Fox's 'liberal' Bob Beckel tells female colleague her legs are why she has a job
In a discussion about U.S. action against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), Fox News "liberal" Bob Beckel told colleague Kimberly Guilfoyle that if her "legs were a foot shorter," she wouldn't have a job.
The hosts of Fox's The Five were discussing new Obama administration press secretary Josh Earnest when Guilfoyle said that she doesn't like him.
"Better than the last guy," grumbled Beckel about previous press secretary Jay Carney. "Just in terms of what he looks like."
"Oh, so we're now going on looks?" Guilfoyle said. "That's perfect."
"Yes, Kimberly, we are," said former Georgie W. Bush White House press secretary Dana Perino.
"We would never do that here on The Five," said co-host Greg Gutfeld.
"That coming out of your mouth is a little bit of a stretch," said Beckel to Guilfoyle. "If those legs of yours were a foot shorter, d'you think you'd be here?"
Guilfoyle replied that if her legs weren't so long, she could sit "comfortably" behind the table like Perino.
Gabriel Sherman's book The Loudest Voice in the Room detailed Roger Ailes and Fox News' practice of putting women on panels in revealing skirts and heels and placing them on display, either by using clear table tops or seating the women on a panel at the outside, where their legs will be visible to viewers.
On one occasion when anchor Catherine Crier wore pants on set, Ailes reportedly called the show and barked into the phone, "Tell Catherine I did not spend x-number of dollars on a glass desk for her to wear pant suits."
Watch video of Beckel's remarks, embedded below via Media Matters:
[image of Kimberly Guilfoyle via screencap]