Fox News: Ignorant and Offensive...what a shock

It should come as no surprise that the hacks over at Fox News are ignorant of the Canadian Military's contribution to operations in Afghanistan, but Greg Gutfeld and his panelists went above and beyond the call of duty to uphold Fox New's reputation for being blatantly offensive.

The Video:

The CBC's reaction:

Note the introduction to the program: "Okay, yes, it's Fox. But even from a cable network that thrives on being controversial , this, it seems, is just too much."

News Hounds:

Chickenhawk Red Eye Panel Mocks Stricken Canadian Army As Slackers

Reported by Ellen - March 22, 2009

FOX News' Greg Gutfeld has never put his own fanny on the line for his country but that didn't stop him and a similarly non-serving Red Eye panel from mocking the Canadian military as a bunch of slackers while overlooking the extremely heavy casualties it has received assisting the United States in the war in Afghanistan. As part of the “joke,” Gutfeld also suggested the Canadian military is making us more vulnerable to attack. With video.
UPDATED

The recent YouTube video below, called “How to lose friends and alienate countries,” posted by “taffyincanada,” shows an episode of Red Eye, FOX News' answer to The Daily Show, in which Gutfeld repeatedly smeared and jeered the Canadian military. Gutfeld either was ignorant of or deliberately withheld from the audience the fact that the Canadian military is fighting in one of the most dangerous pockets in Afghanistan and has suffered a disproportionately high number of casualties (In 2007, it was 2.6 - 4 times higher than British or American soldiers in Afghanistan and 2.6 times higher than the death toll of U.S. Soldiers in Iraq). Not long ago, Canada's Lieutenant General Andrew Leslie announced that, the Afghanistan mission is taking a dramatic toll on the military and, due to personnel and equipment shortages, it may need a “year-long break from operations when its current mission in Afghanistan ends in 2011."

With evident disgust, Gutfeld opened the “commentary” by sneering that Leslie was “an unusual name for a man – yes” as the Red Eye panelists laughed derisively. Gutfeld “joked” that the Canadian military wanted to “do some yoga, paint landscapes, run on the beach in gorgeous white capri pants.”

“Isn't this the perfect time to invade this ridiculous country?” Gutfeld asked panelist Doug Benson. Of course, what Gutfeld meant was that someone besides himself should do the invading.

“I didn't even know that they were in the war,” Benson said, adding he thought Canada was where someone went to avoid fighting. By the way, I could find no evidence that Benson ever served his country, either. He quipped that this would be Canada's tourism draw, “Come on by while we nap!”

More uproarious laughter ensued. Gutfeld said approvingly, “Exactly!”

Gutfeld suggested that Canada was just taking advantage of a military tail wind from the U.S. He asked, “Would Canada be able to get away with this if they didn't share a border with the most powerful country in the universe?”

Panelist Monica Crowley, who admires Donald Rumsfeld's “successful effort to bring freedom to Afghanistan,” nodded in sarcastic agreement.

“No, they probably wouldn't,” regular Bill Schulz said. I could find no evidence that he ever served his country beyond sarcastically smearing our ally, either. “Does this surprise any of us?" Schulz asked. "We have police officers and they have Mounties. Our cops ride heavily armored cars. They ride horses. We have bullet-proof vests. They have wonderful little red jackets THAT CAN BE SEEN A MILE AWAY (his emphasis). This is not a smart culture, Greg.”

Crowley, who made it 0 for 4 for military service, giggled. She acknowledged that the Canadians are “good allies” but added, “This is why I'm so disappointed in them.” She joked, “So they're getting manicures, they're getting pedicures. Everybody needs a little time off.” She then agreed that, like Europe, Canada “couldn't take a year off from their military if they didn't have the security backdrop of the United States.”

Crowley continued with the odd joke that Sarah Palin might be in trouble because this might send a signal to the Russians to invade.

Then Gutfeld called on “capitalist pig” Jonathan Hoenig. “J-Ho, should we be worried at all about unguarded borders here or is their military pretty ineffective at all to begin with and it was always a problem?”

Hoenig began, “I have a tremendous respect, Greg, for anyone who serves – Canadian, American...”

“I do too,” Gutfeld said. Sure you do, Grego. You just proved what kind of respect you have.

As readers have probably guessed, business expert Hoenig did not, apparently, break the non-serving record of the panelists. But at least he didn't sneer at the soldiers. “We've tied these kids hands. I mean, after all these years, we can't even say militant Islam... I mean, my God let's win this war! And I think we've been soft for too long. And it's a shame to have to keep them there year after year after year when we're not actually going after the enemy at hand,” Hoenig said.

Schulz then took a swipe at the Mexicans, “joking” that maybe they'll copy Canada and want a siesta while “relying on our army, too.”

Benson was asked for the last word. He replied, “How about evildoers who're saying thanks for the heads up on that year thing, Canada?”

The panel broke out in loud laughter again.

“Very good!” Gutfeld exclaimed, as Benson beamed with pride.

What a bunch of disgraces to this country.

