Last week 95.5 WSB host Eric Von Haessler warned conservative talkers they could lose their jobs if not careful when talking about Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. The conservative Atlanta afternoon host explained what he called “a honey trap,” claiming it’s a carefully honed strategy by Democrats waiting to pounce on anyone who makes even a passing on-air reference to Harris’ race or gender.
These are treacherous times for people who make their living providing news, analysis, and commentary. A slip of the tongue or even a carefully crafted comment can be the death knell of your career. Words taken out of context or twisted in intent have taken down many smart and experienced radio and TV commenters and reporters. It’s called Cancel Culture, and it has victimized hundreds of broadcasters, educators, and even office workers across society.
In their book “Canceling of the American Mind” authors Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott define Cancel Culture succinctly:
Cancel Culture is the uptick, beginning around 2014 and accelerating in 2017 and after, of campaigns to get people fired, disinvited, deplatformed, or otherwise punished for speech that is — or would be — protected by First Amendment standards, and the climate of fear and conformity that has resulted.
What the hell happened to our national allegiance to the First Amendment? And why aren’t broadcast companies supporting their loyal employees instead of just tossing them aside like rotten fruit?
There are enough examples of corporate media spinelessness over the past ten years to fill a book. Here’s one I know something about personally:
Grant Napear, former Sacramento Kings TV announcer and talk host on Sactown Sports 1140 (KHTK), is suing Bonneville for wrongful termination. This case has been winding its way through the courts since 2021 following the death of George Floyd in police custody. In the ensuing volatile social discourse, Napear replied to the phrase, “Black lives matter” by Tweeting, “All lives matter, every single one.” That innocuous Tweet got Napear fired from his Bonneville radio job and forced him to resign from his plum gig as TV play-by-play announcer for the Kings.
Until that moment his career was still ascending. He had dedicated years of his life to learning his craft and achieving those treasured positions in which he was performing well and successfully. Then he was wiped away like a bug on a windshield by bosses fearing backlash from people who didn’t like his words and refused to consider his intent.
When I worked in Sacramento, I met Napear on occasion. I can’t call him a friend because we weren’t close, but he seemed like a decent fellow and I admired his work. He was always opinionated about sports, but I never heard anything from him that would suggest any political, cultural, or racial bias. Bonneville either didn’t agree or just didn’t care. They had a serious knee-jerk reaction during a moment of social tension. Why didn’t they support their guy? You know the answer as well as I do.
Cowardice.
It had nothing to do with moral decency. Nor was it the nobility of a company standing up for equal rights of all Americans. It was purely corporate bean-counting cowardice, orchestrated by well-intended but confused Americans with more righteous anger than common sense.
Back up a second, did I say this case has been in litigation for nearly four years? Yep, and it still is. Mr. Napear is dead in the water career-wise. It seems from recent reports that the U.S. justice system is handling his case fairly, albeit glacially. He may eventually get some money to salt his early, unsought life in retirement. Even so, he was brutally canceled and personally damaged. No court can rectify that.
“All lives matter, every single one.”
Makes sense to me and I said it so many times on my morning shows in L.A. and Dallas. I guess I wasn’t on anybody’s radar.
Here’s another sentence that makes perfect, non-discriminating sense: “What does Kamala Harris’ ethnic background or gender have to do with her ability to govern?” That’s a fair and balanced rhetorical question you could ask on the air, right?
Eric Von Haessler warns, “Okay, bye-bye. I won’t see you on the unemployment line because I’m not as stupid as you.”
The question has no bias and no racial or gender implications. That’s exactly where some narrow-minded zealots would say I revealed my hand: by merely mentioning the words, ethnic background, and gender, they would charge that I implied they might be problematic.
An aside: I find it weird that we can still call our presidential candidates Nazis, racists, misogynists, and idiots; we can claim they’re doddling old boobs suffering from old fogey dementia and we only get counter insults, not cancellations.
Political name-calling is nothing new. Throwing victims to the wolves is.
Make no mistake, a social war is going on and you, as a public speaker, are squarely in the crosshairs.
Don’t expect the company that praises and pays you well in good times to have your back. When you open that mic and start talking extemporaneously, you’re out there on the high wire without a net.
