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Thursday, January 11, 2018

Trump Refers to Haiti and African Nations as "Shitholes"; MSNBC reports this as "S-holes"

Something continues to be seriously wrong with our cable media.  On Sunday, NBC bleeped Frances McDormand's speech at the Golden Globes, because they didn't like what "Fox Searchlight" may have sounded like.  Today, MSNBC informed us that Trump referred to Haiti and unspecified African nations as "s-holes".

In fact, as The Washington Post and numerous other media reported, Trump called those countries "shit holes".   So why is MSNBC afraid to report exactly that?

Do they think that their viewers are too young to hear such language?  Do they think anyone who hears "s-holes" won't know it stands for "shitholes"?

I suppose there may be some people who don't get what "s-hole" means.  As my wife astutely pointed out, some people might hear that as "asshole" countries.

But that's the point.  Why should there be even the slightest confusion about what our vulgar, despicable President said about these countries?  Whose feelings and sensitivities are being protected?  The FCC's?

In times like this, with a President who as no one before him expresses such contempt for immigrants, women, the poor, Americans who don't look like him, don't the media owe us, owe America, the reporting of what he says as accurately as possible?

The time for euphemisms and abbreviations has long since ended.  MSNBC ought to wake up, and realize what the year 2018 and Donald Trump in office calls for:  complete, unabbreviated reporting.

*Note added a little after 10pm: Kudos to Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell for speaking the word.

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