WaPo hit piece on Taibbi: Should it end Matt's career?

[laserhaas]

Kathy Lally has a bone to pick with Matt Taibbi about misogyny bullying, 20 years ago. There's no reason to doubt what Kathy accuses Taibbi of.

The question is, should this end Matt Taibbi's career.

Link to tweet

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a friend of Matt Taibbi. As a matter of fact, he and I have been pissy with each other, since I prompted his "Greed and Debt" story, about Mitt Romney, in 2012.

Though I actually gave Taibbi permission to omit my name, we were expecting him to tell the eToys and Mattel frauds, as part of the "Greed and Debt" story.

After all, "Greed and Debt" was a huge, success, cover story.

Link to tweet

Be that all as it may, Kathy Lally is going for Matt Taibbi's jugular, basically accusing Taibbi and his co-author, of being misogynist Assholes.

Thing is, it was 20 years ago.

I tweeted Kathy Pally, asking her if she did the regular journalist protocol, of reaching out to Matt, seeking either a comment, or apology.

Kathy Lally hasn't responded to me.

Link to tweet

The question we seek to answer - should Matt Taibbi's bad faith misogny, 20 years ago - end his career, today?

In my opinion, despite my being really pissed off at Matt Taibbi, he should eat humble pie.

I suggest Matt reach out to Anita Hill and see a way to make things right.

Just sayin......we Occupiers...need him!
.
.

23 votes, 1 pass | Time left: Unlimited
	Yes, Matt Taibbi should fall on his sword, end his career.
	4 (17%)
	No - Taibbi should explain & apologize for his disrespect.
	9 (39%)
	Who cares
	10 (43%)
	Laser love/ hates Taibbi..
	0 (0%)
	1 DU member did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[Nevernose]

1. Its based on a right wing hit piece

Taibbi marketed the book as nonfiction, but it turns out that it was “embellished,” mostly by his writing partner. Kind of like “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” is nonfiction and still not true.

A right winger dig up this shit from an old book about five years ago and started shopping it around in an attempt to discredit.

When the women were actually interviewed? Recently? All of them claimed it was total bullshit. One of the women he allegedly harassed, in fact, quit working for Taibbi’s magazine — because she didn’t want there to be any appearance of impropriety. They dated for seven years after that.

[laserhaas]

2. Thanks

I emailed Taibbi, despite our discourse, I wished he'd get through this.

[obamanut2012]

54. No, it is not based on a RW lie -- just stop

[laserhaas]

70. Are you asking..or Ordering

I'm not the one presenting RWNJ banter.

This book is 17 years old...and Trump is all giddy you want Taibbi's demise.

As for your commanding me to cease my discussion

..l..

[Demsrule86]

12. The allegation against Chis Matthews is from the Daily Caller...told everyone this was the

beginning of the right wing smear job.

[laserhaas]

15. You lose me

[Demsrule86]

24. The point is that it is open season on those who are considered by the other side to be progressive.

It worked with Franken...so they will keep at it.

[laserhaas]

30. Okay

[Demsrule86]

37. Back at you!

[laserhaas]

39. Whoopie..I bumped..heads

[Nevernose]

16. Im waiting to hear more

But the difference is, nobody bothered to ask the women on Taibbi’s book if it was true. Nobody spoke to them. Even assuming it was all true (perfectly reasonable, in this case certainly logical), nobody bothered interviewing them to see how they were affected. Were they harmed? Do they still have problems? Do they want justice? Do they want to protect other women?

Except, as it turns out after they were recently interviewed, that none of it ever happened.

But Matt Taibbi’s kind of an asshole and isn’t the hill I want to die on.

[laserhaas]

17. The enemy if my enemy, is my friend

Taibbi is .. And has been...against Wall Street overreach

He should not be condemned, for being s make shut..20 years ago.

You don't have to "die" standing on his hill

But you also don't need to bury him, on that Hill..today

[Cicada]

27. Chris sin minor, Taibbi crime major. Keep Chris, Crucify Taibbi

[laserhaas]

32. Okay

Pitchforks shovels & sledgehammers

[Initech]

25. Sounds like another Cernovich hit job.

God I hate those fucking assholes.

[laserhaas]

31. As you should

As you should

[obamanut2012]

53. No, it isn't -- stop making excuses for him, it is sickening people keep

Doing that.

