‘It’s a Joke!’ Ben Ferguson, Don Lemon, Dem Rep. Clash over ‘War on Women’ Tweet
Don Lemon took on a story Friday night about the “Republicans’ so-called war on women.” Guests Ben Ferguson and Michigan state representative Vicki Barnett tussled over a tweet Michigan state Democrats believe is demeaning to women. The controversy in question concerns this tweet, sent out by a Michigan reporter, showing three state Republican legislators making a joke about their commitment to women’s issues.
@MIHouseGOP members Victory, Pettalia, and Glardon: "Don't say we don't understand women." #mileg pic.twitter.com/zsifsqrZ1N
— Jake Neher (@GJNeher) June 5, 2014
Yes, that’s three Republicans holding women’s fashion magazines.
In response, Barnett and three other female state representatives tweeted this out.
Real Women read bills not fashion mags… @GJNeher @RashidaTlaib @RepVickiBarnett @MIHouseGOP #mileg pic.twitter.com/9Tq9fBLm1a
— MI House Democrats (@MIHouseDems) June 5, 2014
Ferguson told Barnett that they took the Republican tweet far too seriously, and beyond that, said it’s sexist for women to say that any woman who reads fashion magazines isn’t a real woman. Barnett shot back that this was about professionalism, but Ferguson cried, “It’s a joke!” and said politicians would do well to not be so serious all the time.
Lemon, however, wondered if the reaction would have been the same had these Republicans posed with magazines specifically tailored for black people or gay people to make a joke about their acknowledgement of those groups’ issues.
Watch the video below, via CNN:
[image via screengrab]
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