The late and not so great “Nightly Show” sunk to a new low weeks before its cancellation.
The episode in question explored two Hispanic conservatives running for the highest office in the land – Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. The show’s panel <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2016/08/16/larry-wilmores-show-is-a-victim-of-its-own-partisanship/">stripped the men of their cultural heritage</a> due to their party affiliation.
Consider the time [host Larry Wilmore] let one of the show’s correspondents question whether senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio were “authentically Cuban-American.” He teed off the debate by insisting neither “embraces their Hispanic heritage.” Contributor Grace Parra added she didn’t consider them Latino herself.
That toxic moment reveals the fraud that is identity politics. It’s about ideology, and power, not culture, race or gender. It’s the same reason NOW sits on its corporate hands while <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/jefferies-colbert-trash-first-lady-melania-trump/">comedians sexualize the current First Lady.</a>
Something similar, albeit worse, is happening with “<a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/bombshell-review/">Bombshell</a>.” The film, in limited release now but opening nationwide Dec. 20, tracks the fall of Fox News founder Roger Ailes. Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie and Nicole Kidman star as Fox News employees who blew the whistle on Ailes’ serial sexual harassment.
The reviews, so far, are <a href="https://rottentomatoes.com/m/bombshell_2019">mixed to good</a>. It’s what some reviewers said about the real-life victims, though, that is stunning and sadly predictable.
<a href="http://forbes.com/">Forbes.com</a>’s far-left critic Scott Mendelson starts his negative “Bombshell” review by saying something that <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2019/12/09/review-bombshell-starring-charlize-theron-nicole-kidman-and-margot-robbie-is-a-dud/#24e61da84755">should be as obvious as, “the sky is blue.” </a>
<blockquote>No, working at Fox News, even being instrumental in mainstreaming ideas and behavior that may have led to (or encouraged) sexual harassment, doesn’t make one deserving of such treatment.</blockquote>
Later, Mendelson reverses course on that theme.
<blockquote>…the film never really confronts the conundrum of wanting us to root for outright villains just because their superiors were worse.</blockquote>
“Outright villains?” What crimes did they commit? Robbie’s composite character is a Christian Instagrammer. Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly read headlines at Fox News.
Is that their crime? Are they less worthy of empathy because they lean to the right? The two personalities were a far cry from Laura Ingraham or Sean Hannity.
The critic directly addresses his own ghastly thoughts next.
<blockquote>And there’s something brazenly unpleasant, especially in these dark times, about rooting for the righteous retribution of folks who were instrumental in brainwashing entire generations of Americans in ways that caused untold suffering and long-term damage to the entire planet… But maybe, just maybe, it means they shouldn’t get a glamourous “both sides” movie made about them which attempts to paint as righteous victims sticking it to the man.</blockquote>
NPR’s Linda Holmes <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/12/12/787112042/bombshell-imitates-but-fails-to-enlighten">doubles down</a> on that sentiment.
<blockquote>…there’s not a lot here that isn’t found in a lot of other stories about sexual harassment, which means a lot of potentially interesting ground is left unexplored. (That’s aside from the fact that there will certainly be people who simply cannot find these particular women to be sympathetic. [emphasis added])</blockquote>
The latter words link to a<a href="https://slate.com/culture/2019/12/bombshell-review-fox-news-movie-charlize-theron-megyn-kelly.html"> Slate review of “Bombshell”</a> with this headline: “Bombshell Wants You to Pump Your Fist in Solidarity With the Women of [Checks Teleprompter] Fox News?”
Remember, modern feminism stops cold when it runs head first into women who don’t align with the Left’s worldview.
Slate critic Dana Stevens is just warming up.
<blockquote>I can think of more important whistleblower stories to hear about in detail … than Megyn Kelly’s. A person with a platform that size who uses her on-air time to argue vehemently that Santa Claus is white, as Kelly did with an ex-colleague of mine … just isn’t that exciting to root for. No one deserves to be harassed at work, and the fact these women banded together to bring down an enormously powerful and malignant man is admirable. That doesn’t mean I want to spend two hours gazing at Megyn’s seemingly poreless face as she wrestles with whether and how to tell her truth, while continuing to play a highly public part in a media ecosystem based on lies.</blockquote>
She revisits that theme while recounting a troubling sequence in the film.
<blockquote>Bombshell is mainly concerned with what happened in Kelly’s and Carlson’s lives during those two weeks—the nice vacations ruined by paparazzi (again … trying to care?).</blockquote>
The scene in question finds Kelly’s young daughter gasping as photographers swarm their hotel room, attempting to take pictures of their family. Who doesn’t see that as a gross invasion of privacy? Still, Stevens’ Empathy Meter barely moves.
One final blow against the victims?
<blockquote>…but when you remember that Kelly herself was fired from NBC last year for defending blackface on air, it gets a bit harder to pump your fist in solidarity. Whatever beliefs they may hold about other people’s humanity, I’m glad these women finally received justice from the network that wronged them. I’m just not sure that translates into wanting to spend two hours in their company.</blockquote>
Vanity Fair’s critic<a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/12/bombshell-fox-news-megyn-kelly-review"> clutched some pearls</a> over the film showcasing two of the three female leads with their, gasp, children.
<blockquote>But Bombshell doesn’t really try to explore the moral complexity it sets up: that Kelly and her cohort can be objectionable people propping up an even worse institution while still doing something courageous and good. Instead the movie softens them to make them more palatable to perhaps its imagined liberal viewer, even going so far as to repeatedly (and, it feels, pointedly) show Carlson and Kelly with their children, as if motherhood is an indisputable talisman against criticism.</blockquote>
That’s frustrating, especially when the actors involved seem so willing to bore deeper into these characters and their milieu.
It’s akin to Jimmy Fallon tousling then-candidate Donald Trump’s hair. Humanizing conservatives, to some critics, is beyond the pale.
A version of this article was also published on <a dir="ltr" href="http://hollywoodintoto.com/">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.

