In the summer of 2006 I was invited by Jim Pinkerton to sit in on a taping in New York of his show Fox News Watch. It was loadsafun, and afterward Jim gave me a tour of the Fox newsroom. We wandered by the desks where the producers of the O’Reilly Factor were working, and I was introduced to an amiable man in a pink golf shirt.
“Canadian, huh?” he said, giving me a stare. “Do you know Heather Mallick?”
I told him that I didn’t know her personally, but that I was familiar with her writing. He went on to describe Ms. Mallick in some extremely unflattering language. She had been down to do the show two years before, in May 2004, and the entire production crew still seethed at the mention of her name.
I tell this story for two reasons. First, to note that Ms. Mallick has a habit of getting under the skins of conservative Americans. Second, to point out that there is a relevant background to Fox’s current vendetta against her. They have a past, these two.
If you are looking for a good analysis of the nature and quality of her writing, Jon has it just about right.
But I won’t go as far as to call for her resignation or firing, not for this. Either you stand for free expression or you don’t, and the “taxpayers shouldn’t have to fund it” line is too cheap and easy. If the problem is with taxpayer-funded comment and analysis, fine — in which case the time to complain about Heather Mallick’s column was when she was hired, not when she says things you find offensive.
Besides, if you really want to get worked up about her writing, her catscratching of Palin is not a huge deal. Far more objectionable, as I’m concerned, is that she hasn’t a clue what the term “neo-con” means; and neither, apparently, does her editor.
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A journlaist said something nasty and unfair about a US politician? That wouldn’t ever happen on Fox News!
Greta was wrong. Mallick is not a pig. She is an aging pig.
“taxpayers shouldn’t have to fund it” line is too cheap and easy. If the problem is with taxpayer-funded comment and analysis, fine — in which case the time to complain about Heather Mallick’s column was when she was hired, not when she says things you find offensive.
Au contraire Andrew, the fact that I bought and paid for Heather Mallick’s column gives me ample right to complain about Heather Mallick and her hate-filled column.
If Heather Mallick doesn’t like that the people who pay her salary complain about the fact that they pay her salary then she is free to quit and join the private sector, where there is only a limited market for her hatred and lack of talent.
lol, *you* pay her salary? jesus. i hate self-righteous conservative pricks
vileda:
That’s right. I pay her salary. It comes out of the billion dollars in tax revenue that goes to the CBC. So yes, a portion of the $25,000 I paid last year went to support Heather Mallick spew her left-wing moonbat nonesense.
Go back to clever clever land — the bastion of liberal ideals where you won’t be happy until we have a whole new department / central agency of being canadian, with ministers for:
- the department of native self government funded by people other than “self”
- the department of wars don’t solve anything (with minor exceptions like human slavery and genocide)
- the department of freeing tibet and other fancy causes (but opposes solutions that would actually free tibet)
- the department of throwing rocks at cops for the love of trade barriers
- the department for women’s rights in Afghanistan, unless those rights were obtained by US and Nato forces
- the department of being anti-american and comparing harper to bush because we’re fresh out of new ideas
- the department of paying China and Russia billions of dollars so David Suzuki can sleep at night
- a minister responsible for protecting the CBC, whose job it is to justify how Hollywood cand produce 6 blockbuster movies every year with the same money we’re paying to get Don Newman, Keith Boag, Peter Mansbridge and YES – Heather Mallick.
CBC has to go. The thought of me paying for the CBC makes me sick to my stomach.
Heather Mallick is a pig and a swine and an embarassment to this country. She is an uneducated redneck and ugly as sin. Has anyone seen her in real life.
Tune in to FOX news for the real stuff. A breath of fresh air.
C’mon, Brian, by that logic I pay for your blood pressure medication, which must be a sizeable part of federal expenditure.
i suggest then you make malick give back the nickel of her salary that came from your taxes and shut the hell up.
vileda:
When Heather gives me back the nickel, I’ll give to you as a downpayment on new tires for your house. fatty.
You’re right, Brian, the grown-up reaction to every government program you don’t like is to treat it as personal theft.
