We have been talking about sports media topics since 2007
Monday, September 1, 2008
Tony Stewart In "Rolling Stone" Magazine
You keep asking, so here it is again. Tony Stewart Rolling Stone story link. Click here.
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77 comments:
Anonymous
said...
This article isn't for the delicate amongst us. Its Tony being at times crude Tony. He is a grown man & if he wishes to talk/act in a manner - well its not for me to approve of or disapprove of. That said, we all know 2 things, 1 he is no saint & 2 reporters will over emphasize things. If thats all the reporter got to write about after spending a couple days with Tony, well I just wonder....
I can't say that I am all that suprised. It seems to me he is the stereotypical athlete...money and women...I also have to agree with on the point that this is a Rolling Stone article so you have to consider the angle they are trying to promote.
Unfortunately, many men talk the way Tony is quoted as talking and many times that is all it is - a whole bunch of talk.
This is the best Nascar article I've read in years.
I compare it to Ed Hinton on Nascar Now this week, not towing the company line and speaking his mind. This article wasn't the usual fluff piece you usually see on drivers, with profanity and other things not censored.
I enjoyed reading about a driver's lifestyle and day to day activities. At first I was critical of the article and how they were trying to spin it, but the further I got into the it, I realized it's a brutal but honest representation of Tony.
I guess this is the mid-twenties guy in me coming out, but the language is on par with what I hear around the workplace and with friends. This article just goes to show that Tony is a real person, not sponsors and political correctness 24/7. I would be willing to bet that half the drivers in the garage are very similar to this, but haven't had an article like this to show that side of them.
I really really enjoyed the article because you know that's how drivers really are. I'm not saying all are like Tony, but that was an actual article on a driver's life style. Personally I thought the Kurt Busch comment and Earnhardt helping him get to Irwin we're freaking hilarious. Go Tony!
Tony was asked by USA Today about the article and he said he thought it was great. They asked how he felt that so many were offended by it, and his reponse was "if they don't like it, they don't have to read it". Yeah, like don't you have to read something to know what it's about?
When this man is trying to secure millions of dollars in sponsor support for his new race teams, this is not something he should have done. A really stupid move on his part. Regardless if this was just guys being guys, I just cannot handle the disrespect to women and the comment apparently made by his parents that they're afraid his "d*ck will rot off". This man is 37, not some 19 year old frat boy, rappin' with the buddies.
Only problem I have with the article is the condescending description of Talladega. I live in suburban Atlanta to travel there, which isn't quite as desolate as you would think from the article.
I have a good friend who dates and lives close to the writer --- she tells me that he is a certified, guaranteed, died in the wool, Tony Stewart hater.
Personally, I enjoyed the article. I was around racers in the pits at the local dirt tracks, and he sounds and acts just like one of the boys.
Well, with Tony's ALLEGED response in USA today, I don't know what to make of it.
As I was reading it, I figured, boys will be boys and talk crudely. But the part about his parents thinking his male body part might fall off??? Why would that be discussed with parents???
And while I find the use of certain words offensive, it is what it is and what tone of voice, context was it in? And sometimes only a cussword will do...but not all the time!!
Years ago, one of my fave documentaries on music "The Last Waltz" had Robbie Robertson using a quote that somebody told him when traveling on the road for music. "It won't pay much but you will get more (insert bad word here) than Frank Sinatra." I found it hilarious at the time (and still did when i watched it last year!) and in the context Robertson said it...and I don't take it as a personal slap to womankind (but I don't hang out with folks that use that word either )
Rolling Stone is probably NOT the cool mag I read back in the 70's...so I don't know how I feel about it. Just because folks are "quoted" does not make it true.
I have had my OWN phone interviews misquoted on the front page of newspapers here before. I fired off an email to the reporter. I said I thought quotes were for "verbatim" and she replied she did not think she made me sound stupid at all?? This a reporter's response to explain herself?! So, once I figured out that a low profile person like me could be mis-quoted, ANYTHING is possible if you are famous.
Also, Tony's quote to USA today could've been taken out of context or said with many voice inflections.
I will take this article with a grain of salt until I hear from Tony's mouth the entire story. Note the reporter went from being home with Tony to suddenly being at the track again. Talk about lack of continuity and out of context.
p.s. I am more shocked Jim Hunter's use of a cussword in the article! :)
TexasRaceLady has it right. Tony comes across just like most of the guys I know from the pits around the local dirt tracks, the Navy, and the locker room...
Actually nice to see one of the boys in his element without all of the posing that goes on in search of the almighty sponsor dollar. Folks would be suprised if they really got to know some of these guys. They may workout in gyms, say all the right things and smile the smiles they must, but at the end of the day these guys aren't your country club crowd.
nrf, I decided long ago that I had 2 choices about crude comments ---
I could act offended or I could just let it go in one ear and out the other.
Since I realized that most of the comments were being made deliberately -- to see how I would react --- I chose the 2nd option. Made it much easier on me.
I get the feeling that most of Tony's comments were made deliberately --- to see the "horrified" reaction.
TRL now I could believe he said it for reaction purposes; but can you see someone like UPS sponsoring his cars after reading that? I can even handle the cussing and language it's the degradation I'm struggling with
I am an adult female and totally confused as to why this would be offensive. It's Tony--I wouldn't *date* the guy (even if i were the right age & a babe, lol) but I understand who he is. I suppose any woman who dates him knows what they're getting into. I find him crude and childish--but that is about half the men in the world, hehehe...
I'm sure plenty of his 'peers' will find him sharp and witty...I work in the business world and there, he's pretty much a dinosaur, but in the racing world, I guess he fits right in.
nrf...he has money and fame...many women could care less about the rest....will he find a woman smart & intelligent--I doubt it.
I found it very dull and nothing really new or surprising. It is always disconcerting when someone who knows nothing about NASCAR (as this guy obviously doesn't) tries to write like an "insider" about NASCAR.
Yep... there are some of us who do.... typically those who do not experience much more than tight circles adolecent professions.
There are plenty who get past the culture they spend a lot of their time in... primarily (IMHO) because they had (or have) some of the right influences.
Tony comes acros as one of the extremes, tons of talent, lots of money and no one to really smack him upside the head when he acts the fool.
i read this about a week ago, maybe longer. i can imagine stewart's female fans are royally ticked off but there's a couple of things to remember: 1. it's rolling stone and despite having done a great job with the dale jr interview, it's a VERY liberal magazine with NO censorship. not the normal nascar media partner. 2. at the time, i seem to recall the dale jr article was scandalous as well. 3. in my opinion, the stone didn't use their one of their best writers for this article and it was certainly not as well written as the article by toure on earnhardt jr. 4. the language is nothing new to me. adult, single male athletes don't generally have a very high level of respect for the young women who hang around at the sporting event, hoping to "meet" the athlete. and the words used to describe said young women reflect that lack of respect. 5. as for what tony said in usa today, it kinda reflects my opinion as well: if what one has read in the media so far about the article is offensive, one need only steer clear of the stone and not buy it. pretty simple, really. certainly, no parent is going to let a non-teen child read the stone for any reason. and trust me: teen males (the usual stone audience) already know and likely use all those words! i read it way before the articles about started to appear and all i thought is "oh, well. this isn't gonna play too well." 6. tony lives the life he lives. if his fans -- and i am one!-- want to know more about his life, they just got it in spades. but he's not my brother or son so i'm not about judging his behavior off track. 7. and let's remember: part of what he does off-track is bust his rather sizeable gut to help a wide variety of charities, not the least of which is victory junction. too bad that wasn't part of this article.
as i said: not the stone's best writer and certainly came across as someone who still has nascar (and its fans) firmly set in "redneck mode" in his mind.
I remember some 10 or 15 years back reading an article in Playboy (i know, I know) with Drew Carey. It was the major 10,000 word article (do they even do that anymore in that mag...do folks have attention span longer than gnats? I NEVER hear of worthy celebs being mentioned in the mag....they even interviewed Rush Limbaugh and Indy coach Bobby Knight, back in the day..Bobby Knight, I remember threw one of his fits and threatened to kick the interviewer OUT of his car on the Interstate! LOL..interviewer CHANGED the subject lol)
Anyway, Drew Carey's article IIRC was LITTERED with 'that word' Tony used so much it WAS offensive. I mean, how many times can a guy say it and the way Drew Carey USED IT that grossed me out. yet his show continued to do well in the ratings as it was on tv for YEARS!
Course, I remember when there were cool politicians or celebs in that magazine..Jackie Gleason and Groucho Marx come to mind..but my age may be showing!? But I did not find the Groucho Interview until LONG after he had died.
That mag is probably aimed at 21 yr olds like all the other reading material out there. Same with Rolling Stone I would imagine.
HOw old is the WRITER of this mag? Can't they just use *** to allude to the bad words instead of spelling them out?
It is curious the narrow focus of the interview. not only did it make Tony seem crude, but fat and lazy...sorry to see his eating habits are so HORRIBLE though. YIKES.
*Sarcasim Alert* Oh, my goodness, Tony Stewart-a grown, heterosexual male-likes girls and likes to cuss. I'm shocked that someone in the 21st century NASCAR uses that kind of language. Here I thought they were all choir boys like Johnson and Edwards. Well--my view of NASCAR drivers has totally been runined..I don't know how I'll look at it the same again.
@anon 11:31--that's how it seems. Many things that others find offensive I don't so I don't get it all either. So anything that's "negative" against a group even if say 10 years ago it was OK, suddenly is not OK and offensive. It just takes one person to be offended and suddenly all heck breaks loose. I forget the subject, but about a year ago on another forum something came up about how whatever the issue was, was negative to black people and all these people (white) were up in arms about it. As an American who happens to be black I posted that I didn't see anything was wrong with it and stood up for another poster (white) who didn't see what was "wrong" with it either.
