Dylan Ratigan: "Girls Don't Throw That Well, Generally" (VIDEO)

On Thursday morning's episode of MSNBC's "Morning Meeting", host Dylan Ratigan and Contessa Brewer discussed President Obama's much-talked-about first pitch at Tuesday night's Major League Baseball All Star Game.

"A lot of people, Rush Limbaugh included, seem to think that the President throws like a girl," Brewer said.

Saying that she found nothing wrong with the pitch, Brewer then turned the tables on commentators like Limbaugh and St. Louis conservative Mark Reardon, asking "what are you saying about the way girls throw? Have you seen a girl throw?"

"No, girls don't throw that well, generally speaking," Ratigan said.

After a brief awkward silence and some incredulous sighs, Brewer exited off-camera.

"It's true though," Ratigan stammered. "The truth sometimes hurts."

The show then went to commercial, with a somewhat baffled Ratigan saying he would use the break to "try to reconcile with Contessa." Brewer could be heard off-camera saying something about "beat[ing Ratigan] up."

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Comments

[MicheleCA]

these two are both clowns. i read last night that these anchors make several million dollars a year- ko 7.5, cm 5! you'd think they could "act" better.

[water57]

He does not have a very likable personality. I have try in vein to watch his show. It always appear like he is mad all the time, and I am just waiting for him to show a fit of anger at any minute.

[kdlaiusa]

This is all acting, and it's good morning entertainment.

[blimie]

I'm sure women softball players throw well, but if you take a room of 30 women and 30 men, women in general don't throw that well compared to men. It's true, not sexist, have seen it many times with my own eyes.

[loki]

she has obviously never watch girls softball on the college or even high school level. Some of the pitchers can throw faster that an all star baseball pitcher. If they ever break the discrimination in sports, you will start to see girls on the field holding their own, and sometimes surpassing, the so called Professional high paid jock.

[Malkin71]

You mean like Michelle Wie, who is way too good to play with women, but can't make the cut against men???

[Malkin71]

Or how about Danica Patrick who is the biggest star in IRL and I think has won maybe one race in her life??

[pumpkin]

The problem isn't that, on average, boys can throw better than girls. The problem is that these men think "like a girl" is the ultimate insult.

[carl99e]

I think this is a pattern with Dylan. He has a chip on his shoulder when it comes to women. He is very much old school on that account. (Still single after all these years!) I think MSNBC is trying to reprogram Dylan by having very smart progressives on his show like Arriana and Spitzer. He is looking for the big bucks and it may be the only thing he has any respect for. MSNBC has the conservatives in the morning and the progressives in the afternoon. Dylan only wants to criticize the administration. He has got a lot of elbow to get past to get to the front of the line on that one.

[jazabelz]

Actually I have to agree with Ratigan. I remember from PE (remember the good old days?) that it was phyisically impossible for women to throw the same as men because the structure of our arms is slightly different -- if men hold their arms out straight -- the are straight -- but womens forearms actually twist. It's not sexist, it's just a differnce in our physiology. It's no different than the fact that women's hips are generally wider set which is necessary to bear children. Those people who suggest their children, nieces, sisters etc., who play softball -- the pitcher use an underhand technique and in most cases the outfielders catch fly balls for the outs rather than throwing to get a runner out. I realize there are many women who can throw as well as some men, but girls in PE shouldn't be made to feel bad about not being able to throw as well because of the way our arms are formed!

[donna16]

Right ,good choice in giving that guy a show>

[Malkin71]

Everyone who comes here with their one example of their niece who plays softball or pointing to the Women's Olympic teams etc....

Do you realize you are only proving Ratigan's point?

Those are the exception to the rule...the exceptions that prove the rule, actually...

[Jeffer]

In "the exception proves the rule" the definition of "proves" is "to test". Thus, an exception tests a rules validity.
So technically you are correct, although it is not what you meant. Your examples "prove" your statement, so to speak...

[PatA]

Gosh, no one told me that when I went to school on a softball scholarship.
I could still strike him out! And I'm 65.

[JohnStuartMill]

I guess you're not familiar with the phrase "generally speaking." Ask around. It's pretty useful.

[LarBear]

Hey DYLAN.... I have been watching the USA Womens Softball Team... Please , if your chavanistic arrogance is strong enough, pick up a bat and go up against one of their pitchers... Jenny Finch is a model, a mother, as well as a pitcher... Girly Girl enough for you???

[knerd]

In the context of a patriarichal culture like ours which fathers usually play catch with their sons, Ratigan is absolutely right. It's a generalization, of course. But speaking generally, he's right.

For now...

[Katie101622]

Ha Ha Ha! Girls can't do anything physically difficult!

Like childbirth.

[Malkin71]

I dunno, it seems like women are ok at childbirth. Why would you insult women like that?

If your statement was to refute Ratigan's....the two have ZERO to do with each other?

[jazabelz]

He didn't say women can't do anything physically difficult! Where did you come up with that? He is right (and I hate to disappoint, you but I have been a life-long feminist), the vast majority of women can't throw as well, fast or straight as men. It just a physical reality -- our arms are made differently than mens -- just as our hips and boobs are too. There are physical differences and it is not discriminatory -- just a fact of life.

[Katie101622]

His comment reflected the "common wisdom" that women are weak. That they are physically inferior to men. They are not.

The idea that girls can't throw as well as guys is bull. Had women's baseball been promoted or even existed alongside with the history of men's baseball, the idea of "throwing like a girl" would probably not be as funny to the majority of sexist pigs as it is now.

I'll tell you something, those girls that play fast-pitch, the women of the WNBA, the female football players that are out there, they scare me with their physical abilities. I know A LOT of guys they could whip in any "throwing a ball" contest.

Misogyny and sexism is alive and well in our "enlightened" society. The playing field (literally and metaphorically) has not been and is not level. If it was, I think many of you on this board would eat your words.

[Malkin71]

He never said that women are weak. He said they can't throw, generally, as well as men.

That is what he said.

Furthermore, the women of the WNBA??????

There have been 3 slam dunks in the entire HISTORY of the WNBA. Each time it has merited a front page story on the sports section because it's so novel. How many dunks do you see in any given NBA game?

Female football players? Put one of those women in an NFL game and they would literally, not figuratively, but literally get killed.

And the fact that you know some guys who can't throw doesn't change the fact that Ratigan was absolutely correct.

Pointing out reality is only "misogyny" or "sexism" to a liberal with their head in the sand.

[Josh Popichak]

Was "Rat" raised in an all male household? For someone who's relatively young, he seems pretty chauvinistic. Maybe it's all that time he spent at CNBC covering the Street.