“Bombshell”

TOTO: ‘Bombshell’ Critics Dehumanize Female Fox News Victims

Fox News

Gretchen Carlson

Hollywood

Media Bias

Megyn Kelly

When approaching her role in Lionsgate’s “Bombshell,” actress Charlize Theron was apprehensive, reports <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/02/entertainment/charlize-theron-megyn-kelly-bombshell/index.html">CNN</a>.
“This was not a person who was easy for me to wrap my arms around,” Theron said at a recent panel in L.A.
<blockquote>From afar it looks like we have nothing in common – obviously, I&#8217;m a liberal and a lot of these women have said things that have been deeply upsetting to me. But at the same time, as a woman, understanding what each of them went through and understanding what Megyn was facing, especially in those two weeks where she didn&#8217;t step forward and she didn&#8217;t support Gretchen [Carlson], that&#8217;s when I emotionally tapped into her because I started to see similarities between us, dare I say that.</blockquote>
“Bombshell,” a film that chronicles the downfall of former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes after allegations of sexual misconduct, stars Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie. It was written by Charles Randolph, who co-wrote 2015’s “The Big Short,” and directed by Jay Roach, who directed political dramas “All The Way” and “Game Change.”
“I saw a woman with ambition, with drive, and all of a sudden I realized, ‘S***, this is the kind of stuff that&#8217;s been weaponized against me. I relate to that.’ That&#8217;s when it became clear to me just how important this story was,” Theron stated. “Because if we can see the power of the message through someone who we may not agree with or somebody who might even anger us, that tells you there&#8217;s something real there.”
Theron added that it was difficult to analyze Megyn Kelly as a person because so much of the available footage of the former Fox News anchor is from her doing her job as a journalist.
Theron had previously <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2019/10/charlize-theron-megyn-kelly-bombshell-monster.html">discussed</a> the role, and the way in which actors are supposed to engage with character research, with CNN’s Alisyn Camerota, saying:
<blockquote>You forget sometimes – all of us do this – we think we know people, we have our preconceived ideas of them. As an actor, you have to have that ability to put all of that aside and do research, and to actually find out about somebody.</blockquote>
Theron added that there were certain aspects of the part that “bothered” her. It wasn’t until she came to the understanding that the movie was a portrait of the women who took on an alleged abuser at Fox News, rather than a Megyn Kelly biopic, that it “felt &#8230; like a story worth telling.”
In her 2016 memoir “<a href="https://people.com/books/megyn-kelly-memoir-9-things-we-learned-about-roger-ailes-alleged-sexual-harassment/">Settle for More</a>,” Kelly describes an incident that allegedly took place in January 2006: “Roger called me up to New York and we had a shocking exchange. I was nervous about going into his office, concerned he might start in again. Sure enough he did. And then he crossed a new line – trying to grab me repeatedly and kiss me on the lips.”
Kelly also claims that Ailes had made sexually charged comments toward her. The Fox News anchor left the network in January 2017.
In July 2016, former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson, who is played by Nicole Kidman in “Bombshell,” <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/06/fox-settles-with-gretchen-carlson-for-20m-and-is-expected-to-offer-apology-report.html">sued</a> Ailes for sexual harassment. Two months later, the suit was settled, and Carlson was paid $20 million.
Announcing the settlement of the suit, 21st Century Fox issued a statement that read in part: “We sincerely regret and apologize for the fact that Gretchen was not treated with the respect and dignity that she and all of our colleagues deserve.”

Charlize Theron.

