Fox News hosts on Monday rushed to the defense of Pepé Le Pew, a Looney Tunes cartoon character which is known for unwanted sexual touching.
The Fox News program Outnumbered covered the topic after Deadline reported that the Pepé Le Pew character had been cut from the animated film Space Jam 2. New York Times columnist Charles Blow has argued that the cartoon skunk "added to rape culture."
"They're just simply erasing it instead of teaching people about the lesson of personal space," Fox News host Katie Pavlich said.
Co-host Kennedy Montgomery argued that the Space Jam 2 scene with Pepé Le Pew "could have been a teachable moment."
"You can pretty much cancel everything which leaves us as an undifferentiated blob," she complained.
Guest host Brian Kilmeade accused the media of giving Pepé Le Pew a "bad reputation."
"There's no end in sight!" he exclaimed. "Nobody is perfect enough for the masses. I'm not saying he's a perfect cartoon character but, believe it or not, I'm not looking to cartoons as my role models -- to this day, yet -- I have yet to see one animated figure that I can really look up to."
"That's such a great point," co-host Emily Compagno agreed. "Nobody is perfect, therefore, you can utilize them as teachable moments."
The ongoing saga of QAnon supporters who see conspiracy and dark secrets everywhere took a new turn on Sunday night with Oprah Winfrey becoming a target following her interview with Meghan Markel and Prince Harry.
According to a report from Newsweek, QAnon members lit up social media with accusations that the popular TV host was wearing an ankle monitor during the interview with members of the far-right group pointing a bulge in the fold of her boots as you can see below.
With that in mind, various theories about why Oprah is being monitored by law enforcement ran rampant on Twitter and Telegram -- which has become a new favorite of the conspiracy-minded.
According to Telegram user Roxanne F., "So obvious, first few minutes she was strategically keeping both her feet behind that little table then got comfortable or forgot about need to conceal it ...she should fire the camera man."
Another added, "People keep arguing that it's a microphone pack... but why would that be on your ankle?"
That, in turn, led to accusations of criminality committed by Oprah.
"For QAnon supporters, who have recently had to accept that Donald Trump would not be inaugurated as president on March 4, this is the latest in a string of ankle monitor-related claims. The theory stems from one of the core beliefs of the radical movement, that there is a secret cabal of satanic pedophiles involving leading Democrats and the Hollywood elite," Newsweek reports. "QAnon followers also believe these high-profile child abusers will be arrested and executed as part of the eagerly awaited prophecy known as 'the storm —an event that has been predicted to happen several times down the years to no avail."
The report adds that Oprah has faced these accusations before.
"This is not the first time that Winfrey has been subjected to wild conspiracy. In April 2020, Winfrey uploaded a video of herself cooking while staying at home amid the coronavirus pandemic. By June, a number of conspiracy theorists had shared an image of Winfrey cooking, claiming that she is wearing an ankle monitor," Newsweek reports.
Fox News host Eric Shawn on Sunday challenged Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) after she claimed that the COVID-19 relief bill was delayed because Democrats "wanted people to suffer."
"The Democrats did not want timely relief prior to the election," Blackburn told Shawn in an interview on Fox News. "They wanted people to suffer and Nancy Pelosi told us why. She said because they felt like it would help them win the election."
Shawn interrupted: "Do you think it really is fair to say Democrats wanted people to suffer? I mean, they don't want people to suffer."
"They delayed relief when people were saying we desperately need relief," Blackburn argued. "They delayed money to small businesses when small businesses were saying we need another round of PPP. That was a choice they made."
Blackburn went on to insist that only 9% of the latest relief bill is related to COVID-19, a claim that Politifact has rated as "half true."
"So whether you want to say it was fair or not fair, it is an action they took," the Tennessee Republican continued. "And it is an admission that they have made. So I think it was just really unfortunate that it was their choice."
Even though Blackburn voted against the latest COVID-19 relief bill, she argued that people "desperately need help."
"But do you really need to bail out the blue states that have mismanaged their funds and have mismanaged their pensions?" she quipped.