Lessee, I don’t like paying for the RCMP to protect your house, can I get back the cent that costs? Nothing against your neighbours, mind you, I just resent having to pay to protect you. Really, it infuriates me.
Nice. Tres bon, eh? Fatty? Have you checked out the pork that speaks for Harper?
Harper’s got his custom Spanx, but the rest of his ilk still hangs out over his belt.
Jack:
You’re missing the point entirely, which is not surprising given your remarkable lack of intellect. I don’t consider government programs that I find disagreeable to be personal theft.
If you read my original post (before you graced us with your cleverness) you’ll notice that I don’t feel I’m owed anything but the right to criticize mallick’s work in particular because I had a hand in paying for it.
Brian, what do you do about criticism that you haven’t had a hand in paying for?
Just give it a by? Ignore it? Is it all about your money for you?
Good thing I won’t have to hear any of your opinions on tithing, food banks, charity or secret Santa issues.
It’s not your money so you have no say.
Liz:
If I was trying to make a gibberish sandwich, I would assemble two slices of bread, with your idiotic and absurd ramblings. I might add lettuce, but thats besides the point.
Ah, but, Brian, you have the right to criticise Mallick’s work anyway. There is no need to cry like a baby with a broken toy.
The CBC Kommissars and the Mallicks want your cake and theirs too ! They are all for ‘freedom of expression’ so long as we all speak and think exactly as they do otherwise they have ways to shut people up via their quangos a.k.a. ‘human rights commissions’ all run exclusively for the benefit of themselves and having the force of a quasi-judicial hearing they literally force dissenters to conform to their views. The CBC is the bane of every decent hard-working taxpaying citizen in Canada. They are quite literally corrupt to the core.
Oh … almost forgot …and so are their idiotic supporters. Now if there are any objections I have to lecture some more children.
I’ve seen Mallick in person and she is … rather different. Canada should pass a law requiring all ugly intellectually challenged ‘persons’ to leave our country forthwith. Oops who’s going to Man the CBC ? or the plethora of other misandry appendages of the communist kleptocracy ? Don’t forget …Vote Man !
Last time a government employee stated much less, their bags were waiting at the door. Who is the Minister in charge??
Privatization of the CBC would certainly solve my problem. Mallick is just one of many CBC cranks who use my money to spew mindless hatred. Let them find advertisers willing to support this type of journalism. If Mother Corp has such a large and loyal following there ought to be many advertisers willing to use the network to pitch their product. If they can’t make a go of it in the real world, why are taxpayers expected to keep it afloat?
Note to Saskboy @ 2:29 PM.
“When paid journalists want to write mean things about someone they should be required to talk to that person to try and get a comment.” So Mallick talked to Palin, did she?
You should sharpen your debating skills a bit there, my darlin’. And while you’re at it be prepared to explain why Mallick refused to come on to Van Susteran’s program to defend her position.
Louise: You think she’d get booted if the CBC got privatized? Ha!
She drives outraged people to their site. Outraged people who cause page views, which therefore would allow them to charge higher ad rates.
Remember: this is the Internet, where it seems to be required to read columns that you know will outrage you (because the author has done so before) and then promptly post comments about how outraged you are (yet again).
I am really amazed at all the people criticizing heather mallick. You are all complete hypocrites.
She is not allowed to insult someone, but you are allowed to insult her. I am happy the CBC is not being cowardly and are backing her. What the hell ever happened to freedom of speech?
If you have a right to express your opinion of her, she has a right to express her opinions
American conservatives (the neo-cons) have systematically been removing all rights of the people. and the fox media are complete and total lackeys to subvert and brainwash the masses that have a low IQ and can’t think anymore. It’s disgusting that people forget that everyone has the same rights and the same freedom to express themselves. if you take hers away, you take yours away as wel. Wake up
comment by dumbfounded on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 8:38 pm:
“I am really amazed at all the people criticizing heather mallick. You are all complete hypocrites.