@sophia--well if they did have a chat, I doubt they went into "details" but they probably just reminded him to be careful. While it may not literally rot off, he definitely could contract something that may make it impossible for when he *does* decide to have children and/or pass onto someone else that can impact their future.
The language whether "manufactured" by the writer or not, I can see many of the words coming out of Smoke's mouth. While I didn't learn a lot, it was interesting to read his feelings on various things.
Thanks for the link JD. I almost bought RS at the store earlier tonight.
I wasn't offended in the least, and I'm a 51 yr old woman. I have even said some of those words on occasion. If I wasn't an old hag,I probably be a pit lizard, lol.
The article does not make me think any less of Tony. If he was being honest, good for him. He can't be the only driver who acts like this. I agree though, the writing could have been better.
The one thing that did bother me was his feud with Kenny Irwin. Was that resolved before he died? Not that I would expect them to be BFFs or anything like that.
Another thing, how in the world has Joe Gibbs put up with him?
You mentioned one of the two things I want to comment on.
I was surprised that Mike Guy didn't follow up on his Irwin statements. The following year, Kenny was one of the drivers killed at New Hampshire, (Adam Petty also), during practice I think. Tony got very involved in the aftermath of that by providing his personal plane for the family, and, I think, other financial support. At the time, many people in, and not directly in, racing were very surprised at his actions. Turns out it was a preview of his philanthropy and empathy.
The other thing I wanted to mention was Kyle Petty's comment on Trading Paint last night. Kyle made it a point, and emphasized, that the article described a Tony that we see at the Cup tracks. He claimed that the Tony that shows up at the dirt tracks is very different, and much nicer. ------- Decided to add after I posted:
I read the article, (thanks for the link JD). I too wonder if "Smoke" wasn't playing his usual games with Mike Guy.
just a thought--while I don't find it offensive, Tony's not on the playground anymore. He's a *team owner*--playground rules no longer apply. And surprise to some, males do talk that way but NOT at work (unless they're in a job without 'customers', which I would agree are many). But this one comes with sponsors, etc. When you talk to the press I think of that as kind of 'at work'. I think pg harley has it right, too bad Tony didn't let Coach Gibbs and the Pettys be a better influence on him (I always thought his friendship with them was a hopeful sign...and I still do.) I don't love or hate Tony, I guess I fall in the rare in-between. But I think red is right in the audience they're aiming at and the lack of it being a well rounded article. Not a word about his charity work OR his childhood, which speaks volumes about how he got to where he is.
I realize there are "pit lizards" and I don't expect Tony to be a monk, I guess I just hoped Tony would be a little bit more selective (can't think of the right word but this is close close). The fact that he appears to lump all women in the same category is disappointing.
I think I may choose to view this as Tony not real thrilled with the reporters presence or just wanting to mess with him and he went over the edge. It's also a shame that the guy who got Patty Petty to come back to New Hampshire is no where to be seen. Hey Kyle P don't you know a nice girl or two you could introduce him to?
This article just made me hate Tony Stewart that much more..... :) I hate fake people. All this article tells me is how fake Tony Stewart is. He acts nice at media events and on television. But he obviously is faking it for the cameras.
Not every NASCAR drive fakes it for the camera like Tony does.
Guess I'm just getting old but when did the image of a driver, be it NASCAR, NHRA, Indy or Grand Prix, get to be so wholesome? These guys are adrenalin junkies hooked on high risk behavior. They're wired different than the rest of us. They have huge egos - they have to since they so rarely actually win. Sure there are exceptions but they're few and far between.
Are all guys like Stewart? Are all women like Paris Hilton? Of course not.
Hang out for an evening in the pit area of your local short track. Lots of bravado and a bunch of language and behavior that isn't G rated. Stewart and the other guys are just like them except they have a massive bank account. Doesn't make them bad people, the extremes are just amplified.
The article is what it is. A typical attempt by a non-nascar magazine to be "edgy". In any industry, stuff like this always comes off like a kid who has just learned a few cuss words and is using them as often as possible just because he can. As a professional photographer, I watched a lot of it in the extreme sports world every time a non-industry magazine would do an article on one of the "crazy" athletes who backflipped off cliffs.
As far as Tony himself, it's just another couple of items to add to the "love him hate him" pile that I have always had with Tony. So much stuff he does is really REALLY cool (support for dirt track racing, the Prelude race, winning at whatever he drives, not hiding his feelings about nascar). But there's plenty of stuff he does that is pretty stupid too (nothing is ever his fault, childish interaction with the press, "pussy pussy pussy" etc. ). I'm not saying that I'm any better as a person, we all have our contradictions and good/bad points. But I'm not on TV every week getting paid millions of dollars either.
In any case, it was an interesting enough read and doesn't really change my opinion of him. Just like all of us, he is what he is. I do think it's interesting that the scheduling would happen right as he is starting a team and doing the sponsor hunt (in a time when sponsors seem to be leaving the sport faster than they are arriving). We all may wish that there was a little more "old" nascar in the sport. But there is a reason that the "clean cut" guys are pushing out the old-school roughnecks. That is what the sponsors want. At some point, even Smoke has to pay attention to that a little bit. Ignoring it would be a very bad business decision.
rockin'rich, please listen to Kyle Petty's remarks again. He plainly stated at least two times that he DID NOT read the article. So, how can he comment on the kind of man Tony is relative to the article???
Since when did it become OK to denigrate women under the guise of "it's just boys being boys"?
I have another question for all of you. If Tony, in an attempt to be edgy, cool and hip for a magazine the type of Rolling Stone, had made racist comments, denigrating comments about the disabled, a gay or lesbian individual or a morbidly obese person, would all of you still claim that it's just Tony being Tony (rather like Manny being Manny) and boys will be boys? Since when has the female gender become the only socially acceptable group that it's OK to treat with so much disrespect?
If this were only one instance where Tony has insulted women, maybe I could ignore this article. But I do listen to his Sirius show (I enjoy the guests that are on), and I can tell you that he, quite often, denigrates women. The list of his quotes against women is quite long, but nonetheless, shows a pattern of total and complete disregard for the female gender.
I will be the first to admit that members of my own gender can be embarrassing in their behavior. The pit lizards, puck bunnies, racer chasers, ball babes, and general groupies do diminish every other woman who tries to live her life without compromising her moral compass. And while his comments might have been aimed at those women, the general insult is still present.
But I guess in the end, Rolling Stone, a magazine that's probably past it's time, got what it wanted, which is publicity, and Tony Stewart was the magazine's stupid pawn with his careless and insulting remarks.
And, BTW, to the gentleman who called me a dork, isn't it interesting that you had to resort to name calling rather than just stating your opinion??????? Speaks volumes.
Dot, I lived in DC in the 80's and if Coach can put up with John Riggins he can handle Tony. I hate the P word but know it is just my own sensativity.
I think Tony was playing with the reporter, just like the girls in the airport. I don't believe for a minute that Tony takes advantage of anyone, and all his philanthropic work more than makes up for his boyish behavior. The article just renforced my good opinion of him as a mavrick who isn't going to toe anyones line too much or too long.
I hope you didn't take my comment as a defense of Stewart's views in the article. My point was that kind of personality is very common in racing, always has been. The reason NASCAR grew so much was they were able to keep that but also use a lot of polish to attract new fans. The image of a driver changed dramatically in the last 20 or so years.
Nobody is black and white, we're all different shades of gray. Yes Stewart has issues - and there's plenty of talk about why that is - but he also does massive amounts of charity without calling attention to it. Doesn't negate the bad, just adds to the complexity of the person.
darbar said... "Since when did it become OK to denigrate women under the guise of "it's just boys being boys"?"
darbar, i agree with you on this point and i feel you make a solid comparison when you challenge that perception by asking if it would have been okay for stewart (and by extension, other males, athletes or not!) to talk about any number of other groups using the same language.
if the kind of language he used isn't challenged, the assumption is that it's ok to think that way about women, let alone say it out loud. and yes, the pit lizards, in my opinion, bring it on themselves and then by extension unfortunately, on all women. i recall clearly how pissed off i was at earnhardt jr for picking up a 19 year old at the track and then dating her for a while and here's the amazing part to me: WITH her mother's consent! i have two daughters and i simply cannot see myself allowing either one of them to place themself in that position or condoning it at any level. and if stewart talked to my daughters that way, you bet i'd be all over him as well!
BUT! (and, no pun intended, it's a big but!) part of it is the sort of sensationalism that the rolling stone thrives upon and i truly believe a chunk of it is tony going wayyyy over the top when the reporter was around, posturing for him, if you will. that in no way excuses him but i can see it happening. i dare say if the rolling stone had been around and done an interview like this when, say, curtis turner was racing, we'd have read much of the same if not worse.
am i disappointed in the language and thought process that it makes clear? you bet i am. would i hold stewart up as a role model for young men? nope. never have and this doesn't change that. he's a hot mess as a person, full of nasty contradictions but i forgive him a multitude of sins for the other side of him, the non-racing side that cares about people in a very unusual and empathetic way. THAT tony stewart IS someone i would be proud to have as a friend; the other one? not so much. unfortunately, the rolling stone either didn't know about that part of stewart or chose to ignore it and focus on the "bad boy" image. very sad.
reading what stewart says or listening to him is sometimes like watching a wreck start to happen a half lap before it breaks out on the track: you know it's coming, you want something to prevent it and you can't take your eyes off it when it happens.