"But you also know," Shawn interjected, "your state get $6 billion, Florida gets $16 billion, Texas gets $27 billion. So red states get a lot of money too."
"It is immoral to continue to pile debt on our children and grandchildren," Blackburn opined. "It is selfish not to sit down and work this out so that we are not adding to the debt. There are all sorts of good things that you can do with money but we have to remember, the federal government only has money that the taxpayer sends to them."
"Socialism is fine until you run out of other people's money," she added. "And this continuing to say you're going to pick winners and losers with federal government money, which is taxpayer money, is completely inappropriate and, yes, it does need to stop."
Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday struggled to believe Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) after he claimed that there would be an "invasion" of "1 million" migrants by the summer of 2021.
Graham made the assertion during an interview on Fox News.
"By the summer, you're going to have a million people coming into this country illegally," Graham ranted. "All because the liberals can do it."
"A million people sounds like it's more than a couple of years totals by the way," Bartiromo laughed, doubting Graham's claim. "2021 -- a million people, that's more than '18 and '19."
"Get ready for an invasion at the border," Graham replied before Bartiromo cut to commercial.
Days after the Wall Street Journalposted an opinion column saying that Republicans should abandon former President Donald Trump and "Trumpism," the ex-leader lashed out in a press statement.
Trump, who has been banned from social media and relegated to sending out press releases, attacked the conservative-leaningJournal.
Trump accused the paper of pushing "globalist policies such as bad trade deals, open borders, and endless wars."
"They fight for RINOS that have so badly hurt the Republican Party," Trump continued. "That's where they are and that's where they will always be. Fortunately, nobody cares much about TheWall Street Journal editorial anymore. They have lost great credibility."
The paper's editorial board blamed Trump for the losses of Georgia Senate seats and ultimately the U.S. Senate.
"Mr. Trump had one landmark victory in 2016 but he has cost the GOP dearly since," the Journal wrote.
Former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Thursday asserted that former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence are "on the same page" despite the deadly insurrection of Jan. 6.
During an appearance on Fox & Friends, McEnany insisted that many Republicans are continuing to follow Trump, including Pence.
But Fox News host Brian Kilmeade noted that Pence has not appeared close to Trump since the former president incited an insurrection that threatened the former vice president.
"What can you tell us about the relationship between those two because you couldn't get a piece of paper in between them for four years and now they don't seem to be in communication? What's the truth?" Kilmeade asked.
"It's amicable," McEnany replied. "I'm not fully read in to their relationship but from what I've heard they're on great terms. Vice President Mike Pence is an amazing man who stood by President Trump's side, was there every step of the way, understands the Trump movement and understands people of faith and the evangelical community. He has a huge voice in this party going forward."
"Vice President Pence and President Trump, they're on the same page," she added.
Widely considered the first major reality television program, MTV's "The Real World" is set to return nearly 30 years after its debut -- with seven members of the original cast appearing in the same New York loft where they first gathered in 1992.
The reunion series is set to premier Thursday on the new streaming platform Paramount+, from ViacomCBS.
While several networks had dipped their toes in the reality television waters before 1992, none of the efforts resonated quite like "The Real World," which helped keep its US channel -- which had been launched to play music videos -- relevant to young audiences in the '90s.
The show's popularity caught the eyes of advertisers and in turn producers and other broadcasters, who then went on to replicate the formula ad infinitum into the new millennium.
The program's conceit saw seven young strangers -- age 19 to 26 -- live together for three months in a huge loft in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood, all the while being filmed.
The format -- in which participants famously "stop being polite and start getting real" -- remains a reality TV classic.
"The Real World"'s return will revisit that setup as a window into real life -- a moment of authenticity when the vast majority of television offered more contrived options.
And it offers a reminder of the gap between television then and television as it exists today, in which excess has prevailed above all else.
'Almost too pure'
The reunion reminds watchers what the reality genre is missing today from its early iterations, when "The Real World" presented cast members as regular young people -- well-intentioned, idealistic and sometimes naive.
