still thinks these things. But this isn't a case of your 90-year-old grandma with outdated views lovingly giving advice to her granddaughter. She is still in the public sphere trying to influence policy. And she's wrong. And if her policies are followed it will continue to impoverish millions of women and their children. And for what?

So, for saying women should accept lower wages to prop up their prospects for a husband, Phyllis Schlafly is the Asshole of the Day.

It is Phyllis Schlafly's first time as Asshole of the Day.

Full story: Think Progress

Is Phyllis Schlafly Asshole of the Day?

Is Phyllis Schlafly asshole of the day for saying women won't find husbands if they're paid equal to men?

In an op-ed Phyllis Schlafly says 

This is some awesome sexist logic here. Let's just pretend her facts are right and see if we can possibly agree with her conclusion--

Because some women prefer a man who makes more money than them

AND most men prefer to make more money than their wife

THEN it's good for women that men are paid more.

That is her argument. But is that the only conclusion, even assuming her facts? 

It seems to me that since not every woman will eventually get married to a man-- because some won't get married, and because others will marry women-- that prior to getting married, it would be better for women not to be paid less than men as a rule, because they won't know whether they will fall into the married to men, married to women, or not married later in life.

Beyond that there's thing called divorce. So women who make less and marry a man who makes more but get divorced will go back to making less on their own while the man makes more. I can't think of any divorced women I've ever met who thought it would be great if her ex made more than her once he's left her and won't share it any more.

Also even Ms. Schlafly says that not all women prefer a man who makes more, nor do all men prefer to make more. But those people should just suffer I guess.

Basically what it comes down to is if you're not a woman who wants a man who makes more or a man who wants to make more-- and straight and married-- it's a pretty lousy system, but she doesn't care. And divorcees and widows figure in not at all.

Photo source: http://www.phyllisschlafly.com/

Is Michael Hayden Asshole of the Day?

Is former Gen. Michael Hayden asshole of the day for his sexist comment about Sen. Dianne Feinstein's reaction being "emotional"?

Sexist? I think so.

Here's the statement by Feinstein he referenced:

And here's his take on it:

I don't see it the way he does. Do you? Because it really seems like he jumped to dismissing her as an "emotional woman, you know how they are" on nothing. Nothing but his own sexism.

Photo source: CIA via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Michael_Hayden,_CIA_official_portrait.jpg

Is Boomer Esiason Asshole of the Day?

Is Boomer Esiason asshole of the day for saying a player should make his wife have a c-section so he doesn’t miss Opening Day?

Right, right. Let’s let opening day make medical decisions for women. Great idea. I mean, we have a political party that wants politicians and clergymen to make medical decisions for women— without regard to what doctors and science say— so why not have baseball schedules and sports commentators making medical decisions for women too?

What could go wrong?

  UPDATE: Boomer has issued a forced apology

Photo source: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/category/boomer-carton/

Is Lamar Alexander Asshole of the Day?

Is Sen. Lamar Alexander asshole of the day for worrying that an equal pay law won't protect men from being paid less than women?

"Take me through exactly what would have to happen, with a specific example of a man and woman, where a man is being paid less than the woman," Alexander said to attorney Camille Olson during a Senate hearing on the bill. "Because this law is not just about women — it's about men and women."

"An employer would have to show that the woman was being paid more because of a factor other than sex, such as a qualification, advanced degree, or more experience," she said.

Oh, please. Women have been discriminated against in both pay rates and promotions as long as they've been in the workforce, so you're going to try to derail an equal pay law while asking if it will protect men? 

You know what protects men? Sexism, that's what.

Photo source: http://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/

Is Harry Crouch Asshole of the Day?

Is Harry Crouch asshole of the day for saying self-defense classes for women are sexist?

So his argument is what? That we shouldn't train women to defend themselves, even though they are often the victims?

It'd be great if women didn't have to worry about this, and that this training wouldn't help, but we're not there yet. Maybe this asshole should give "don't rape or abuse women classes" and offer them for free to women, and then when things equal out then he can go back to complaining.

Photo source: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/harry-crouch/11/b8a/414