She is not allowed to insult someone, but you are allowed to insult her. I am happy the CBC is” …is that a crude attempt or are you actually clueless as to the current state of affairs in Canada. Mallicks can spew hateful offensive rants until their heart’s content ! But if anyone has a different point of view; well they will be attacked by the human ‘right’s commissions: the ‘Just-Us’ ultra militant left quangos – incessantly for verbalizing a mildly different view from the kooky left wing media types …like Mallick. It can only be done anonymously because of the stacked deck via hrc’s against honest decent educated ethical people.
An open letter to Hubert T. Lacroix
President of the Canadian Braodcasting Corporation
Dear Sir;
As a long time and sometimes vocal supporter of the CBC in its past problems with the CRTC, ( http://www.crtc.gc.ca/Eng/transcripts/1999/tb0316a.htm ) and a Canadian living in the USA; I find Heather Mallick’s rant “Mighty wind blows through Republican Convention” (attached below) offensive and worse that tabloid gibberish. I find it inconceivable that the editorial standards of the once proud Canadian Broadcasting Corporation declined below that of the National Inquirer. In fact I would challenge you to read any Inquirer story in contradistinction to Ms Mallick’s sub-tabloid journalistic style; The Inquirer story would quote sources of information, use correct English and never stoop to profane language or the F___ word. Mallick only quotes two sources of minor relevance and begins her rant with the greatest journalistic faux pas “I assume”.
Does this mean that Ms Mallick made an assumption on Senator McCain’s reasons for choosing Governor Palin and that the rest of the information was gathered personally using the time tested journalistic creed of who what where when and why?
Ms Mallick seems quite well versed in the sexual inadequacies of Republican men; has she been, unbeknownst to the Canadian public, a latter day Mata Hari in the employ of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) bedding republican men for pillow talk secrets? Does this also mean that Ms Mallick has spied on the alleged secret meetings and had extensive hands on experience regarding their irresponsibility with semen while postponing household repairs?
Ms Mallick’s admitted feminist stance has to leave one wondering where she and alleged other women receive their so called resentment training for nursing terrible hatred towards each other? From the amount of testosterone (even promoting firearm violence towards Levi Johnson) flowing through her vitriolic attack on governor Palin, saying she really isn’t female, can the question be asked; Does Ms Mallick have a severe case of Vagina envy?
Ms Mallick must surely be a legend in her own mind to believe that these alleged other women can suppress the learned same sex hatred through self flagellation and reading her trashy column.
Ms Mallick allows that “(john) Doyle’s job includes watching a lot of reality television”. Does this mean her statement “(governor) Palin has a toned-down version of the porn actress look favored by this decade’s woman” comes from extensive first hand experience of watching films of that genre?
From attacks on Governor Palin’s personal appearance and of her family, not once has Ms Mallick discussed the genuine pros or cons of the Republican Vice-presidential nominee vs. the Democratic nominee. Nor has she done any journalistic exposé regarding George Soros’ financial manipulation of the Democratic nomination process that stole the nomination from Hillary Clinton.
Boiled down to its essence Ms Mallick’s column is pure and simple hatred; hate mongering towards the Palin family, hatred for people she identifies as white trash, who she and Thomas Frank allow “vote Republican on social issues to give themselves the only self-esteem available to their broken, economically abused existence.” It is elitist and condescending like a later day Marie Antoinette with Cake or Death; devoid of factual journalism.
Considering Canada has well honed anti Hate statutes, why has Ms Mallick not been summarily guillotined from her Canadian Taxpayer subsidized position with the CBC? Perhaps there is tacit agreement within the Marxist feminist hierarchy to which she reports as to her journalistic bent. Where is Mammy Yokum “good is better than evil because it’s nicer” when you need her to wash Ms Mallick’s mouth out with homemade lye soap or deliver a “Goodnight Irene Punch” to restore decency and integrity to the CBC, as you are not holding Ms Mallick to the same litmus test that you publicize for outside contributors. Listed Below
Desmond McGrath
A Newfoundland Patriot living in socioeconomic exile amongst the wonderful Cajuns of the southern USA.
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