Charlize Theron Says Playing Megyn Kelly Was Difficult, But Ultimately ‘A Story Worth Telling’

Charlize Theron

Roger Ailes

On Wednesday, Lionsgate released the first trailer for &#8220;Bombshell,&#8221; its feature film on the sexual harassment allegations against former Fox News Channel chairman and CEO Roger Ailes, who resigned in July 2016 as a result of the scandal and died less than a year later. The film stars Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson, Margo Robbie as a fictitious news producer at the network, and John Lithgow as Roger Ailes.
In its report on the film&#8217;s first trailer, <a href="https://deadline.com/2019/08/margot-robbie-charlize-theron-nicole-kidman-roger-ailes-jay-roach-movie-bombshell-trailer-1202700698/">Deadline</a> notes that, for some reason, Lionsgate chose to drop the trailer &#8220;very quietly.&#8221;
The <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6394270/">film</a> is directed by Jay Roach, who also directed the politically charged made-for-TV movie &#8220;<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1848902/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_6">Game Change</a>&#8221; (2012) about Sen. John McCain naming former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate. The screenplay was written by Charles Randolph, who also wrote the script for &#8220;<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1596363/?ref_=nm_flmg_wr_4">The Big Short</a>&#8221; (2015).
The teaser trailer does not feature Lithgow&#8217;s Ailes, but it provides the audience a look at the three female leads heading up to the second floor, where Ailes&#8217; executive suite was located. Deadline points out that the trailer also provides a glimpse of Saturday Night Live comedian Kate McKinnon as a producer with the network, whose name hasn&#8217;t yet been provided on IMDB.
Watch the trailer below via Lionsgate:
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Fox News has long been in the crosshairs of Hollywood, the scandal surrounding Ailes&#8217; departure providing the perfect opportunity to take aim at the network. The allegations against Ailes first began to emerge when Carlson sued him in July 2016 for sexual harassment in what turned out to be a precursor to the #MeToo movement, which erupted in fall 2017 as a result of a flood of accusations against megaproducer and Democrat megadonor Harvey Weinstein.
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/7223/breaking-gretchen-carlson-files-sexual-harassment-amanda-prestigiacomo">The Daily Wire</a> reported at the time, Carlson filed the lawsuit on July 6, 2016, about two weeks after being fired for what she alleged was her refusal to succomb to his sexual advances. Two months later, 21st Century Fox settled with Carlson for a reported <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/8916/fox-news-hands-20-million-settlement-gretchen-amanda-prestigiacomo">$20 million</a>. &#8220;We sincerely regret and apologize for the fact that Gretchen was not treated with the respect that she &amp; all our colleagues deserve,&#8221; the company said in a statement announcing the settlement in early September 2016.
About two weeks after Carlson filed her lawsuit, reports revealed that Kelly had made similar accusations against Ailes, allegations she detailed in her book &#8220;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Settle-More-Megyn-Kelly/dp/0062565311">Settle for More</a>,&#8221; published in November 2016.
Amid mounting pressure and a growing number of accusations, Ailes resigned from Fox News on July 21, 2016. Though Ailes <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/news/7257/roger-ailes-responds-gretchen-carlsons-sexual-james-barrett">denied</a> the &#8220;false&#8221; allegations and claimed that Carlson&#8217;s lawsuit was &#8220;retaliatory,&#8221; he said in his <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/21/fox-news-confirms-that-roger-ailes-is-leaving-company.html?view=story&amp;%24DEVICE%24=native-android-tablet">resignation letter</a> that he was stepping down because he didn&#8217;t want to be a &#8220;distraction&#8221; for the network.
Ailes <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/16597/fox-news-founder-roger-ailes-dead-age-77-james-barrett">died </a>in May 2017 from &#8220;complications of a subdural hematoma after he fell at home injuring his head,&#8221; the medical examiner&#8217;s report states. &#8220;Hemophilia contributed to his death and his manner of death was accidental. There was no evidence of foul play.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/38591/megyn-kelly-nbc-finalizing-exit-deal-and-its-good-james-barrett">Megyn Kelly, NBC Finalizing Exit Deal, And It&#8217;s A Good One For Kelly</a>

WATCH: Charlize Theron As Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman As Gretchen Carlson In ‘Bombshell’

