CNN host #DonLemon went #crazy on conservative columnist #WillCain, after Cain suggested that Twitter #activism is “cheap” and perhaps not the most serious way to promote #humanrights abroad.
Lemon and Cain appeared on CNN’s “Legal View with Ashleigh Banfield” Thursday, ostensibly to talk about Monica Lewinsky. Cain suggested there was consistency between Lewinsky as a “cheap punchline” and our “cheap society” with it’s “cheap hashtag ‘activism'” on issues like the kidnapping of hundreds of young girls by Nigerian terror group Boko Haram.
“I’m telling you if you’re putting a tweet up with a hashtag on it, you’re not doing your duty tonight,” Cain mocked.
Lemon lost it. “Will, that is — hold on, we gotta address that,” he began. “That’s disgusting to say about over 200 girls who were — what do you expect the First Lady to do?”
The CNN host was referencing this tweet by Michelle Obama, which taps into a burgeoning Twitter movement focused on highlighting the plight of the children kidnapped by the Islamic terrorists:
Our prayers are with the missing Nigerian girls and their families. It’s time to #BringBackOurGirls. -mo pic.twitter.com/glDKDotJRt
— The First Lady (@FLOTUS) May 7, 2014
“Don, I wasn’t necessarily targeting the First Lady exclusively,” Cain noted.
“Ok, so then who were you targeting?” Lemon angrily asked. “Because that’s who was on the front page of the paper today . . . Who are you targeting?”
“I said society has gotten cheap,” Cain responded. “We do cheap outrage on television. We do cheap, hashtag activism on Twitter . . . Every single person, Don! It’s a meme! I didn’t say anything about the First Lady. You did!”
Believe it or not, things got WAY crazier.
“What have you done?” Lemon snarled. “What did you do for those girls? What did you do personally for them?”
“If I tweet a hashtag right now, will my answer satisfy you?” Cain snarked back.
“What have you done!?” Lemon yelled. “Besides sitting here on television and criticizing other people’s efforts. If you’re so concerned about it, what have you done?!”
“No, I just think what he said was a dog whistle,” Lemon growled, as Banfield and another panelist tried to make peace. “You’re talking about the First Lady. Don’t get on television…”
“Maybe I’ll have you interpret, so I can know my own words next time I’m on,” Cain said.
“I’m not stupid,” Lemon replied. “I’ve been on television with you before and I know your game.”
Banfield tried gamely to achieve peace. “We are a family, and a family we will remain,” she exhorted.
“I’m not a part of that family,” Lemon replied. “Don’t include me in that over there, I’m sorry . . . That’s a family I’m not interested in.”
[h/t Mediaite]
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