Ben Stein Canned as Speaker at Citigroup for Allegedly Cracking Sexist Joke
- Posted on April 28, 2011 at 12:54pm by
Jonathon M. Seidl
- Print »
- Email »
Economist Ben Stein is one of the country’s most visible libertarians. He‘s a regular contributor to conservative publications and he’s well-known on the conservative and business speaking circuits. And in May he’s scheduled to speak in New York at a Citigroup-hosted event for pension and endowment funds. Or rather he was scheduled. He’s now been canned after a women accused him of making sexist jokes at an event earlier this year.
If you just look at the allegations, the case seems open and shut. Sexist jokes no longer have a place in society. He apparently cracked some. But then you hear this: the woman who made the accusations (via e-mail) admits she couldn’t exactly remember the jokes, so she copied them off the internet, and Stein denies telling them the way she claims he did.
Making things even more interesting? The new vice chairman of Citigroup’s investment bank is Obama’s former budget director, Peter Orszag. He is also scheduled to be a speaker at the May event. And guess who forwarded the woman’s e-mail complaint to the sales executives? Orszag, who is the furthest thing from a libertarian.
“We have decided to present the conference without Mr. Stein’s participation,” Citi spokeswoman Danielle Romero-Apsilos told Bloomberg News.
The accuser, 41-year-old Lynda Villarreal, attended a March event in Dallas where Stein was speaking. According to Bloomberg and the e-mail Villarreal sent to Citi and Bloomberg, one of the jokes involved a woman taking her clothes off on an airplane:
Villarreal’s e-mail to Orszag told of three jokes at the Dallas conference she said were disparaging to women. One joke was about a wealthy man, his wife and his mistress, she said.
Another involved a female airline passenger who, realizing the flight is about to crash, takes off her clothes and asks if there is a man aboard who will “make me feel like a woman,” according to Villarreal’s e-mail, which was also sent to Bloomberg News. A cowboy in a hat removes his shirt, hands it to the woman, tells her to iron it and fetch him a beer.
But that differs from Stein’s account:
Stein, in an interview, said his jokes were mischaracterized and that the company didn’t call him before canceling.
[...]
Stein, a Yale University-educated lawyer and former speechwriter for President Richard Nixon who played the droning high-school economics teacher in the 1986 movie, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” said in an interview that his jokes at the Dallas conference had been incorrectly retold.
“I’ve been in this speaking-gig business for a number of years, I’ve told these jokes before, and I have never gotten one syllable of complaint,” he said. “I don’t think any woman in the world would call me a misogynist. For this woman to say this is just fantasy.”
[...]
Stein, who has written columns for Bloomberg News and appeared as a guest on Bloomberg Television, said in the interview that the joke targeted the man, not the woman, and that in his Dallas telling the woman didn’t remove clothing.
“It’s usually a joke understood to be making fun of a kind of cloddish, dopey guy,” Stein explained to Bloomberg. “When I was finished with this speech, dozens of women in the room came up to me and wanted their pictures taken with me, wanted autographs from me. Dozens of them. I got fan mail from women who had been at the group saying how much they liked the speech.”
Apparently, Stein‘s contract stipulates that he will get paid even if he’s canceled.
As for Villarreal, vice president of business development at Trident Trust, which provides accounting services to hedge funds and private-equity firms, she couldn’t be happier:
“I am delighted that Citi has taken this action,” she told Bloomberg. “It shows their corporate leadership and respect for women in the financial industry as well as their clients.”
I wonder if Orszag is, too.




















Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (148)
dirtydog1776
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:28pmAnother example of how liberals are working to dismantle the Constitution in big and small ways. Stein has been found guilty without a chance of proving his innocence, Obama and his minions must be very happy today.
Report Post »SimpleTruths
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:46pmBen Stein getting sacked equals dismantling the Constitution? Wow, amazing thought process at work there.
dmann
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:28pmWell at least he didn’t call a woman “a mashed-up bag of meat with lipstick on it”
Report Post »RodT82721
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:25pmSo now the attendees at the corp. meeting will be lectured by a bunch of Barry sycophants, while Ben gets paid anyway.
I don’t think Citi is a winner here, and for sure not those that will attend and be woed by the spectaular orations of Mr. Orzag. Having heard both speak, they might just as well cancel the affair, now that Ben wont be speaking.