That didn&#8217;t go over so well.
Gretchen Carlson, former Fox News host-turned-chairwoman of the Miss America Organization, wouldn&#8217;t let the reigning Miss America bad-mouth her without some strong pushback. Now, Carlson is facing a chorus of 19 former Miss Americas calling for her resignation.
&#8220;Just hours after Miss America chairwoman Gretchen Carlson hit out at reigning Miss America Cara Mund over claims that she has been bullied and silenced, 19 former pageant winners have demanded that the entire board of the organization resign,&#8221; the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6079395/Nineteen-former-Miss-America-winners-calling-entire-pageant-boar-step-down.html">Daily Mail</a> reports.
Among the former pageant winners calling for the entire board, particularly Carlson, to be axed is 2010&#8217;s winner, Caressa Cameron-Jackson, who told Good Morning America Monday that both Carlson and CEO Regina Hopper need to call it a day. &#8220;I feel as though all of the leadership is complicit in this, and in order for us to move forward and to actually heal, we need to do the right thing right now, so that we can move forward and focus on who&#8217;s gonna be crowned Miss America on September 9,&#8221; said Cameron-Jackson.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
FULL INTERVIEW: &#8220;It&#8217;s never the wrong time to do the right thing.&#8221;
Former Miss America, Caressa Cameron-Jackson one-on-one with <a href="https://twitter.com/paulafaris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@paulafaris</a> as she calls for pageant leaders to resign: <a href="https://t.co/0wZJnpowI9">https://t.co/0wZJnpowI9</a> <a href="https://t.co/9rKlTwkO4n">pic.twitter.com/9rKlTwkO4n</a>
&#8212; Good Morning America (@GMA) <a href="https://twitter.com/GMA/status/1031507915796971520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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And she&#8217;s not even close to alone. Eighteen other Miss Americas have now joined in solidarity with Mund in denouncing the organization&#8217;s leadership.
The revolt began when Mund issued a lengthy letter Friday to all former Miss Americas condemning Carlson, Hopper and the rest of the board for having allegedly &#8220;silenced&#8221; and bullied her.
&#8220;Let me be blunt: I strongly believe that my voice is not heard nor wanted by our current leadership; nor do they have any interest in knowing who I am and how my experiences relate to positioning the organization for the future,&#8221; Mund wrote in the letter. &#8220;Our chair and CEO have systematically silenced me, reduced me, marginalized me, and essentially erased me in my role as Miss America in subtle and not-so-subtle ways on a daily basis. After a while, the patterns have clearly emerged, and the sheer accumulation of the disrespect, passive-aggressive behavior, belittlement, and outright exclusion has taken a serious toll.&#8221;
Mund claims she was limited by the leadership to only repeating three talking points in her various public events: &#8220;Miss America is relevant. The #MeToo movement started with a Miss America, Gretchen Carlson. Gretchen Carlson went to Stanford.&#8221;
But as <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gretchen-carlson-responds-miss-america-cara-munds-claim-she-was-silenced-bullied-1135867">The Hollywood Reporter</a> reported Sunday, Carlson wasn&#8217;t going to sit back and let herself be publicly reprimanded without giving her side of the story. Carlson wrote her own letter and published it online on Sunday (see below). In it, she said she was &#8220;surprised and saddened beyond words&#8221; that Mund had gone public with her complaints. &#8220;I so wish Cara had picked up the phone and discussed her concerns with me directly, before going to the media with allegations of bullying,&#8221; she wrote.
Carlson then directed her comments personally to Mund: &#8220;Cara, let me be clear: We, as an organization, are very proud of you and all you have accomplished. You are smart, caring and ambitious,&#8221; she wrote. But Carlson also wanted to make &#8220;clear&#8221; that her accusations were unfounded and unfair. &#8220;I also want to be clear that I have never bullied or silenced you,&#8221; Carlson wrote. &#8220;In fact, I have acknowledged to you and your parents many times that the organization understands the frustrations of serving during such a change-filled and stressful year. It surely was not what you had expected. We&#8217;ve acknowledged your grievances, and taken many steps to try to make your experience a good one. You are at the epicenter of a very historic moment for women. Over the past two years, our country has undergone a seismic shift in how professional women are depicted and treated.&#8221;
Carlson also made sure Mund knew exactly how much she had already cost the organization by publicly airing her grievances: $75,000 in scholarships had been pulled as a direct result of her claims, with more &#8220;consequences&#8221; surely to come, she wrote.
Carlson took over as chair in the midst of an <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/miss-america-ceo-emails_us_5a3bd266e4b025f99e153fdb">email scandal</a> that rocked the organization and as the #MeToo movement &#8212; which Carlson helped inspire by <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/gretchen-carlson-lawsuit-roger-ailes-925881">suing</a> former Fox News chief Roger Ailes &#8212; dramatically changed the landscape for Miss Universe. Carlson has led the organization in its decision to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/06/05/miss-america-eliminates-swimsuit-competition-and-wont-judge-contestants-on-physical-appearance/?utm_term=.e735f616bb3f">end the swimsuit portion</a> and to stop judging contestants on appearance, which has received some pushback.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Please see my statement in full below <a href="https://t.co/rvmee4es7g">pic.twitter.com/rvmee4es7g</a>
&#8212; Gretchen Carlson (@GretchenCarlson) <a href="https://twitter.com/GretchenCarlson/status/1031337840456728579?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Gretchen Carlson Smacks Miss America For Costing Org $75K, Now More Miss Americas In Full Revolt