The article just renforced my good opinion of him as a mavrick who isn't going to toe anyones line too much or too long.
..which is exactly what he wants to you believe.
Unfortunately, what he really demonstrates is that he's an ignorant boor who thinks using "bad words" and deningrating women in print makes him tough. It doesn't.
As a proud "Gyno-American" ;) here's my take on the article:
Its a PR attempt for Tony to try and look hip, young and with it. He is 37 and being left behind by the Nascar youth movement, Kyle, Carl, Joey, etc. He is trying to project that he's some wild and dangerous guy, when all he is projecting is a pathetic attempt to not look in the mirror and see that he's not a kid anymore.
Its like walking down the street and seeing a mother dressed in the same fashion as her teenage daughter. The mother thinks she is projecting a young, with it apperance when all she is doing is highlighting that she isn't a teenager.
As for the whole, "Pu**y" thing, I think its a combo of two things. One, the attempt to project a certain image that he wants to sell and two a reflection of the type of women he meets. As a teenager, he probably didn't have that many girls interested in him. Lets face it, Tony is a short, overweight guy. Women don't flock to that sort of man, unless he is rich and famous. For many years he has had women willing to trade sexual favors to access to his rich and famous life. I'm sure that gives you a scued vision of womankind.
Its a PR attempt for Tony to try and look hip, young and with it. He is 37 and being left behind by the Nascar youth movement, Kyle, Carl, Joey, etc. He is trying to project that he's some wild and dangerous guy, when all he is projecting is a pathetic attempt to not look in the mirror and see that he's not a kid anymore.
For some reason the saddest part of the whole article to me was that he is still living in his parents house - without them, presumably. He is the poster child for arrested development.
JD-little disappointed in your choice of the picture of Tony for the column.
I read the article a few days ago via a link sent to me by a friend. The first thing that I noticed was that the author was out to paint Tony in a bad light. The next thing that stood out was that Tony called Carl Edwards a Eddie Haskell, not Jimmie Johnson.
The author clearly was lost and did not “get” Tony’s sense of humor. Not a very well written article on the whole.
As far as the language, just locker room variety. I was not offended by language in a publication such as Rolling Stone. It is not a publication to read if you are prone to be offended.
I don’t judge Tony’s respect for women by this article. He has shown respect for women who deserve it. Pit lizards do not deserve respect as they are after drivers as a trophy.
Just this woman’s opinion.
(Tony owns more than one house. He lived in North Carolina for several years until he decided to move back to his childhood home. His parents do not live with him.)
A short guy who is known for his weight problems and has been called the "furry pumpkin" ought to realize that all the women he claims are throwing themselves at him aren't chasing him for his looks.
I too picked up on Kyle Petty's comments on Trading Paint about Tony. Interesting side that RS didn't see or didn't use.
The worst quote from Tony in the article was the one about if you wanted to hide something from him, put it in a book. Tony, Tony, sigh. Books are your friends!
My take? Tony's in need of a wife who WILL smack him silly when he needs it. Most men are.
I have worked with many women not little beams of sunshine who also brag about the notches on the bedpost if you will.
While I am glad I hang with guys that rarely use crude street language, but can swear, I wonder about this:
How many offended by the Tony Articlert LISTEN TO RAP music?!?! Or your kids do. Guess what you hear that word and WORSE in 'mainstream rap songs'.
I still think it was a poorly constructed article but I am not condoning the word. Besides, many celebs will date women and encourage birthday gifts such as breast implants. OFTEN when a woman never thought of having it done. So many will look at women as only atrractive arm candy, sadly. Lack of substance.
Lots of guys like that we never hear about. But the fact this article was so butchered and lacking in depth is a bit curious. Also Tony got the wrong monkey for a pet? I read he learned NO MONKEY or chimp makes a good pet...nor any other wild/exotic pet. I used to loathe that about Tony...arrogance over good sense in animal choice but I digress. :(
What was the guys agenda accept to take NASCAR to the hip hop/gangsta rap/knuckle draggin level?
I have used cusswords but only when in appropriate settings (really angry. bang toe into table leg and it hurts like **** ?!)
Bevo, I most certanly didn't take your post as negaive towards me personally. Like everyone else here, you have an absolute right to your opinions and I totally respect that. I also can understand your thinking.
There are a lot of things working here, and there's not one answer or solution. But the thing that bothers me the most is the dismissal of the denigration of women as locker room talk or the boys will be boys defense. Nascar, whether anyone likes it or not, is no longer the bootlegging Nascar of your daddy's day. Nascar has become a buttoned down corporate entity full of political correctness. While many fans find that boring, it's the way it is. But longing for the good ol' days by saying that Tony is just a throwback is wrong. Calling women any derogatory term should not be accepted for any reason.
But the thing that bothers me the most is the dismissal of the denigration of women as locker room talk or the boys will be boys defense. Nascar, whether anyone likes it or not, is no longer the bootlegging Nascar of your daddy's day. Nascar has become a buttoned down corporate entity full of political correctness. While many fans find that boring, it's the way it is. But longing for the good ol' days by saying that Tony is just a throwback is wrong. Calling women any derogatory term should not be accepted for any reason.
Exactly right, it's an interesting issue with a lot of implications. That's why I didn't have a problem believing Grant's story. Not prejudging the case but I can certainly see it happening to her.
I would think that Smoke is a complicated human being like all of us. And that he has different personas he uses depending on the company and situation.
I have no trouble believing if I were Smoke's friend, and invited him to have dinner with my family, that he'd say, "Please," "Thank you," "Sir," and "Ma'am." And I also believe that he'd be a complete gentleman around my niece and nephew, and would refrain from using the words which some of you find so disconcerting. (How quaint!) I'm certain he'd spend time trying to persuade my niece to go to college and study engineering like his pal Ryan, he'd show my nephew how drafting works, and he'd play with Coby the Cat.
I'm sure all of us have a number of different persona inside us. It doesn't make us phonies, it means we're sensitive and considerate of those around us. I think what happened here was a number of you were shocked to see the side of Tony which he would normally not have shown you.
Pacific Time Zone Kenny (who intends to stay up until the end of the race) - Alameda, California
I think what happened here was a number of you were shocked to see the side of Tony which he would normally not have shown you. ...a personal side which he chose to show to a writer for a national magazine. What does that tell you about Tony? It tells me he's got an agenda and wants to be known as a bad boy again, even though he ought to be mature by now.
The fact that we are even discussing the RS article about Tony is another example of what is wrong in Nascar land these days. PC drivers and a homogenized sport. And fans who are shocked when a driver actually shows any personality at all.
Who among you even regularly reads RS? I haven't read it since the 70's and don't plan on starting now. I could care less what some obscure reporter for an obscure rag says about Tony. He's probably just some hack trying to make a name for himself at the expense of somebody famous, in this case Tony. And Tony was probably just jerking his chain.
I care about how Tony drives a race car and his charity efforts, which are well known. I think Tony is a throwback to the days when we had drivers like Junior Johnson and Curtis Turner. Just back in those days the media weren't constantly hounding the guys looking for a story. I'm sure if there were a RS reporter in the pits at your local track on a Saturday night he'd hear worse than what he got from Tony.
Again, I didn't read the article and don't plan on reading it. I could care less what is printed in RS. Just my opinion.
I think we'll see a very different side of Tony when we learn the details of how he composes his new race teams. We might never see Smoke with a suit and tie but I'd be willing to bet if that's what it took to get a sponsor, he'd don mufti before he went into a business meeting.
Vince, you make a good point about Rolling Stone and its target demographic. Yes, Tony chose to show this side to a reporter from a national magazine, but it was Rolling Stone, not NASCAR Scene. If the Internet did not exist, I'd bet solid money that 95% of you would never have seen, let alone read, the article.
Sophia, if you think there were continuity problems in this article, you probably don't recall that jump-cuts are widely used in biographies and long-form nonfiction. The jump-cut is from fiction and movies and used to avoid recounting tedious minutiaeu from one scene to another. It's also used to contrast different situations or behaviors. It's been used for centuries; you just didn't recognize it in this context since you probably don't read much long-form nonfiction.
In the scene you mention where we see Tony in his home and then abruptly see Tony at the track, should we know if Tony sleeps on a Serta or a Simmons mattress? Does he use an electric toothbrush or manual? Does he use toothpaste in a tube or does it come in stand-up dispenser? Does he put 1/4 inch of toothpaste on it, or does he recklessly use 3/8?! Does he put the cap back on the tube?! Inquiring minds want to know!
The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and The Atlantic are three magazines which feature long-form literary nonfiction.
I read MANY long articles of non fiction!! the hostage situation of a wealthy socialite in Connecticut comes to mind but I forget her name at the moment...been months...was in Vanity fair. Intriguing piece.
I do have the attention span longer than a gnat, thank you.:)
THAT NON FICTION STORY showed many sides of the person attacked in her home.
My point being, I don't give a rat's rear what kind of bed Tony sleeps on but we heard NOTHING about all the good he does for animal and kid's charities.
NOTHING about what he did to bring Patty back to the scene where she lost Adam in order to help her have closure and give money to VJG.
THAT was my point. I realize reporters jump around all the time in story telling.
But I also know a HACK JOB when I see one.
Sophia in Ohio that knows how to read, listens to Classical music, some opera, enjoys dressing up outings, played classical music on piano (before arthritis took over) and watches NASCAR. Who woulda thunk of that combo. My friends are still shocked and some horrified i watch "those fossil fueled beasts!"
So, I did not know what you meant about 'splaining non-fiction. I am quite familiar with the genre.
