by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright July 10, 2003
All Rights Reserved.

hooting himself in the foot, San Francisco-based syndicated radio talk show host Michael Savage crossed the line, telling a caller, "Oh, you're one of those sodomites! You should only get aids and die, you pig," getting himself canned at MSNBC. Drawing audible gasps from his crew, the 58-year-old Berkeley Ph.D. didn't know that a 30-second sound bite could cost him his job hosting "The Savage Nation." "The decision to cancel the show was not difficult," said Jeremy Gaines, MSNBC's vice president of communication fearing fallout for failing to take action. Yet, MSNBC knew full well that Savage didn't pull any punches when they signed his contract in the Spring. Savage, known for his acerbic wit and abrasive style, built a loyal following hurling insults and violating every known rule of political correctness—that's exactly what his audience expects and wants.

     Savage's combative style was well known to executives at MSNBC before "The Savage Nation" aired its first show in March. Though Savage's show attracted only 350,000 viewers each week—only half of comparable shows on CNN or one-third that of Fox—he was a bright spot for the otherwise lackluster lineup, a joint venture between Microsoft [MS] and NBC, the network owned by General Electric. Savage's on-air outburst, prompted several of his radio affiliates around the country to also suspend programming, including Glendale-based KRLA, owned by Salem Broadcasting. MSNBC called Savage's remarks "extremely inappropriate," prompting The Family Research Council—a Washington-based lobbying group opposed to gay marriage—to join the denunciation. Few people expected local radio stations to follow MSNBC's lead, dropping the popular radio show.

     Savage's remarks "don't add to the public debate," said Genevieve Wood, the group's vice president of communications, agreeing with stinging criticism from the gay community. Calling gays "sodomites," a reference to a bygone era in which homosexuality was regarded as a sexual deviation, infuriates gay rights groups. "These kind of comments have no place on any news network," said Scott Seomin, entertainment and media director for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance against discrimination, delighted that MSNBC canned Savage. While Savage is no fan of the gay community, his current trouble stems not from old-fashioned views about homosexuality but from an unsightly outburst recorded on TV. Watching someone fomenting, contorting and spewing hateful statements carries a very different impact on television than radio. Savage's outburst—not his political views—cost him his job.

     Lessons in political correctness don't come easily. Take Chicago Cubs manager Dusty Baker, whose recent comments about African American ball players fueled a media brouhaha. Baker stands by his "honest" remarks that blacks weather the sun better than whites, speaking from his intimate "knowledge" of U.S. slave history. Baker, who happens to be African American, unleashed a furious debate about the acceptability of racism by blacks. In 1987, celebrating Jackie Robinson's historic entrance into the major leagues, the late Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Al Campanis—a roommate of Robinsons—aired his personal views on national television about blacks in baseball management. Speaking via satellite feed to Ted Koppel on ABC's "Nightline," Campanis said blacks lacked the "necessities" to manage in the big leagues. He was fired two days later.

     One year later, celebrating Martin Luther King Day, CBS football analyst and well-known Las Vegas odds maker Jimmy "The Greek" Synder, shared his quirky views about blacks being bred by slave owners to be better physical specimens. Two days later, CBS announced his early retirement. Several years later in Dec. 1999, Atlanta Braves relief pitcher John Rocker made "off-color" racial remarks to Sports Illustrated prompting a media frenzy, nearly upending his baseball career. Many other people, in and out of the media, have paid a heavy price for making incendiary remarks. Savage's outburst was especially egregious because of the worldwide AIDS' epidemic. With the Supreme Court recently striking down "sodomy" laws and with President Bush pledging $15 billion to help AIDS-ravaged Africa, Savage's remarks went over the top. His attempts at damage control didn't help matters.

     Attempting to undo the damage, Savage tried to apologize for his behavior. "If my comments brought pain to anyone, I certainly did not intend for this to happen and apologize for any such reaction," said a statement posted on his Web site, stopping well short of taking full responsibility for his uncontrolled outburst. "Let me repeat, this was an interchange between me personally and a mean-spirited, vicious setup caller which I though was taking place off the air," said Savage, diluting the apology and reminding the press that he really does hold bigoted views. Spewing hateful words "off-the-record" doesn't erase statements from openly offensive remarks. Saying "you should only get AIDS and die, you pig," offended all individuals sensitive to the AIDS' tragedy.
For Savage's mea culpa to work, he must apologize for losing control, take full responsibility and show concrete proof of personal correction.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

©1999-2002 Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.
(310) 204-8300
All Rights Reserved.