‘He and I have flirted unabashedly for 20 years’: Kathleen Parker’s defense of Chris Matthews sparks #MeToo debate - The Washington Post

“Chris Matthews is a friend of mine,” tweeted Kathleen Parker, a Washington Post columnist and Pulitzer Prize winner. “He and I have flirted unabashedly for 20 years. This is an atrocious end to a noble, happy-warrior career. I will continue to be his friend.”

Parker appeared to be referring to one of the events that preceded Matthews’s unexpected exit: Journalist Laura Bassett published a GQ.com article on Saturday that detailed what she described as the host’s “long history of sexist comments and behavior” toward women on- and off-air. Bassett wrote Matthews “inappropriately flirted” with her when she was a guest on his show, noting a number of other women also had similar experiences.

During his on-air resignation, Matthews apologized for his past comments, characterizing the remarks as “compliments on a woman’s appearance.”

Parker wasn’t the only person to publicly stand up for Matthews on Monday night. But she was among the most prominent and her words did not sit well with some feminists and several of her fellow female media figures.

Soon, Parker’s tweet was at the center of a heated #MeToo debate as detractors slammed the columnist for “[discrediting] alleged victims” while Matthews’s supporters lamented he “got the screws put to him.” By early Tuesday, the tweet had amassed more than 1,000 replies and hundreds of retweets.

“The friend’s ‘He never did it to ME’ vouch-for is meaningless, since the friend wasn’t always there, AND it discredits alleged victims,” tweeted CNN host S.E. Cupp. “THIS one also manages to dismiss harassment as mere flirting, an idea that, like Matthews, has rightly been retired.”

Parker did not respond to a request for comment late Monday, but tweeted earlier in the night that an “angry column” about Matthews’s exit would be coming.

“My admiration for the women across industries who have found the courage to come forward the past few months can’t be overstated,” she wrote in a 2018 column. “Nevertheless, I remain uncomfortable with aspects of the me-too methodology, wherein accusation equals indictment, public shaming is tantamount to conviction and sentencing usually means ruin.”

After Parker’s tweet about Matthews, several people called her out Monday night, arguing that while she may not have minded Matthews’s “flirting,” other women did.

“We should all be friends with whoever we want and flirt with whoever we want in our private non-work lives but women shouldn’t have to choose between torpedoing their careers and spending 20 years flirting unabashedly with a man they can’t stand,” tweeted feminist writer Jill Filipovic.

"My friend and I share a bed on vacation and it was fine so why does it bother you if he gets into your bed on a business trip?" do you see how this doesn't work?
— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) March 3, 2020

Congrats! Glad that you had fun flirting with your friend! I don't know if you know this but that doesn't mean he had the same relationship with everyone else! I understand it's complicated! Also, when I put my hands in front of my face, I don't actually disappear! You'll get it!
— maura quint (@behindyourback) March 3, 2020

this is disgusting and irrelevant. you’re admitting that you were a willing participant in those exchanges. why in the world would you assume that’s the case for every woman? https://t.co/SUz72gx4nC
— Haley O'Shaughnessy (@HaleyOSomething) March 3, 2020

Gretchen Carlson, who accused former Fox News chief Roger Ailes of sexual harassment, pointed out Parker couldn’t speak to all of Matthews’s exchanges with women.

“Kathleen — respect you but [were] you with him in every case of interactions with other women?” Carlson tweeted.

But others joined Parker in criticizing the circumstances of Matthews’s resignation and took aim at Bassett.

“Shame on you Laura Bassett … This petty crap just ruined the legacy of a wonderful journalist,” one person tweeted. “This is NOT what me too is supposed to be!”

Chris Matthews is a good man, an authentic voice. His hard nose patriotic journalism will be missed at this pivotal time. Really sad that a random female journalist writes a piece and he's forced out. Big mistake @msnbc @LEBassett https://t.co/FAofCUPVGp
— Myra Model (@MyraModel) March 3, 2020

Still, many came to Bassett’s defense on Monday night, praising her courage and admonishing her critics.

“Regardless of how you feel about Matthews, it is repugnant that people are directing harassment at @LEBassett for simply stepping forward with her story,” tweeted Sam Stein, politics editor for the Daily Beast and an MSNBC contributor. “That took guts and the reaction to her shows how hard it is for women in this and other industries.”

Unlike some, we are not instructing you to believe @LEBassett, but my God, stop harassing her, if she felt harassed by Matthews she had every right to go public and call for his firing.
You don’t have to believe her
You don’t have to defend her
But you should not attack her
— Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) March 3, 2020

Laura's courage is an aura strapped to her chest and it humbles me every time she uses it to hold the powerful accountable. Goddamn. https://t.co/59ImtSUgfM
— Sebastian Murdock (@SebastianMurdoc) March 3, 2020

In tweets following Matthews’s announcement, Bassett also addressed the backlash she has faced over the past several days.

“The harassment has been invasive, cruel and personal,” she tweeted. “And it’s all worth it if he will never have the platform to demean and objectify us again.”

No, I have more to say than that. Since calling out Chris Matthews, this week has been really rough. The harassment has been invasive, cruel and personal. And it’s all worth it if he will never have the platform to demean and objectify us again. https://t.co/YS1FxW25zt
— Laura Bassett (@LEBassett) March 3, 2020

2020-03-03 11:58:00Z
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