Joy Reid got busted for anti-LGBT blog posts she wrote in earnest, but MSNBC’s more than happy to keep her around. So why, then, did they give this guy the boot?
Exclusive: @MSNBC to Cut Ties With @SamSeder After Roman Polanski Rape Joke https://t.co/sjFz40pYgP pic.twitter.com/40UZ1wYUPh
— TheWrap (@TheWrap) December 4, 2017
MSNBC has announced they won’t be renewing contributor Sam Seder’s contract because of this 2009 tweet:
“Don’t care re Polanski, but I hope if my daughter is ever raped it is by an older truly talented man w/a great sense of mise en scene,” wrote Seder in the now deleted tweet from 2009.
More from The Wrap:
Multiple efforts to reach Seder were unsuccessful, but in a segment of his podcast, “The Majority Report with Sam Seder,” last week, he addressed the matter and accused Cernovich of a smear campaign to take him off the air.
“This smear involves the willful misinterpretation of a tweet that I posted in 2009,” said Seder, who said Cernovich and his allies were deliberately misrepresenting him to silence his criticism of Roy Moore and President Trump. “I will never be ashamed of criticizing those who would excuse the predation of women or girls. And I certainly won’t be quiet about Roy Moore or a conservative movement that which would defend his actions so they could get his vote in the Senate.”
Seder said the tweet was satirical and was intended to show his disgust with liberals at the time who were attempting to apologize for Polanksi’s past behavior.
Seder’s old tweet was dug up by activist Mike Cernovich, who, it should be mentioned, is something of an actual rape apologist.
https://twitter.com/RS_Benedict/status/937810035551424514
Not to mention a full-blown misogynistic creep.
— antonio (@UrbanAntonio) December 4, 2017
— antonio (@UrbanAntonio) December 4, 2017
Seder is no conservative by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s not just liberals calling MSNBC out for this decision:
Important context for the Seder tweet – he tweeted it 9/29/09, at a time when progressives were criticizing WaPo columnists and others for defending Polanski. @mmfa piece from the day before the tweet: https://t.co/9AgVQYbaAs
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) December 4, 2017
The tweet is obviously a criticism of rape apologists on its face, but the MSNBC decision looks even worse in the context of the debate at the time.
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) December 4, 2017
Let’s be honest: You have to be brain dead or malicious not to recognize this as a joke *about how awful Polanski defenders are.* https://t.co/tCJeEu4AvE
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) December 4, 2017
Is this tweet gross? Absolutely. A firing offense *8 years later*? Insane. Especially ripe that it was revealed by Mike Cernovich, who has written dozens or hundreds (thousands?) of things as reprehensible or worse.
— Christopher Orr (@OrrChris) December 4, 2017
Don’t be stupid MSNBC. Sam is one of the best on your network. The joke was stupid but the so-called punishment is too extreme. Please reconsider. I will follow him to a new home if you’re foolish enough to let him go
— Marjie Barrows (@mdbarrows) December 4, 2017
@msnbc shame on you.
— Claudia ???? (@CMarPA) December 4, 2017
Seder was clearly mocking those who excuse Polanski. This is bullshit https://t.co/7BhsMvcbUF
— Thankful Muppet Energy (Sunny) (@sunnyright) December 4, 2017
It was obvious as hell Sam was being sarcastic. This is some bull?.
— ?Trump’s “Turkey Trot” Perpwalk ? (@MC333CM) December 4, 2017
Seder is a left-winger with whom I rarely agree, but the context of that 2009 post is so obviously satirical that MSNBC's action is really disappointing — even in light of NBC proper's Matt Lauer scandal. https://t.co/3EeUTaGrfp
— Rob GobbleGobble (@RobGeorge) December 4, 2017
Hey, @MSNBC ever hear of context, sarcasm or facetiousness? Come on. Don't play in to real Nazis. I expect better from you. @SamSeder #ImWithSam
— MomsThoughts™ (@MomsThoughts) December 4, 2017
This is ridiculous. You cant take a tweet from 8 years ago without giving it context.
He was responding sarcastically to people making excuses for Roman Polanski. They are the ones who should be getting heat, not Sam.
C'mon people, review facts before passing judgment.— Mary Wood (@tiny_dancer2) December 4, 2017
Jesus @MSNBC sinks to a new low by severing ties with @SamSeder over an old tweet CONDEMNING child rapist apologia. Not only that, they did so at the behest of Mike Cernovich. Pathetic.
— Big Optional Bailey (@Fatberg_Slim) December 4, 2017
Wait, wait. Let me get this straight. MSNBC fired a guy for making fun of Polanski and his defenders? Hoo boy.
— Kyle Foley (@KFoleyFL) December 4, 2017
Not a good look for NBC, which had already squashed the Weinstein story and was covering for Lauer for years. I assume they think this is making up for those, but it ends up being almost just as bad.
— Kyle Foley (@KFoleyFL) December 4, 2017
This could end up completely blowing up in MSNBC’s face.
https://twitter.com/BecketAdams/status/937792972657254406
https://twitter.com/BecketAdams/status/937793043683594240
https://twitter.com/BecketAdams/status/937794493281169413
https://twitter.com/BecketAdams/status/937794677075599362
https://twitter.com/BecketAdams/status/937797046542708736
And talk about a slippery slope:
This is total BS. If they start firing people for being sarcastic on Twitter, it will basically clear out every newsroom in America. https://t.co/a5Zqh0PWKL
— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) December 4, 2017
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