So, it looks like Billy Bush is losing his job for his sick egging on of Donald Trump eleven years ago as Trump bragged about being able to do whatever he wanted to women due to his celebrity. You might be surprised to hear this, but that fact does not make me happy. It doesn’t even feel like justice was done.
Billy Bush was an entertainment reporter at the time. (Although I categorically reject his excuse that he was “younger” then. He’s in his forties now. He was a thirtysomething married father at the time, not a high school senior). But being an entertainment reporter means hanging around with celebrities, some of whom are notoriously self-absorbed and entitled. If you walked around being principled and calling people out on their BS every time they got out of line, you wouldn’t be an entertainment reporter very long, I would bet. Your job is to play along, to make the interviewee feel good. To be a sport.
I’m not defending Billy Bush at all. But firing him is kind of like firing the low-level functionary but not the executive who caused the problem. The issue is a society of entitlement that makes some men feel like women can be objectified.
Was Billy Bush’s performance on that tape gross? Yes. He ogled, he objectified, he sycophantically egged Trump on. He’s slimy. I am no fan. But will firing Billy Bush do much to address the larger issue? Nope, probably not.
In case you missed it, here’s my personal experience of #notokay. Click here.