My point being, I don't give a rat's rear what kind of bed Tony sleeps on but we heard NOTHING about all the good he does for animal and kid's charities.
That's because the story wasn't about that. It was about his lifestyle.
It was exactly about what kind of bed he sleeps on, and it was not about his charity work.
That clearly the kind of story Tony signed up for, and it is what he got.
I very strongly agree with those who have said that just because many others have similar attitudes or say similar things to Tony that it doesn't make it acceptable.
Someone else above me also brought up the issue with sponsors - many sponsors market to women and/or have women in high-level positions so if Tony thinks that expressing these kinds of attitudes won't ever have an effect on his organization or his search for sponsors he may be surprised one day.
In many places, here included I've seen people bring up that this article didn't talk about all of Tony's charitable efforts. However, the rude and offensive side of Tony isn't negated by the good he does for others - he should still treat those around him female or male with more respect and that doesn't always happen.
Lastly, I heard this reporter interviewed on Sirius last week and he spent a significant amount of time with Tony going to multiple races and staying at his house - Tony choose to allow him that much access and be the person that's depicted in this article.
True..the good does not negate the bad...but honestly, if he knew this was for national publication, WHY or what was he thinking.
If this alleged comment to USA is true (if you don't like it, don't read it) it does show a lack of maturity for a guy what, late 30's?
But I have yet to hear this brought up on any tv show except TP..and I missed todays' NNow.
I need to find that website somebody mentioned (anybody know the name?) where many women were allegedly sounding off on this article.
I can remember the day though, when getting on the cover of Rolling Stone was a big deal. I think somebody on TPaint said there was not even a cover blurb about Tony Stewart....will have to check when at the library this week. :)
Sure makes for interesting debate. I have heard so many other high profile folks-- THINKING they were off mic --say and use similar words on a hot mic. Most speakers know to always treat a microphone like it's open/on.
Still, wouldn't it be interesting to SEE Tony interviewed about this article?
but honestly, if he knew this was for national publication, WHY or what was he thinking.
As has been stated several times here, it is pretty obvious that he's trying to reclaim his bad boy image, despite the fact that he's no longer a boy (he's 37) and has had the "bad" mantle taken away by others.
For those curious about how Tony's attitude towards women affects his ability to attract and retain large sponsors, the Proctor & Gamble exec who manages the Old Spice NASCAR sponsorship is Alex Keith, a woman.
She was on the dais next to Tony when he announced the new cars and sponsors for Stewart Haas Racing.
Seeing that Old Spice is stepping up their sponsorship with Tony for 2009, I'm sure she is well aware of his personality on and off the track and are putting their money where they think it will drive sales.
I am very grateful for your supportive remarks about my friend, short-track driver Matt Haggard and his family in Mobile. Gustav fizzled before it got to him and Hannah is going up the Atlantic Coast, but he assures me he and his family are well-girded for the season.
Quoting: Note the reporter went from being home with Tony to suddenly being at the track again. Talk about lack of continuity and out of context.
The article was longer than most nonfiction published in periodicals. There just wasn't space for a transition, unless you wanted the writer or the editor to bowdlerize other parts of the article in favor a more PC Tony Stewart. (That might have cut the article by half!)
Without quoting more of that post in which you successfully lambasted me, you backed up your assertion that the writer had an agenda. But then you dispute my admittedly sarcastic example of continuity, and later you admit that you know writers jump around all the time. So you are familiar with jump-cuts and therefore contradicted your own rhetorical point.
Leaving out Tony's charitable contributions and failing to recount his many gracious and generous acts of kindness is not a continuity problem, it's an editorial decision. It's a judgment call to paint an incomplete picture of Tony as Picasso would, full of discordant angles and unnatural colors. (If NASCAR.com did it, it would be a Norman Rockwell, accurately depicting his acceptable and emphasizing his charitable good deeds.) Which speaks to your point about the writer (and most likely the editor) having an agenda.
You can say the writer had an agenda. (I agree.) You can say you dislike his writing style. You can say you don't like gonzo journalism. You can say that Rolling Stone uses words which shock and disgust. All those points are valid and you've supported them well in your writing.
I'm sorry I was so rigorous. I read your words and took them at face value. It's not possible to know your educational background and reading list as I am not the Amazing Kreskin. All I had were the words you wrote.
Could it be that you so completely disliked the article and to triple-underscore your point, you added one more item, an item which was specious? Please forgive me for reading only the words you wrote, and not the subtext.
[Since you've mentioned you like Junior, don't ever listen to his driver channel. That word you strongly dislike is part of his vocabulary.]
I was just thinking how diverse this group is - we have old time fans who've been around since forever, newer fans who don't remember the old tracks, and everything inbetween. Some of us have season symphony and ballet tickets and go to every Vince Gill concert as well. We read Vanity Fair (ten year subscription here) and Nascar Scene (okay, subscription not quite as long, but still...), and drive everything from Toyota minivans to Dodge trucks. (The demographics in our house.) Rolling Stone has been on my reading list since the seventies, and I'm re-reading Lee's Lieutenants at the moment.
So no matter what our backgrounds, it's fair to say we all care deeply about NASCAR and its current state as well as its drivers. How will this RS article about Tony impact him, his new team, and the sport we love? That's the real question. He's willing to take his lumps, is my guess. The guy doesn't know how to back down. Which is why my beloved is a Tony fan, LOL. And we on this blog are concerned, don't give a rip, or really ticked off.
Glad the storm spared your friend Matt's house and was not as bad as it could have been..
I guess saying writer had an AGENDA was wrong. We all have agenda's if you want to call opinions those. :)
Editorial decision was a better desription.
And I have never been to a race before and don't even travel due to medical stuff, but I am familiar with colorful language of Jr and others on radio. Even tho folks can listen, I figure while driving, those guys can say whatever they want. Private. like being in your house. Jr using that word does not bother me at all.
I guess you could say it was the "presentaion" in the RS article. Part of me still wonders if Tony didn't say the things he did with a gleam in his eye wondering if the reporter would get it. OR did the writer think this was the way all racers talk in this redneck, knuckle=dragging sport some still look at with disdain. (Some of my friends!)
Anyway, there ARE more insulting words about women one could have used but this being a family friendly board, I don't dare even HINT at it.
I guess with so many layers to Tony's personality, that they chose to focus "that" as Tony's appreciation on women, is just a bit curious.
I can appreciate a bad boy image and a NO PC personality in today's homogenized racing world. There were just so many ways to go there and write about it that I find myself wondering, what ended up being deleted from that article.
It's kind of like I am not below using a cussword when VERY upset but I would NEVER do it in front of kids, in a public place, nor around people that do not know me. Time and place. So I am not being hypocritical, I just thing there is appropriate behavior for differing circumstances.
Ugh...this heat is getting to me (dewpoints in 70's around here) Can't think to type.
Anyway, sorry if I came off a bit harsh in my post to YOU as maybe I felt I was being lectured. Sorry for any translation lost on this computerized box-internet thingie we use for communication. Something is lost with 'talking' without eye contact, body language, tongue-in-cheek...foot-in-mouth,
Perhaps I took your post too personally, much like some took Tony's words personally.
Thanks but link doesn't work. I believe if Tony said that but just wondered what his "expression was" and tone of voice.
Is he just pushing people's buttons?
But in the grand scheme of things, not a smart interview but we shall see if there is any fall out. I could not get the paper link to work even when shortened.
I would like to see TONY on VIDEO explain this whole deal. Like think Wendy would ask him on the "Real Deal".
While Tony may have been having some fun with the reporter, or if this his "true self" once again, I really don't know. The guy has showed so many different personalities, I don't know who is the true person. I once was a huge tony fan, who is now is really getting tired of his insults about women. In this article and on his radio show, he continues to insult and degrade women, especially ones he deems are "fat". No wonder women have eating disorders with men like this around. I feel bad for the women who are choosing to sleep with him, they have no respect for themselves. Women need to start telling him "NO". As far as the p***y comments, I don't really care if they are out of context,obviously he still used that word. I guess I thought Tony had more standards and values than that, seeing how wonderful he is with children. But one day he will end up regretting they way he talks about women, and he will not be so proud of this article. The day might come that he does grow up, marry and have children. I am sure if he ever has a daughter he will not find it too funny if his daughter is referred to this way. I could expect talk like this from some teenage boy, but from a 37 year old man.
77 comments:
This article isn't for the delicate amongst us. Its Tony being at times crude Tony. He is a grown man & if he wishes to talk/act in a manner - well its not for me to approve of or disapprove of. That said, we all know 2 things, 1 he is no saint & 2 reporters will over emphasize things.
If thats all the reporter got to write about after spending a couple days with Tony, well I just wonder....
I could handle everything but the p.....y comments, no wonder he can't keep a girlfriend. I wonder what Smoke thinks of the article
I can't say that I am all that suprised. It seems to me he is the stereotypical athlete...money and women...I also have to agree with on the point that this is a Rolling Stone article so you have to consider the angle they are trying to promote.
Unfortunately, many men talk the way Tony is quoted as talking and many times that is all it is - a whole bunch of talk.
This is the best Nascar article I've read in years.
I compare it to Ed Hinton on Nascar Now this week, not towing the company line and speaking his mind. This article wasn't the usual fluff piece you usually see on drivers, with profanity and other things not censored.
I enjoyed reading about a driver's lifestyle and day to day activities. At first I was critical of the article and how they were trying to spin it, but the further I got into the it, I realized it's a brutal but honest representation of Tony.
