Sexist banter on CNBC
CNBC’s Dylan Ratigan likes to fashion himself the lone ranger of business news. A cowboy (he’s said to wear a ten-gallon hat when he’s not on the air) wrangling male viewers with his good ol’ boy wit and the women with his down home charm.
But he’s been doing his best lately to alienate female viewers.
On Friday morning’s edition of The Call, CNBC correspondent Melissa Francis, who was reporting on frenzied gasoline trading from NYMEX, asked Ratigan: “Is it as crazy on your exchange as it is here?”
Ratigan’s comeback: “I think if I was blond and beautiful I could draw a big crowd.”
Francis, visibly irked, responded: “That’s not what it is all about.”
Ratigan was obviously chastened, and (mercifully) put his locker room repartee on ice for the remainder of the broadcast.
CNBC had no comment.
Sadly, such comments are hardly atypical from Ratigan and his band of merry he-men.
Thursday on Fast Money – CNBC’s signature market broadcast which was recently shifted to the high-profile 5 p.m. time slot – Ratigan and Fast Money contributors Jeff Macke and Karen Finerman were discussing the upcoming auction season and Finerman’s adoration of investor Carl Icahn.
Finerman apparently bought a painting of Icahn at auction, paying several hundred thousand dollars for it. (Finerman can afford it. She runs a multimillion dollar hedge fund). Icahn joined the conversation via phone – and that’s when Macke took the discussion down several notches by suggesting that Finerman would have paid considerably more for a naked portrait of Icahn.
“She would have gone $2 million for a nude, Carl,” said Macke.
To which Icahn responded: “I would have bid that for (Finerman).”
After more back and forth about Finerman’s crush, Ratigan closed by thanking Icahn for “playing with us.”
Is finance one of the last bastions of chauvinism in the American workplace?
On the newly launched Fox Business Network, Happy Hour hosts Rebecca Gomez and Cody Willard – who wears his hair long and tucked behind his ears – gleefully play up their eye-candy personae.
On a recent installment of the show – which originates from Bulls and Bears pub in Manhattan – Gomez teased a segment about a banker-turned-chocolate maker with this bon mots: “We have some mouth watering treats next. And I’m not talking about Cody, girls.”
And last summer, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews sloppily leered at CNBC’s Erin Burnett while Burnett was delivering a brief about the sub-prime collapse for Matthew’s Hardball. The video – which has been viewed more than 300,000 times on YouTube – shows Matthews imploring Burnett to “get a little closer to the camera…really close.”
When Burnett appears confused, Matthews disingenuously apologizes, telling her: “Just kidding…you look great. You’re a knockout."
Would Matthews have subjected NBC News’ Meredith Vieira – or Natalie Morales – to the same treatment?
Perhaps Ratigan is merely mirroring the patois of the milieu. But CNBC touts itself as the business news leader. So why is Ratigan (and CNBC) stooping to such lowest common denominator antics?
And how is it that Ratigan can say – on national television – things that could get any corporate manager fired or at the very least hauled in to human resources on a sexual harassment complaint?
More to the point, why should Francis, who graduated from Harvard and worked her way up through local stations, be subjected to such sophomoric comments?
Finerman’s hedge fund, Metropolitan Capital Advisors, Inc, is said to be worth in excess of $400 million.
She gamely plays along with the sexist banter, but she is nonetheless on CNBC to impart investment advice.
In a fawning profile of Ratigan in the New York Times that ran this summer, Jonathan Wald, senior vice president of business news at CNBC, described Ratigan thusly: “[He’s] the guy in the Porsche in the left lane going fast …the engine that powers it all.”
(The Times article noted that Ratigan does indeed drive a Porsche. Which leads one to wonder: Is he one of those men who think horsepower impresses the ladies?)
Wald went on to say that Ratigan appeals to women, “not in a frat boy way, but he’s an attractive guy who smells of success.”
Perhaps Wald should watch his own network a little more closely.
Ratigan’s sexist remarks may not appeal to countless women viewers – including those on Wall Street – who are increasingly unwilling to turn the other cheek.