"It was the first time outside of coverage of the Civil Rights Movement... we actually had a TV show where Black people and white people were having really intense conversations about race and racism," "The Real World" participant Kevin Powell, who is Black, says at the beginning of the new season.
"When we got into arguments, they were debates," Rebecca "Becky" Blasband says. "That's different than a fight where two people can't hear each other, at all."
And this new edition is able to offer even more of that kind of calm discussion -- rare in an America polarized to the extreme -- as the participants have come to have affection and respect for one another three decades after the original broadcast.
Maturity helps, too -- the cast are now in their forties and fifties, instead of teenagers and 20-somethings.
"I'm not sure we could sell it today," the show's co-creator Jonathan Murray told The Hollywood Reporter in 2012.
"It's almost too pure, and it doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles," he said.
"Today you start with a 'Real World' idea of either putting people in a house, then you have to add the additional elements... to make it loud enough to capture people's attention."
Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday announced he is lifting all coronavirus restrictions, despite the deadly virus surging across the Lone Star State.
“Too many Texans have been sidelined from employment opportunities. Too many small business owners have struggled to pay their bills. This must end," Abbott said, according to The Dallas Morning News. “It is now time to open Texas 100%."
“Also, I am ending the statewide mask mandate," said the governor, fresh off a statewide crisis that threw millions into the freezing cold without power or water, almost as an afterthought. “Texans have mastered the habits to keep from getting COVID."
TEXAS—“I'm issuing a new executive order that rescinds most of the earlier executive orders."@GovAbbott orders 100% of businesses in #Texas open and ends statewide mask mandate starting next Wednesday, March 10. pic.twitter.com/uALxx9cSjF
— Bree A Dail (@breeadail) March 2, 2021
Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Phil Huang is calling the move "premature."
According to The New York Times, Texas ranks 48th in vaccine administration, meaning only two states (Georgia and Utah) have inoculated even fewer of its residents on a percentage basis.
It appears Abbott may be removing the protections for purely political reasons. On Monday night he tweeted out a new poll that shows his approval rating did not suffer despite the power grid disaster that led to dozens of deaths.
Some are tying the political decision to this weekend's CPAC conference:
If you're curious why Texas just suddenly ended our mask mandates and COVID business restrictions, look no further than the CPAC presidential straw poll.
Greg Abbott got zero votes. This is not a coincidence.
What happens at CPAC matters. — Kenny Webster 🎙 (@KenWebsterII) March 2, 2021
The internet was stunned.
Journalist David Gura noted the pandemic in Texas is even worse than when Abbott finally invoked the COVID-19 restrictions.
When Gov. Greg Abbott announced a statewide mask mandate, I was on a reporting trip to Houston.
On that Thursday, July 2nd, there were 7,434 new #COVID19 cases in #Texas, and 44 deaths.
Yesterday, there were 8,140 cases and 129 deaths.
— David Gura (@davidgura) March 2, 2021
Here's what others are saying:
"I just announced that I'm killing more Texans.
AS MANY AS I CAN.
I also ended the statewide mask mandate that was saving lives while we wait for vaccine doses."
Fixed it for you.
— MightyMary007 (@Mary007Mighty) March 2, 2021
Governor Greg Abbott has announced he's re-opening businesses in Texas 100% and removing the mask mandate.
TX is LAST in per capita vaccinations. 93.5% of the state has not yet been fully vaccinated.
Don't ever let a republican tell you they're "pro-life" again.
— Steve Hofstetter (@SteveHofstetter) March 2, 2021
No power, No water, No masks. Fucking geniuses.
— TheRealBATJAY (@therealbatjay) March 2, 2021
Pro Life Party my ass
— TWalsh (@hogan_1969) March 2, 2021
at a time when wearing double masks is encouraged and safer, in a state where we've had over 2 million cases & almost 45,000 deaths, our “governor" @GregAbbott_TX has decided to lift the mask mandate, putting 29 million texas residents at risk. not very pro life if you ask me. pic.twitter.com/cPedVSYjMf
— ༺coco༻ (@kittykatcoco) March 2, 2021
Hi, ICU nurse here in Austin. So disgusted & sick to my stomach over this news. Less than 20% of the state has been vaccinated and we are just barely starting to get relief in the hospitals from Covid surges. This is absolutely too early to lift restrictions.
