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Lawrence Fox

(382 Posts)
62Granny Wed 27-Sept-23 12:29:52

He has been suspended by GB News for comments made about a female reporter Ava Evans , " who would want to s**g that, the comments were made in reply to something she has said about male suicide. Why do these misogynistic men think that their penis is the thing that women crave? Grow up and get real , Sex is not the B all and end All of everything, and they way they wave it about who in their right mind would.

Pragmatist Thu 28-Sept-23 20:25:49

Here his heartfelt apology and his fears for young men in this world. - do not read headlines read the transcript or listen to it as headlines paint a false picture - unless you hear the actual words you cannot assess this. . Fox never comments on her appearance despite what the headlines say

Iam64 Thu 28-Sept-23 20:26:33

LovesBach

I too feel sympathy for many men nowdays; the balance of 'power' did need to be redressed, but the attitude of so many women now is that men cannot say, or do, anything acceptable.

Perhaps rather than say I don’t know any women who believe men cannot say, or do, anything acceptable, I could have suggested the press and social media do not in my experience push that view point.
I don’t like the current adverts which seem to have switched from the earlier presentation of ‘dumb’ women, to often presenting men as incompetent, particularly when domestic duties or child care are the focus.
The ‘balance of power’ remains unequal. Women earn less for example.

25Avalon Thu 28-Sept-23 21:31:20

He has apologised.

LovesBach Thu 28-Sept-23 21:47:12

Agreed - and sometimes still need to be better than male colleagues in the workplace in order to have something approaching equal treatment with promotion.

lemsip Thu 28-Sept-23 22:16:39

i'm glad dan wootton has been suspended, he's so smug when interviewing.

Casdon Thu 28-Sept-23 22:26:49

Pragmatist

Here his heartfelt apology and his fears for young men in this world. - do not read headlines read the transcript or listen to it as headlines paint a false picture - unless you hear the actual words you cannot assess this. . Fox never comments on her appearance despite what the headlines say

What he actually said is much worse than a mere comment on her appearance. If anybody referred to me as a little woman, as he did her, he’d get short shrift for starters. Referring to her as ‘that’ was demeaning and sexist. There’s no defence for his behaviour, he knew exactly what he was saying and it was designed to humiliate her. He didn’t even apologise immediately either - and when he did, bear in mind he is an actor.

Anniebach Thu 28-Sept-23 22:29:33

Are actors not capable of extending an apology ?

25Avalon Thu 28-Sept-23 22:34:48

He has apologised - for what it’s worth!

Casdon Thu 28-Sept-23 22:38:39

Anniebach

Are actors not capable of extending an apology ?

Of course, but doing it grudgingly after the event isn’t the same as realising immediately that you’ve gone too far and rescinding your words. He came across to me as apologising because he’d been told he had to, and it was a carefully crafted apology.

Callistemon21 Thu 28-Sept-23 22:46:43

It was a qualified apology.

Anniebach Thu 28-Sept-23 22:53:26

He has apologised, only he knows if he has regrets, no one else can know .

lemsip Thu 28-Sept-23 23:23:43

latest;
Laurence Fox apologises for 'demeaning' Ava Evans comments then takes another swipe at journalist - before slamming GB News for 'throwing me under the bus'

Callistemon21 Thu 28-Sept-23 23:52:36

lemsip

latest;
Laurence Fox apologises for 'demeaning' Ava Evans comments then takes another swipe at journalist - before slamming GB News for 'throwing me under the bus'

throwing me under the bus
Oh dear, bit dramatic, isn't it?

Ah well, he is an actoor, dahling.

Namsnanny Fri 29-Sept-23 00:08:16

Sounds as if he expected a different outcome.

Anniebach Fri 29-Sept-23 02:05:26

His apology could not have been extended to keep his job .

Dickens Fri 29-Sept-23 08:47:00

Callistemon21

It was a qualified apology.

Yes.

The "I'm sorry - but" apology.

The one people - not just men, or Fox - make, when they realise they have to make an apology to retain their credibility, which is structured to make sure you understand that it was, basically, your fault.

It's similar to the apology a spouse makes after hitting his / her partner... "look what you made me do"...

