Joe’s Take On Emily Austen Firing
June 13th, 2016
Former Rays sideline reporter.
Alright, Joe’s not going to get preachy here. In fact, it’s sad.
We all know Rays sideline reporter Emily Austen lost her job because she said what some perceive as outrageous things on a two-bit website that to Joe seemed like a failed attempt at satire.
(Joe was much more irked by how godawfully long and terribly boring the video was than anything Austen said. That’s 17 minutes of Joe’s life flushed down the toilet.)
Joe is a Howard Stern/Don Rickles/Chris Rock kinda guy. Joe was brought up with the popular phrase of the day, “Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Sadly, that famous childhood mantra is ancient history. We live in an era where folks look under rocks for reasons to be offended.
Joe thanks his lucky stars each day for controlling his own destiny, owning his own company. Still, if Joe would pull a Stern or Rickles or do what Austen did, surely some sponsors wouldn’t be all that thrilled. Hey, you can be politically incorrect all day, but there will be a price. That’s the world we live in and it isn’t going to change any time soon. That’s just reality.
Austen, not exactly a rookie in the broadcast business, surely she had to know what she said was going to get her in hot water. (What irritated Joe more was the drip to her left in the video who kept egging her on to be more provocative. What the hell, he had nothing to lose. Hope he’s pleased with himself.)
To Joe, Austen either had plans to move on from her current TV gig, or had something else already lined up outside of TV. It’s impossible for Joe to believe she thought she would be in the clear by pulling this stunt, which was obviously an attempt (failed) at satire.
Frankly, Joe’s more offended the Rays cannot develop a consistent .300 AVG/25 HR/80 RBI hitter in their farm system.
June 13th, 2016 at 12:51 pm
I saw Kelly Nash drinking a fine Pouilly Fuisse at Ferg’s Sports Bar and her hair as perfect.
June 13th, 2016 at 1:15 pm
was perfect!
June 13th, 2016 at 2:23 pm
She was right on one of the things she said. “It’s always the asians (Chinese) that are first in their class for mathematics”. Plus, she should get extra credit from the opinion police cause she’s HOT, HOT, HOT. What is it about HOTNESS you don’t understand ?
June 16th, 2016 at 11:22 am
Many of us who were born in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, remember a time when you could get away with swaying stereo-typical things, racial things, and or even outright racist ideals and the good old boys would slap you on the a$$ and say, “now that is funny!!” But just because it “was funny” and accepted in the past NEVER means that its OK or excusable, and (I watched it) what she said was offensive. Sure she had two Jewish guys sitting next to her, but well that doesn’t make it ok, just as if she would have dropped an N bomb with her best black friend sitting there, not acceptable. Times do change and sensibility does evolve, and thank god, otherwise we would still have Jim Crow laws that existed mere 50 years ago…really 1964/1965 BLACK PEOPLE finally became REAL PEOPLE here in the south. So evolution of thought is a good thing, sorry that some old crusty ass radio, FOX NEWS and internet personalities bemoan POLITICAL CORRECTNESS as they love to call it……how about calling it, being a good person who respects other people and their differences and realize that just because you think its not offensive doesn’t mean its not. If someone is offended and that offends you, get over yourself …..get over it, your just too uptight and probably have that distinct old man smell.
June 17th, 2016 at 9:09 pm
Well said Oldguy!