— Elizabeth Wilks (@IzabethJD) March 2, 2021
Got to deflect from your power grid mess of a couple of weeks ago, huh? Might be nice to wait until we are above a 6% vaccine rate.
— FV Angela 📚⚾️🏀🌊🍷 (@fv_angela) March 2, 2021
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki appeared to be prepared on Tuesday after Fox News correspondent Kristin Fisher used her time at the briefing to ask about Dr. Seuss.
Throughout the day on Tuesday, Fox News aired segments to express outrage at a decision by Dr. Seuss Enterprises to cease the publication of six books that have insensitive or racist content.
Fisher brought the Fox News obsession into the briefing room Tuesday afternoon by pointing out that the Biden administration had omitted Dr. Seuss from its declaration on National Read Across America Day.
"It's also Dr. Seuss's birthday," Fisher noted. "Both former Presidents Trump and Obama mentioned Dr. Seuss in their Read Across America Day proclamations, but President Biden did not. Why not?"
"The proclamation was written by the Department of Education," Psaki replied. "But you're right, Read Across America Day, which has only existed for a short period of time, elevates and celebrates a love of reading among our nation's youngest leaders and the day is also a chance to celebrate diverse authors whose work and lived experience reflect the diversity of our country. And that's what they hoped to do this year."
"It is especially important that we ensure that all children can see themselves represented and celebrated in the books that they read," she added.
Fisher pressed: "Does the omission have anything to do with the controversy about the lack of diverse characters in the authors' books?"
"It is important that children of all backgrounds see themselves in the children's books that they read," Psaki repeated.
Fox News on Tuesday announced that the conservative network has hired former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
Fox News host Harris Faulkner made the announcement during what was billed a McEnany's first interview since President Joe Biden took office.
"It is my distinct pleasure today to welcome Kayleigh McEnany to the Fox family," Faulkner revealed. "We will be seeing much more of her in the future."
After the attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters in January, Fox News denied that McEnany had been hired by the network even though she had filed paperwork stating otherwise.
CNN host Brianna Keilar on Monday dismantled former President Donald Trump's speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
Keilar began her remarks by describing CPAC as "candy for conspiracy theorist headlined this past weekend by the Everlasting Gobstopper of lies himself, former President Donald Trump."
After playing a clip of Trump claiming that Republicans had been doing "a lot of winning," Keilar noted that former president's claim is a "straight-up lie."
"Republicans lost the presidential election, they lost control of the Senate, they still don't control the House," the CNN host explained. "Donald Trump lost the popular vote twice. The House impeached him twice, though he was acquitted both times in the Senate. Twitter and Facebook banned him after he incited the insurrection on Jan. 6."
Keilar topped it off by pointing out that Trump and his allies have lost nearly 60 court cases challenging the results of the 2020 election.
The CNN host went on to observe that Trump's CPAC speech "does not play like somebody who's worried about inciting another insurrection."
Keilar said that at another point in the speech, Trump sounded "like a mob boss reading his enemies list."
"He knows what he's doing when he singles out Republicans who put their country before him," she explained. "He did it on Jan. 6. Trump told his followers where to go, lying to them that he would be there with them and then he turned the opposite direction and retired to the comfort of the White House to watch it all go down on TV."
Keilar added: "The only difference is this time he's returning to the comfort of Mar-a-Lago."
Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo lashed out at Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) over a COVID relief bill that was passed by Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Throughout the 10 minute interview on Monday, Bartiromo repeatedly raised her voice at Dingell.
"The schools are not open yet, Congresswoman, so there's that," Bartiromo said.
"They need the money to open," Dingell pointed out.
"Oh, come on," Bartiromo quipped. "And all of these businesses that are affected by COVID, you're saying the arts and humanities were affected severely by COVID, that's why 300 million dollars is going there?"
Dingell tried to answer but Bartiromo continued.
