Savage Fired After Anti-Gay Remarks to Yolo County Man

Sacramento Bee ^ | July 8, 2003 | J. Freedom duLac

[republicofdavis]

Bob Foster, the rural Yolo County man who has taken to terrorizing TV and radio shows with prank phone calls, says his hobby "is all about getting a reaction."

But this may be more than he bargained for. On Saturday, Foster called Michael Savage's live MSNBC show to mention a favorite radio duo, Don and Mike.

Savage was apparently not amused and made a series of homophobic comments to Foster on the air.

On Monday, news broke that the controversial broadcast personality had been fired by MSNBC. And it wasn't long before Foster began to feel the wrath of Savage fans, who have taken to the Internet to spew invective his way.

"I've been getting so much hate e-mail from the Savage Nation," Foster says. "It's kind of frightening, actually. People are saying, 'Look behind your back.' And they're making anti-gay statements.

"I'm not gay. But they're calling me derogatory gay names. It goes on and on. They're disregarding what Savage said and putting the blame on me for him losing his job. It's ridiculous.

"I don't like to see a guy lose his job. But he made a mistake. His comments were way out of line."

The comments in question came after Foster called and began telling Savage about a flight he took from New York.

"Half-hour into the flight," Foster is heard saying on a tape of the incident, "I need to suggest that Don and Mike take your (inaudible) ... 'cause your teeth are real bad."

Savage fumes at the remarks and says:

"Oh, you're one of the sodomites. You should only get AIDS and die, you pig. How's that? Why don't you see if you can sue me, you pig? You got nothing better than to put me down, you piece of garbage? You've got nothing to do today? Go eat a sausage and choke on it. Get trichinosis."

Savage then asks to speak to a caller who "didn't have a nice night in the bathhouse who's angry at me today. These bums mean nothing to me."

During the exchange, somebody off-camera in Savage's studio can be heard gasping.

MSNBC spokesman Jeremy Gaines says Savage was fired immediately after the broadcast.

"In reaction to a hostile caller, Savage made an extremely inappropriate comment," Gaines says. "The decision to cancel the program ('Savage Nation') was not difficult."

Savage remains on the radio, where his show is syndicated in more than 200 markets -- including Sacramento, where it airs on KSTE (650 AM).

KSTE's operations manager, Ken Kohl, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Savage, too, has been unavailable for comment.

But Foster was readily available to talk about Savage, whose TV show he'd phoned once before.

"I called him a racist that time, and he went off," Foster says. "It was such an overwhelming reaction, I had to do it again.

"Some people think I was out to get him. But I wasn't. I'm a talk-radio fan. I appreciate what he does, despite his opinions. But he was taking phone calls on national TV, and I wanted to mention Don and Mike."

Foster, who has prank-called everybody from Larry King to Don Imus, says while the response from Savage fans has been brutal ("They hate me," he says), he's also received more than a few words of support.

"I've actually gotten more mail in favor of what I did," he says. "I've been getting a lot of thank-you mail from gay-rights advocates.

"Savage definitely has issues with the gay-rights movement. What I said had nothing to do with gays. He just interjected that. He has a lot of gay protesters, and I think that was on his mind."

Cathy Renna of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation says that with gay issues in the forefront of the national news, "Savage's behavior and his attacks violate even the minimal journalistic standards and have no place on a reputable news network like MSNBC."

Savage was hired by MSNBC in early March. His Saturday talk show boosted MSNBC's ratings marginally in the 2 p.m. time slot, but in 14 outings it still ran a distant third to shows on Fox News and CNN.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About the Writer ---------------------------

The Bee's J. Freedom du Lac can be reached at (916) 321-1115 or jdulac@sacbee.com. USA Today contributed to this report.

[bedolido]

It's all a scam.

It may be... but Savage was still stupid for responding the way he did.

[Lijahsbubbe]

Really. And why isn't the media focused on what kind of loser this guy is, that he spends his time harrassing and insulting radio hosts?

This guy can just harrass people all day long? I wish Savage could sue his butt.

Oh well, we'll just have to wait for karma to kick in.

[republicofdavis]

Julianne Malveaux should never have received another public forum for those remarks . . . shows the level of discourse at PBS

[FourtySeven]

I think the context of this article clearly shows that there wasn't a death threat, or anything like that in the crank call.

Thus Savage's comments were just that, "savage". :)

[hobbes1]

Maybe Tim Robbins will come on his show, and talk about the "Chill" on Free Speech produced by his firing...

