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Geraldo Rivera defended Matt Lauer in several tweets Wednesday and Twitter is letting him have it.
The Fox News correspondent said journalism is a "flirty" industry, dumped the idea of all-female morning shows, and demanded more requirements be put in place for companies to actually consider an allegation. In short, he pissed a lot of people off.
Sad about @MLauer great guy, highly skilled & empathetic w guests & a real gentleman to my family & me. News is a flirty business & it seems like current epidemic of #SexHarassmentAllegations may be criminalizing courtship & conflating it w predation. What about #GarrisonKeillor?
@GeraldoRivera
Responses included this gem: "Wait. Do you think whipping out your dick is romantic?" Bloomberg reporter Kim Basin tweeted back, "So you're saying if someone sexually assaults you in a private room with nobody else around, and no one wrote anything down about it at the time, you should just accept that you've been assaulted and shut the hell up? That's vile."
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View StoryThat's not all Rivera had to say on the subject, either, although he probably should have quit before he dug himself a deeper hole.
"A jerk's a jerk in dating," the Fox News personality added. "Sex Harassment should be confined to situations where superior imposes himself on subordinate who feels unable to complain because of power of perp or feared consequences to victim's employment. Shouldn't be used to get even with bad bosses or hated ex's."
"Heard well-regarded women in media today suggesting morning shows go to an all-female format. That should be as unacceptably retro as the other way around," he wrote. "Sex Harassment allegations should require: 1-made in a timely fashion-say within 5 yrs. 2-some contemporaneous corroboration, like witnesses, electronic or written communications with money settlements in multi-millions slight chance exists some victims are motivated by more than justice."
He concluded, "This issue is so red hot right now there is no room for any thought or opinion but hang em high. If news wasn't (formerly) a flirty biz then how do we explain so many newsroom courtships that have led to happy marriages?"
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View StoryAnd here's the backlash those thoughts earned him:
“News is a flirty business" pic.twitter.com/ygUezeXx7b
@TheDailyShow
Geraldo, do you think locking the door of your office and showing an unwilling participant your genitals is just "flirting?" If so, I would love to hear what you think constitutes sexual harassment.
@JBomb11
Wait. Do you think whipping out your dick is romantic? I now have several followup questions.
@JBomb11
This is so tone deaf. @yashar repeatedly talks about this - people are MORTIFIED about coming forward due to the power these people have had for decades. It sounds like you'd fit in great with Congress when the passed the idiotic harassment structure
@CurtisHouck
Geraldo Rivera is a flirtatious dude: Just look at how well he's flirting with sexual abuse apologism.
@_Jahan
Moron.
@kimmieguy
Didn't you grope Bette Midler after you drugged her? Great guy... https://t.co/EsYuiUQlBo https://t.co/jErMulVLVl
So you're saying if someone sexually assaults you in a private room with nobody else around, and no one wrote anything down about it at the time, you should just accept that you've been assaulted and shut the hell up? That's vile.
@KimBhasin
Anyone ever read Exposing Myself by Geraldo Rivera? No one should be surprised. https://t.co/Jj4FMmR4vM pic.twitter.com/OvNLlUnd7K
@JonahNRO
.@GeraldoRivera "News is a flirty business"? You're doing it wrong, if that's what you believe. What about ____ at #FoxNews? (Fill in the blank) Noticed there's no problem calling out #MSM or Dems there, but anyone who's "on your side" of the political aisle gets swept under rug.
@truthtotweet
Geraldo Rivera trying to tweet through his potential future sexual assault allegations like... pic.twitter.com/dn4JavUuSr
@ErickFernandez
Since @GeraldoRivera has taken it upon himself to cast doubt on the recent wave of sexual harassment allegations, here's a clip of Bette Midler in 2001 talking about being assaulted by him. pic.twitter.com/ISXld0ZXCJ
@julianrouth
The news business is a flirty business, now sit on my mustache. - Geraldo Rivera pic.twitter.com/3IPmteDY3a
@SexyJimNorton
how the fuck does geraldo rivera still have a job pic.twitter.com/OeG3zM2E0n
@existentialfish
My sister's friend was a intern at ABC in the 70s, the Geraldo Rivera years... he better just stay away from the Matt Lauer story
@FredBrooklyn
Twitter should charge money to follow @GeraldoRivera
@Anthony
fuck off Geraldo and tell it to Bette Midler you predatory shitgibbon.
@alicialutes
Let's just say that, if anyone gets to make rules about *anything*, that person should not be @GeraldoRivera. https://t.co/b0ZQzaPlxQ
@slpng_giants
Exhibit B: @GeraldoRivera, asked about his claim that he has slept with 1,000 women in a 2014 interview, talks about his fame's influence on that number. pic.twitter.com/n6yjeAHxdo
@julianrouth
HEY GERALDO...
@alicialutes
you can talk about what victims should/should not do on approximately the 12th of NEVEMBER get the fuck out of here, go toss that verbal flatulence elsewhere IT ALREADY STINKS IN HERE THANKS TO YOU AND YOUR TERRIBLE, SHITTY, NO-GOOD, POWER-SEEKING, FELLOW ASSHATS
Locking the door and showing your junk isn't flirting.
@mjlyons7
Good point, women should start carrying witnesses and a notary public around at all times. pic.twitter.com/F2BU9jd7Jb
@FakeScottKersey
fuck that geraldo #keepYOURdickINurPANTS
@Rosie
You want fucking evidence? SOME PEOPLE TRY TO PRETEND THIS SHIT NEVER HAPPENED TO THEM—like, say/in my own personal experience, as an 8-year-old who was fucking raped, you ignorant piece of shit—so they didn't WRITE SHIT DOWN OR TELL PEOPLE.
@alicialutes
You are insanely illogical. Truly.
Stop, Geraldo. Just stop. #FlirtyNews
@TheFienPrint
it's cool that you didn't have to say anything at all about the topic and instead you did and now every one thinks you're going to be the next sex pervert dude
@leyawn
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