I guess this is the mid-twenties guy in me coming out, but the language is on par with what I hear around the workplace and with friends. This article just goes to show that Tony is a real person, not sponsors and political correctness 24/7. I would be willing to bet that half the drivers in the garage are very similar to this, but haven't had an article like this to show that side of them.
I really really enjoyed the article because you know that's how drivers really are. I'm not saying all are like Tony, but that was an actual article on a driver's life style. Personally I thought the Kurt Busch comment and Earnhardt helping him get to Irwin we're freaking hilarious. Go Tony!
Tony was asked by USA Today about the article and he said he thought it was great. They asked how he felt that so many were offended by it, and his reponse was "if they don't like it, they don't have to read it". Yeah, like don't you have to read something to know what it's about?
When this man is trying to secure millions of dollars in sponsor support for his new race teams, this is not something he should have done. A really stupid move on his part. Regardless if this was just guys being guys, I just cannot handle the disrespect to women and the comment apparently made by his parents that they're afraid his "d*ck will rot off". This man is 37, not some 19 year old frat boy, rappin' with the buddies.
Only problem I have with the article is the condescending description of Talladega. I live in suburban Atlanta to travel there, which isn't quite as desolate as you would think from the article.
I have a good friend who dates and lives close to the writer --- she tells me that he is a certified, guaranteed, died in the wool, Tony Stewart hater.
Personally, I enjoyed the article. I was around racers in the pits at the local dirt tracks, and he sounds and acts just like one of the boys.
Well, with Tony's ALLEGED response in USA today, I don't know what to make of it.
As I was reading it, I figured, boys will be boys and talk crudely. But the part about his parents thinking his male body part might fall off??? Why would that be discussed with parents???
And while I find the use of certain words offensive, it is what it is and what tone of voice, context was it in? And sometimes only a cussword will do...but not all the time!!
Years ago, one of my fave documentaries on music "The Last Waltz" had Robbie Robertson using a quote that somebody told him when traveling on the road for music. "It won't pay much but you will get more (insert bad word here) than Frank Sinatra." I found it hilarious at the time (and still did when i watched it last year!) and in the context Robertson said it...and I don't take it as a personal slap to womankind (but I don't hang out with folks that use that word either )
Rolling Stone is probably NOT the cool mag I read back in the 70's...so I don't know how I feel about it. Just because folks are "quoted" does not make it true.
I have had my OWN phone interviews misquoted on the front page of newspapers here before. I fired off an email to the reporter. I said I thought quotes were for "verbatim" and she replied she did not think she made me sound stupid at all?? This a reporter's response to explain herself?! So, once I figured out that a low profile person like me could be mis-quoted, ANYTHING is possible if you are famous.
Also, Tony's quote to USA today could've been taken out of context or said with many voice inflections.
I will take this article with a grain of salt until I hear from Tony's mouth the entire story. Note the reporter went from being home with Tony to suddenly being at the track again. Talk about lack of continuity and out of context.
p.s. I am more shocked Jim Hunter's use of a cussword in the article! :)
TRL even the really nasty women comments? I'm hoping the visual of tidy whitees and ravoli doesn't continue into my dreams. LOL
Darbar,
You are a dork. This will find him more than the millions he needs. It is vintage Smoke.
Just more evidence for me to love Smoke more than I already do!
Thanks for the link, JD.
dawg,
I think you might be missing the point. Dar is female and the one group that is maybe not liking this story too much is mostly adult female fans.
Tony has always had a strong female following and the issue for many is his choice of words where women are concerned.
I understand your point, but she is certainly entitled to hers.
JD
TexasRaceLady has it right. Tony comes across just like most of the guys I know from the pits around the local dirt tracks, the Navy, and the locker room...
Actually nice to see one of the boys in his element without all of the posing that goes on in search of the almighty sponsor dollar. Folks would be suprised if they really got to know some of these guys. They may workout in gyms, say all the right things and smile the smiles they must, but at the end of the day these guys aren't your country club crowd.
nrf, I decided long ago that I had 2 choices about crude comments ---
I could act offended
or
I could just let it go in one ear and out the other.
Since I realized that most of the comments were being made deliberately -- to see how I would react --- I chose the 2nd option.
Made it much easier on me.
I get the feeling that most of Tony's comments were made deliberately --- to see the "horrified" reaction.
TRL now I could believe he said it for reaction purposes; but can you see someone like UPS sponsoring his cars after reading that? I can even handle the cussing and language it's the degradation I'm struggling with
I am an adult female and totally confused as to why this would be offensive. It's Tony--I wouldn't *date* the guy (even if i were the right age & a babe, lol) but I understand who he is. I suppose any woman who dates him knows what they're getting into. I find him crude and childish--but that is about half the men in the world, hehehe...
I'm sure plenty of his 'peers' will find him sharp and witty...I work in the business world and there, he's pretty much a dinosaur, but in the racing world, I guess he fits right in.
nrf...he has money and fame...many women could care less about the rest....will he find a woman smart & intelligent--I doubt it.
I found it very dull and nothing really new or surprising. It is always disconcerting when someone who knows nothing about NASCAR (as this guy obviously doesn't) tries to write like an "insider" about NASCAR.
I'm going to try to forget I even read this article since I like Tony. Notice there's not one word about his philanthropy. Too bad about that.
Do guys really talk that way?
An engaging and uncensored article that is a refreshing read to all the other candy coated ones.
Karen,
Yep... there are some of us who do.... typically those who do not experience much more than tight circles adolecent professions.
There are plenty who get past the culture they spend a lot of their time in... primarily (IMHO) because they had (or have) some of the right influences.
Tony comes acros as one of the extremes, tons of talent, lots of money and no one to really smack him upside the head when he acts the fool.
i read this about a week ago, maybe longer. i can imagine stewart's female fans are royally ticked off but there's a couple of things to remember:
1. it's rolling stone and despite having done a great job with the dale jr interview, it's a VERY liberal magazine with NO censorship. not the normal nascar media partner.
2. at the time, i seem to recall the dale jr article was scandalous as well.
3. in my opinion, the stone didn't use their one of their best writers for this article and it was certainly not as well written as the article by toure on earnhardt jr.
4. the language is nothing new to me. adult, single male athletes don't generally have a very high level of respect for the young women who hang around at the sporting event, hoping to "meet" the athlete. and the words used to describe said young women reflect that lack of respect.
5. as for what tony said in usa today, it kinda reflects my opinion as well: if what one has read in the media so far about the article is offensive, one need only steer clear of the stone and not buy it. pretty simple, really. certainly, no parent is going to let a non-teen child read the stone for any reason. and trust me: teen males (the usual stone audience) already know and likely use all those words! i read it way before the articles about started to appear and all i thought is "oh, well. this isn't gonna play too well."
6. tony lives the life he lives. if his fans -- and i am one!-- want to know more about his life, they just got it in spades. but he's not my brother or son so i'm not about judging his behavior off track.
7. and let's remember: part of what he does off-track is bust his rather sizeable gut to help a wide variety of charities, not the least of which is victory junction. too bad that wasn't part of this article.
as i said: not the stone's best writer and certainly came across as someone who still has nascar (and its fans) firmly set in "redneck mode" in his mind.
I remember some 10 or 15 years back reading an article in Playboy (i know, I know) with Drew Carey. It was the major 10,000 word article (do they even do that anymore in that mag...do folks have attention span longer than gnats? I NEVER hear of worthy celebs being mentioned in the mag....they even interviewed Rush Limbaugh and Indy coach Bobby Knight, back in the day..Bobby Knight, I remember threw one of his fits and threatened to kick the interviewer OUT of his car on the Interstate! LOL..interviewer CHANGED the subject lol)
Anyway, Drew Carey's article IIRC was LITTERED with 'that word' Tony used so much it WAS offensive. I mean, how many times can a guy say it and the way Drew Carey USED IT that grossed me out. yet his show continued to do well in the ratings as it was on tv for YEARS!
Course, I remember when there were cool politicians or celebs in that magazine..Jackie Gleason and Groucho Marx come to mind..but my age may be showing!? But I did not find the Groucho Interview until LONG after he had died.
That mag is probably aimed at 21 yr olds like all the other reading material out there. Same with Rolling Stone I would imagine.
HOw old is the WRITER of this mag? Can't they just use *** to allude to the bad words instead of spelling them out?
It is curious the narrow focus of the interview. not only did it make Tony seem crude, but fat and lazy...sorry to see his eating habits are so HORRIBLE though. YIKES.
*Sarcasim Alert* Oh, my goodness, Tony Stewart-a grown, heterosexual male-likes girls and likes to cuss. I'm shocked that someone in the 21st century NASCAR uses that kind of language. Here I thought they were all choir boys like Johnson and Edwards. Well--my view of NASCAR drivers has totally been runined..I don't know how I'll look at it the same again.
@anon 11:31--that's how it seems. Many things that others find offensive I don't so I don't get it all either. So anything that's "negative" against a group even if say 10 years ago it was OK, suddenly is not OK and offensive. It just takes one person to be offended and suddenly all heck breaks loose. I forget the subject, but about a year ago on another forum something came up about how whatever the issue was, was negative to black people and all these people (white) were up in arms about it. As an American who happens to be black I posted that I didn't see anything was wrong with it and stood up for another poster (white) who didn't see what was "wrong" with it either.
@sophia--well if they did have a chat, I doubt they went into "details" but they probably just reminded him to be careful. While it may not literally rot off, he definitely could contract something that may make it impossible for when he *does* decide to have children and/or pass onto someone else that can impact their future.
The language whether "manufactured" by the writer or not, I can see many of the words coming out of Smoke's mouth. While I didn't learn a lot, it was interesting to read his feelings on various things.
