Fox News' Hill 'Clarifies' Her 'Terrorist Fist Jab' Comment

UPDATE: Was just looking over at FishbowlNY, where former HuffPo'er Glynnis MacNichol reminds, "...be fair Gawker's [Alex] Pareene saw this coming." And, indeed he did, and deserves some dap of his own, for saying: "You will probably hear that it is a Black Gesture. Some particularly bent people will say even more confused things." Read the rest of Alex's excellent take on the matter right here.

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Fox News' E.D. Hill, who has lost her show amid a Fox News shakeup, today offered viewers a "clarification" of her earlier comments, which characterized the "fist bump" shared by Barack and Michelle Obama on the evening of the South Dakota and Montana primaries as "a terrorist fist jab."

HILL: Want to start the show by clarifying something I said on the show last Friday about an upcoming body language segment. Now, I mentioned various ways the Obamas' fist pump in St. Paul had been characterized in the media. I apologize because unfortunately, some thought I personally had characterized it inappropriately. I regret that. It was not my intention. And I certainly didn't mean to associate the word "terrorist" in any way to Senator Obama and his wife. Now, today, the senator is talking about the economy.

[WATCH.]

Of course, when Hill states that she was only mentioning "various ways the Obamas' fist pump in St. Paul had been characterized in the media," I am a bit confused, since it would seem that she was the first member of the "media" to characterize it as such. As previously noted, it would appear that the origin of the terrorist fist-jab meme appears to have stemmed from a now-scrubbed blog comment over at Human Events. Similarly, it seems to me that the easiest way to avoid "associat[ing] the word 'terrorist'...to Senator Obama" is to simply not ascribe "terrorist" motives to Obama in the first place, especially when they are as stupefyingly inane as Hill's example.

Comments

[foreverdemocrat]

I think she's just a straight up racist.

My opinion...

OBAMA '08

[stamper]

Posted this elsewhere, i think worth repeating. I give a dem donation in honor of the idiot remarks, then i email fox noise and let them know that a dem donation was given in that person's honor for their remark. imagine if , every time they slandered and swift boated anyone, they received thousands of emails like that, would make them think twice about the lies. also emailing sponsors of my boycott as long as they support lies and propoganda. even if you send a dollar, it is a strong statement, lets start using our power!try oreilly-sucks.com/sponsor

[KingGeorgetheShrub]

Looks like it's time for Faux News to update thier Robots.

[Janet Carter]

E.D. is way over the "Hill" by Faux News standards. She is 46 yrs old. Faux only hires the under 35, dim-witted, silicone-titted, bleached blondes.

[TruthAndConsequences]

Why is it that whenever the "fair and balanced" network has a problem, it's always because they've gone too far in ripping Democrats? Why is is that their "mistakes" are always in service of making Democrats look worse and Republicans look better, like on-screen graphics identifying Larry Craig and Mark Foley as (D)? Explain to me, self-satisfied right-wing fatcat Roger Ailes, why your "fair and balanced" network never seems to make mistakes that cast Republicans unfavorably? And why is it that "corrections" and "apologies" always come in some mealy-mouthed, defensive way that neither corrects nor apologizes?

Of course, these are rhetorical questions, because the answers are obvious. And the unfair, unbalanced approach that is no accident, no mistake, will expose itself even more over the next few months in service of propping up mediocre McCain.

[Insideout143]

Typical... say something to put the idea in peoples' heads, then say you meant no harm... aka Hillary syndrome. Like: "He's not a muslim, as far as I know.", or referring to Kennedy's assassination, then apologizing if it offended anyone.

The whole point of them saying anything in the first place was to inject an attitude... knowing later they will try to make themselves appear innocent, while still getting the effect they were looking for, and getting additional coverage because of the outrage at the same time.

Idiots!!

Thankfully many of us are no longer dumbed down enough to hold any credence to this BS.

[ultrabop]

Knocking the knuckles and pointing the thumbs up was something I learned in college back in 1967 at the University of Michigan. It was borrowed from back culture, no doubt, as are most of the other social trends and fashions that end up in the white American mainstream culture.

For a national news anchor to confuse a fist knock as a "terrorist gesture" is to either betray an astounding ignorance of American culture, or is an attempt at smearing the Obamas with no regard whatsoever for either taste or accountability. It borders on the criminal.

[KISSman]

This is the biggest bunch of crap ever. I mean, to what far-right corner of the internet do you have go to find this simple gesture characterized as a "Terrorist Fist Jab"?? And what legitimate person worthy of quoting characterized it as such?

It's not so much that we thought that she believed it was a "Terrorist Fist Jab", but the fact that such a characterization would even be uttered on a respectable news show / network. I guess it's just one of those things that "some people say".

[HypocrisyAlarm]

Who said Fox was respectable?

[SharonB]

I was thinking it was ridiculous when Chris Matthews was disecting the interaction between Barak and Michelle on his show. To me it was just a woman giving her husband a little encouragement and affection while in a public setting. I saw nothing inappropriate. It was not forced, it did not seem scripted or planned.

But, Chris Matthews assessment, as lame as it was, was only done in a joking, fun way. E.D. Hill actually thought she had to tell us that **gasp** it may not be just two adults being silly with one another because they are so excited and happy... According to Ms. Hill they were doing a voodoo dance and conjuring up the very physiocal appearance of SATAN!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good GOD! It is enough to make you want to take a shotgun to the tv screen!!!!!!!!!!!

[rh654]

Yeah - NOW that she lost her show she is apologizing.

I think reality hit her and if she is ever let go by Foxnews she will want to land at some network.

[IRepTheKing]

(Hill states that she was only mentioning "various ways the Obamas' fist pump in St. Paul had been characterized in the media," I am a bit confused, since it would seem that she was the first member of the "media" to characterize it as such.)
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This is my point exactly. How is she just to make it seem like "everyone else was calling it that" when I hadn't heard of it used with the word "terrorist" until she said it. And her rationale to "not associate the word with Obama" was to associate it with him and his wife on National Television? Yup, that'll make me think you're not associating the word with him in your report all right. What a bafoon.

[disgustedbarmitzvot]

Thanks for following up on this story to it's delightful end, that being more lies told by the bad reporters at FNC.

TERRORIST FISTS JABS TO YOU. GOOD WORK.

[conniedogs]

whatever, just get her off the air

[perpetualpessimist]

The documentary Outfoxed states this is precisely how Fox commentators get unsubstantiated charges on the air, "Some people say...". This is par for the course for Fox and Ms White's "apology" rings hollow.

[DontBeFoolish]

Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah.........