Fox News jokesters forced into retreat over Canadian military jibes
OTTAWA - They bashed the Canadian military but an American TV host and his guest were forced
into a strategic retreat Monday in the face of a national uproar. A Fox News host issued an apology
over a talk-show segment described by the Canadian government as "despicable" and "disgusting."
And one of his fellow jokesters -
a comedian who quipped that he wasn't even aware Canadian troops
were in Afghanistan -
was forced to cancel scheduled gigs in Edmonton.
Comedian Doug Benson had been slated to appear April 2 to 5 in Edmonton, which is home to a
Canadian Forces base, but the venue owner asked him to stay away.
Irate viewers flooded websites with thousands of comments, there were calls for a boycott of Fox
advertisers, and several new Facebook groups popped up, including one titled "Greg Gutfeld Can
Rot in Hell."
The recent talk-show segment was taped just before four more Canadian soldiers were killed in
Afghanistan, and it featured a group of pundits taking turns trashing Canada and its reliability as
an ally. They were spurred by comments from Canada's army chief that the military would need
a year's hiatus to regroup and refurbish after its Kandahar mission ends in 2011.
Swept up the backlash over that little wisecrack was a comedy club in West Edmonton Mall. Benson
had been scheduled to perform there next week. But the owner of the Comedy Strip said he received
too many angry messages - including from friends and relatives of soldiers - to guarantee Benson's
safety. One person promised to buy a ticket just so that he could throw a beer at Benson.
"We were inundated with emails and phone calls that were bordering on threatening," said club owner
Rick Bronson. "Unfortunately, (Benson) touched a nerve." The owner's wife called Benson's agent and
informed him that the show couldn't go on. The comedian apparently explained that the segment had
only been meant as a joke and that he respected Canada's military.
Defence Minister Peter MacKay wasn't laughing. He requested an apology Monday just before leaving
for Canadian Forces Base Trenton, Ont., where he attended a homecoming ceremony with the families
of the latest soldiers killed. MacKay said later that he was satisfied with the apology.
Earlier Monday, a spokesman stressed that the Canadian government specifically wanted an apology
from the panellists who made the wisecracks - and not just from the Fox network at large. "These are
despicable, hurtful and ignorant comments," said Dan Dugas, a spokesman for MacKay. "I think that
so-called comedian should stare in the camera at his first opportunity and apologize to all of the
families of people he's hurt with these despicable comments.
"And he's got to say, 'I was misinformed. I was ignorant of the truth and the contribution of the
Canadian Forces to the war on terror, and I want to take it back. I know as a comedian that I can fail
sometimes; I failed miserably at this so-called comedy.' "And his panellists should say the same."
The Fox News program aired after Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie, the Canadian army chief of staff, said
the military would need a one-year break from operations once the long and difficult mission in
Afghanistan winds down.