There is a part of me that wonders if alot of this was just Tony going over the top to get a rise out of the reporter.
Messing with him as Tony does so often and so well.
Thanks for the link JD. I almost bought RS at the store earlier tonight.
I wasn't offended in the least, and I'm a 51 yr old woman. I have even said some of those words on occasion. If I wasn't an old hag,I probably be a pit lizard, lol.
The article does not make me think any less of Tony. If he was being honest, good for him. He can't be the only driver who acts like this. I agree though, the writing could have been better.
The one thing that did bother me was his feud with Kenny Irwin. Was that resolved before he died? Not that I would expect them to be BFFs or anything like that.
Another thing, how in the world has Joe Gibbs put up with him?
Re — Dot @ 2:46 AM today:
You mentioned one of the two things I want to comment on.
I was surprised that Mike Guy didn't follow up on his Irwin statements. The following year, Kenny was one of the drivers killed at New Hampshire, (Adam Petty also), during practice I think. Tony got very involved in the aftermath of that by providing his personal plane for the family, and, I think, other financial support. At the time, many people in, and not directly in, racing were very surprised at his actions. Turns out it was a preview of his philanthropy and empathy.
The other thing I wanted to mention was Kyle Petty's comment on Trading Paint last night. Kyle made it a point, and emphasized, that the article described a Tony that we see at the Cup tracks. He claimed that the Tony that shows up at the dirt tracks is very different, and much nicer.
-------
Decided to add after I posted:
I read the article, (thanks for the link JD). I too wonder if "Smoke" wasn't playing his usual games with Mike Guy.
just a thought--while I don't find it offensive, Tony's not on the playground anymore. He's a *team owner*--playground rules no longer apply. And surprise to some, males do talk that way but NOT at work (unless they're in a job without 'customers', which I would agree are many). But this one comes with sponsors, etc. When you talk to the press I think of that as kind of 'at work'. I think pg harley has it right, too bad Tony didn't let Coach Gibbs and the Pettys be a better influence on him (I always thought his friendship with them was a hopeful sign...and I still do.) I don't love or hate Tony, I guess I fall in the rare in-between. But I think red is right in the audience they're aiming at and the lack of it being a well rounded article. Not a word about his charity work OR his childhood, which speaks volumes about how he got to where he is.
Tradin Paint tried to talk about this but Kyle hadn't read it yet, I wonder if that was true or he didn't want to go there and plead ignorance.
Tony will some day grow up and realize real men don't need to use profanity and insult women to "act" grown-up.
Hopefully, so will the children who think he's cool for acting like this.
I realize there are "pit lizards" and I don't expect Tony to be a monk, I guess I just hoped Tony would be a little bit more selective (can't think of the right word but this is close close). The fact that he appears to lump all women in the same category is disappointing.
I think I may choose to view this as Tony not real thrilled with the reporters presence or just wanting to mess with him and he went over the edge. It's also a shame that the guy who got Patty Petty to come back to New Hampshire is no where to be seen. Hey Kyle P don't you know a nice girl or two you could introduce him to?
This article just made me hate Tony Stewart that much more..... :) I hate fake people. All this article tells me is how fake Tony Stewart is. He acts nice at media events and on television. But he obviously is faking it for the cameras.
Not every NASCAR drive fakes it for the camera like Tony does.
Guess I'm just getting old but when did the image of a driver, be it NASCAR, NHRA, Indy or Grand Prix, get to be so wholesome? These guys are adrenalin junkies hooked on high risk behavior. They're wired different than the rest of us. They have huge egos - they have to since they so rarely actually win. Sure there are exceptions but they're few and far between.
Are all guys like Stewart? Are all women like Paris Hilton? Of course not.
Hang out for an evening in the pit area of your local short track. Lots of bravado and a bunch of language and behavior that isn't G rated. Stewart and the other guys are just like them except they have a massive bank account. Doesn't make them bad people, the extremes are just amplified.
The article is what it is. A typical attempt by a non-nascar magazine to be "edgy". In any industry, stuff like this always comes off like a kid who has just learned a few cuss words and is using them as often as possible just because he can. As a professional photographer, I watched a lot of it in the extreme sports world every time a non-industry magazine would do an article on one of the "crazy" athletes who backflipped off cliffs.
As far as Tony himself, it's just another couple of items to add to the "love him hate him" pile that I have always had with Tony. So much stuff he does is really REALLY cool (support for dirt track racing, the Prelude race, winning at whatever he drives, not hiding his feelings about nascar). But there's plenty of stuff he does that is pretty stupid too (nothing is ever his fault, childish interaction with the press, "pussy pussy pussy" etc. ). I'm not saying that I'm any better as a person, we all have our contradictions and good/bad points. But I'm not on TV every week getting paid millions of dollars either.
In any case, it was an interesting enough read and doesn't really change my opinion of him. Just like all of us, he is what he is. I do think it's interesting that the scheduling would happen right as he is starting a team and doing the sponsor hunt (in a time when sponsors seem to be leaving the sport faster than they are arriving). We all may wish that there was a little more "old" nascar in the sport. But there is a reason that the "clean cut" guys are pushing out the old-school roughnecks. That is what the sponsors want. At some point, even Smoke has to pay attention to that a little bit. Ignoring it would be a very bad business decision.
rockin'rich, please listen to Kyle Petty's remarks again. He plainly stated at least two times that he DID NOT read the article. So, how can he comment on the kind of man Tony is relative to the article???
Since when did it become OK to denigrate women under the guise of "it's just boys being boys"?
I have another question for all of you. If Tony, in an attempt to be edgy, cool and hip for a magazine the type of Rolling Stone, had made racist comments, denigrating comments about the disabled, a gay or lesbian individual or a morbidly obese person, would all of you still claim that it's just Tony being Tony (rather like Manny being Manny) and boys will be boys? Since when has the female gender become the only socially acceptable group that it's OK to treat with so much disrespect?
If this were only one instance where Tony has insulted women, maybe I could ignore this article. But I do listen to his Sirius show (I enjoy the guests that are on), and I can tell you that he, quite often, denigrates women. The list of his quotes against women is quite long, but nonetheless, shows a pattern of total and complete disregard for the female gender.
I will be the first to admit that members of my own gender can be embarrassing in their behavior. The pit lizards, puck bunnies, racer chasers, ball babes, and general groupies do diminish every other woman who tries to live her life without compromising her moral compass. And while his comments might have been aimed at those women, the general insult is still present.
But I guess in the end, Rolling Stone, a magazine that's probably past it's time, got what it wanted, which is publicity, and Tony Stewart was the magazine's stupid pawn with his careless and insulting remarks.
And, BTW, to the gentleman who called me a dork, isn't it interesting that you had to resort to name calling rather than just stating your opinion??????? Speaks volumes.
Dot,
I lived in DC in the 80's and if Coach can put up with John Riggins he can handle Tony. I hate the P word but know it is just my own sensativity.
I think Tony was playing with the reporter, just like the girls in the airport. I don't believe for a minute that Tony takes advantage of anyone, and all his philanthropic work more than makes up for his boyish behavior. The article just renforced my good opinion of him as a mavrick who isn't going to toe anyones line too much or too long.
I doubt Tony will ever settle down with an intelligent woman who has any self-esteem.
He'll probably be most interested in a BIMBO, which is what he deserves.
darbar-
I hope you didn't take my comment as a defense of Stewart's views in the article. My point was that kind of personality is very common in racing, always has been. The reason NASCAR grew so much was they were able to keep that but also use a lot of polish to attract new fans. The image of a driver changed dramatically in the last 20 or so years.
Nobody is black and white, we're all different shades of gray. Yes Stewart has issues - and there's plenty of talk about why that is - but he also does massive amounts of charity without calling attention to it. Doesn't negate the bad, just adds to the complexity of the person.
darbar said...
"Since when did it become OK to denigrate women under the guise of "it's just boys being boys"?"
darbar, i agree with you on this point and i feel you make a solid comparison when you challenge that perception by asking if it would have been okay for stewart (and by extension, other males, athletes or not!) to talk about any number of other groups using the same language.
if the kind of language he used isn't challenged, the assumption is that it's ok to think that way about women, let alone say it out loud. and yes, the pit lizards, in my opinion, bring it on themselves and then by extension unfortunately, on all women. i recall clearly how pissed off i was at earnhardt jr for picking up a 19 year old at the track and then dating her for a while and here's the amazing part to me: WITH her mother's consent! i have two daughters and i simply cannot see myself allowing either one of them to place themself in that position or condoning it at any level. and if stewart talked to my daughters that way, you bet i'd be all over him as well!
BUT! (and, no pun intended, it's a big but!) part of it is the sort of sensationalism that the rolling stone thrives upon and i truly believe a chunk of it is tony going wayyyy over the top when the reporter was around, posturing for him, if you will. that in no way excuses him but i can see it happening. i dare say if the rolling stone had been around and done an interview like this when, say, curtis turner was racing, we'd have read much of the same if not worse.
am i disappointed in the language and thought process that it makes clear? you bet i am. would i hold stewart up as a role model for young men? nope. never have and this doesn't change that. he's a hot mess as a person, full of nasty contradictions but i forgive him a multitude of sins for the other side of him, the non-racing side that cares about people in a very unusual and empathetic way. THAT tony stewart IS someone i would be proud to have as a friend; the other one? not so much. unfortunately, the rolling stone either didn't know about that part of stewart or chose to ignore it and focus on the "bad boy" image. very sad.
reading what stewart says or listening to him is sometimes like watching a wreck start to happen a half lap before it breaks out on the track: you know it's coming, you want something to prevent it and you can't take your eyes off it when it happens.