In a blistering letter sent Friday to former Miss Americas, reigning Miss America Cara Mund accused the organization&#8217;s leadership, including chairwoman Gretchen Carlson, of having &#8220;systematically silenced me, reduced me, marginalized me, and essentially erased me in my role as Miss America.&#8221; On Sunday, Carlson replied with a letter of her own in which she counters Mund&#8217;s accusations.
&#8220;Let me be blunt: I strongly believe that my voice is not heard nor wanted by our current leadership; nor do they have any interest in knowing who I am and how my experiences relate to positioning the organization for the future,&#8221; Mund wrote in a letter to all former Miss Americas. &#8220;Our chair and CEO have systematically silenced me, reduced me, marginalized me, and essentially erased me in my role as Miss America in subtle and not-so-subtle ways on a daily basis. After a while, the patterns have clearly emerged, and the sheer accumulation of the disrespect, passive-aggressive behavior, belittlement, and outright exclusion has taken a serious toll.&#8221;
Mund says that she&#8217;s been told by the leadership that she can only say three things in public appearances: &#8220;Miss America is relevant. The #MeToo movement started with a Miss America, Gretchen Carlson. Gretchen Carlson went to Stanford,&#8221; <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gretchen-carlson-responds-miss-america-cara-munds-claim-she-was-silenced-bullied-1135867">THR</a> reports.
Carlson, a former Miss America and Fox News host who sued then-network head Roger Ailes for sexual harassment, took over as chair of Miss America in the wake of an email scandal and what has turned out to be the rather tumultuous #MeToo period that her own bold actions helped to trigger. In her response to Mund which she tweeted out Sunday, Carlson cited the difficulties of handling the &#8220;change-filled year&#8221; for Miss America as it has made significant adjustments &#8212; including <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/06/05/miss-america-eliminates-swimsuit-competition-and-wont-judge-contestants-on-physical-appearance/?utm_term=.e735f616bb3f">dropping the swimsuit portion</a> and no longer judging contestants on appearance &#8212; but Carlson also made clear that Mund&#8217;s accusations are both unfair and deeply damaging to the brand.
&#8220;I was surprised and saddened beyond words from our reigning Miss America Cara Mund,&#8221; Carlson wrote (full letter below). &#8220;I so wish Cara had picked up the phone and discussed her concerns with me directly, before going to the media with allegations of bullying. Since her letter was posted, I have reached out to Cara via phone, text and email to try to speak, as I have always felt this is the best way to air grievances and find resolution. Unfortunately, Cara&#8217;s response has been that she only wants to communicate via email but I remain hopeful that we can speak on the phone or in person soon.&#8221;
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Carlson then directed her comments to Cara, first telling her that the organization is proud of her, but also unequivocally denying the allegations that she ever &#8220;bullied or silenced&#8221; her.
&#8220;Cara, let me be clear: We, as an organization, are very proud of you and all you have accomplished. You are smart, caring and ambitious,&#8221; wrote Carlson. &#8220;As a Brown graduate, you aspire to go to law school and one day run for Governor in your home state of North Dakota. You embody the mission of Miss America.
&#8220;I also want to be clear that I have never bullied or silenced you,&#8221; Carlson continued. &#8220;In fact, I have acknowledged to you and your parents many times that the organization understands the frustrations of serving during such a change-filled and stressful year. It surely was not what you had expected. We&#8217;ve acknowledged your grievances, and taken many steps to try to make your experience a good one. You are at the epicenter of a very historic moment for women. Over the past two years, our country has undergone a seismic shift in how professional women are depicted and treated.&#8221;
Carlson also underscored the negative impact Mund&#8217;s accusations have had on the organization already, citing the loss of $75,000 in scholarships as a direct result of her claims, with more inevitable &#8220;consequences&#8221; to come.
&#8220;Actions have consequences,&#8221; wrote Carlson. &#8220;Friday, as an organization, we learned that $75,000 in scholarships which would have been the first scholarship increase in years, is no longer on the table as a direct result of the explosive allegations in your letter. The impact won&#8217;t stop there &#8212; we are already seeing a negative ripple effect across the entire organization, and I am so concerned that it will dilute the experience for the next woman selected to wear the crown.&#8221;&#8203;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Please see my statement in full below <a href="https://t.co/rvmee4es7g">pic.twitter.com/rvmee4es7g</a>
&#8212; Gretchen Carlson (@GretchenCarlson) <a href="https://twitter.com/GretchenCarlson/status/1031337840456728579?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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UPDATE: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/34775/gretchen-carlson-smacks-miss-america-costing-org-james-barrett">Gretchen Carlson Smacks Miss America For Costing Org $75K, Now More Miss Americas In Full Revolt</a>

Miss America: Gretchen Carlson ‘Silenced,’ Bullied Me. Carlson: You Just Cost Us $75K.

