January 8, 2014

Did Roger Ailes offer a TV producer an extra $100 each week "if you agree to have sex with me whenever I want"?

That's what Randi Harrison said happened, back in the 1980s, when Ailes was at NBC, according to “The Loudest Voice in the Room,” a 560-page biography of Ailes by Gabriel Sherman. The book also relates an anecdote from the 90s in which Ailes probably used "an obscene phrase with the words 'little' and 'Jew'" in speaking about some rival executive at NBC.

ADDED: The author says he did 614 interviews. Consider those 2 anecdotes — from 20 and 30 years ago — in that context. Not much of a portrait of evil, even assuming the stories are true!

The offer of $100 is a bad joke. If he'd really wanted to buy sexual access to an employee he'd have offered a lot more or offer it per encounter. Who would agree to step up to a sexual encounter whenever the other person "wants" it? Maybe you can get your spouse onto that arrangement — and I think you should try! — but that's not something you can buy… not since the days when you could buy a slave.

And as far as the anti-Semitic remark, it was directed at a particular individual, not an expression of an actual opinion about the group (even if it's some evidence of his view of the group). Ailes had a longstanding battle with one guy, and one time, that hostility manifested itself in a reference to his enemy's religion/ethnicity. 614 interviews produced no other anti-Semitic remark? That's actually rather strong evidence that he's not anti-Semitic.

51 comments:

Heartless Aztec said...

I'm not buying the book but I am curious if it panned out for him.

Shouting Thomas said...

100 bucks a week was damned good money back in the 80s.

So, if true, Ailes was generous to his whores.

Charlie said...

If this is the most salacious item in the book it must be pretty boring.

Ann Althouse said...

But how often did Ailes want sex?

Ann Althouse said...

It wasn't $100 a trick. It was $100 a week.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

You don't pay a whore to have sex with you. You pay her to leave when it's done.

She wouldn't be going away, so if he did make such an offer, it was an incredibly stupid thing to do.

TosaGuy said...

What is it with NBC employees?

Known Unknown said...

"an obscene phrase with the words 'little' and 'Jew'" in speaking about some rival executive at NBC./

Has no one even been in Hollywood? They say awesomely terrible things about each other every day, even at the executive level.

Nichevo said...

Never heard of her. Was she worth it?

Menahem Globus said...

That's peanuts compared to what Letterman was offering.

garage mahal said...

If it doesn't involve MSNBC I don't care.

Carnifex said...

See...it's snark like that that makes me believe that Garage cam be saved. Like Darth Vader in the last ..errrr....3rd...? Star Wars movie. :-)

Curious George said...

"garage mahal said...
If it doesn't involve MSNBC I don't care."

There's nobody at MSNBC worth $100. Ugh.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

"Big, fat loudmouth Jew" might still be okay, though.

SteveR said...

Who was at MSNBC in the 80s?

RecChief said...

this wouldn't have anything to do with liberals' continuing war on "Faux News" would it?

Einfahrt said...

Slander? OK. What to believe?

madAsHell said...

I don't know much about Roger Ailes propensities, but I am very suspicious of testimony that doesn't fit a pattern, and is written for profit.

Reference bimbo erections, and William J. Clinton. He had a pattern to his behavior.

FullMoon said...

Would that be taxable income?

FullMoon said...

That's what Randi Harrison said happened, back in the 1980s,

Was she braggin', or complainin'?

Darrell said...

The Lefties making the false charge get a "Beet of the Week" bumper sticker. And that is all.

Darrell said...

Garage Mahal's car is held together by "Beet of the Week" bumper stickers. And that is all.

Darrell said...

Oddly, she agreed and Ailes never wanted to have sex with her.

madAsHell said...

I wanted to answer the question: "Would I have offered her $100/week?".

I attempted to google her name, and NBC. All I found were pictures of men hugging. Very disappointing!

Isn't there something in the constitution about being able to google the image of your accuser?

Darrell said...

Garage Mahal told her the NSA had planted a listening and tracking device in his penis and and immediately stuck it into her vagina. She knew she must do a story about NSA abuses once she got back to the studio.

garage mahal said...

Thanks for thinking about my penis Darrell.

Skeptical Voter said...

The accuser is one "Randi" Harrison? Reminds me of the old joke about the old lady coming into a NYC police station complaining she'd been sexually assaulted in Central Park. The desk sergeant asked when did it happen? Her reply "30 years ago but I still like to talk about it."

Randi--it happened 30 years ago, if it happened at all. And if your claim to fame is that you were once propositioned by Roger Ailes, well you've not had a very exciting life.

Darrell said...

Garage Mahal tried the same trick during Occupy Madison and only 75% of the women/girls fell for it. He blamed Gov. Walker's secret router.

Larry J said...

Garage in, garbage out. Despite a complete lack of proof and denials by the parties allegedly involved, he believes it's true because he wants it to be true. He'll jump to believe anything bad anyone can say about any Republican or conservative because he desperately wants it to be true, facts be damned.

geokstr said...

Reminds me of an old joke:

He: If I gave you a million dollars, would you sleep with me any time I want?

She: I believe I would.

He: Would you sleep with me any time I want for a hundred dollars?

She: How dare you! What kind of a woman do you think I am?

He: We've already established what kind of woman you are. Now we're just haggling over the price.

geokstr said...

