Opie & Anthony's Slap on the Wrist

Posted by Guest Blogger at 2:42 PM on May 22, 2007.

Vanessa Valenti: Radio misogynists Opie & Anthony deserved a lot more than a 30-day suspension for their horrendous jokes about rape.

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This post originally appeared on Feministing

I know this is a wee late, but I just had to talk about the Opie and Anthony drama that's been going on since last week. Shakes has been following the story on how the two radio talk show hosts have been suspended for featuring a guest, "Homeless Charlie," in their XM radio show who talks about raping Laura Bush and Condoleeza Rice to death.

Because raping and killing someone is SO funny. What's more infuriating is that XM allowed them to continue their show after Opie and Anthony "apologized," which followed them pretty much retracting their apology on the next show. For that, they got a mere 30-day suspension.

The worst part about this that Shakes has also pointed out and why I felt it necessary to bring it up now is the blasé attitude that's resulted in the media coverage on this.

Click here to read the rest of this post.

Tagged as: radio, rape, misogyny

Vanessa Valenti is an editor for Feministing. She is a graduate of the BA program in Women's and Gender Studies at Rutgers University. She has worked with the Mount Sinai Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Program, NARAL Pro-Choice America and Girls for Gender Equity

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More thought control from Alternet [Report this comment] Posted by: lamar on May 22, 2007 12:57 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] I see we have more Alternet holier-than-thou authors trying to dicker with radio shows they don't listen to in the first place. Bravo for trying to force something off the air when you don't even listen to it. God forbid somebody might get pleasure out of that stupid show. Ohh, I get it. When the church tries to forbid pleasure, you get all righteous and denounce the church, but the first time you hear a bad misogynist joke you want to get the DJs off the air. Goddam hypocrites, make me sick. We are an overworked, stressed-out, xanaxed and mired in debt society, and the best thing you can think of is to take away some poor working stooge's small bit of entertainment? You can't control what losers listen to, stop trying and just admit that those people deserve a little fun in this world also, even if that fun comes at the expense of social grace. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: More defensive, ignorant male idiocy Posted by: gazooks » Hmm, Posted by: H_H How far from Mayberry have we come? [Report this comment] Posted by: ABetterFuture on May 22, 2007 1:21 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] What happened? I remember when Opie and Andy were the complete icons of...err...wholesomeishness. I'm just glad Aint Bee didn't grow up to see what's become of her little nephew. Err...wait. What's this new Opie show, and why is it worth flatulence in hades to me? More foul-mouthed blow hards in pop media? Pardon me if I'm not absolutely flabbergasted that in a country of 300M people, that some folks enjoy stupid, violent crap enough to support its broadcast over airwaves both yon and hither. Meh. Nothing like Andy Griffith reruns and a good book-burning to make a body feel better. As an alternative form of therapy that doesn't involve second-hand book smoke, I also advise ending your willing, paid subscription to satellite radio service if it really offends you that much. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Knock it off Alternet [Report this comment] Posted by: Techubus on May 22, 2007 1:56 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Is this oversensitive tripe what passes for feminism these days? Who cares what these 2 XM hosts choose to joke about. If you don't like it, don't listen. If enough people don't want to hear it, then the problem will take care of itself. I'm sick of people in this Country taking it upon themselves to act as the morality police for what constitutes acceptable discource. I'll decide what's funny and what's not on my own, thank you. I can't stand it when right wingers do it. I'm sure as hell not going to sit back and let supposed social liberals take a page from the Conservative Morality handbook. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Would it be "funny"... [Report this comment] Posted by: VAGreen on May 22, 2007 4:46 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] ...if someone "joked" about raping YOUR sister to death? If you say "no", stop whining about "censorship" and "political correctness". If you say "yes", tell your sister's husband how "funny" you think "jokes" about raping his wife to death are. Don't start whining if he decides to put you through a wall. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: Would it be "funny"... Posted by: H_H » Dump your subscription. Posted by: ABetterFuture » RE: Is that it? Posted by: Techubus » RE: Is that it? Posted by: munchkinpup » RE: Is that it? Posted by: Techubus Well, This is that freedom of speech thing I heard about [Report this comment] Posted by: popsicle67 on May 22, 2007 7:17 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] I don't remember anything in the constitution about Opie and Anthony not being allowed to say whatever the hell they want. There are too many things to worry about, like losing our own right to say whatever the hell we want, or freedom from invasion of privacy, or the right to a fair trial, to worry about a radio show. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: Amen! Posted by: agfusa pmchiles [Report this comment] Posted by: pmchiles on May 23, 2007 5:05 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Is this really what passes for journalism on alternet? This reminds me of Bill O'Rielly's false war on Christmas, in that, there really is nothing here. The show in question was on a pay service with parental warnings. In that envirnment they mat say whatever thay please. There is also that little issue of the first amendment. Look, either you believe in freedom of speach or you don't. That includes speach that you do not agree with. Picking and choosing what is appropriate speach or is not undermines this most prcious freedom. This is shoddy journalism. The author obviously was lacking any real topics to write about. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] offensiveness is in the eye of the beholder [Report this comment] Posted by: schnoggi on May 23, 2007 5:14 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] "offensiveness is anything that gives a judge an erection" Oscar Wilde, which saying I get a ton of mileage out of, for sure, what with all the opportunities. These remarks that were made would have come and gone with ZERO consequence except the hand-wringers who never even heard it in the first place had to march it out and around and pick at their scabs and flail at themselves and bewail and bewail. It's idiot moves like this that help keep "liberals" discredited in the eyes of so many. if you really want to be offended, pick something truly significant, like Rice's ongoing vicious rape of the constitution, or Laura Bush's willful ignorance. Both of them cause far more tangible actual harm than wisecracks by radio hosts. All lives end, and I do not wish quick painless exits for either of them. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Archie Bunker [Report this comment] Posted by: NeoLotus on May 23, 2007 7:16 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] I don't remember the writers of All in the Family ever using violence to express Archie Bunker's racsism or misogyny. How times have changed. Oh sorry, I guess that's before your time. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: Archie Bunker Posted by: munchkinpup seriously, people! [Report this comment] Posted by: mnlefty on May 23, 2007 10:53 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Freaking out about locker room talk is what makes people think feminists are all nut jobs. What do you think it means when someone says "F#$% you" or "F#$% him/her." It doesn't mean make sure no one speaks ill of them!! When you say "up yours" the implication is that the person does not WANT it up 'theirs' and the same as what these guys were saying about Condoleeza and Laura. If you are afraid of what comes out of people's mouths, close your ears. If this little segment constitutes the most offensive thing you've heard in a long time, I guess maybe you HAVE closed your ears!! [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

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» RE: More defensive, ignorant male idiocy Posted by: gazooks

» Hmm, Posted by: H_H

» RE: Would it be "funny"... Posted by: H_H

» Dump your subscription. Posted by: ABetterFuture

» RE: Is that it? Posted by: Techubus

» RE: Is that it? Posted by: munchkinpup

» RE: Is that it? Posted by: Techubus

» RE: Amen! Posted by: agfusa

» RE: Archie Bunker Posted by: munchkinpup

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» RE: More defensive, ignorant male idiocy Posted by: gazooks

» Hmm, Posted by: H_H

» RE: Would it be "funny"... Posted by: H_H

» Dump your subscription. Posted by: ABetterFuture

» RE: Is that it? Posted by: Techubus

» RE: Is that it? Posted by: munchkinpup

» RE: Is that it? Posted by: Techubus

» RE: Amen! Posted by: agfusa

» RE: Archie Bunker Posted by: munchkinpup