Samantha Armytage Lashes Out at Critics Who Said She Made a Sexist Comment on ‘Sunrise’ [VIDEO]
“Sunrise” presenter Samantha Armytage has lashed out at critics who said she made a sexist comment on Thursday.
The 37-year-old TV journalist suffered from viewers’ backlash on social media after making an allegedly sexist remark on air.
While entertainment reporter Nelson Aspen was providing details about late U.S. comedienne Joan Rivers’ doctor, Armytage expressed her surprise that the physician was a woman.
“Oh it’s a woman!” she exclaimed upon learning the gender of the doctor who allegedly took a “selfie” with Rivers while she was under anaesthetic.
“What does that mean?” her co-presenter David Kochie questioned her.
“Well honestly I assumed it would be a man. I just wouldn’t imagine a woman to be so stupid to take a selfie with someone that’s under anaesthetic,” she told her partner, apparently forgetting that he is not a woman. “I’m shocked this is a woman.”
Armytage’s comments did not go well with some viewers, who branded her a sexist.
“Oh Sunrise... how sexist can you be??? REALLY??? What is so shocking about a specialist being a woman... and who says men are the only ones who have stupid moments? What a lot of sexist rubbish this segment turned out to be. The fact that whether the Doctor did what they allege or whether the Doctor didn’t, the gender of that doctor has no bearing on the matter at all,” a commenter on the “Sunrise” Facebook page wrote.
“How sexist of you Samantha if a man had made comments such as yours there would be outrage,” another commenter wrote. “It’s not equal rights you’re looking for its [sic] to have your cake and eat it. You set a poor example and you should be ashamed.”
“The sexist comments by the female presenter are disgusting. If Kochie had made the same comments rubbishing women the sisterhood would be up in arms demanding his dangly bits. Talk about double standards,” another one added.
@sam_armytage Yes agreed - please get back to reporting about the selfie doctor during celebrity cosmetic surgery.
— Matt Henry (@MattHenryMusic) September 18, 2014
@sam_armytage The point is that if a man had implied women are stupid they'd be run out of town. Equality has to cut both ways #fairsfair — Scott Davidson (@MrScottDavidson) September 18, 2014
Armytage was having none of the negative comments about her, though. She called “journalists” cowards for writing their opinions but not their names. The presenter, who just talked about selfies on TV, the very same topic that got her into trouble with some viewers in the first place, also tried to avert some of the attention from her by reminding people that they should be talking about “real news.”
I put my name to my opinions. 'Journalists' writing (often incorrect) opinion pieces & not putting their names to them are simply #cowards
— Samantha Armytage (@sam_armytage) September 18, 2014
And all this rubbish on a day when we have REAL NEWS... — Samantha Armytage (@sam_armytage) September 18, 2014
Not everyone has been condemning Armytage. There are viewers who understood that the “Sunrise” host did not mean anything sexist by her remarks.
@sam_armytage I just read a joke of an article about this morning. You did nothing wrong. Some people must have too much time on their hands
— Adam Skinner (@skinnada) September 18, 2014
@sam_armytage I just read a very trivial article about you this morning. You said nothing wrong. People like to make a fuss #nodramas #luvya — sal cannon (@salski00) September 18, 2014
@sam_armytage I assumed it was a man too - natural assumption as that did seem like something a male doctor would do, not sexist at all!
— Emilie Young (@emilieyoung) September 18, 2014