Please consider emailing FOX at redeye@foxnews.com.

3/22/09 Update: Gutfeld apologized, though he claims he "may have been misunderstood" because he meant no disrespect to the Canadian military. May have been misunderstood? Now THAT'S funny.

And the Canadian Press:

Fox News jokesters forced into retreat over Canadian military jibes

Mon Mar 23, 7:13 PM

By Alexander Panetta, The Canadian Press

OTTAWA - They bashed the Canadian military but an American TV host and his guest were forced into a strategic retreat Monday in the face of a national uproar.

A Fox News host issued an apology over a talk-show segment described by the Canadian government as "despicable" and "disgusting."

And one of his fellow jokesters - a comedian who quipped that he wasn't even aware Canadian troops were in Afghanistan - was forced to cancel scheduled gigs in Edmonton.

Comedian Doug Benson had been slated to appear April 2 to 5 in Edmonton, which is home to a Canadian Forces base, but the venue owner asked him to stay away.

Irate viewers flooded websites with thousands of comments, there were calls for a boycott of Fox advertisers, and several new Facebook groups popped up, including one titled "Greg Gutfeld Can Rot in Hell."

Gutfeld, the host of the controversial segment on Fox's Red Eye show, said he never intended to make light of Canadian military efforts in Afghanistan.

"However, I realize that my words may have been misunderstood," Gutfeld said in a statement released by Fox News.

"It was not my intent to disrespect the brave men, women and families of the Canadian military, and for that I apologize.

"Red Eye is a satirical take on the news, in which all topics are addressed in a lighthearted, humorous and ridiculous manner."

The recent talk-show segment was taped just before four more Canadian soldiers were killed in Afghanistan, and it featured a group of pundits taking turns trashing Canada and its reliability as an ally.

They were spurred by comments from Canada's army chief that the military would need a year's hiatus to regroup and refurbish after its Kandahar mission ends in 2011.

In the Fox News segment, widely accessed on the Internet, Gutfeld said the Canadian military "wants to take a breather to do some yoga, paint landscapes, run on the beach in gorgeous white capri pants."

"Isn't this the perfect time to invade this ridiculous country?" he said. "They have no army."

That opening crack from Gutfeld prompted his comedian guest, Benson, to chime in: "I didn't even know that they were in the war," he said.

"I thought that's where you go if you don't want to fight - go chill in Canada. I guess that'll be their tourism selling point: We're not in the war for a year. So come on by while we nap."

Swept up the backlash over that little wisecrack was a comedy club in West Edmonton Mall. Benson had been scheduled to perform there next week.

But the owner of the Comedy Strip said he received too many angry messages - including from friends and relatives of soldiers - to guarantee Benson's safety. One person promised to buy a ticket just so that he could throw a beer at Benson.

"We were inundated with emails and phone calls that were bordering on threatening," said club owner Rick Bronson.

"Unfortunately, (Benson) touched a nerve."

The owner's wife called Benson's agent and informed him that the show couldn't go on. The comedian apparently explained that the segment had only been meant as a joke and that he respected Canada's military.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay wasn't laughing.

He requested an apology Monday just before leaving for Canadian Forces Base Trenton, Ont., where he attended a homecoming ceremony with the families of the latest soldiers killed.

MacKay said later that he was satisfied with the apology.

Canadian soldiers have been fighting in Afghanistan for eight years and have spent the last four in the country's most violent region. Canada has lost 116 soldiers in Afghanistan, the highest casualty rate among allied countries fighting there.

Earlier Monday, a spokesman stressed that the Canadian government specifically wanted an apology from the panellists who made the wisecracks - and not just from the Fox network at large.

"These are despicable, hurtful and ignorant comments," said Dan Dugas, a spokesman for MacKay.

"I think that so-called comedian should stare in the camera at his first opportunity and apologize to all of the families of people he's hurt with these despicable comments.

"And he's got to say, 'I was misinformed. I was ignorant of the truth and the contribution of the Canadian Forces to the war on terror, and I want to take it back. I know as a comedian that I can fail sometimes; I failed miserably at this so-called comedy.'

"And his panellists should say the same."

Canada says it will withdraw most of its 2,500 troops from Kandahar when its current combat mission expires in 2011.

The Fox News program aired after Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie, the Canadian army chief of staff, said the military would need a one-year break from operations once the long and difficult mission in Afghanistan winds down.

The segment was posted online (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v

under the title, "How to Lose Friends and Alienate Countries."

By Monday afternoon, more than 9,400 people had posted responses to the clip, which also makes fun of RCMP officers and their traditional red uniforms.

Among the myriad online comments were a number of calls for a boycott of Fox advertisers.

"I'm just disgusted," said Toronto resident Gabby Herczeg, 55, after seeing the clip.

"Quite frankly, it's Canadians who've been protecting American lives by fighting in the most dangerous part of Afghanistan.

"I am going to actively find out who Fox had advertising and I'm just going to avoid buying any sort of products from them. It's just a disgusting performance."