The article just renforced my good opinion of him as a mavrick who isn't going to toe anyones line too much or too long.
..which is exactly what he wants to you believe.
Unfortunately, what he really demonstrates is that he's an ignorant boor who thinks using "bad words" and deningrating women in print makes him tough. It doesn't.
Unfortunately, the article only confirmed what MANY of Tony's fans have suspected over the years but never wanted confirmed.
I like to think of him as living in a world of cracked mirrors, who can't see himself for who he really is...a pig.
As a proud "Gyno-American" ;) here's my take on the article:
Its a PR attempt for Tony to try and look hip, young and with it. He is 37 and being left behind by the Nascar youth movement, Kyle, Carl, Joey, etc. He is trying to project that he's some wild and dangerous guy, when all he is projecting is a pathetic attempt to not look in the mirror and see that he's not a kid anymore.
Its like walking down the street and seeing a mother dressed in the same fashion as her teenage daughter. The mother thinks she is projecting a young, with it apperance when all she is doing is highlighting that she isn't a teenager.
As for the whole, "Pu**y" thing, I think its a combo of two things. One, the attempt to project a certain image that he wants to sell and two a reflection of the type of women he meets. As a teenager, he probably didn't have that many girls interested in him. Lets face it, Tony is a short, overweight guy. Women don't flock to that sort of man, unless he is rich and famous. For many years he has had women willing to trade sexual favors to access to his rich and famous life. I'm sure that gives you a scued vision of womankind.
Its a PR attempt for Tony to try and look hip, young and with it. He is 37 and being left behind by the Nascar youth movement, Kyle, Carl, Joey, etc. He is trying to project that he's some wild and dangerous guy, when all he is projecting is a pathetic attempt to not look in the mirror and see that he's not a kid anymore.
Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!
For some reason the saddest part of the whole article to me was that he is still living in his parents house - without them, presumably. He is the poster child for arrested development.
JD-little disappointed in your choice of the picture of Tony for the column.
I read the article a few days ago via a link sent to me by a friend. The first thing that I noticed was that the author was out to paint Tony in a bad light. The next thing that stood out was that Tony called Carl Edwards a Eddie Haskell, not Jimmie Johnson.
The author clearly was lost and did not “get” Tony’s sense of humor. Not a very well written article on the whole.
As far as the language, just locker room variety. I was not offended by language in a publication such as Rolling Stone. It is not a publication to read if you are prone to be offended.
I don’t judge Tony’s respect for women by this article. He has shown respect for women who deserve it. Pit lizards do not deserve respect as they are after drivers as a trophy.
Just this woman’s opinion.
(Tony owns more than one house. He lived in North Carolina for several years until he decided to move back to his childhood home. His parents do not live with him.)
:)
A short guy who is known for his weight problems and has been called the "furry pumpkin" ought to realize that all the women he claims are throwing themselves at him aren't chasing him for his looks.
I too picked up on Kyle Petty's comments on Trading Paint about Tony. Interesting side that RS didn't see or didn't use.
The worst quote from Tony in the article was the one about if you wanted to hide something from him, put it in a book. Tony, Tony, sigh. Books are your friends!
My take? Tony's in need of a wife who WILL smack him silly when he needs it. Most men are.
Tracy said ...
Tony's in need of a wife who WILL smack him silly when he needs it. Most men are.
Amen, sister. They just don't know it.
Just occurred to me I wonder if he acts that way around Chrissy Wallace and do we think Mike can take him in a fair fight.
Agree about the wife but she will have to be a very strong women and I'm not sure even a strong one would put up with that hot mess.
tracy and karen -
A lot of the women folk aren't exactly sweet little beams of sunshine themselves :)
Bevo
I have worked with many women not little beams of sunshine who also brag about the notches on the bedpost if you will.
While I am glad I hang with guys that rarely use crude street language, but can swear, I wonder about this:
How many offended by the Tony Articlert LISTEN TO RAP music?!?! Or your kids do. Guess what you hear that word and WORSE in 'mainstream rap songs'.
I still think it was a poorly constructed article but I am not condoning the word. Besides, many celebs will date women and encourage birthday gifts such as breast implants. OFTEN when a woman never thought of having it done. So many will look at women as only atrractive arm candy, sadly. Lack of substance.
Lots of guys like that we never hear about. But the fact this article was so butchered and lacking in depth is a bit curious. Also Tony got the wrong monkey for a pet? I read he learned NO MONKEY or chimp makes a good pet...nor any other wild/exotic pet. I used to loathe that about Tony...arrogance over good sense in animal choice but I digress. :(
What was the guys agenda accept to take NASCAR to the hip hop/gangsta rap/knuckle draggin level?
I have used cusswords but only when in appropriate settings (really angry. bang toe into table leg and it hurts like **** ?!)
nrf,
I think maybe Chrissy could take him...:)
JD
Bevo, I most certanly didn't take your post as negaive towards me personally. Like everyone else here, you have an absolute right to your opinions and I totally respect that. I also can understand your thinking.
There are a lot of things working here, and there's not one answer or solution. But the thing that bothers me the most is the dismissal of the denigration of women as locker room talk or the boys will be boys defense. Nascar, whether anyone likes it or not, is no longer the bootlegging Nascar of your daddy's day. Nascar has become a buttoned down corporate entity full of political correctness. While many fans find that boring, it's the way it is. But longing for the good ol' days by saying that Tony is just a throwback is wrong. Calling women any derogatory term should not be accepted for any reason.
darbar said ...
But the thing that bothers me the most is the dismissal of the denigration of women as locker room talk or the boys will be boys defense. Nascar, whether anyone likes it or not, is no longer the bootlegging Nascar of your daddy's day. Nascar has become a buttoned down corporate entity full of political correctness. While many fans find that boring, it's the way it is. But longing for the good ol' days by saying that Tony is just a throwback is wrong. Calling women any derogatory term should not be accepted for any reason.
Hence, the lawsuit by Mauricia Grant.
darbar and karen-
Exactly right, it's an interesting issue with a lot of implications. That's why I didn't have a problem believing Grant's story. Not prejudging the case but I can certainly see it happening to her.
J.D.,
I would think that Smoke is a complicated human being like all of us. And that he has different personas he uses depending on the company and situation.
I have no trouble believing if I were Smoke's friend, and invited him to have dinner with my family, that he'd say, "Please," "Thank you," "Sir," and "Ma'am." And I also believe that he'd be a complete gentleman around my niece and nephew, and would refrain from using the words which some of you find so disconcerting. (How quaint!) I'm certain he'd spend time trying to persuade my niece to go to college and study engineering like his pal Ryan, he'd show my nephew how drafting works, and he'd play with Coby the Cat.
I'm sure all of us have a number of different persona inside us. It doesn't make us phonies, it means we're sensitive and considerate of those around us. I think what happened here was a number of you were shocked to see the side of Tony which he would normally not have shown you.
Pacific Time Zone Kenny (who intends to stay up until the end of the race) - Alameda, California
I think what happened here was a number of you were shocked to see the side of Tony which he would normally not have shown you.
...a personal side which he chose to show to a writer for a national magazine. What does that tell you about Tony? It tells me he's got an agenda and wants to be known as a bad boy again, even though he ought to be mature by now.
The fact that we are even discussing the RS article about Tony is another example of what is wrong in Nascar land these days. PC drivers and a homogenized sport. And fans who are shocked when a driver actually shows any personality at all.
Who among you even regularly reads RS? I haven't read it since the 70's and don't plan on starting now. I could care less what some obscure reporter for an obscure rag says about Tony. He's probably just some hack trying to make a name for himself at the expense of somebody famous, in this case Tony. And Tony was probably just jerking his chain.
I care about how Tony drives a race car and his charity efforts, which are well known. I think Tony is a throwback to the days when we had drivers like Junior Johnson and Curtis Turner. Just back in those days the media weren't constantly hounding the guys looking for a story. I'm sure if there were a RS reporter in the pits at your local track on a Saturday night he'd hear worse than what he got from Tony.
Again, I didn't read the article and don't plan on reading it. I could care less what is printed in RS. Just my opinion.
Anon. 9:35,
I think we'll see a very different side of Tony when we learn the details of how he composes his new race teams. We might never see Smoke with a suit and tie but I'd be willing to bet if that's what it took to get a sponsor, he'd don mufti before he went into a business meeting.
Vince, you make a good point about Rolling Stone and its target demographic. Yes, Tony chose to show this side to a reporter from a national magazine, but it was Rolling Stone, not NASCAR Scene. If the Internet did not exist, I'd bet solid money that 95% of you would never have seen, let alone read, the article.
Sophia, if you think there were continuity problems in this article, you probably don't recall that jump-cuts are widely used in biographies and long-form nonfiction. The jump-cut is from fiction and movies and used to avoid recounting tedious minutiaeu from one scene to another. It's also used to contrast different situations or behaviors. It's been used for centuries; you just didn't recognize it in this context since you probably don't read much long-form nonfiction.
In the scene you mention where we see Tony in his home and then abruptly see Tony at the track, should we know if Tony sleeps on a Serta or a Simmons mattress? Does he use an electric toothbrush or manual? Does he use toothpaste in a tube or does it come in stand-up dispenser? Does he put 1/4 inch of toothpaste on it, or does he recklessly use 3/8?! Does he put the cap back on the tube?! Inquiring minds want to know!
The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and The Atlantic are three magazines which feature long-form literary nonfiction.
Pacific Time Zone Kenny - Alameda, California
I read MANY long articles of non fiction!! the hostage situation of a wealthy socialite in Connecticut comes to mind but I forget her name at the moment...been months...was in Vanity fair. Intriguing piece.
