Asahi, you seem to only be addressing BB’s presence while the vile comments were being said. I’m curious what you think about his continuing on to help procure physical contact with the unsuspecting woman?
It seems to me that any decent human, having heard the “pussy-grab” comment, would have been on the alert to protect any women in his presence from then on. Encouraging a woman to provide close contact seems to be obvious and deliberate enabling.
I’m not defending Billy Bush’s words or his behavior.
What I’m saying is that there is a context that we know about now perhaps that maybe even Billy Bush didn’t know about when he made the comments and jokingly asked Trump and the young woman to hug. As I said, maybe Bush didn’t really think of Trump as a would-be rapist. As far as I’m concerned, what made the tape revolting wasn’t just the comments, but the fact that multiple accusers confirmed Trump’s behavior. Did Billy Bush know any of this?
In terms of the conduct in the tape, I view it as a mistake in judgment made in real time. Moreover it was at a moment in time in the distant past. Should there be consequences? Yes. If I were his SO and saw the tape would I be pissed? Yes. If I were a friend or coworker, would I be disappointed? Yes. But I’d also think, "Well, okay, that was one point in time, and it was 11 years ago. Is he that kind of person now? Maybe he is - I don’t know. But you can’t deduce this from the tape.
You could say the same about a rape. That’s some embarrassingly weak tea, in my opinion.
And again, he didn’t encourage them to hug, he prompted HER to hug him. You seem determined to define it as something else. When everyone can see it for themselves. He revealed himself. Someone else didn’t do something to him.
Not even a little, act like a douchbag, get treated like a douchebag.
Uh, no, because rape is, well, RAPE. You’re a complete moron if you even think for a moment that simply having a lewd conversation in private is anywhere remotely similar to actually committing the physical crime of rape. And again, I think people are getting confused and superimposing the context of other facts that are now apparent in 2016 – the fact that Donald Trump actually apparently did grope and push himself to numerous women over the span over many years – on a moment in real time when those facts may not have yet come to light. It’s completely appropriate to say that Billy Bush was having a lewd conversation but other than that there’s no way to know what was going through someone’s mind.
Did she have to hug him? They were in full view of everyone, so what was the likely outcome other than what happened, a hug?
The whole thing looks like a spoof, the sort of thing that passes for ‘entertainment’ on tv these days. Other than being pretty bad entertainment, what was so wrong about his behavior?
I don’t think anyone outside of Billy Bush or his wife really knows what “the offense” is or if the consequences are “disproportionate”. I certainly don’t think that you’ve made a case that that interview is the sole and only reason for the divorce.
Therefore, I don’t think you can say with any certainty whether the consequences are out of proportion.
Hell, I couldn’t take the unbearable choadness of Billy Bush leering at me from across the breakfast nook, either.
With respect to the divorce, I would agree with you. Only he and his wife know the full story on what’s happened within the confines of their house.
But in total, it just seems ironic, and even a little unfortunate, that Bush loses essentially his reputation while the true offender is rewarded with the highest office in the land.
I think the real problem for Billy Bush is that his comments and behavior on the tape are completely out of step with being a television host for a G-rated morning television show. If he had been the host of some shock jock TV program, I doubt he would have been too tarnished.
It reminds me of Tiger Woods affairs. An NBA or NFL star gets away with it; a professional golfer doesn’t. There’s a certain image that is associated with being a golfer. The expectations for personal conduct are lower in other sports. I think this was Billy Bush’s real problem as well.
Billy was an active participant in that little episode. You can argue that Donald should have suffered more, but I don’t see why you seem to think that Billy shouldn’t suffer less.
As for the rest, the American people have pretty much driven me to become a monarchist, this last year. Nothing I can really do about it.
Interesting aside: Stephen Fry makes an argument for modern monarchy and free society.
Yeah, that’s my sense as well. Get down in the mud with the pigs, and you gonna stink like a pig.