Hank Williams, Jr. comments on Fox Newschannel causes PR trouble for the country singer and his gig with ESPN's Monday Night Football.
After hearing comments from Hank Williams, Jr. on Fox News comparing President Obama to Adolf Hitler, ESPN dropped the traditional Monday Night Football opening song last night. You know the one: It is sung by Williams and would have played before the start of the Buccaneers and Indianapolis game.
The nation was ready for some football, minus Hank Williams, Jr., according to ESPN.
“Hank Williams, Jr. can’t get away with saying the president is anything like Hitler. That’s so outrageous, it’s beyond outrageous,” says crisis management PR expert Glenn Selig (Twitter: @GlennSelig) and founder of the PR firm The Publicity Agency. “He sounds so, well, dumb, saying it. It’s just ludicrous.”
Hank Williams, Jr. tried to undo some of the Hitler comment damage he caused after he made a statement to Fox News. He later said the analogy was “inappropriate.”
But that wasn’t enough to undo the damage. ESPN went ahead and cut Hank Williams, Jr. from Monday Night Football.
The singer was live remote in Nashville, Tenn. talking to Steve Doocy, Gretchen Carlson and Brian Kilmeade to talk politics.
Hank Williams comments
On the program, Hank Williams, Jr. criticized U.S. Speaker of the House John Boehner, the high ranking Republican, for playing golf with President Obama, and said it was “one of the biggest political mistakes ever.”
But this is where he got into trouble. Williams went on to say: “It’s like Hitler playing golf with [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu.”
He then describes Obama as “the enemy.”
Carlson asks for clarification: “You used the name of one of the most hated people in all the world to describe, I think, the president.”
Williams stands his ground: “That’s true. But I’m telling you like it is.”
“Even in politics, there’s playing fair and playing dirty. And there’s playing dumb. There is a line believe it or not. And Williams crossed it,” says Selig.
“His statements are so out there, he should be ashamed of himself for having even said it on TV. This conversation might be perfectly suited for a bar near Fox News studios in New York. Or in Nashville. But not TV! This is beyond gallows humor. He should have the common sense to edit himself to not say such incredible things publicly. If he can’t help it, then his PR people should decline every opportunity like this.”
Does Hank Williams, Jr. literally mean that Obama is like Hitler?
“I simply cannot believe that he honestly believes that. He was trying to be outrageous and funny. But he was neither. The comments are disrespectful and wholly inappropriate. Plus I don’t even believe that Hank Williams, Jr. honestly believes that Obama is anything like Hitler,” says Selig.
“If there were ever a time for an apology this is it. He should simply make a full apology. He can explain that he does not like the president’s policies and does not care for him as a person, but upon reflection, he should never have made such statement. He does not believe that and he went way overboard and if he offended anyone, including the president, people who were murdered by Hitler, then he is sorry.”
Selig has this advice to Hank Williams, Jr.
“Stick to singing. Stay out of politics. And make a huge heart-felt apology fast!”
For more information about PR firm The Publicity Agency, please visit www.thepublicityagency.com.
SOURCE: The Publicity Agency
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No pr problem for Hank with me
He was being nice
I think Comarde Obama is the anti-christ