Kathy Lee Gifford says "nasty, bad Pagans." on air.

[vixenesque93]

Reposting from several sources.

On Wednesday, June 25, 2008, during a live broadcast of a wedding reception on the TODAY Show, Kathy Lee Gifford gratuitously referred to Pagans as "nasty, bad Pagans." Ms. Gifford's hate speech has done harm to American Pagans' ability to live in peace with our neighbors of other faiths. By allowing her hate speech to be broadcast, her direct employer the TODAY Show, and their network, NBC, participate in that hate speech.

This is a petition calling for, at the very least, an on-air apology. A TODAY Show program devoted to dispelling misconceptions about Pagans and Paganism would go a long ways toward undoing the damage.

Signers of this petition are also putting the sponsor of that TODAY Show segment, Samsung, on notice that we are conducting a BOYCOTT against them until such time as we receive justice.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/quotnasty-bad-pagansquot-protesting-hate-speech-on-nbc

Also-the studio phone number information, as posted on pagan: (212) 664-4249 -- it will give you a menu...press 1 and someone will pick up.

EDIT: Video from YouTube.

Comments

[vixenesque93.livejournal.com]

Another LJ link with information is here: http://community.livejournal.com/pagan/1710037.html?nc=42

I'm trying to find a YouTube clip of the segment-if someone else is able to that would be awesome.

[vixenesque93.livejournal.com]

Context in moon_goat's journal:

"This petition is a response to a comment made by Kathy Lee Gifford on the TODAY show, on June 25 at around 11:30 AM. She was discussing wedding rings and why they are worn on the left hand, asking a gentleman to pick from several options; A,B,C etc. which reason was the "real" reason. One of the reasons had to do with Pagan beliefs. Out of her mouth came the words "Pagans, those nasty bad Pagans"."

[ihateswine.livejournal.com]

I didn't know "pagan" was a faith... like Roman and Greek god worshippers? Or fuddy-duddy renfesty fluffsters?

[ihateswine.livejournal.com]

plus if u boycott NBC then you'll miss Conan!

[sterling-raptor.livejournal.com]

Anything from Wicca to reconstructed religions like Roman or Greek pantheons are faiths. Wicca has been legally recognized by the US Government since the 70's and is protected just like any other. :D

[sterling-raptor.livejournal.com]

Wow. Just wow. I have added my two cents to the petition and wrote MSNBC as well. It seems I write networks a lot these days...

[flasher702.livejournal.com]

You had me until the Samsung boycott. Let's not over react here. Phone calls are actually highly effective. I participate in effective phone call drives dealing with atheism and/or church-state separation on a monthly basis off the SeattleAtheists.org lists. The key to having your demands met to to be reasonable when you make them. There is no precedent for "justice" to be payed out here. She's entitled to call pagans (or christians, or atheists) "nasty" just as much as she wants to. You have to convince her otherwise through reason, not by throwing a fit and claiming to be offended.

Also, good luck boycotting Samsung. You may as well try to boycott GE. Their parts are in huge percentages of electronics across all market segments and brandings not to mention all the other appliances they make. Attacking the sponsor over a random little comment is a dirty tactic that the right-wing religious wackos use to fight free speech and I disdain it greatly.

So I cannot in good conscience sign the petition as I have no intention of boycotting Samsung nor do I think promoting Paganism on air, through an entire episode dedicated to casting Paganism in a good light, is a just or correct form of recourse but rather a fulfillment of a sense of entitlement that, rather than being fair, merely conflicts with the false sense of entitlement that every other religion also holds for itself and seems to be outside the scope of the show in question (which is part of why the comment was inappropriate in the first place, two wrongs don't make a right). I will, however, give them a call and let them know I'm not pleased with them randomly picking on minority religions without cause though. That's BS.

[quetz.livejournal.com]

I know a lot of nasty, bad pagans. (Some bad pagans are nasty...and some nasty people are bad pagans. I myself am not a particularly good pagan, nor am I a terribly nice pagan.) Still, there are a few of us who fall outside the bounds of nastiness and badness, and for them, my sympathies.

I suggest the mainstream pagan churches draft a letter to NBC asking for an apology. That's all you're likely to get out of them, anyway. This is the attitude of 99% of the country, folks.

[soliloquy.livejournal.com]

Wow, I wasn't too fond of Kathy or the TODAY show to begin with so this gives me one more reason to sleep in and avoid it. ;-)

I hope this is resolved and at the very least Kathy should apologize and explain why she said such a thing.

Take care,
Jenn