Friday, July 16, 2010

Ezra Levant And The Gross Factual Error

Stephen Chase notes what has become obvious:

In other Sun-related news, conservative activist Ezra Levant – expected to land a spot as a program host or pundit on Sun TV – has returned to opinionizing for the Sun newspaper chain.

"Just writing columns – like old times," Mr. Levant told The Globe and Mail. "I love the Sun style – it's fun and spicy."

Has "returned" to writing for the Sun? Hmm? What happened first time out? Well, put briefly, it ended in tears:

The Calgary Sun has dumped Ezra Levant’s column from its paper and website mere weeks after Levant’s Western Standard magazine folded in October.

On October 22, Levant speculated in the tabloid’s pages that a school bus driver’s “Muslim-style” head covering might be to blame for a crash that killed a nine-year-old girl on Crowchild Trail earlier in October. The controversial column was pulled from the Sun’s website shortly afterwards. “They said that there were some complaints (about the column),” says Levant, who’s freelanced for the Sun for more than 10 years. “Well, duh. There’s complaints every time I write…. I’m a little bit confused about it, because I’ve published much spicier things.”

You can't find the column anymore, but I wrote about it here. At the time, it seemed the reason it was pulled had something to do with the stench of madness it gave off. But no:

However, Sun editor-in-chief Jose Rodriguez says the column was pulled because of a factual error, not reader complaints. (Levant’s column said the driver had been charged; she hadn’t.) “We don’t generally shy away from controversy or spice,” says Rodriguez. “There was a gross factual error in the column…. We don’t want to expose ourselves to any legal risk.”

"Legal risk". Yeah. A word that will echo through the Sun Newspaper chain in the coming months. Gentlemen, start your lawyers!

6 comments:

double nickel said...

"Spice"? When did that become a euphemism for "batshit crazy"?

RuralSandi said...

Doesn't Ezra know that too much spice gives you heartburn and gas?

Terence said...

Ezra Levant is a conservative hero...don't you know?

he brings out the best in the red meat reformatories.

sporangia said...

It simply boggles the mind. Levant is cerifiable! His rant against Marci McDonald, Warren Kinsella, Bernie Farber and others would have put anyone else under psychiatric evaluation. Surely the spittle, eye-rolling, heavy sweats, child-like voice fluctuaitions, and the sense that he always has ants in his pants are tell-tale signs. Sun media is welcome to him. Lawyers will be lining up for their fair share.

Holly Stick said...

Didn't medieval people used to use spice to camouflage meat that was startiong to rot?

Nitangae said...
This comment has been removed by the author.