MeToo

The annual Miss America beauty pageant will get rid of the swimsuit competition and will no longer judge contestants on their appearance.
Although the pageant began 100 years ago as a &#8220;beauty contest&#8221; to draw people to Atlantic City, top pageant officials say the swimsuit portion is no longer appropriate &#8212; especially in the days of #MeToo.
&#8220;We&#8217;re not going to judge you on your appearance because we are interested in what makes you you,&#8221; said Gretchen Carlson, a former Miss America who is now the head of the organization&#8217;s board of trustees.
&#8220;&#8221;We&#8217;ve heard from a lot of young women who say, &#8216;We&#8217;d love to be a part of your program but we don&#8217;t want to be out there in high heels and a swimsuit,&#8217; so guess what, you don&#8217;t have to do that anymore,&#8221; Carlson said in making the announcement Tuesday morning on &#8220;Good Morning America.&#8221;
&#8220;Who doesn&#8217;t want to be empowered, learn leadership skills and pay for college and be able to show the world who you are as a person from the inside of your soul?&#8221;
Carlson added: &#8220;We are no longer a pageant. We are a competition.&#8221;
In place of the swimsuit portion of the competition, contestants will now &#8220;take part in a live interactive session with the judges, according to the organization,&#8221; ABC News reported.
&#8220;The organization is also getting rid of the evening gown portion of the competition and instead asking contestants to wear attire that makes them feel confident, expresses their personal style and shows how they hope to advance the role of Miss America,&#8221; ABC said.
The pageant was embroiled in controversy last year when emails emerged showing former Miss America officials belittling the intelligence of some contestants, as well as the appearance and sex lives of former title winners. Top officials were replaced and the pageant&#8217;s top three positions are now all held by women.
Carlson, who won the pageant in 1989, also said the new Miss America competition will include more women of &#8220;all shapes and sizes.&#8221;
The official Miss America Twitter account on Tuesday posted a video of a white bikini disappearing in a puff of white smoke with the hashtag #byebyebikini.
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We&#8217;re changing out of our swimsuits and into a whole new era <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/byebyebikini?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#byebyebikini</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MissAmerica2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MissAmerica2019</a> <a href="https://t.co/pgyHotpoYz">pic.twitter.com/pgyHotpoYz</a>
&#8212; Miss America Org (@MissAmericaOrg) <a href="https://twitter.com/MissAmericaOrg/status/1003979567755821056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Carlson became a passionate advocate for victims of sexual harassment after she settled a lawsuit in 2016 against former Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes.
&#8220;I could have never expected what would happen when I sued my former employer at Fox News for sexual harassment 22 months ago, but look what has happened,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Thousands of women have been inspired to know that they can stand up and speak up and their voices will be heard.&#8221;
&#8220;If I&#8217;ve been a beacon of hope to any woman in that process, it has been worth it,&#8221; Carlson said.

Miss America Ditches Swimsuit Competition, Won’t Judge On Looks

On Friday, following the allegations of sexual harassment against Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), President Trump tweeted the following:
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 &amp; 6 while she sleeps? &#8230;..
&#8212; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/931357870024687616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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In response, former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson, who, in 2016, sued the late Roger Ailes over alleged sexual harassment, tweeted:
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
What about yours? <a href="https://t.co/tBNsl1ROqH">https://t.co/tBNsl1ROqH</a>
&#8212; Gretchen Carlson (@GretchenCarlson) <a href="https://twitter.com/GretchenCarlson/status/931359658052390913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Not unexpectedly, Carlson was smacked by Trump supporters:
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
For what <a href="https://twitter.com/GretchenCarlson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GretchenCarlson</a> locker room talk? Give us a break. You cashed in. Pls go away quietly.
&#8212; Kathy Murphy (@katmur23) <a href="https://twitter.com/katmur23/status/931504103422873601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
You got your settlement and now you&#8217;ve lost your mind!
&#8212; Bill Scruggs (@billscruggs61) <a href="https://twitter.com/billscruggs61/status/931552720363905025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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What&#8217;s your problem, Gretchen? Ailes is dead and you have your mult-million $ settlement, yet you&#8217;re still not satisfied? Always the victim. So glad <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FoxNews</a> fired you.
&#8212; Serendipiterry (@Serendipiterry) <a href="https://twitter.com/Serendipiterry/status/931535769960943616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Over here! Look at me!I&#8217;m Gretchen Carlson! I Need attention! I need to sell my book!
&#8212; Wasabi (@Wasabi0412) <a href="https://twitter.com/Wasabi0412/status/931543849977241602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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President Trump has been accused by at least 12 women of sexual harassment and/or assault. NPR details each of the allegations <a href="https://www.npr.org/2016/10/13/497799354/a-list-of-donald-trumps-accusers-of-inappropriate-sexual-conduct">here</a>.
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Additionally, some view the &#8220;Access Hollywood&#8221; tape in which Trump brags about grabbing women by &#8220;the p****&#8221; as an admission of sexual assault. However, the president and his defenders claim the recording simply amounts to &#8220;locker room talk.&#8221;

