Fox News Calls Michelle "Obama's Baby Mama"... FOX: Producer Used Poor Judgment

UPDATE: Politico Reports that
Fox addresses baby mama drama: Producer used "poor judgment"

Since Salon's Alex Koppelman caught Fox News characterizing Michelle Obama as "Obama's Baby Mama," there's been an uproar over use of such an offensive term.

"A producer on the program exercised poor judgment in using this chyron during the segment," said Fox's Senior Vice President of Programming Bill Shine, in a statement to Politico.

----
ORIGINAL REPORT:
As if implicating her as one half of a "terrorist fist jab" wasn't enough, Fox News has gone on to label Michelle Obama "Obama's baby mama."

Salon's Alex Koppelman writes:

An alert reader wrote in just a little while ago to let us know about something he'd spotted on Fox News Wednesday afternoon. During a segment discussing conservative attacks against Michelle Obama, the wife of presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama, the network described the former as "Obama's baby mama."

I checked, and sure enough, as you can see below, our e-mailer was right. In fact, that description was displayed on screen several times during the segment, which featured anchor Megyn Kelly and conservative blogger Michelle Malkin, an FNC contributor.

Koppelman has the video here, and you can see the stills below.

To be fair, Michelle Obama referred to Barack as her "baby's daddy" on the night he won his Senate seat in 2004.

Comments

[elijahsnanna]

I personally am going to contact all of the advertisers of Faux News. I'll be telling them that I will try my hardest to never purchase their products again. And I will share with all my friends and family that I'm doing this and why. You got to get them where it hurts. They aren't journalists. Tell the real story and allow people to make their own decisions on issues. A country of sheep beget a government of wolves.

[nyc4obama123]

is their no way to take these people of air

[AlmostLiberal]

Yes, people of air are hard to take.

[thinklib]

Excellent point.

[thinklib]

I don't understand why everyone is in a tizzy.

You want to see real racism? Keep reading the posts to this non-story.

[Truthhurts60]

people are in a "TizzY' because Fox News is trying to ghettoize the Obama's. Michelle is nobody's baby momma. That is a derogatory term usually used to explain major problems in the black community. I suppose you would not have a problem if they refered to her a a welfare mom too right? Or any other derogatory term associated with blacks.

[Deaninphilly]

Funny coming from Philly I heard it all the time being said by blacks. I suggest that in the future if you don't want society as a whole to repeat what is said you don't say it to begin with.

Personally I find it quite amusing and didn't "ghettoize" Sen. Obama in the process. So I would have to agree with thinklib, about people being in a tizzy. Haven't heard a decent argument yet except the same old song of racism and the like.

[Soysie]

Non story?! Really?! it was on fascism news, the station that is anti African America and anti Muslim, unless the person of either race are boot licking and on their side. Baby mama is a woman who isn't involved (in a relationship) with the man/guy that got her pregnant, the kids are out of wedlock or not legitimate (not planned by both parties). Fox deliberately do things to try and sink Obama because they do not and seriously showing they are not ready to handle an multi culture president no matter what the outer appearance of the person is. If the person is too close to black they will do so call poor judgments over and over. I would love to see them run out of excuses and see what would smear together.

[JFaye]

The only credibility FOX has is when mainstream, or more credible news outlets pay homage to the garbage spewed by these hateful people. Please, let's all pretend they don't exist and maybe, they will just go away.

[susangg1]

I am STILL waiting for all the pseudo feminists (the ones who whined and sniveled that Hillary. Clinton wasn't getting enough "respect" - meaning, she LOST...) to speak up in outrage about the sexist and racist use of the term "baby mama" to refer to Michelle Obama. Those of us who are REAL feminists are mightily pissed off...including this 60 year old white woman. If this doesn't piss you off, you aren't a real feminist.

[mshazen]

You are not a real feminist if you think Hillary was treated fairly. What they have done to
Michelle Obama is disgusting. IIt does not sound like you were standing up for Hillary when
it was happening to her. A true feminist would defend all women, not just the one you are supporting in an election.

[marykins123]

Boy are you right on with your post.....add this 64 year old white granny to the list of p*ssed off women. In my opinion, this is as bad, if not worse, that what Hillary supporters threw there hands in the air over. But then, as a female, I don't approve of McCain's treatment of his first wife http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1024927/The-wife-John-McCain-callously-left-behind.html
OR his reactions when asked, "How do we beat the B*tch?" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLQGWpRVA7o

But then I guess these are the same Clinton supporters that will vote for McCain in November calling themselves righeous feminist.