It's true, he owns it. He and his BFF in Russia, who is indeed RW, went beyond "only" harassment and discrimination and barreled into rape and raping young teens.

I am not answering you or anyone else who keeps peddling that apologist line. JUst STOP>

[EL34x4]

3. I don't think it will have much of an impact on Taibbi's career whatsoever.

It's not like he's a household name. He writes for a magazine that people barely know even exists anymore and it's becoming tedious keeping track of all the men who acted like assholes 20 years ago. Seems every day it's someone new.

[laserhaas]

4. Hope you're right

[demmiblue]

5. I can't stomach him after reading about his time in Russia.

It was so vile that I can't erase it from my mind. Sorry, not sorry.

[laserhaas]

6. Understand

Thing is...we're losing everyone we have

[Spider Jerusalem]

7. Who is "we"?

Taibbi is a shitbag and he's not on "our" side. No great loss.

[laserhaas]

9. He's always been on the side against Wall Street abuse

The enemy if my enemy, is my friend.

[LanternWaste]

60. Unless that friend is an abuser

Unless that friend is an abuser. Then he's simply another shit-stain dude-bro whose political convenience is an excuse to ignore abuses against women.

[laserhaas]

65. That's a leap

Taibbi is not prone to ignore.

Are we to shoot every wake born before 1997?

SHHEESSHH.

[bettyellen]

75. Oh hell no. Abusive assholes dont get a pass because of their politics. Nope.

[laserhaas]

76. Nobody is asking for a "pass"

A crucify ..however..is not justice.

[bettyellen]

80. Hes always been a pig who trashed Dems-many cheap shots toward Obama and HRC

Obvs has a problem women, has me wondering if he’s a bit racist too. That’s often how it works- especially with the “just kidding” folks. Nope, he trashed women for profit. A woman could do a better job because they’re less distracted by coworkers than this asshole.

[Demsrule86]

8. It is a witch hunt at this point... but hey, as every pointed out to me...if he is guilty of

sexual harassment bullying...he must go. Oh and we occupiers needed Al Franken too.

[laserhaas]

10. It is a hit piece - witch hunt.

Whistling at a girl is harassment.( I hate any whistlingat someone ..other than whistleblowing)

The accusation is a 25 year old, in crude & rude Russia

acted crude and rude

He should apologize and move on

[Demsrule86]

11. Crude and rude...how is that different than what Franke supposedly did...nope Matt has to go.

[laserhaas]

13. Franken shouldn't have - and that's obvious

They did bad jokes and your desire to condemn people to help, for being Assholes, in the past - is over the top.

I'm a sexually abused victim. It is a far cry different, of a narcissistic pig, bragging about grabbing by the..
Then a man (who I misjudged as being gay) posing for a Joke (not touching)

We were in the age, back when, of - Girls Gone Wild

With girls really going wild.

If all skeletons be bare, you are going to sit there and say, 99% of all women on the planet...never eye googled a guy, or made a dirty joke.

Puhhlleeaassee

[Demsrule86]

22. You are right.

[LanternWaste]

61. The important thing is to point your finger at women as a better way to excuse

The important thing is to point your finger at women as a better way to excuse what's been happening, and is yet happening to them.

[laserhaas]

71. The paramount thing is to stop abuse

Demand Taibbi be on the correct side of the banter

Anything else plays into Goldman Sachs/ Trumps desire

[laserhaas]

14. Taibbi's work against Wall Street, like Frankens Fight

for the homeless...shouldn't die - just because you want them to.

[Demsrule86]

23. I supported franken...but I was told these women had to be believe by many who are now

defending Taibbi...well I warned at the time that this was just getting going...and Taibbi is next...I don't care about Taibbi personally...but no person should be fired due to a witch hunt...including Franken who's work was way more important.

[laserhaas]

33. Slamming works

Just wait until they accuse Warren of being a cougar

[Demsrule86]

36. hahaha....My kids were shocked that such old people still wanted to 'fool around'...the horror!

[laserhaas]

40. It's those dang mental oictures

Eeewwwwww

[brooklynite]

18. However you feel, why call it a "hit piece"?

Sexual harassment is a topical story. If evidence presents itself that a public figure engaged in such practices, why should is not be newsworthy.

[laserhaas]

20. It is a hit piece. As some commentors and votes note

They want this to be the end of Matt Taibbi.

