UPDATE: BASHIR'S COMMENTS EVEN WORSE THAN REPORTED (08-08-2008):
More Bashir Comments Emerge
It appears Nightline anchor Martin Bashir's speech at the Asian American Journalists Association banquet last month at the Unity Convention did not only include crude jokes about Asians, but also about Sen. Barack Obama. Emil Guillermo writes a column in Asian Week detailing some other jokes told by Bashir that brought, "a mixture of polite laughter and shock," from the crowd. Joking about the way people have had problems saying Obama's name, Bashir said, "I was wondering about a hip-hop reference and connect him to the Wu Tang Clan. And we can call him Old Dirty Bastard Barack." He continued, "Or why not the Great White Fear of the Dark Phallus...Big Black Barack!" An ABC spokesperson tells TVNewser, "Martin regrets his statements and has apologized for his remarks." Bashir apologized last week for, "a tasteless remark that I now bitterly regret," regarding his reference to the Asians in the room. Click here to see the full video of Bashir's speech. Link to video of his speech: http://www.aaja.org/features/articles/2008_08_03_01/
Addresses "Asian Babes"
BOTTOM LINE: Martin Bashir, a British journalist of Pakistani descent who rose to media fame following a controversial interview with pop star Michael Jackson in 2003, has apologized for insulting a group of Asian American Journalists at the Unity Conference (See "Penn: Serious Journalists?") in Chicago. Today he is a frequent contributor on "Nightline." 08-02-2008 8/1/08
Martin Bashir "Bitterly Regrets" "Asian Babes" Remark ABC's Martin Bashir is apologizing for "a tasteless remark" he made while keynoting an event at the the Unity conference in Chicago last week. (See letter below.) Bashir was invited to speak at the banquet of the Asian American Journalists Association. According to the Star Tribune's Neal Justin, shortly after he began, Bashir remarked about how exciting it was for him to be in a room full of great looking "Asian babes" and then added that he was glad he was standing behind a podium so no one could see how excited he really was. Jeffrey Schneider, senior VP of ABC News says, "This kind of remark has no place in any setting and Martin knows that and is truly sorry for his serious error in judgment." Also in attendance ABC's Juju Chang who described it as a "ridiculous joke." "I thought 'oh, man, what an inappropriate thing to say.' But I've known Martin for a long time. He's a good man who said a dumb thing. He has since apologized to me for his boorishness and I know he deeply regrets it," Chang said in a statement.
Bashir's letter of apology (complete with British spelling of 'offense'): Dear Madam, I wanted to write and apologize for an inappropriate comment that I made at the AAJA dinner last Friday and for the offence that it caused to those present. Upon reflection, it was a tasteless remark that I now bitterly regret. I am grateful to you for the opportunity to address those present and hope that the continuing work of the organization will not by harmed or undermined by my moment of stupidity.
Yours truly,
M Bashir
Copyright 2008 Bottom Line Communications. BLC is a Web News Site that analyzes media and marketing issues. Please give credit or link to www.bottomlinecom.com when using any materials. Click on the FEEDBACK tab to send any media tips/comments/thoughts/feedback. We honor off-the-record requests and will correct/clarify any information found not to be 100% accurate.