I do have the attention span longer than a gnat, thank you.:)
THAT NON FICTION STORY showed many sides of the person attacked in her home.
My point being, I don't give a rat's rear what kind of bed Tony sleeps on but we heard NOTHING about all the good he does for animal and kid's charities.
NOTHING about what he did to bring Patty back to the scene where she lost Adam in order to help her have closure and give money to VJG.
THAT was my point. I realize reporters jump around all the time in story telling.
But I also know a HACK JOB when I see one.
Sophia in Ohio that knows how to read, listens to Classical music, some opera, enjoys dressing up outings, played classical music on piano (before arthritis took over) and watches NASCAR. Who woulda thunk of that combo. My friends are still shocked and some horrified i watch "those fossil fueled beasts!"
So, I did not know what you meant about 'splaining non-fiction. I am quite familiar with the genre.
;-)
My point being, I don't give a rat's rear what kind of bed Tony sleeps on but we heard NOTHING about all the good he does for animal and kid's charities.
That's because the story wasn't about that. It was about his lifestyle.
It was exactly about what kind of bed he sleeps on, and it was not about his charity work.
That clearly the kind of story Tony signed up for, and it is what he got.
I very strongly agree with those who have said that just because many others have similar attitudes or say similar things to Tony that it doesn't make it acceptable.
Someone else above me also brought up the issue with sponsors - many sponsors market to women and/or have women in high-level positions so if Tony thinks that expressing these kinds of attitudes won't ever have an effect on his organization or his search for sponsors he may be surprised one day.
In many places, here included I've seen people bring up that this article didn't talk about all of Tony's charitable efforts. However, the rude and offensive side of Tony isn't negated by the good he does for others - he should still treat those around him female or male with more respect and that doesn't always happen.
Lastly, I heard this reporter interviewed on Sirius last week and he spent a significant amount of time with Tony going to multiple races and staying at his house - Tony choose to allow him that much access and be the person that's depicted in this article.
deborah
True..the good does not negate the bad...but honestly, if he knew this was for national publication, WHY or what was he thinking.
If this alleged comment to USA is true (if you don't like it, don't read it) it does show a lack of maturity for a guy what, late 30's?
But I have yet to hear this brought up on any tv show except TP..and I missed todays' NNow.
I need to find that website somebody mentioned (anybody know the name?) where many women were allegedly sounding off on this article.
I can remember the day though, when getting on the cover of Rolling Stone was a big deal. I think somebody on TPaint said there was not even a cover blurb about Tony Stewart....will have to check when at the library this week. :)
Sure makes for interesting debate. I have heard so many other high profile folks-- THINKING they were off mic --say and use similar words on a hot mic. Most speakers know to always treat a microphone like it's open/on.
Still, wouldn't it be interesting to SEE Tony interviewed about this article?
but honestly, if he knew this was for national publication, WHY or what was he thinking.
As has been stated several times here, it is pretty obvious that he's trying to reclaim his bad boy image, despite the fact that he's no longer a boy (he's 37) and has had the "bad" mantle taken away by others.
For those curious about how Tony's attitude towards women affects his ability to attract and retain large sponsors, the Proctor & Gamble exec who manages the Old Spice NASCAR sponsorship is Alex Keith, a woman.
She was on the dais next to Tony when he announced the new cars and sponsors for Stewart Haas Racing.
Seeing that Old Spice is stepping up their sponsorship with Tony for 2009, I'm sure she is well aware of his personality on and off the track and are putting their money where they think it will drive sales.
Sophia,
I am very grateful for your supportive remarks about my friend, short-track driver Matt Haggard and his family in Mobile. Gustav fizzled before it got to him and Hannah is going up the Atlantic Coast, but he assures me he and his family are well-girded for the season.
Quoting: Note the reporter went from being home with Tony to suddenly being at the track again. Talk about lack of continuity and out of context.
The article was longer than most nonfiction published in periodicals. There just wasn't space for a transition, unless you wanted the writer or the editor to bowdlerize other parts of the article in favor a more PC Tony Stewart. (That might have cut the article by half!)
Without quoting more of that post in which you successfully lambasted me, you backed up your assertion that the writer had an agenda. But then you dispute my admittedly sarcastic example of continuity, and later you admit that you know writers jump around all the time. So you are familiar with jump-cuts and therefore contradicted your own rhetorical point.
Leaving out Tony's charitable contributions and failing to recount his many gracious and generous acts of kindness is not a continuity problem, it's an editorial decision. It's a judgment call to paint an incomplete picture of Tony as Picasso would, full of discordant angles and unnatural colors. (If NASCAR.com did it, it would be a Norman Rockwell, accurately depicting his acceptable and emphasizing his charitable good deeds.) Which speaks to your point about the writer (and most likely the editor) having an agenda.
You can say the writer had an agenda. (I agree.) You can say you dislike his writing style. You can say you don't like gonzo journalism. You can say that Rolling Stone uses words which shock and disgust. All those points are valid and you've supported them well in your writing.
I'm sorry I was so rigorous. I read your words and took them at face value. It's not possible to know your educational background and reading list as I am not the Amazing Kreskin. All I had were the words you wrote.
Could it be that you so completely disliked the article and to triple-underscore your point, you added one more item, an item which was specious? Please forgive me for reading only the words you wrote, and not the subtext.
[Since you've mentioned you like Junior, don't ever listen to his driver channel. That word you strongly dislike is part of his vocabulary.]
Pacific Time Zone Kenny - Alameda, California
I was just thinking how diverse this group is - we have old time fans who've been around since forever, newer fans who don't remember the old tracks, and everything inbetween. Some of us have season symphony and ballet tickets and go to every Vince Gill concert as well. We read Vanity Fair (ten year subscription here) and Nascar Scene (okay, subscription not quite as long, but still...), and drive everything from Toyota minivans to Dodge trucks. (The demographics in our house.) Rolling Stone has been on my reading list since the seventies, and I'm re-reading Lee's Lieutenants at the moment.
So no matter what our backgrounds, it's fair to say we all care deeply about NASCAR and its current state as well as its drivers. How will this RS article about Tony impact him, his new team, and the sport we love? That's the real question. He's willing to take his lumps, is my guess. The guy doesn't know how to back down.
Which is why my beloved is a Tony fan, LOL.
And we on this blog are concerned, don't give a rip, or really ticked off.
Kenn
Glad the storm spared your friend Matt's house and was not as bad as it could have been..
I guess saying writer had an AGENDA was wrong. We all have agenda's if you want to call opinions those. :)
Editorial decision was a better desription.
And I have never been to a race before and don't even travel due to medical stuff, but I am familiar with colorful language of Jr and others on radio. Even tho folks can listen, I figure while driving, those guys can say whatever they want. Private. like being in your house. Jr using that word does not bother me at all.
I guess you could say it was the "presentaion" in the RS article. Part of me still wonders if Tony didn't say the things he did with a gleam in his eye wondering if the reporter would get it. OR did the writer think this was the way all racers talk in this redneck, knuckle=dragging sport some still look at with disdain. (Some of my friends!)
Anyway, there ARE more insulting words about women one could have used but this being a family friendly board, I don't dare even HINT at it.
I guess with so many layers to Tony's personality, that they chose to focus "that" as Tony's appreciation on women, is just a bit curious.
I can appreciate a bad boy image and a NO PC personality in today's homogenized racing world.
There were just so many ways to go there and write about it that I find myself wondering, what ended up being deleted from that article.
It's kind of like I am not below using a cussword when VERY upset but I would NEVER do it in front of kids, in a public place, nor around people that do not know me. Time and place. So I am not being hypocritical, I just thing there is appropriate behavior for differing circumstances.
Ugh...this heat is getting to me (dewpoints in 70's around here) Can't think to type.
Anyway, sorry if I came off a bit harsh in my post to YOU as maybe I felt I was being lectured. Sorry for any translation lost on this computerized box-internet thingie we use for communication. Something is lost with 'talking' without eye contact, body language, tongue-in-cheek...foot-in-mouth,
Perhaps I took your post too personally, much like some took Tony's words personally.
For that, I am sorry.
Soph
:-)
http://www.roanoke.com/sports/racing/wb/175250
Sophia, here's a link to the story where Tony says "if you don't like it, don't read it". It's not alledged anymore, but fact.
Darbar
Thanks but link doesn't work. I believe if Tony said that but just wondered what his "expression was" and tone of voice.
Is he just pushing people's buttons?
But in the grand scheme of things, not a smart interview but we shall see if there is any fall out. I could not get the paper link to work even when shortened.
I would like to see TONY on VIDEO explain this whole deal. Like think Wendy would ask him on the "Real Deal".
Methinksnot! :-0
While Tony may have been having some fun with the reporter, or if this his "true self" once again, I really don't know. The guy has showed so many different personalities, I don't know who is the true person. I once was a huge tony fan, who is now is really getting tired of his insults about women. In this article and on his radio show, he continues to insult and degrade women, especially ones he deems are "fat". No wonder women have eating disorders with men like this around. I feel bad for the women who are choosing to sleep with him, they have no respect for themselves. Women need to start telling him "NO". As far as the p***y comments, I don't really care if they are out of context,obviously he still used that word. I guess I thought Tony had more standards and values than that, seeing how wonderful he is with children. But one day he will end up regretting they way he talks about women, and he will not be so proud of this article. The day might come that he does grow up, marry and have children. I am sure if he ever has a daughter he will not find it too funny if his daughter is referred to this way. I could expect talk like this from some teenage boy, but from a 37 year old man.
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