August 13, 2014

The best wingers can do is to go after Michelle Obama for her weight? I'd like to see Ingraham get down on the floor and do a few push-ups next to our First Lady, who would surely be the last one standing. Her reason for playing "Fat-Bottomed Girls" was to give Keith Ablow some cover for his idiotic comments on Fox News' troll show Outnumbered on Tuesday.

Media Matters speculated that Ablow actually crossed an invisible inside line on Fox News.

But in a weird way, can you blame Ablow? Not for the chauvinist comment. Of course you blame and condemn him for that. But for thinking he could get away with it. For thinking that as long as his target of personal ridicule was an Obama or a prominent Democrat, that it's anything goes. (Ablow yesterday to the Fox ladies, "Join me in my criticism.")

After all, the unwritten Fox News rule since 2009 has been that no insult is out of bounds when it's launched against Obama or Democrats. Indeed, Fox News represents a safe place for right-wing hate rhetoric to be fermented and fostered.

And yet with his broadside against Michelle Obama, Ablow managed to trip the nearly invisible wire inside Fox News and crossed over into intramural condemnation. Ablow's attack veered too close to an assault on humanity, on all women, and wasn't targeted enough apparently.

The on-set reaction yesterday was a good thing: A Fox boundary actually exists!

I don't think they're right about this. I think Roger Ailes isn't into fat-shaming for obvious reasons, and that's the only line that matters at Fox News.

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