Let's Play a Game

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Yesterday, this was one item that we had in the FTVLive Newsletter. You can play along if you so choose.

To start off this Thursday, let's play a game of who said what and who got suspended.

Jimmy Kimmel: "President Donald Trump's supporters were eager to characterize Kirk's accused assassin 'as anything other than one of them,'" was his quote about MAGA and their comments on the accused killer of Charlie Kirk.

Brian Kilmeade: Speaking about mentally ill homeless people and how he believed they should be killed. "Or involuntary lethal injection, or something. Just kill 'em," Kilmeade said.

Jesse Watters: "Bomb It!" That was his quote about bombing the United Nations building in New York City after President Donald Trump's claims that he was "sabotaged" by a broken teleprompter and a stalled escalator during his visit to the UN General Assembly.

So, one quote was how MAGA supporters were directing the message on Charlie Kirk's killer. One was saying that we should drop a bomb on the UN building in New York. And, the final quote was claiming that we should murder mentally ill homeless people.

Now, which quote led to a suspension?

We all know the answer to that, and again it shows the pure hypocrisy of Fox News and their hosts who claim to be against "cancel culture," but only when it is against their side.

It’s a textbook case of two different sets of rules in our industry. One set for those who offer political commentary that offends the powerful, and another, far more lenient set for those who casually call for actual violence.

In what sane world is a political observation considered more toxic than openly advocating for lethal injections or bombing a building on U.S. soil? The world of corporate media, apparently.

At Fox News, this isn't a bug; it's a feature. Outrageous, violent rhetoric isn't a fireable offense; it's a core part of the business model that keeps their specific audience engaged. There is no corporate courage because, for them, there is no financial incentive to act.

Meanwhile, a company like Disney feels the political heat from the administration and its allies in the broadcast world and immediately folds.

For the rest of us working in this business, it's a stark and frustrating reminder that the "rules" are subjective and the ground beneath our feet is anything but stable. Job security in today's media landscape often has less to do with ethics or decency and more to do with which political tribe you manage to upset.

So while Fox News hosts continue to rail against a "cancel culture" they supposedly abhor, they do so from the safety of a network that has made it clear: you can call for murder and the bombing of buildings, and your job will be safe. But criticize the right group of people? That's the real thoughtcrime in corporate media.

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