But there are others more fair. Like this female journo from Russian Times, who was there, meeting with Exile parties

Link to tweet

[laserhaas]

47. Wow...didn't know Taibbi was married with 3 kids

Carry on...warrior Occupier

[BannonsLiver]

19. Great to see an Obama hater get theirs.

[laserhaas]

34. Bannin's

Quiver

[BannonsLiver]

38. Ohhhhh sick burn

I guess....

Fuck Taibbi.

[laserhaas]

41. Yuck

I don't even want kisses

[MineralMan]

21. Who? Why should I care?

Let him fade completely away.

[laserhaas]

35. Yup...every activist jkurno

Bye bye

[Skittles]

26. I would like to see him write an investigative piece on himself

come clean

[laserhaas]

28. He apologized on FaceBook

Which I can't see...FB locked me out.

[Skittles]

29. I don't do that piece of shit site

[laserhaas]

42. Had many thousands

In my groups

[Kentonio]

43. One of my favourite writers

Not judging a single thing without hearing a response from him to any allegations.

[laserhaas]

44. He responded on Facebook

He apologized Twice

As detailed by Reuters
https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN1D208Q

Matt Taibbi posted the lengthy repentance on his Facebook page hours after an event intended to promote his latest book was scrapped in Washington, D.C. without explanation.

I’ve done a lot of wrong things in my life. As a young man, I wrote and said some very dumb and hurtful things." Taibbi, 47, said in the Facebook post. "I’m sorry for all of this.

But it was never more than that. I know the list of revealed harassers is growing, but I am not on that list, nor should I be. I belong to a much bigger group. I was young once, and a jerk. And I am sorry for that," he said.

"I continue to deny absolutely that I have ever sexually harassed anyone in any office, here or in Russia," Taibbi said.

No woman anywhere has ever accused me of anything of the sort, and I am confident that my former co-workers will report (many already have) that I have never exhibited anything like that kind of behavior, at work or elsewhere."

"

[Kentonio]

51. Acting like a dumbass jock as a young guy

Grew up and apologizes becuse he's mature enough now to realize what an asshole he was. Given that there's nothing I've seen about him actually sexually harassing/assaulting anyone, I can't say this makes me particularly enraged.

I'm a few years younger than Taibi, and pretty much every guy I knew in my early to mid twenties was a fairly obnoxious tool. Hopefully the way society has progressed in the time since means that young men won't go through that kind of dickishness en masse, but in the past it was fairly standard. I'm just pleased that he matured past it, not everyone did.

[emulatorloo]

57. "Nearly every day, we asked our female staff if they approved of anal sex. "

We’d tell them that if they wanted to keep their jobs, they’d have to perform unprotected anal sex with us. Nearly every day, we asked our female staff if they approved of anal sex. That was a fixation of ours. “Can I fuck you in the ass? Huh? I mean, without a rubber? Is that okay?” It was all part of the fun.

Every guy you knew said shit like that to women they supervised? You sure about that?


https://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2017/10/27/twenty-years-ago-in-moscow-matt-taibbi-was-a-misogynist-asshole-and-possibly-worse

More selections from the book have surfaced online, including the following that involves Ames and Taibbi's first business manager, an American woman named Kara:

We’d never given her any respect or credit. We were glory hogs and obnoxious jerks. Worst of all was our sexism. Our sexism and sexual harassment of the Russian female staff, as well as the sexism in our newspaper, was too much for her. Watching us harass the young female staff had to be the most painful part—because we’d never, in a million years, have thought of harassing her.

“You know I’m not PC. But there’s a limit. You go too far. You’re always trying to force Masha and Sveta under the table to give you blow jobs. It’s not funny. They don’t think it’s funny,” Kara complained.

“But . . . it is funny,” Matt said.

We have been pretty rough on our girls. We’d ask our Russian staff to flash their asses or breasts for us. We’d tell them that if they wanted to keep their jobs, they’d have to perform unprotected anal sex with us. Nearly every day, we asked our female staff if they approved of anal sex. That was a fixation of ours. “Can I fuck you in the ass? Huh? I mean, without a rubber? Is that okay?” It was all part of the fun. Fun that Kara was no part of.

---

[laserhaas]

67. Its obnoxious to put this crud, on here

Matt said it was satire and stupid.