[bmwcyle]

Bozell: Typical - Fire Svage but Not Offensive Liberals

L. Brent Bozell, director of the Media Research center, says in his latest column that MSNBC was right to fire Michael Savage for his comments on air the other day, but Bozell wonders why some liberal reporters/commnetators who made equally offensive statements were not canned?

His examples - liberals who wished death on, or maligned conservatives on their programs:


Big mouthed Julianne Malveaux, who wished death on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas: "You know, I hope his wife feeds him lots of eggs and butter and he dies early like many black men do, of heart disease.” Others on her show protested, but Malveaux didn’t back down. "Well, that’s how I feel. He is an absolutely reprehensible person.”
She was not fired by PBS. Big surprise.


Another NPR loudmouth, Nina Totenberg wished death on Sen. Jesse Helms and his family after he suggested AIDS research was overfunded compared to more common life-threatening diseases: "I think he ought to be worried about what’s going on in the Good Lord’s mind, because if there is retributive justice, he’ll get AIDS from a transfusion, or one of his grandchildren will get it.”
She was not reprimanded, nor fired, nor did she issue an apology. Shocker!


Liberal media bigshot Bryant Gumbel, after the appearance of conservative expert Robert Knight, said of him, "What a f**king idiot!" Bozell points out that the last two words, as in the Savage caller incident, were made inaudible, but the lip-reading was unmistakeable.
Bozelll says that MSNBC was merely experimenting with "cartoon conservatism" by airing the Savage show, but that does not excuse the lack of accountability when "liberal hate speech lights up the tube."

[republicofdavis]

Now remember, it's only liberal free speech that is chilled. And remind me again of how it is that I managed to hear everything that Tim Robbins had to say?

[Prysson]

"Savage's behavior and his attacks violate even the minimal journalistic standards and have no place on a reputable news network like MSNBC."

Thats funny...MSNBC as 'reputable' hee hee.

On a more serious side. I am not much of a Savage fan. I dont disagree with the meat of most of what he says but imho he is an annoying buffoon. Just my opinion. Not sorry to see him cancelled.

[tallhappy]

glad to see him off the air because he only gives conservatives a bad name.

Invalidates your analysis or any objectivity you could claim.

Best for you to just keep your mouth shut.

[So Cal Rocket]

Savage remains on the radio, where his show is syndicated in more than 200 markets

Savage's show was pulled off of KRLA Radio (870 AM) in Los Angeles due to his tirade on MSNBC. The GM said he would be back on the air as soon as Savage provides assurance that this won't happen again.

[republicofdavis]

"glad to see him off the air because he only gives conservatives a bad name."

"Invalidates your analysis or any objectivity you could claim.

Best for you to just keep your mouth shut."


I don't get it. In his opinion, Savage gives conservatives a bad name. Obviously you disagree. Why does his opinion invalidate his analysis anymore than yours?

[FourtySeven]

Invalidates your analysis or any objectivity you could claim.

What do you mean by that? All conservatives have a bad name?

I'm guessing you won't bother to respond because you think I'm too stupid to bother. That strategy will only make you look bad though, trust me.

[republicofdavis]

"Savage's show was pulled off of KRLA Radio (870 AM) in Los Angeles due to his tirade on MSNBC. The GM said he would be back on the air as soon as Savage provides assurance that this won't happen again."

I'm not sure I'd trust whatever assurances he would give. I just don't think he can control himself.

[zlala]

I don't like to see a guy lose his job. But he made a mistake. His comments were way out of line.

I'm not a fan of Savage (although he makes some good points in the middle part of his latest book - the rest is blather) but it does seems this Foster guy is the pot calling the kettle black.

[tallhappy]

glad to see him off the air because he only gives conservatives a bad name.

Not necessarily. I've never thought savage is all that Conservative.

What makes his comments absolutely worthless is his agenda. he didn't want him on the air and is glad to see him off.

How objective can his analysis be?

This whole thing is crazy.

I bet Savage still gets paid by MSNBC.

[tallhappy]

See 35.

[Lijahsbubbe]

And the death threats by Malveaux and Totenberg were directed at people who did not verbally assault them, as the caller did to Savage.

[tallhappy]

You were already against him being on the air for your own personal reasons. So what is your two cents really worth? At least you were honest about where you are coming from.

[elbucko]

Savage just went off on him because he's an angry person filled with hate.

A right wing version of Norman Mailer

[tallhappy]

And the death threats

There was no death threat by Savage.

The discussion is getting hysterical and is being driven by the liberal pitchfork brigade.