Gretchen Carlson Slams Trump Over His Condemnation Of Sen. Al Franken

Donald Trump

Sexual Assault

Former top-rated Fox News host Bill O&#8217;Reilly is back in the headlines after a report Saturday by the New York Times alleging that he paid a stunning $32 million in a settlement with an accuser. O&#8217;Reilly has since fired back, slamming the Times for printing more <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/news/22592/oreilly-nyt-report-saying-i-paid-32-million-james-barrett">&#8220;lies&#8221;</a> and addressing the issue on his web series Monday night. During Monday&#8217;s episode, O&#8217;Reilly admitted that in addition to blaming left-wing forces for drumming up outrage over the allegations, he&#8217;s partly &#8220;mad at God&#8221; over the whole thing.
&#8220;You know, am I mad at God? Yeah, I&#8217;m mad at him,&#8221; said O&#8217;Reilly on his &#8220;No Spin News&#8221; webcast Monday, <a href="http://​https://money.cnn.com/2017/10/23/media/bill-oreilly-misconduct-allegations/index.html">CNN</a> reports. &#8220;I wish I had more protection. I wish this stuff didn&#8217;t happen. I can&#8217;t explain it to you. Yeah, I&#8217;m mad at him.&#8221;
&#8220;If they could literally kill me, they would,&#8221; he said of his enemies on the left. &#8220;If I die tomorrow and I get an opportunity, I&#8217;ll say, &#8216;Why&#8217;d you guys work me over like that? Didn&#8217;t [you] know my children were going to be punished? And they&#8217;re innocent.&#8221;
O&#8217;Reilly went on to say that there are others who have had it much worse than him and acknowledged that he is a major target because he&#8217;s a &#8220;big mouth&#8221; on the right.
&#8220;But then I think about people who have it much, much rougher than me. And you know, I&#8217;m a big mouth. I&#8217;m a target. They&#8217;re not targets,&#8221; he said.
O&#8217;Reilly has consistently denied allegations of sexual misconduct, maintaining that he reached settlements with accusers to protect his family and that the campaign against him is &#8220;politically and financially motivated.&#8221;
&#8220;I never mistreated anyone,&#8221; O&#8217;Reilly told the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/21/business/media/bill-oreilly-sexual-harassment.html">Times.</a> &#8220;It&#8217;s politically and financially motivated, and we can prove it with shocking information, but I’m not going to sit here in a courtroom for a year and a half and let my kids get beaten up every single day of their lives by a tabloid press that would sit there, and you know it.&#8221;
O&#8217;Reilly urged the Times to consider the damage their reporting can do, pointing to one of his former colleagues as an example. &#8220;I urge you to think about what you put in your newspaper. Eric Bolling’s son is dead,&#8221; O&#8217;Reilly said. &#8220;He’s dead, because of allegations made, in my opinion — and I know this to be true — against Mr. Bolling.&#8221;
That comment was met with a <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/news/22651/eric-bolling-oreilly-citing-bollings-deceased-son-hank-berrien">sharp response</a> from Bolling, who slammed O&#8217;Reilly for the &#8220;beyond inappropriate&#8221; reference. &#8220;I believe it is beyond inappropriate for anyone to bring in the death of my son Eric Chase Bolling, just as Bill O’Reilly had wanted to shield his children from the allegations against him. I hope he will honor my request and avoid any future mentions of my son,&#8221; said Bolling.
O&#8217;Reilly quickly apologized to Bolling, but tensions between O&#8217;Reilly and other former colleagues continue. On Monday, Megyn Kelly said she had <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/news/22612/watch-megyn-kelly-blasts-bill-oreilly-says-she-emily-zanotti">complained</a> about O&#8217;Reilly&#8217;s response to sexual misconduct allegations against former Fox News chief Roger Ailes, but her complaint fell on deaf ears. Gretchen Carlson also weighed in publicly on the alleged $32 million settlement, tweeting, &#8220;Nobody pays $32m for false allegations — nobody.&#8221;
O&#8217;Reilly responded by posting images of <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/news/22628/lies-and-smears-bill-oreilly-posts-handwritten-amanda-prestigiacomo">handwritten notes</a> from Kelly and Carlson expressing their admiration and respect for him.

Bill O’Reilly: I’m ‘Mad At God’ About Allegations

Bill O'Reilly

Sexual Misconduct

On Monday, former Fox News host Bill O&#8217;Reilly went on the offense against sexual harassment allegations by posting handwritten notes from former colleagues Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson, both of whom have blasted the former cable kingpin for harassment.
O&#8217;Reilly posted two notes from Kelly — one a &#8220;thank you&#8221; card for attending her baby shower and the other for plugging her husband&#8217;s book on air — and one note from Carlson, wherein O&#8217;Reilly is referred to as her &#8220;best friend.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Much new information posted on <a href="https://t.co/rryWmyXe7C">https://t.co/rryWmyXe7C</a> including my talk w/ Glenn Beck on the radio this morning. Hope you all check it out.
— Bill O&#8217;Reilly (@BillOReilly) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillOReilly/status/922510515187875840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Per BillO&#8217;Reilly.com, the three notes read as follow:
<blockquote>Dear Bill:
What a class act you are, coming to my baby shower. I was truly touched &#8211; I know how busy you are, especially that time of day. It meant a lot to me + Doug. And thank you for the darling bodysuits + snuggly – it’s hard to believe will soon have a little human being in our lives tiny enough to fit in the,
You’ve become a dear friend (no matter what you say) + I am grateful to have you in my life.
-Megyn &amp; Doug</blockquote>
<blockquote>Bill –
Thanks for the plug on Doug’s book. I realize you didn’t have to do that, especially after mentioning it already.
I appreciate how supportive you have been of me over the years here @ FNC.
You are a true friend + mentor.
XOXO
Megyn</blockquote>
<blockquote>Bill –
Thank you for being the calm in the sea.
Thank you so much for supporting me.
Thank you for being my friend.
It means the world to me
GC</blockquote>
(Photos of the notes can be seen <a href="https://www.billoreilly.com/b/READ:-Three-Letters---Two-from-Megyn-Kelly-and-One-from-Gretchen-Carlson/274340990332348867.html">here</a>.)
The circus started on Saturday, when O&#8217;Reilly responded to a New York Times piece which alleged he&#8217;d paid $32 million in a settlement to a woman he allegedly sexually harassed, tweeting that he will be &#8220;exposing the lies and smears&#8221; on Monday.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">My investigative team has done a superb job in exposing the lies and smear. I will speak with you on Monday.
— Bill O&#8217;Reilly (@BillOReilly) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillOReilly/status/921881927069716480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
In the Times piece, the former Fox heavyweight denied all wrongdoing and claimed the allegations were &#8220;politically and financially motivated,&#8221; as <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/news/22592/oreilly-nyt-report-saying-i-paid-32-million-james-barrett">noted</a> by Daily Wire&#8217;s James Barrett.
In response, former Fox News colleague Megyn Kelly took to the TODAY show airwaves to quickly call-out O&#8217;Reilly for his alleged lies. &#8220;O&#8217;Reilly&#8217;s suggestion that no one ever complained about his behavior is false,&#8221; she claimed. &#8220;I know because I complained.&#8221;