To be clear (as politicians like to say) - I'm not defending Evan's attitude or comments which were (IMO) blasé and indicated a complete lack of both empathy and understanding about a very real problem.

lemsip Fri 29-Sept-23 08:50:12

on gb news now is news hour with anne diamond and stephen dixon. have a look

Casdon Fri 29-Sept-23 09:30:49

lemsip

on gb news now is news hour with anne diamond and stephen dixon. have a look

Why, are they interviewing the GB News chief executive? I just heard him on BBC News on the radio saying exactly what we have said on this thread about the comments made by Fox being completely unacceptable (his words).

Anniebach Fri 29-Sept-23 09:43:58

What the majority on this thread have said

Doodledog Fri 29-Sept-23 09:45:33

It's similar to the apology a spouse makes after hitting his / her partner... "look what you made me do"...
Indeed. Or when a child is forced to apologise for something they think was perfectly acceptable.

To be clear (as politicians like to say) - I'm not defending Evan's attitude or comments which were (IMO) blasé and indicated a complete lack of both empathy and understanding about a very real problem.
I understand what you are saying (and agree), but I don’t see why we should have to qualify disapproval of Fox’s comments with condemnation of Evans’. Why can’t we just say that they were out of order? Had he raised his voice, or even sworn it would make sense to cite provocation, but there is no excuse or mitigation for his misogyny. None.

Dickens Fri 29-Sept-23 10:24:34

Doodledog

*It's similar to the apology a spouse makes after hitting his / her partner... "look what you made me do"...*
Indeed. Or when a child is forced to apologise for something they think was perfectly acceptable.

To be clear (as politicians like to say) - I'm not defending Evan's attitude or comments which were (IMO) blasé and indicated a complete lack of both empathy and understanding about a very real problem.
I understand what you are saying (and agree), but I don’t see why we should have to qualify disapproval of Fox’s comments with condemnation of Evans’. Why can’t we just say that they were out of order? Had he raised his voice, or even sworn it would make sense to cite provocation, but there is no excuse or mitigation for his misogyny. None.

Yes, DD, - I agree... I just wanted to make it clear that I wasn't impressed with Evan's attitude.

Doodledog Fri 29-Sept-23 10:35:05

Yes, DD, - I agree... I just wanted to make it clear that I wasn't impressed with Evan's attitude.

At the risk of dragging this out (particularly when we agree grin) we shouldn't have to make that clear. Whenever something bad happens to a woman it seems as though we (not getting at you in particular) have to say 'not all men are like that', talk about our lovely husbands and sons, and look for possible reasons why the woman might have deserved it. Or worse, in some circumstances to suggest that she might be lying.

There is nothing wrong with having a separate conversation about women being unfair to men, or calling them to account if they make unacceptable comments, but they should be separate conversations, IMO.

Grantanow Fri 29-Sept-23 11:35:49

Evans ought to get her facts right about male suicide. Fox was a crass idiot and should be barred from GBNews. But I suspect he regards all publicity as good publicity so the solution is to stop discussing it. Unfortunately it generates column inches and airtime for paid journalists and pundits who are taking advantage of the issue.

icanhandthemback Fri 29-Sept-23 12:15:34

Ava Evans has often tweeted and posted on social media about men in a derogatory way, including whether or not they were/are shaggable

That does rather put a different complexion on things and something not mentioned in the News stories I have seen. I dislike Laurence Fox immensely and am glad to see his views not being shown on a news channel (ditto Dan Wooton) but I'd have liked to see him go with something where boundaries are being crossed on both sides. I am sure you wouldn't have to look far to find something to get rid of either of them.

I watched the clip of the discussion with Geoff Norcott and I think the women did what people with entrenched ideas about something do. I think they did themselves a disservice rather than promoting their cause.

Doodledog Fri 29-Sept-23 12:24:56

Why does that put a different complexion on things?

If AE's tweets are unacceptable (I have no idea, but that doesn't matter to the case) then she should be judged on that. There is, however, a huge difference between personal tweets and an appearance on a TV channel as a presenter. Her tweets should not be used to excuse an entirely unacceptable and sexist tirade from someone who is being paid to debate something in public. Again, if AE moved the debate onto different territory she should have been called on that and asked to stick to the point - her 'shaggability' should not have come into it.

I am neither excusing or attacking her behaviour, as in the context of Fox's attack, I don't see it as relevant. On a thread about male suicide I would see things very differently. I wouldn't see AE's 'shaggability' as relevant then either, but I may well say that her attitude to male suicide was wrong and her comments insensitive.