Pirated Wolverine Review Gets Fox Newser Fired
Wow, 20th Century Fox really doesn’t want anyone to know how fun it is to pirate Wolverine: The studio had a Fox News columnist fired for raving about the unreleased movie.
Freelance FoxNews.com columnist Roger Friedman was gleeful in a Thursday column about downloading the film. “It’s so much easier than going out in the rain!” he wrote. “I was completely riveted to my desk chair in front of my computer.”
You can imagine how this went over at 20th, which last week called in the FBI to find the Wolverine leaker. The studio contacted Fox News chief Roger Ailes, according to Nikki Finke, while parent company News Corp. condemned the review and requested its removal.
Ailes soon deleted the piece and fired Friedman, according to Finke. News Corp. issued a statement confirming that the columnist was fired.
Fox says Friedman shouldn’t have broken the law in the service of a story. But the company’s concern with journalistic ethics seems as suspicious as it is sudden. After all, Fox News’ Shep Smith wasn’t fired when he was arrested for running over a competing reporter with his car so he could snag parking space.
When Bill O’Reilly’s former producer accused the Fox News host of sexual harassment, producing lengthy conversation transcripts O’Reilly never denied, sibling publication the New York Post slammed her in a story headlined “
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Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
Friedman, grow a set of balls and get fired for something good.
Um, uh-doy? WTF was Friedman expecting would happen?
This isn't that rare. Roger Ebert was almost fired in 1984 for ignoring the "Be Kind, Rewind" sticker on a copy of Lassiter.
good
i hate that fat bastard
no good hack
danadevin85
I'm thinking being fired by Fox can't be the worst thing that will happen to you.
Spirit Fingers
That movie totally sucks balls, anyway...
yetimike
A) He liked "Wolverine".
B) He admitted it in public.
C) The venue he admitted it to stealing a Fox movie understanding that he was a Fox freelance employee.
Senor_Macho_Solo
"It's so much easier than going out in the rain!"
I have a suspicion this ass-hat doesn't think it's too easy going out in the sunshine, either.
First of all, he should have been fired. It is like being a restaurant critic and you dine and dash. Not ethical.
As for the other comments about other "law breaking events," Bill was not found guilty (though I suspect he was guilty as sin) and the Shep thing makes me giggle frankly -- assuming the person is ok. Never knew he had it in him. Went to smokinggun and saw his mug. He has aged a lot in 9 years. [www.thesmokinggun.com]
The other thing you have to remember is that it is much easier to fire a freelancer than an employee.
@MrInBetween: He looks like he's having quite a bit of trouble with the natural light in that pic.
When the movie hits, Fox will be lucky if anyone wants to go see it.
It's about time that movie reviewers started getting their hands dirty. NSA wire tapping expose. No one bats an eyelid. Bootleg a Jackman movie and heads roll. Unbelievable. Media, please make choose a side of the fence.
"Good news, Roger. We're going to let you argue for your job. But you'll have to do it via cell phone while locked in an elevator with Glenn Beck. Good luck."
Awesome X
He writes an effisive review, plainly assuming that's what the corp machine wants and expects...and now this. Oh the irony.
TalbotSmith
make that "...effusive..."
TalbotSmith
Which federal agency deals with fraudulent reviewers' blurbs in movie advertisements?
SteveManiac
Well since he got canned he'll have more time to stalk Michael Jackson.
@dandles: honestly I think it will do fine. Not great but it will do better then the Watchmen.
Lincolnsbeard33
@Spirit Fingers: it can if you are only barely qualified to be on fox news in the first place.
Lincolnsbeard33
@Lincolnsbeard33:
You may be right...
I'm more interested in the Shepard Smith Striking Another Reporter With His Car story. You go girl!
Scout 3.0
too funny
Willem Biederman
@Scout 3.0: I'm with you Scout 3.0. It is pretty comical when you google the story and find out the deets. Didn't know gold ole Shep had it in him.
"...will have a chance to argue for his job, a Fox News source said."
Wait until he finds out he's been on Double Secret Probation all this time. Hoo Boy!
+ Watch video
Here's to hoping the finished version is better than the leaked one. Ha!
Nicole Leapheart
"will have a chance to argue for his job" and lip-synch for his life.
pseudopsych
He should be fired for sheer stupidity. He didn't know that would ruffle the feathers...of HIS BOSS? With all the hoopla over how pirating is killing the movie business, he's going to basically endorse the practice?!
Wait, he gets paid for being a "journalist". Since when?