The high-profile lawsuit against Bloomberg last month is only the latest in a string of sex bias cases in the financial sector indicating that business culture must fall into line with the rest of society.
Presumably viewers – men and women – are watching CNBC because they want to be informed about the market and investing.
Such witless banter does nothing to enhance Ratigan’s profile. If he can be so clueless about what constitutes appropriate line of discussion, why should viewers assume he can speak to anything else with authority?
Ilxom commented:
"One door closes, and ahnoter opens " is an old chesnut, but only half true. That new door must be opened by somebody and that somebody is always you. Can't wait to see which doors you choose, Dylan, and what you do with those new opportunities. As one of my favorite graduation speakers often told new graduates:"Better get ready for anything, because anything is going to happen!" To be sure, your many viewers and fans will miss you at 4 o'clock every afternoon,Dylan. I, for one, hope that your example of hard optimism and passionate insistence on fair play by all Americans for every human on the planet shocks at least some ofoff the couch at least from 4 to 5 p.m. on weekdays and into action ourselves. I challenge you, Dylan, to use these last two weeks of your show TO CHALLENGE US to move from being your fans to becoming your allies in action. Many of us share your views of what's wrong, but are not sure what specifically each of uscould do to change things. It's hard to know where to start to effect any changeat all. This is where you can be of tremendous help, Dylan, precisely because you have been thinking much longer and in a more organized way about so many of the problems our country faces and what needs to be done to solve them. If you are ready now to transition your career from respected veteran journalist to leader and advocate, you will find more support than you could possibly imagine!I hope you won't choose to enter politics. That would inevitably lead to a compromiseof your values, and limit your power as an advocate. Besides, you have a young family. You can't just be off campaigning all the time. Maybe in a dozen years or so! Whatever you decide, Dylan, keep us in mind. We are behind you all the way! Penelope Garner
robjohns commented:
CNBC should stay out of the gender wars. Stick to business not social justice. It gets tiring hearing all the femanatsispeak. Women should get equal opportunity but not a guaranteed equality. Men and women are very different physically. The brain itself is physically different in men and women. Hormones have A LOT to do with human behavior and obviously hormones levels are very different in men and women. So let's not pretend women and men are the same because they are scientifically NOT. Men can't help looking at women as potential s_xual partners... it's a biological response that we can not help. Because of all this CNBC can only be getting involved with dubious social politics by running uninformed shock articles like this one. Ladies we love you but you need to respect that men have different abilities that need to be appreciated rather than constantly attacked by misguided feminist mobs.
robjohns commented:
CNBC should stay out of the gender wars. Stick to business not social justice. It gets tiring hearing all the femanatsispeak. Men and women are very different physically. The brain itself is physically different in men and women. Hormones have A LOT to do with human behavior and obviously hormones levels are very different in men and women. So let's not pretend women and men are the same because they are scientifically NOT. Men can't help looking at women as potential s_xual partners... it's a biological response that we can not help.
Kearnspalmbay@netzero.ne commented:
Have to agree with an earlier poster: CNBC is NOT innocent. Bartaromo, Burnett, Quick, dressed in slinky best, travelling with Old Methusela. Ratigan was being himself, openly male hetero. A sin these days. Everything else is a go especially for hotgals. They can do no wrong.
Brewmaker commented:
I'd sure give a substantial Amount if the portrait was a nude Rebecca Gomez/Diamond. That lady is fine!!!!!!
sholub commented:
never send a critical email to anyone at Squawk Box. I did and wish I would not have. I said one of the anchors was partisan. He emailed me back not once but 4 times. He told me I missed words and English must not be my first language. He told me I used Dr. and that was not appropriate since I was just a PhD etc etc. I would never watch or send anything unless it was positive.
T210 commented:
This is never going to change. It is biology. I used to be surprised by it, and tried to fight it. You cannot. All you can do, is find a way to change to game, so those who act this way feel humiliated by their peers. CNBC has the most attractive female anchors on TV; this in itself is a statement about women. It is not innocent. Karen Finerman and other women like her, who succeed, will do the most for raising the lot of women in the financial sector. Look what they did to Martha Stewart; a former model, and broker in the 60's. She obviously made the boys want to put her in her place. You have to have power and position, before you can effect change.
