Last modified on October 1, 2012 by Brad Phillips

September 2012: The Five Worst Video Media Disasters

It’s such a shame men can’t beat their disobedient wives these days. So says one television evangelist, whose dumb remark earned him a spot on the September worst video media disasters list.

He’s not alone. Joining him is a politician who was recorded without his knowledge, some inept referees, and a candidate for office who steals—yup, steals—somebody else’s video camera.

Without any further ado, here are the five worst video media disasters from September 2012!


5. Congressional Candidate Takes a Cameraman’s Camera

New Hampshire Democrat Ann McLane Kuster is running for a congressional seat.

When her opponent sent a “tracker” to film her event and ask a question—a common occurrence in modern day politics — Ms. Kuster proceeded to take his camera, threaten to keep it, and swear on camera.

In doing so, Ms. Kuster handed her opponent the gift of an embarrassing (and completely unnecessary) viral video.

(2020 update: Video not available.)

4. Pat Robertson Recommends Wife Beating

I can’t even find the right words to describe this video. Horrific? Awful? Prehistoric?

Welcome to evangelist Pat Robertson’s strange world, in which wife beating is a suitable fix for a disrespectful wife.
“I don’t think we condone wife beating these days, but something has to be done,” Robertson tells a viewer with marital problems. And since the scripture says you can’t beat her, “move to Saudi Arabia,” he suggests, where she can be beaten. Unreal.

3. Democrats Reject God and/or Jerusalem at Convention

Democrats removed a reference to God and failed to state that Jerusalem is the Israeli capital in its official party platform. Republicans immediately attacked that decision. Recognizing the potential PR backlash, Democrats sought to reinsert that language by holding a voice vote with delegates.

But Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who led delegates in three voice votes, seemed to overrule their vote (to pass, the voice vote required agreement among two-thirds of delegates; the vote sounded even but Villaraigosa overruled the crowd).

The crowd erupted into boos. It’s hard to know whether the boos were for God or Israel (as Republicans charged), for the unfair process (as Democrats claim), or some combination of both. But what’s undeniable is that this moment handed opponents an easy line of attack.

2.  NFL Replacement Referees Blow The Game

When the National Football League’s referees were locked out over a labor dispute, their replacements blew numerous calls on the field. But the worst moment came at the end of a Monday Night Football game between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers, when they refs called what appeared to be a game-ending interception a touchdown. As a result, Seattle won a game they shouldn’t have – and fans rebelled.

Even anti-union politicians suddenly called for the “real” refs to return. The NFL quickly responded by giving in to most of the union’s demands, and they got their real refs back within days. You knew who fans sided with when they gave an unprecedented standing ovation to the refs during their first game back.

1. Mitt Romney’s Hidden “47 Percent” Video

If you vote for President Obama, you’re dependent on government and will never take personal responsibility or care for your life. So said Mitt Romney in a secretly taped video shot in May and released by Mother Jones Magazine earlier this month.

The video instantly damaged his candidacy, with criticism coming from fellow Republicans including Peggy Noonan, Bill Kristol, and Joe Scarborough.

This video, by itself, will not cause Governor Romney to lose in November. But if he does lose November’s election, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to look back to this video as the moment that sealed his fate.

Bonus Video 1: Dr. Jill Biden Speaks About Her Husband’s Big…Well…

I’m afraid that including this video reveals a bit too much about my juvenile sense of humor. But how can you not love this speech by Vice President Joe Biden’s wife, complete with not one, not two, but three accidental puns?

Bonus Video 2: Congresswoman Thinks Slavery Existed in 1898

When Congresswoman Yvette Clark (D-NY) appeared on “The Colbert Report,” she seemed to think that slavery still existed in Brooklyn in 1898. Their captors? According to her, it was the Dutch.