In one fell swoop, Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld managed to take down three adversaries in one sentence on Friday: Geraldo Rivera, Don Lemon and the cohort of striking writers and actors picketing on the streets of Los Angeles.
Missing all three, Gutfeld said, was akin to missing jock itch.
The viral moment came during a monologue about a striking Cinnabon in Los Angeles. TL;DR version of that: Employees of the store are protesting the fact the owner won’t let them wear pins or flags that make a political statement, including LGBT-themed merch. Hell hath no fury like a low-wage Angelino deprived of his or her right to protest, apparently, so patrons will have to go to one of the 672 other Cinnabon locations for full cinnamon-bun service.
The segment Monday on “Gutfeld!” began with the host noting the subject of his monologue was a “strike going on that could affect a business near and dear to us” in Los Angeles, followed by the revelation he wasn’t talking about the writer’s and actor’s strike.
“Did you think I was talking about the writers’ strike?” Gutfeld said. “Do you people even care?”
No, they did not, jeering the striking thespians and scribes.
They did get a good laugh at this one, though: “Missing Hollywood writers is up there with missing Geraldo, Don Lemon and jock itch.”
Ouch:
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“Whew! It’s never over,” co-host Tyrus said. No, it apparently isn’t.
Well, cue the hue and cry from the media.
Quoth The Wrap, a Hollywood trade outlet: “And there it was, a stunning triple takedown of unionized writers (which ‘Gutfeld!’ does not employ); Gutfeld’s recently fired former ‘The Five’ colleague Rivera, who has hinted at a rift with his co-host as the reason he left Fox; and former CNN anchor Don Lemon, for some reason, by putting each in the same category as a common fungal infection.”
What, is The Wrap implying they aren’t in the same league?
It’s worth noting that Geraldo has all but said Gutfeld was the reason he left.
“There has been a growing tension that goes beyond editorial differences and personal annoyances and gripes. It’s not worth it to me,” Rivera said when discussing his departure in June.
Then, in July, he told “The View” that he had a “very toxic relationship with another of the cast members“ on “The Five,” which was the reason for his departure.
Media outlets were less circumspect when it came to mentioning that the rift was between Rivera and Gutfeld, with Radar Online reporting the two had “knockdown drag-out fights” on set.
“Geraldo and Greg do not get along. That is obvious to anyone who watches ‘The Five.’ But what people didn’t see on television is how often that tension spilled over to off-the-camera,” a Fox News insider told the gossip outlet.
“There is no love lost between Geraldo and Greg, that is for certain.”
Of course, it’s difficult to root for Rivera in this situation, given that — before his 20 years as a Fox News contributor — this was the man behind the rise of trash TV and “The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults.”
No, Geraldo probably isn’t youthful enough to go back to getting hit in the nose with a chair by a neo-Nazi during a semi-orchestrated fracas on a tabloid talk show, but one assumes he’s earned enough money from those sleazy enterprises to live comfortably for the rest of his years.
If not, I’m sure Newsmax or OAN could use a contrarian liberal willing to say or do anything for attention.
As for Gutfeld, both “The Five” and his late-night show are crushing it in the ratings — all without stunts involving broken noses, neo-Nazis and/or Al Capone. Thus, if someone was going to hit the road from “The Five,” it wasn’t going to be him.
Fox News hasn’t had a great 2023 when it comes to managing on-air talent (cough cough Tucker Carlson cough) but getting rid of Geraldo might have been one of the best channel-beautifying moves Fox executives could have made.
It might not quite be like getting rid of a pesky fungal infection in a delicate area, but darned if it isn’t close.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