"Museums! And the $200 million going for museums and then that rail car in San Francisco that Nancy Pelosi has been funding, putting as much money as she can every act, every bill -- that!" the Fox Business host complained.
"I mean, seriously, we're looking at the list in front of us. We're not stupid, Congresswoman," she added.
Bartiromo immediately interrupted when the congresswoman attempted to respond.
"I know a hundred restaurants that have gone out of business! Is there any money for restaurants?" she shouted.
"Yes, there is money for restaurants," Dingell replied. "We have money in this bill that will give restaurants relief."
"Only 9% of the money is earmarked for COVID related things!" Bartiromo said. "The rest are just pet projects of the Democrats, like the humanities and the arts industry, like museums and the rest. We have a list here."
But Dingell's defense of the relief was again cut off.
"I don't want to see anybody go under!" Bartiromo yelled. "But people are going under because of the rules and regulations of the Democrat [sic] governors who will not allow these small businesses to open!"
"That's what's going to get this economy to open, not money for the arts!" the Fox Business host exclaimed over the objections of Dingell. "And money for the schools, where the teachers won't go back to work! What is stopping teachers from going back to work? Follow the science! Why aren't we following the science? Young kids are not necessarily vulnerable the way older Americans are vulnerable. How come teachers won't go back to work? They're getting billions more in this package! What is it going to take to get them back to work?"
"We can't make blanket statements," Dingell pleaded. "Each school district decides itself when the circumstances are right."
Bartiromo let loose with another rant about teachers.
"They will not go to work! They want all of this money! But where is the money going?" she bellowed. "Parents want to know. We've got parents watching right now!"
Before ending the interview, Bartiromo became incensed about why a bill that includes provisions for mail-in voting was named "H.R. 1."
"That's not the first bill that Nancy Pelosi has passed," Dingell said, observing that the COVID relief bill was passed first.
"H.R. 1 is what?" Bartiromo shouted. "H.R. 1 means what? H.R. 1 means what? Your priority!"
"But we just talked about the COVID bill," Dingell said.
"H.R. 1 means priority!" Bartiromo exclaimed.
"That's the first big piece of legislation we took on, COVID relief!" Dingell replied.
"Then why is she naming the election -- why does she want mail-in ballots to stay forever?" Bartiromo snapped, referring to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). "And why is she using the election as her H.R. 1 then? How come COVID wasn't H.R. 1?"
"That bill already had a number," Dingell remarked.
"How about opening the economy being H.R. 1?" Bartiromo countered, ignoring Dingell's answer. "How about opening the economy being H.R. 1? How about getting people back to work being H.R. 1? How about that? How come not?"
"Because H.R. 1 was already a number assigned to election reform," Dingell said. "And by the way, what is wrong with having transparency? What is wrong with a mail-in ballot that lets somebody, who it's not easy to get out of the house and go vote, to vote?"
"I think we all know what's wrong with it!" Bartiromo asserted.
"I think we don't," Dingell disagreed.
"Ballots go to dead people's homes!" the Fox Business host claimed. "And ballots go to parking lots and they come back filled out. I think we all know what the vulnerabilities are around mail-in balloting. And how come you're not stressing having an I.D. to vote? How about having an I.D. to vote? What's wrong with that? You have to have an I.D. to buy a beer! How come you don't have an I.D. to vote?"
Republican strategist Karl Rove on Sunday needled former President Donald Trump for losing popularity among his core supporters at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
While waiting for the former president, who was an hour late for his speech, Fox News host John Roberts talked to Rove about the results of a CPAC straw poll.
"95% said they wanted the party to continue his policies," Roberts explained "70% of people said that they wanted to see him run again but 55% said that they would vote for him. I thought that number might have been higher."
"Bingo," Rove agreed. "Remember, this was a group that came to this meeting for largely one reason: President Trump was going to be there. This is the truest Trump believers. And for him to only get 55% says -- as I said in my column -- he is losing strength because he's not introducing something new. He's losing strength whether he recognizes it."
"I'd take that as a cautionary note," he added. "He needs to refresh his act. He needs to change and he needs to offer a vision for the future."