‘Lies And Smears’: Bill O’Reilly Posts Handwritten Notes From Megyn Kelly, Gretchen Carlson

21st Century Fox, the parent company of the Fox News Network, will hand former Real Story host Gretchen Carlson a <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/09/fox-news-settles-with-gretchen-carlson-for-20-million">reported </a>$20 million settlement over her July lawsuit claiming former Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes sexually harassed her and then fired her in his final act of revenge for the host&#8217;s refusal of his sexual advances.
&#8220;I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago, and then you&#8217;d be good and better and I&#8217;d be good and better,&#8221; Ailes allegedly told Carlson.
Though Fox News is not named as a defendant on the suit and Ailes is, the network has taken action on his behalf, <a href="http://www.politico.com/media/story/2016/09/report-fox-news-to-settle-with-gretchen-carlson-over-sexual-harassment-claims-004742">notes </a>Politico. It is unclear if Ailes himself will be pitching in monetarily. 
&#8220;21st Century Fox is pleased to announce that it has settled Gretchen Carlson&#8217;s lawsuit,&#8221; reads a statement from the company. &#8220;During her tenure at Fox News, Gretchen exhibited the highest standards of journalism and professionalism. She developed a loyal audience and was a daily source of information for many Americans. We are proud that she was part of the Fox News team. We sincerely regret and apologize for the fact that Gretchen was not treated with the respect that she &amp; all our colleagues deserve&#8221;
Carlson said she&#8217;s &#8220;gratified&#8221; by the company&#8217;s decision to take &#8220;decisive action.&#8221; The former host says she looks forward to moving on to the &#8220;next chapter&#8221; of her life. 
&#8220;I am gratified that 21st Century Fox took decisive action after I filed my Complaint,&#8221; said Carlson in a statement. &#8220;I&#8217;m ready to move on to the next chapter of my life in which I will redouble my efforts to empower women in the workplace. I want to thank all the brave women who came forward to tell their own stories and the many people across the country who embraced and supported me in their #StandWithGretchen. All women deserve a dignified and respectful workplace.&#8221;
Carlson&#8217;s legal team initially rejected the idea of a settlement because they felt the issue was &#8220;about more than money.&#8221; 
&#8220;Gretchen is standing up for something really important to her, it&#8217;s something that&#8217;s been a hallmark of her career,&#8221; Carlson&#8217;s lawyer, Nancy Erika told Politico, back in July. &#8220;It&#8217;s important for her to stand up for women right now.&#8221;
Carlson&#8217;s shocking accusations against Ailes were followed up by roughly two dozen other women who claimed to have received similar treatment from Ailes. Two of the most notable accusers were The Kelly File host Megyn Kelly and former Outnumbered panelist Andrea Tantaros.
Tantaros, who filed a $30 million sexual harassment suit against 21st Century Fox and Ailes last month, excoriated Fox News for its allegedly fake stance on &#8220;traditional family values.&#8221;
&#8220;Fox News masquerades as defender of traditional family values, but behind the scenes, it operates like a sex-fueled, Playboy Mansion-like cult, steeped in intimidation, indecency, and misogyny,&#8221; <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/fox-settles-gretchen-carlson-sex-harassment-roger-ailes-article-1.2779858">says </a>Tantaros&#8217; suit. 
Ailes, who has continued to deny all accusations against him, was forced to resign soon after the Fox News parent company, headed by Rupert Murdoch, launched an investigation into the claims. Ailes received $40 million upon his departure. 
A &#8220;public apology&#8221; on half of Fox News to Carlson will also be part of the settlement, <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/09/fox-news-settles-with-gretchen-carlson-for-20-million">reports </a>Vanity Fair.
On Tuesday, the same day Vanity Fair reported on Carlson&#8217;s $20 million settlement, Fox News also made headlines for the departure of On the Record host Greta Van Susteren. Thus far, no reason has been given for Van Susteren&#8217;s departure.

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