* commented:
Seems like one can't say anything critical or your software calls it spam. Since when is "Get a life" etc. an expletive.
Brent commented:
We all know that women are just as capable as men and you could argue that two of the four biggest rising stars on CNBC are women (Bartiromo and Burnett). Furthermore, women can be both brilliant and sxy, which one can argue is a serious initial advantage in such a visual media. When it comes up in light-hearted and harmless banter as a means to spice up the conversation, it does not have to be a negative. To repress the interesting part of what makes the world go around is just plain boring. There is no exact science as to what is over the top in such an environment, but I'm pretty sure "blonde and beautiful" is not. What makes it interesting is that it is ulitmately the context, tone, charm, and delivery which determines whether or not it crosses the line.
By the way, you have a great face for TV.
Feminazi commented:
Heil Guthrie, Heil Guthrie!!!
rad6000 commented:
Lighten up! Ratigan is single and granted a "tool" but Finerman would be a nice feather in his cap. Franics his a hot head would be a nice trophey on his mantle as well.
deluxomaxo3000 commented:
Your presumption is wrong. People do not watch CNBC to be informed about the markets. ITS ENTERTAINMENT. Get a Life. Stop worrying about every little comment that offends your delicate female sensibilities. FastMoney is the best hour of TV on CNBC every day and I guarantee you Finerman's never been offended by anything said to her on that show.
lobo commented:
Don't be mad because Erin's hot and you're not.
Tasteless commented:
I stumbled upon photos of what I thought were Erin Burnett showing her nude bod by the pool. I found myself wondering if she ever gets in a randy mood. Too bad Finerman is married, I think she does admirably playing down any and all rambuncious remarks by her host or counterparts.
You take Radigan too seriously. He does not take himself that seriously. Why get your nose wrinkled over it. Finerman has fun. So do most of the viewers. Sometimes they say some funny and goofie things that bring a smile or make a person laugh outloud. I suppose it depends on what kind of day you had, but I find the program simply and loosely, harmless.
Enough of this high-and-mighty-effeminate prose and lets get down to serious gossip: When will Carl proposition Finerman for those nudes? And Carl, you better not hog them too yourself!!
ELIZABETH MCKEON commented:
Kudos to you for calling the networks out on this, and so eloquently! This kind of thing normally reduces me to angry teeth gnashing. It's a sad statement that so many in the upper echelons didn't realize that the bawdy banter of "Anchor Man" was purposefully satirical.
SB commented:
Make that "when he or TR is talking" - it drives me crazy when news people make that mistake and then I did it - just lets you know how annoyed I get when writing about DR
SB commented:
From the very first Fast Break has been like a bunch of adolescent boys let loose on set - what can you expect from a show where grown men give each other nicknames - I watched only a couple of episodes before I gave up on it just as I have stopped watching any show that has DR on it - although I admit that I like MF so much that I just turn down the sound on The Call when he or TR are talking.
watchmen commented:
I believe with re: Matthews and Burnett...that Chris was genuinely smitten with Erin's beauty. I was watching Ratigan and Bartiromo a few months back and since she comes to the NYSE, which is more convenient (let travel) for her, the two have been cozier than I would expect professional to be. One afternoon Dylan was laughing about something he said to Maria and she reached over smilingly, and pinche and twisted his arm. Suppos Zucker or Wald would endorse that. This is not After Hours.
alphillips@wowway.com commented:
Hi Marisa....I got the info about your article for the "Cable Game" site. Narcissitic.....self-importance----big head________overly impressed with self....Just a pain in the ass. I have sent emails to Jon Wald and Jeff Zucker of CNBC & NBC complaining about him and no response. Perhaps he is a nephew or one of the Honchos. I thank "g" won't tell me her name...probably thinks I am hitting on her.....but, I didn't know about your column and site until today. Good Job.