It also reminds me of all the women who came out of the woodwork, and without any evidence, accused Herman Cain of infidelity, and/or sexual harrassment and assault.

Once he dropped out, they all faded back into the woodwork, no lawsuits, no books about it, no nothing.

Darrell said...

Ed Schultz told her he would have sex with her as many times as he wished if she would pay him $100/week. Rachel Maddow countered with a $25 offer.

Darrell said...

MSNBC lets viewers watch as often as they like for $0/week. Only six people took the offer.

garage mahal said...

Despite a complete lack of proof and denials by the parties allegedly involved, he believes it's true because he wants it to be true

I could give a flying fuck who Roger Ailes was screwing or why.

Fen said...

We already established (Clinton, Filner) that women who are sexually harassed and do nothing about it condemn future women to suffer the same fate.

If you were sexually harassed and did not report it when it happened, you need to sit down and shut up.

Trashhauler said...

Seems pretty unlikely, but who knows? And who cares?

Anonymous said...

Ew, $100. a minute wouldn't have been enough.

Darrell said...

Ailes ordered Randi Harrison to go to the Hawaiian Hall of Records and sestroy the birth certificate of a guy called Barack Hussein Obama. She did. On the way out she was caught by U.K.leLee and she hit him in the head with a salami and hastily made her escape. Steve McGarrett ordered the island sealed like a drum, so she swam back.

Bruce Hayden said...

Well, last year, the year right after a Presidential election, when many are burned out with politics, MSNBC went into freefall, CNN gained a little ground, and Fox held its ground, with more viewers in the most important time slots than the other two combined. And, then, late last year, Fox pushed Kelly into a prime evening slot, pushing the weaker Hannity and Greta out a bit from the best slots. The Five is gaining viewership from younger viewers for its fresher approach. All thanks to Darth Ailes.

This, along with much else, is an attempt to weaken or take down FNC in general, and Ailes in particular, when they couldn't scratch them in the ratings. Fox's sin? Daring to counter the predominant progressive myths propagated by most other news outlets. They have more and more turned from objective journalism into cheer leaders for liberal politicians in general, and President Obama in particular, and Fox is the biggest voice calling them out on this.

Fen said...

garage mahal: If it doesn't involve MSNBC I don't care.

Trashhauler: Seems pretty unlikely, but who knows? And who cares?

Please stop trying to SILENCE Althouse. You not only must care, you must express excitement! else Ann will close down the comments again.

*snort*

Darrell said...

Ailes offered Inga $200/week to be sewn into a hollowed-out camel and have sex with him. It was a dromedary, and she knew she would need room for her second hump, so she refused.

Bruce Hayden said...

This is going to sound heretical, but, really, what was wrong with what Ailes did, offering that money, if, indeed, he did do it? Movie studios have long provided its talent with whatever drugs they wanted. And, any other number of perks. Ditto, in terms of special perks for talent in other areas. Why not supply sex too to its talent, if that will increase their productivity, as long as everyone involved is a willing and consenting adult? And, Ailes has been the biggest FNC talent since the founding of the network. It would probably have been successful with any other person not being there, but not without Ailes. It was his vision, and his decisions which made the network successful.

Then, we get into the proverbial prostitution issue. Where do you draw the line? Remember the joke about the guy asking a woman first whether she would have sex with him for a million dollars, then, when she agreed, asking whether she would do so for much less? Is it prostitution when a woman has sex with a guy she isn't that interested in, when he buys her dinner? Jewelry? But, isn't traditional marriage just an extension of this, with the male trading his resources for (hopefully) exclusive sexual access to the female?

Anonymous said...

Darrell, that was quite, um, weird. But imaginative.

Darrell said...

Garage Mahall accepted the offer. When it came time to pay, Ailes offered Garage the fee in Microsoft penny stock and Garage threw a fit. He finally settled for a lifetime membership in CPUSA which he still has today. Because he's not dead.

traditionalguy said...

Ailes is a great evaluator of talent for TV. That is what he does better than anyone else.

If CNN hired him, then CNN would become the highest rated on Cable News Network in a year.

What is amazing is how discreet he has been for 30 years of total successes. General Patton was also that much better than everybody else in his business, and all it got him was envy, slander and targeting.

Ailes had better get some body guards.

Sorun said...

Gosh, I hope no one ever writes an unauthorized biography about me. It might be revealed that I once got a boner in church 30 years ago.

I've also told some dirty jokes and have probably said the word "Jew" a few times.

Anonymous said...

When I saw his pic on Drudge, I thought he had just died. He looks like he would be recently deceased. I had no idea what he looked like before that. He's the stereotype of the bloated, grotesque rich guy, isn't he? Just saying. Not helping the branding. Chris Christie for some reason can be fat and kind of sweatily lovable at the same time, so it's not the fat in and of itself.

Humperdink said...

SOJO, how about posting of picture of you? Please be sure to put down the hot cocoa and change out your PJ's.

Darrell said...

Then SOJO, post a picture when you're 73.

Joe said...

Given the lack of supporting anecdotes, why not assume the originals are lies or at least the relaters are misremembering something? Is it not just as likely that someone else was the offender and they reconstructed a memory. O just made it up.

Gahrie said...

I'll give a shit about this the day after Juanita Broaddrick gets her day in court.