Men who whistle at a girl walking by

Or say "hey baby" are just as crass

It all sickens me...including Taibbi's stupid ass book.

...... ..


They time to bark about it - is back THEN

[laserhaas]

66. Exactly! ...By the standards of the haters

Every male born prior to 1997
Should be drawn and quartered

[bettyellen]

78. Quite divisive of you to call fellow members haters. Whats up w that?

[laserhaas]

79. You're calling for end to Taibbi

What's up with that?

I'm calling Taibbi's - haters, prior to this mishygosh - haters

You know.. Goldman Sachs hates Taibbi

Romney hates Taibbi

If your a fellow with those pukes...then Yeah

I hate you - too

[bettyellen]

81. Tabbi trashes Dems on the regular. And you support him so what does that say about you and this

divisive AF OP. The WaPo is respected journalism, Tabbi screed his own pooch. I’m glad people are taking a second look at his racism and sexism. White god, indeed.

[laserhaas]

45. Here's another...very lengthy...apology at Daily Kos

Don't know if we are allowed to reference DK

but here's a ...l e n g t h y....apology by Taibbi within another (sort of) hit piece


https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2017/12/15/1724893/-Matt-Taibbi-Liberal-Hero-Turns-Out-To-Be

[laserhaas]

46. Over st DailyKos and elsewhere, the opine divide is similar

50% still for Taibbi doing what he does

The other 50% divided between "who cares" and those who always call for Matt's lynching.

[Egnever]

48. He has always pushed the envelope

That is why he is popular. It wont end his career even if he is let go.

[bathroommonkey76]

50. No he hasn't pushed the envelope

He's a wannabe Hunter Thompson - There is nothing original about his writing style.

[bathroommonkey76]

49. Taibbi for me has always been a second-rate Hunter Thompson impersonator.

Jann Wenner gave him the greenlight to go full gonzo after Thompson's suicide. I stopped reading him a few years ago. And if he is on Real Time I skip the episode entirely.

[comradebillyboy]

58. A second rate Hunter Thompson is more credit than he deserves.

[Kimchijeon]

52. Frankly thanks to all the bullshit accusations, I just don't care anymore

The current trend of trying to destroy careers (and often succeeding) is just harming the credibility of real cases of harassment & assault.

Nowadays when I see an accusation I immediately think "ugh, yeah right" - sad but true. I want no part of it. Serious allegations, sure, bring those on.

"So and so touched me 30 yrs ago and I want him fired now" - No, that just makes me roll my eyes. Can't trust any of that crap anymore. People blew it, now no one trusts these allegations, great job!!

Tragic, really.

[laserhaas]

69. That's what I said; and Cretins try to ounce on me.

I've been sexually abused, as a child. Bottled it up for decades. Hated hearing the word punk and other things.

But what got my goat, most, were cases of false rape charges, are people calling me a pig, for holding a door open (I hold it open for men - too).

Pitical correctness goes - out of bounds - once in a while.

Matt's not perfect...Nobody is.

But he serves a good purpose.

Including going after police who choke/ kill

And against - Donald the Great (Destroyer)

We need him

[obamanut2012]

55. Quit handwaving away what he did -- it is disgusting

He admitted it 20 years ago, and is lying about it now, and it is not a "RW hit job." Those of you saying that should be ashamed of yourselves.

Stop making excuses for him, it is sickening people keep Doing that.

It's true, he owns it. He and his BFF in Russia, who is indeed RW, went beyond "only" harassment and discrimination and barreled into rape and raping young teens.

I am not answering anyone who keeps peddling that apologist line, because I do not debate if rape and harassment is okay or not. Just STOP!

His treatment of HRC is just one more thing showing what a pig he is.

[xmas74]

62. This.

He fed into the culture of misogyny that was the 2016 Election. It's obvious he hasn't changed.

We aren't losing people. We're discovering who really are "our people". He never was one.

[emulatorloo]

56. How many "hit pieces" has Taibbi written about Democrats? Maybe it is Karma. Btw I first read

Last edited Mon Dec 18, 2017, 03:07 PM - Edit history (2)

these stories in The Chicago Reader, which is in no way shape or form "right wing". Nor are these "hit pieces."

Beast in the East
In Moscow's Exile, hard news jumps in bed with misogyny and mayhem.

