Hmm. I am somewhat ashamed to live in a country where the below is not a firing offense at a major television news network. No matter how dumb the show may be. I mean, in a decent country shouldn’t displays like the one below cost you so many viewers that the network simply has to let you go? For the bottom line, of course. (Hat tip: Salon.)
Apparently not in America. That said, my wife doesn’t think Brian Kilmeade is being serious. “He looks like he’s African, Italian, Moroccan, totally mixed up,” she says. “Clearly a joke.”
Uh, I hope so.
Of course, Finns also divorce other Finns. The divorce rate is third-highest in Europe. One of the prices for living in a "pure society", I guess.
Although, to be fair, mixed marriages don't seem to work out any better. Never mind how you calculate. I suppose that the immigrants are learning the local habits very quickly.
(N. B., I'm not married, and I'm not seeing anyone at the moment.)
Cheers,
J. J.
Posted by: Jussi Jalonen | July 09, 2009 at 09:52 AM
My take?
a) The wife and I have seen enough Fox News to concur that Brian Kilmeade should probably be canned, on the basis of sucking. (Her nickname for him is Sigma Chi)
b) That said, he's joking. (Or rather, trolling the audience. They love stirring something up and getting a pile of pro- and con- emails. Gives 'em something to argue about, apparently.
Posted by: Bernard Guerrero | July 09, 2009 at 11:34 AM
Based on this short clip, IMHO I would say he's not joking. He slipped earlier when he talked about people marrying "other species." He was just trying to cover up the obviously offensive statement by laughing as if it were a joke.
There are many Americans who blame our "problems" on the fact that we don't have a "homogeneous" society -- conveniently forgetting that there is, in fact, ethnic diversity everywhere -- even Sweden. Most of them are not quite so blatant as this, however.
Posted by: Clare S. | July 09, 2009 at 11:46 AM
My take is that he wasn't being serious, based on the "other species" remark.
Posted by: Peter | July 09, 2009 at 12:22 PM
Well, when it comes to homogenous societies, if we look at the demographics, approximately 11.7% of the U.S. population has foreign origins, whereas the corresponding number for Sweden is 17.9%.
The number no doubt includes those American draft dodgers who settled in Sweden back in the '60s.
Cheers,
J. J.
Posted by: Jussi Jalonen | July 09, 2009 at 01:08 PM