[nightangelstars]

You can add me too - I'm a 21 year old white college student from the 'battleground' state of Michigan, and a feminist. To me, this language diminishes Michelle Obama to a stereotype. She is nobody's 'baby mama' - she is a strong, upstanding woman with the courage of her convictions and a husband who happens to be running for President, if we give him the chance, that is.

And no, mshazen, I don't think Hillary Clinton was treated fairly - witness everyone calling her by her first name and never addressing her by her fairly earned title, while the boys are (superficially) treated respectfully. However, I think she made enough blunders that at least part of the blame for her loss must be placed on her own shoulders. How much, now that is debatable.

In any case, this debacle will no doubt convince at least a couple more people in this country that Fox news is not worthy of respect - or watching. Thank God for small gifts.

[nonconformist2]

Touche!

[Truthhurts60]

Fox is trying to walk the line by indirectly appealing to racists. It just isn't on Fox btw. Even on MSNBC Pat Buchanan was recently challenged for referring to Obama as foreign. Most of the rumors appeal to racists. Today on Foxnews watch they were calling Michelle an "Angry Black Woman" and they said all the black women in the news and politics are Angry. Only exception they noted was Oprah. What do these white republican men know about angry black women?

Where are the feminists that always complain when white women are expected to shut their mouth and look pretty. What happened to standing up for strong women with an opinion.

[nightangelstars]

I suppose it takes place here and now. This discussion should really be taking place on ABC News with Charles Gibson, though I don't think ABC has the brass to criticize another network, even FOX News. I'm sure it will be lambasted on the Daily Show though - thank god for Jon Stewart!

[paganmist]

HuffPost's Pick

My daughter - who's mixed, half black, and 1/4 irish, 1/4 japanese - asked if O had won. I said, "He's got one more person to beat, so keep your fingers crossed."

She mentioned that she learned in school that he would be the first black President, and that we've never had a woman President. So she made the connection, being a (half) black female. She asked, "Do you think I could be President?"

When I said, "Yep, you can become President if you really want to," I realized that I really believe it. I grew up being told this country would never elect a black or a woman, and this year I have seen that they are ready for both.

I live in a country where I can honestly say to my mixed, brown-skinned daughter that I really believe she can become President. I got teary-eyed and when she asked what was wrong, I said I was really happy. She called me weird and went outside to play.

Michelle Malkin, FOX "News", the Republicans - they don't know what they're up against. These kinds of tactics won't work. With the dreams of my kid on the line, *I* am going to get this man elected. And there are millions upon millions of "me"s out there who are working with the same motivation.

There's nothing they can do to stop us, and they know it.

[BlackWidowPilot]

Amen, Paganmist, amen to every word.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[jcahill]

brilliant post paganmist
brilliant and beautiful

[nonconformist2]

Out of the mouth of babes can come such wisdom!

[badinko]

as much as we all know Fox News is a joke, it is far from imploding and has a much larger viewership at any given time over the other networks.....

the only way to really hurt them is too 1) keep up the political discourse among friends and neighbors because I have been surprised by how many of my own friends watched Fox until I was able to get them to realize how inane the channel is and

2) File FCC complaints against them for racist comments and blatent fabrications

[greenwitch]

Fox Producer Used Poor Judgement---isn't that redundant?

[nonconformist2]

LOL

[schicklett3]

Poor judgement? It was downright racist to the nth degree!!!
No matter how many times Fox News is called on the carpet for their racist reporting and hate mongering, they will continue to let it happen.
That news channel is the worst of the worst!!

[M3Man]

Fox may soon learn that in the semi-post racial world, you can appeal to people in vaguely racist ways, like hating on Obama because his preacher is too radical. But there is an invisible line. Once the appeal becomes blatantly racist, it won't work, because nobody wants to think of himself as racist. Given that there are 5 months left in this campaign, I don't think the Foxes, like Hannity will be able to hide their racist motives from anyone. And once they cross that line, its probably over.

For most who vote Democratic, the line was crossed years ago. For loyal Fox viewers, there is no line. But this election is about the people in the middle. Fox makes its living appealing to people on the right. They will soon alienate moderates with this stuff. Fox is about to become McCain's worst enemy.

