by Michael Jensen

"The View"'s Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd spread misinformation again

The View has never exactly been a font of accurate information and, really, what would you expect when one of the hosts (Elisabeth Hasselbeck) found fame on Survivor. But given that the show is the creation of journalist Barbara Walters, you'd think she would at least require a modicum of knowledge from Hasselbeck and co-host Sherri Shepherd before they open their traps about topics other than their kids. But such is clearly not the case as the two demonstrated on Friday's show when they spread all sorts of misinformation about California's Proposition 8.

Read what the two had to say after the jump.

Hasselbeck babbled first bringing up the case of Ake Green, a Swedish priest who ran afoul of that country's hate speech law when he preached that gays are a "deep cancer on society". But according to Hasselbeck what happened was:

It was said with precedent, I think, in Sweden there was a church, a priest who was then jailed, and I think since then released. But he was put in jail for not wanting to perform a marriage to a gay couple, so then they put him in jail because the law stated that you could not discriminate based on sexual preference, I believe.

Um excuse me, but WTF does Sweden have to do with Proposition 8? Um, different country, different laws. By that logic, I can point out that Iran puts gay people to death so that "precedent" clearly indicates Christians in America are likely to do the same if we're not careful.

Not only was Hasselbeck wrong about Pastor Green's offense, but she also didn't know his conviction was overturned on appeal based on freedom of speech and freedom of religion (and I don't think he spent a single night in jail). Conservatives such as Hasselbeck love to fret over this slippery slope when, in fact, there is a very bright legal line in this country protecting religious views. We gay folks know all too well that it is the religious types who in fact are trying to use the law to give their religious beliefs preferential treatment.

Clearly Hasselbeck was getting her information from some wingnut talking points and given that she's never demonstrated any interest in thinking for herself, it's no surprise she didn't bother to check the information.

Not to be out done, Shepherd then proceeded to distort the ramifications of Proposition 8 by claiming:

But also -- excuse me, also not only that, but you know, I don't want to know that my pastor -- because, you know, the church is preaching against homosexuality, and I don't want to know that my pastor could be jailed, sent to jail because he's preaching something that's --

Oh, puhleeze! All Shepherd would have to do is read a couple of newspaper articles about the initiative to know that the Proposition 8 did nothing of the sort. It only pertained to state officials, but to folks such as Shepherd, religious marriage is a state and/or civil issue and therefore laws regulating it must apply to churches. Again, someone has been reading her talking points.

I used to appreciate that The View covered gay topics, but if Joy Behar isn't present and with Rosie gone, these two get away with spouting inaccurate information far too often. Frankly, if the show can't present more accurate information, they should just stick to discussing whatever lame reality show has captured Elisabeth's attention.

And a special boo to Barbara herself, the one who is supposed to be a genuine journalist, for either not knowing the actual facts or for not stepping in and setting the record straight right away.

Here is the clip.

I haven't seen today's episode, but the show reportedly sets the record straight. Too bad they didn't make Hasselbeck and and Shepherd wear dunce caps.

Thanks to Media Matters for the clip! And GoodAsYou has just posted today's clip.

Michael Jensen's blog

Submitted by

Michael Jensen

on Mon, 2008-11-10 12:49.

TAGS ::

That was painful

Submitted by

Lyle Masaki (3516 points) (4388 posts)

on Mon, 2008-11-10 13:25.

I watched on Friday and, as appalling as Elisabeth and Sherri were, I was most frustrated by how Barbara Walters seemed to use impartiality as an excuse for being uninformed. She's just repeating the arguments, but apparently it'd be partisan to try to hold up those arguments against reality. Who needs facts when you've managed to talk to "both sides"? I expect Elisabeth and Sherri to be uninformed, but my last shreds of respect for Walters completely disappeared on Friday.

As for the argument that churches would be sued to marry same-sex couples against their will... well, has anything like that happened so far? AFIK, churches are allowed to discriminate for various reasons -- for example, I believe you still can't get married in a Catholic church if you were divorced. Has there ever been an attempt to take down those restrictions?

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