Outrage: Fox News Retreats Over Canadian Military Jibes!! (295 hits)
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.
"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.
