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Geraldo Rivera defends Matt Lauer in the worst possible way

The former talk show host thinks the American public is ‘criminalizing courtship.’

Photo of David Covucci

David Covucci

Geraldo Rivera

In the long-overdue sexual harassment and assault reckoning that is taking place right now, there are really only two ways to respond to allegations that arise as a man.

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  1. Condemn the guilty party; or
  2. Shut the fuck up

Fox News correspondent Geraldo Rivera took a markedly different tack last night after Matt Lauer was ousted at NBC. He not only defended him but dismissed the severity of the allegations by calling news a “flirty” business and claiming courtship is being criminalized.

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Now, there are almost too many things wrong with that tweet to truly, properly dissect everything terrible about it, but let’s start here: Maybe don’t try to defend a serial sexual harasser/abuser when you yourself may have a number of skeletons in your own closet.

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Twitter was happy to blast Geraldo for his tweet, making clear that news is not a “flirty business.”

https://twitter.com/talkwordy/status/935981483499708418

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And pulling your penis out in front of subordinates is not “flirting.”

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And sending a co-worker a sex toy is not “flirting.”

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And also his concept of courtship is probably steeped in patriarchal attitude that treats women as sex objects.

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https://twitter.com/bourreelam/status/935986927190401025

And then there’s bit about Matt Lauer installing a lock on his door that he could activate from his desk, basically turning it into a sex dungeon.

https://twitter.com/dogboner/status/935979160392159232

And again, the whole Matt Lauer-sex dungeon thing.

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But really, the whole Matt Lauer-sex dungeon thing, which is, again, neither “courtship” nor “flirting,” but actually the  definition of “predation.”

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https://twitter.com/di_plora/status/936003670252179456

Anyway, here’s Geraldo on the cover of Playgirl magazine.

Geraldo Rivera on the cover of Playgirl magazine
Photo via Amazon

Just in case you needed more proof that news is not a flirty business.

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The Daily Dot