By Martha Bayne @marthabayne
https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/beast-in-the-east/Content?oid=902762

Most notably, the Exile nurtures a peculiarly vicious and schizoid attitude toward women. While Russian women are rhapsodically celebrated as long-legged gazelles with loose morals—"the most physically attractive women on earth, and...usually available to the highest bidder," expat women are ridiculed at length as "fat-ankled" and defensively sexless. Self-hating geeky American men are encouraged to take advantage of the perception that all Americans are rich and have oodles of condomless sex (sometimes in the ass!) with drunk, nubile dyevushkas. Ex-girlfriends are held up to public ridicule—Ames at one point chronicles his threats to kill a pregnant ex if she won't have an abortion. The club listings are rated by three factors: how cheap the beer is, how thuggish the crowd is, and how likely an expat male is to score: "Babes with nose-bleeds and their pot-bellied, cell-phone-totin' sugar dyadyas. One of the highest concentrations of beautiful chicks—and heavily armed men—in the world. (If you have an 8-ball of whiff you'll get laid.)"

It's not ironic—Ames and Taibbi explicitly scorn the bourgeois safety net of irony—and it's not just a rhetorical stance. "You're always trying to force Masha and Sveta under the table to give you blow jobs," complains their first business manager, an American woman, in chapter six, "The White God Factor." "It's not funny. They don't think it's funny." "But...it is funny," replies Taibbi. They take particular glee in trashing several former female staff members in print, taking multiple potshots at the aforementioned business manager's "gorilla ass." They're equally nasty to her replacement, who quit in disgust after they went on a four-month "brain-sucking speed binge."

More at link

See also

NEWS / LIT & LECTURES / WOMEN'S ISSUES / MEDIA / ARTS
Twenty years ago, in Moscow, Matt Taibbi was a misogynist asshole—and possibly worse
Posted By Aimee Levitt on 10.27.17 at 04:40 PM

https://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2017/10/27/twenty-years-ago-in-moscow-matt-taibbi-was-a-misogynist-asshole-and-possibly-worse

We have been pretty rough on our girls. We’d ask our Russian staff to flash their asses or breasts for us. We’d tell them that if they wanted to keep their jobs, they’d have to perform unprotected anal sex with us. Nearly every day, we asked our female staff if they approved of anal sex. That was a fixation of ours. “Can I fuck you in the ass? Huh? I mean, without a rubber? Is that okay?” It was all part of the fun. Fun that Kara was no part of.

[lunasun]

59. Just seconding your opinion . The Chicago Reader is in no way shape or form "right wing".

[aikoaiko]

63. Seens like old news.

[laserhaas]

68. Agree

I had bones to pick with Taibbi, as I'm part of his prompting source for his biggest cover story..

But I don't want his career to end ..to make a statement

That really would make a worse statement ..than it settles

[melman]

84. Joy Reid's nasty homophobic blogs were dismissed as ancient history

That was back in 2007! That's like ten years ago or something. Who can remember what the world was even like back then!



Fast forward a couple of weeks and the same people insist that things from twice as long ago matter a lot.

Twenty years ago? Who cares! Look at these terrible things he wrote!!


Seriously. the same people.

[aikoaiko]

87. Its not just the years, Taibbi wrote about all this a long time ago

It's not a secret that had to be unveiled to an unsuspecting public.

[Trumpocalypse]

64. Taibbi has always been a racist and a sexist.

Why is anyone surprized? And no one here should be defending him.

[laserhaas]

72. Nobody is defending what he did, by this book

But asking for his execution - is unjust

[Trumpocalypse]

74. Execution? Are you delusional?

I didn't see anyone calling for him to be killed.

[pnwmom]

73. He's still a misogynist. Witness his coverage of Hillary. n/t

[pnwmom]

83. Misogynistic coverage is verboten. n/t

[melman]

85. And there it is

He had the audacity to criticize the one must never be criticized.

[pnwmom]

86. His misogyny ranneth over. n/t

[saidsimplesimon]

82. laser, who cares?

No, we do not need him to re-litigate injustice. If Matt wants to "redeem" himself, I want to see some activism. Words without action, need I say more. OK, I don't need or want this man in my corner.

[Blue_true]

88. If he did not touch anyone, then he need to explain and be believable.

And he need to apologize to the women that he insulted. If he didn't touch or assault anyone, then I am ok with cutting slack as long as he has grown in 20 years.