What's good for the goose King is good for the gander Hannity

I catch lots of grief from some of you for "picking on" Larry King over what I perceive to be softball interviews he often does with celebrity types.

There was the Paris Hilton interview, on which King let her giggle away questions about her alleged drug use and never asked her to explain being caught on tape calling people ni**ers.

You know what? I'm going to stop there, lest I get accused of picking on Mr. King again. 'Cause I am not a basher of moderate-to-liberal TV hosts anymore than I'm a basher of conservative TV hosts.

In fact, I'm pretty damned fair and balanced! So I have to call out Sean Hannity for conducting an interview with celebutante Kim Kardashian on one of his Fox News Channel shows the other night, and lauding her for being a role model to some girls.

That's right, role model. In case you were wondering, this is indeed the same Kim Kardashian who made a sex tape two years ago that was later marketed and sold for seven figures.

Now, I'm not a prude. I don't follow her career closely. But I think Kim Kardashian's pretty. Not as pretty as Mrs. B, but pretty. Still, last I checked, getting buck nekkid on camera and doing the horizontal mambo is not the stuff of role models to young girls.

The funny thing is Hannity said this to Kardashian about her  bio: "I want to ask you. Why Playboy? That's the only thing I didn't understand. That didn't make sense. And I know you went through that in the first year of your show."

So the "only" thing that didn't make sense was her posing for Playboy? Really? Not the sex tape?

Note to Hannity: Demote the segment producer who failed to inform you (or remind you) of the tape...assuming you didn't already know.

What!?!?! Hey, if Larry can take it, Sean should be able to also!

Gotta run. BTW, credit goes to Gawker for the idea for this post.

And don't forget to follow me at http://twitter.com/jamesburnett

Comments

[Wavemancali]

I'll play devil's advocate here. Please note I don't think Kardashian is an appropriate role model to anyone. I despise the whole entitled debutant type crowd.

So Devil's advocate, what is obscene about consensual sex? Or just plain nudity for that matter?

I find nothing about these things obscene. I quite enjoy them actually. Once we accept that both of these things are not obscene and there is nothing wrong with either, what's wrong with marketing either?

Her body, her choice, all the power to her for being able to find a market for the product. I don't see why people should fear a woman being able to market her body image to her advantage. This is not exploitation, it is the empowerment of the woman exploring her own options.

The only time exploitation comes into the world of pornography and the sex trade is when the women are forced into the position against their will.

Where I am against Kardashian being considered a role model is her rudeness towards a lot of people and her sense of entitlement of special treatment because she is famous.

[James B.]

WavemanCali, why must you tease me? I never said anything about Kim Kardashian's sex tape being obscene. I didn't even approache the word "obscene."

What I challenged was the label of "role model" Hannity gave her - not just role model, but role model to young girls.

Let's set aside the Devil's Advocacy for a moment and be blunt: She made a sex tape and sold it for money. That plus a can of beans makes for a porn star with a can of beans. I think she disqualified herself as a role model for young girls, unless they're admiring a singular characteristic of hers, like her nice smile (it really is nice) or the fact that she's star of her own TV show. Hannity didn't differentiate though. He just labeleed her role model and cited her Playboy spread as the "only" thing about her life he had a problem with. Playboy's bad but making porn is good? Again, the questions are rhetorical. If you want to make, sell, or partake in porn, more power to you. But if you're making it? Once that becomes public knowledge I think you're off the role models for kids list. When they grow up they can add you back to their lists, themselves.

[Pamela]

I didn't know she had a sex tape.
But then, the only time I've ever encountered her was on Dancing with the Stars, and her "Mambo" on that show was below average.

So, who was the other half of the sex tape?

[James B.]

Pamela, her co-star was Ray J, a has been singer better known as younger brother of 90s pop/R&B star Brandy.

[The CEO]

I absolutely agree with Wavemancali here. I could care less if she makes a sex tape, any more than I cared about Paris Hilton's sex tape 'getting out'. It's the obnoxious attitudes they have, as if the world was lucky to share the planet with them. I see no contribution either makes of any value, much less of any 'role model' value.