Podcast king Adam Carolla says MSNBC’s decision to can Alec Baldwin came down to ratings, not outrage over the actor’s latest outburst.
The liberal news network initially suspended Baldwin for two weeks after a video surfaced featuring the 30 Rock star calling a photographer as a “cocksucking fag.” The actor weakly claimed the second word he uttered was “fathead” in trying to defend his verbal assault.
MSNBC later pulled the plug on Up Late with Alec Baldwin, a show less than two months old.
Carolla argued this week that Baldwin’s weak ratings gave the channel an excuse to cut its losses.
And it’s also a world where if you don’t produce in the first 10 minutes, you’re out the door,” he continued. “If your sitcom doesn’t get any ratings in the first two weeks — it’s not a ‘Seinfeld’ era where it’s like, ‘Well, maybe in season two we’ll get a little more traction.’ … Meanwhile, if ‘Duck Dynasty’ goes on some sort of gay or ethnically based rant or homophobic rant, they’ll do a, ‘Guys, we got a prepared statement. You go ahead and say it and we’re moving on.’ You ain’t going anywhere. Like if you’re moving the needle, if you are getting traction and getting ratings, you’re not going anywhere….
Carolla speculated if Baldwin’s numbers had not waned, a one- or two-week suspension would like have satisfied the gay community as punishment for his tirade.
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