Offender: Rush Limbaugh on the Rush Limbaugh Radio Show
Media Outlet: Aired on radio stations nationwide 6/17/09 - syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications

The Offense: Radio host Rush Limbaugh mocks and belittles Sonia Sotomayor's participation in a women's Club – the Belizean Grove – which she recently left as a result of pressure from those opposed to the "discrimination" inherent in a woman-centric group: "I think I'm going to send Sotomayor, and her club, a bunch of vacuum cleaners to help them clean up after their meetings."

NOW's Analysis: This infamous radical right radio host has as much experience doling out sexism and racism as Sotomayor has facing the brunt of them.

Limbaugh glosses over the obvious disparity between women's support groups and men's exclusion groups with a crude and violent baby seal clubbing analogy. Aside from the fact that Sotomayor has explicitly demonstrated that the Belizean Grove is open and welcoming to men who do approach the group, there is literally no comparison between women's groups and men's groups. The "good ol' boys club" Limbaugh refers to is a longstanding tradition of systematically excluding women from the upper echelons of business, corporate, and government organizations. Clubs like the Belizean Grove, on the other hand, act as a support network for women striving for the recognition they deserve in male-dominated fields.

Though Limbaugh's rant focuses mainly on the injustice of Sotomayor's participation in the club—he even mockingly refers to her as a "model of diversity and inclusion"—the real insult comes at the very end of his segment, when he says, "I think I'm going to send Sotomayor, and her club, a bunch of vacuum cleaners to help them clean up after their meetings."

This remark clearly intends to belittle the Belizean Grove, and Sotomayor herself, and serves as a pathetic attempt to put these women back in their place, demoting them from successful, powerful business associates to mere vacuum operators. The implication here is that women should be definitionally house-ridden, an especially heinous concept when coupled with Sotomayor's Puerto Rican heritage and stereotypes about Latina cleaning women.

Take Action: Tell Kraig T. Kitchin, President and Chief Operating Officer of Premiere Radio Networks, what you think about Ruch Limbaugh's sexist, racist comments.

Jess Hobbs, NOW Communications Team, June 24, 2009

More offenders in : Sexist Piggery, Radio, Racism, Media Hall of Shame

Rank this item with our Misogyny Meter: Currently 3.18/5 1 2 3 4 5 i

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Offender: G. Gordon Liddy on The G. Gordon Liddy Show

Media Outlet: Aired on radio stations nationwide 5/28/09 - syndicated by Radio America, a division of The American Studies Center

The Offense: Speaking about President Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, radio host G. Gordon Liddy had this to say: "Let's hope that the key conferences aren't when she's menstruating or something, or just before she's going to menstruate. That would really be bad. Lord knows what we would get then."

NOW's Analysis: What can we say that Liddy's words don't already say for themselves? Liddy starts out the segment by accusing Judge Sotomayor with making racist comments and criticizing her membership in the group National Council of La Raza, which he says means "the race" in "illegal alien". Yes, that's right -- Liddy referred to the Spanish language as "illegal alien." (By the way: the organization says a closer translation of La Raza would be "the people" or "the Hispanic people of the New World.")

When Liddy's guest suggests that Sotomayor will be making decisions based on her "personal intuition" and "emotion," Liddy can't help but go there. You know where, that place where women can't make decisions when they're on their period. Ages ago, people were encouraged to think that women couldn't serve in important, high-pressure, high-stakes jobs because they get so crazy and emotional when they're menstruating. This sexist attitude, for the most part, has long since been retired. But Liddy didn't get the memo, or he just doesn't care. Right-wing talking heads are using everything in their arsenal to demonize Sotomayor, and Liddy is on the front lines with his bag full of this dusty old muskets.

Take Action: Tell Liddy's syndicator, Radio America, what you think of his racist, sexist comments.

Lisa Bennett, NOW Communications Director, May 29, 2009

More offenders in : Sexist Piggery, Radio, Racism, Media Hall of Shame

Rank this item with our Misogyny Meter: Currently 4.05/5 1 2 3 4 5 i

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Offender: Glenn Beck on The Glenn Beck Program

Media Outlet: Aired on radio stations nationwide 5/26/09 - syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications

The Offense: Radio host Glenn Beck mockingly explained how he thought President Obama chose Judge Sonia Sotomayor as his nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court: "They're just like: 'Hey, Hispanic chick lady! You're empathetic!' She says 'Yep!' They say: 'You're in.' That's the way it really works. . . . The reason to be pissed off is she's not transgendered and she's not handicapped, she's not blind, she's not in a wheelchair. I don't know if she has any kind of chemical imbalance."

NOW's Analysis: Like many a right-wing radio blowhard, Glenn Beck is not afraid of offending anyone. On this day, he was railing against President Obama for proudly nominating Judge Sonia Sotomayor, a Latina, to the Supreme Court. As Sotomayor would be the first Hispanic and only the third woman justice on the high court, these newsworthy facts were noted by Obama and much of the media.

But Beck took it a step further by putting words in the mouths of Obama and his vetting team, having them refer to Sotomayor as "Hispanic chick lady" and implying that her identity and possible empathy were the only factors that secured her the nomination -- not her experience or the content of her legal opinions. Beck's implied that Sotomayor got the job solely based on her gender and ethnicity, because that's the only way she could have, right?

Beck goes on to insult a few other groups of people just for good measure -- again speaking for Obama and anyone who might be pleased with Sotomayor's nomination, saying that the only reason these folks might be mad is because the nominee does not have a physical or mental disability as well or isn't transgendered. In less than 60 seconds, Beck manages to demean an extremely qualified and accomplished woman nominee to the Supreme Court, while insulting all women, Hispanics, people with disabilities, and the LGBT community. His employers must be so proud.

Take Action: Tell Kraig T. Kitchin, President and Chief Operating Officer of Premiere Radio Networks, what you think about Glenn Beck's sexist, racist comments.

Lisa Bennett, NOW Communications Director, May 26, 2009

More offenders in : Sexist Piggery, Radio, Racism, Media Hall of Shame

Rank this item with our Misogyny Meter: Currently 2.74/5 1 2 3 4 5 i

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