'Fox & Friends' jokes about Ray Rice video spark outrage
"Fox & Friends" host Brian Kilmeade says he and co-host Steve Doocy weren't making light of domestic violence when they joked that the lesson from the video of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice knocking his then-fiancee unconscious in an elevator was to "take the stairs."
"Comments that we made during this story yesterday made some feel like we were taking the situation too lightly," Kilmeade said on Tuesday. "We are not. We were not. Domestic abuse is a very serious issue to us, I can assure you."
While discussing the footage on Monday's show, Kilmeade said, "I think the message is, take the stairs."
"The message is, when you're in an elevator, there are cameras," co-host Steve Doocy added.
Those comments sparked considerable outrage on Twitter.
"Take the stairs" is the message to get out of Ray Rice knocking out his wife in an elevator? Compassionate and classy as ever, @FoxNews.
— Alison Shelesky (@AlisonShelesky) September 8, 2014
Advice from #FoxAndFriends : choose a secluded area without a camera to knock out a girl. Really classy.
— Laura Quigley (@laura5801) September 9, 2014
#FOXANDFRIENDS You should be ashamed of yourselves! Your comments regarding the Rice assault video were reprehensible!
— Generation Wellness (@GWC_Robin) September 9, 2014
Nothing says funny like domestic abuse. Stay classy #FoxAndFriends #dumbestpeopleonearth http://t.co/qSW0knf7cx
— Matthew Potocnik (@mrpotocnik) September 9, 2014
#Abominable #FoxandFriends jokes about Ray Rice punching fiancée: "I think the message is, take the stairs." http://t.co/KTAY1M0EM0
— democrab (@democrab) September 8, 2014