[incontempt]

...and hopefully the other ball and chain that will drag him into oblivian.

[SteveStephens]

This is part and parcel to a bigger Republican problem. To win this election, they will need to placate their base which is racist bigots, the largest block of their voters besides evangelicals and gay bashers.

[thinklib]

What an insightful, inclusive, open-minded post. You are a real thinker.

[PatrickforO]

What's nice about the pending Fox News implosion is they're getting challenged publicly every step of the way. It is increasingly easy for us, the regular people, to have input into the election. So, keep up the good work. Let's all challenge these slights. Don't let a single thing get by, then Obama can concentrate on talking about issues.

[dattexas]

Spot on.

[Dendera]

Ah, loving it. This is just the beginning of Fox News imploding. They are going to keep making these "poor judgements" over and over and over again, and even the trash-minded racist sexist hate-mongering pseudo-religious freaks who love the channel will begin to be embarrased about watching it.

I am watching with glee with every new gaff.

Brilliant.

[jcahill]

great post Dendera and soooooo....soooooo true :)
irrelevance is quickly coming their way...the obama era will wash them out to sea

[robbep]

For those of you who dont get it or even like it what Fox was trying to do is ghettoize Mrs Obama. Does not matter if she is an attorney with an Ivy league degree and that her husband is a senator who might become the president, she is black and they can treat her any way they want. And some of you cant understand how she cld say she is proud of her country for the first time. Amazing.

[shinybear]

I'm assuming of course that Hillary Clinton, Gloria Steinem and Katie Couric will be speaking out against this sexist slur.

I'd hate to think their "feminism" was nothing more than self-serving bull.

[Jonni Rae]

Right on, Shiny Bear!!!! Those fake feminists gave up the real fight years ago -- single women with children and the plight of black women. I think Steinem once said, "if women are at the bottom of the totem poll, black women are underneath it." Where is her defense of Michelle Obama??? Also, the way to payback Fox news, or to cause them to reassess their programming style, is to boycott it!!!!! Don't watch it, ever! For any reason. I have been boycotting for a year now, as well as CNN most of the time. ABC all the time since the ambush, middle school debate. Ratings count. I watch KO on MSNBC. That's it. I use to watch Chris, but his show can hardly be called "Hardball" anymore.

[ShakeYourComplacency]

You're the fake feminist, dear. And I'll be happy to come here every day and post just to out you all. The fake so-called radical "third wave" feminists who regularly attack white feminists of the 70's, and any white woman who doesn't agree with their narrow agenda. Do you remember that John Edwards' campaign temporarily got derailed because of you people? Did you forget that? Oh..you did.

Edwards didn't read the blogs, he didn't know what disgusting things were said in the name of new feminism, and in the name of his party. So he hired one of the girls without vetting her. Then the Right of course dug up the trash from the blog files and it was all over the news, fodder for the Republicans.

So yes, I'm very familiar with your views. And they're racist, divisive, and dead wrong.

It's not enough that Michelle Malkin attacks Gloria Steinem, but radical so-called Democrats are as well. It's enough to make you puke.

[StewieGriffin]

Oh stop, Keith.

[Truthhurts60]

THeir feminism is the typical white-middle class women.

[mshazen]

Give me a break any time women of the Clinton camp tried to make a statement about
the sexism all over the media, we were slamed for it, and worse by women, most of whom were Obama supporters. WE were told we were whining, if you cant stand the heat and so forth. To Steinem"s defense she tried to say something once on Hillarys behalf and they had a field day with it. So here is your Hillary supporter saying what they have done and will continue to do to Michele Obama is disgusting. I do think however it will backfire and help with the women vote.

[ShakeYourComplacency]

What's wrong with white, middle class women? No wonder the Right has a field day saying we're all nut jobs who hate everybody.

[littlequeenie]

Great point!! And Geraldine Ferrarro - I haven't heard her speak up.

Fox News is just repulsive and offensive. I won't allow it in my home.

[ShakeYourComplacency]

Since when is Hillary Clinton, Gloria Steinem and Geraldine Ferrarro enemies of the party?

You want Hillary supporters to speak up for Obama's wife? Where were you all when Hillary dealt with the sexism? Where were you all when people right here on Huffpo said no woman should be president because they're not capable?