It’s a story as old as time: A man berating a woman for doing her job. Only it’s now 2022, and misogynists aren’t getting away with their sexist and condescending remarks as often as they once did.
Last week, a male St. Louis radio host and Fox 2 news anchor went on a tirade against one of his female co-workers, Crystal Cooper. The rant occurred during a commercial break for the radio show the two of them work on together, “The Edge.”
Even on air, the tension was palpable between the two. Vic Faust, the male radio host and news anchor, called Cooper a liar, immature, and stupid for bringing up a what he considered to be a dumb topic on air. It’s no surprise that his rant continued off the air. However, what is shocking is how often he used foul language, insults, and sexist comments while berating his colleague.
On-Air Tension Turns Into Off-Air Threats
In Faust’s off-air tirade that was leaked to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Faust went beyond pointing out issues he has with Cooper’s broadcasting skills. His four-minute long rant criticized Cooper’s looks, intelligence, and even her parenting skills. Plus, he used profanity at least 40 times. As he berated his colleague, Faust tells Cooper, “You’re nothing!” and “You’re trash.”
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As the rant escalated, Faust even told Cooper that she shouldn’t come back to the show. “If you come back, I’m going to be in your [expletive] every [expletive] day,” Faust threatened. When Cooper replied that she wasn’t going anywhere and that Faust isn’t her boss, she was met with even more threats from Faust: “Then I will nail your [expletives] … I will do whatever I [expletive] need to do to you.” The show’s recording no longer features the fight that sparked the issue, though the awkwardness is obvious throughout the recording and after the cut ends.
Even as Faust prepared for the show to go back on air, he couldn’t help but get in one last jab at Cooper. “Your kids have a [expletive] terrible mom,” Faust criticized. “I feel sorry for them.” Cooper’s one word response summed up exactly how she’s feeling at the end of the rant: “Wow. Wow.”
Are There Consequences For Sexist Rants?
We’re now living in a day and age where these tirades aren’t as acceptable as they used to be. However, the repercussions of this sexist rant are still unclear. According to Crystal Cooper’s Facebook page, her final day on the morning show was September 13, the day of Faust’s tirade. Tuesday’s show was also the last one posted online for “The Edge.” Only time will tell what is to become of the morning show and if there will be any consequences for Vic Faust at either of his hosting positions.
[UPDATE:] According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Vic Faust has been fired from Fox 2.