Report Post »Mascoma
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:24pmDo you really think Ben Stein cares, I know I don’t.
Report Post »Lion420
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:24pmStop censoring me for no good reason….isn’t that why you posted this story? You’re ruining what is possibly the best news site around. You can’t sell me the bs about not being on topic…as I am discussing what’s in the story. He’s being censored, because some crybaby didn’t like what he said…just like you creeps.
Report Post »spirited
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:23pmQuestion: What are the three streets in Chicago that rhyme with ******?
Answer: Melvina, Paulina & Lunt Street.
Where was this (alleged) concerned 41-year-old woman Lynda Villarreal (Ms. Vitriol)
>when Bill Maher called Palin the name that rhymes with the third street???
Report Post »D0ntTread0nMe
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:23pmIt’s amazing to me how many times recently we have heard about something being cancelled or someone being ran out of town, or whatever. Simply because ONE PERSON was offended! Get over yourselves people… you DO NOT have the right to NOT be offended! SORRY
Report Post »http://www.mythoughtsfromthemiddle.blogspot.com
ares338
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:21pmWow!
Report Post »Lion420
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:21pmWow…censorship sucks doesn’t it? Maybe the creeps who run the Blaze could figure that out?
Report Post »Vunks
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:20pmHe is not a Libertarian!
Report Post »spvz29
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 4:52pmVUNKS…Thank you. I can’t believe that no one else picked up on that. He is pure RINO.
Report Post »Murran13
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:18pmI’m a woman and I totally laughed at the airplance joke!!! :) Lighten up people!
Report Post »miles from nowhere
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:13pmI left Citibank for the same reason and I strongly encourage people with Citibank to close your accounts and find another bank.
Report Post »etecs
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:12pmBueller……….. Bueller……. Still makes me laugh
Ben’s always been one of my favorites….. I can’t believe they canned him for a joke that may offended one (feeemale??)
Report Post »nacilbuper
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:11pmStart to listen at 6:30
http://www.philsgang.com/media/RadioShow/Thu/RadioShow20101209.mp3
This will make your blood boil.
Report Post »nacilbuper
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:22pmFinancial giant Citigroup (C), which received the largest bailout among US banks during the credit crisis, announced Thursday the hiring of former White House budget director Peter Orszag as a vice chairman in its global banking business.
Report Post »True American66
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:11pmI’ve never had a Citibank card…..they are one one the worst ones to have; high interest rates, hidden fees, etc…..they‘re only for people with bad credit and young people trying to establish credit that don’t know better. Seems fitting that they would act this way, goes right along with the liberal mindset get them when they’re young and dumb or just dumb!
Report Post »smak
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:17pmYoung, dumb and full of rum.
Report Post »smak
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:11pm@ Article: He’s now been canned after a women accused of making sexist jokes at an event earlier this year.
Left out “him.”
Report Post »freedomweiner
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:11pmAllan West just on GB radio.
WOW ! WOW !! WHEEEEEEEEE !
Report Post »I am so impressed.
SimpleTruths
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:43pmI pray Allen West runs, that will be the end of the Tea Party and a sure win for Obama.
Report Post »Mandors
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 3:03pmPlease. Like Obama supporters pray.
Report Post »Quad-rip-legic
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:08pmI can’t believe the progressive was actually let go for being a typical progressive.
Report Post »miles from nowhere
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:07pmWhen will the PC people realize if you attack everything somebody says, there will be no more speaking events, no more news, no nothing.
Report Post »YouGoGlenn
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:26pm“….When will the PC people realize if you attack everything somebody says, there will be no more speaking events, no more news, no nothing.”
I don‘t think that’s the case.
Report Post »It’ll be like the Daily Show or SNL everywhere…arrested juvenile “humor”…although it certainly will be far less fun if there’s no one expressing unapproved opinions to demonize and ridicule, since character assassination is obviously the most fun thing any good Progressive can imagine.
marine249
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:43pmYOUGOGLENN
its still o.k. to pick on
Report Post »whites, men, republicans and tea parties
texasred
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 2:41pmJust read on Hot Air about a musician in England who was arrested for singing “Kung Fu Fighting”. Seems like he was playing a set in a bar when 2 Chinese people walking on the street heard the song coming from the bar, and one was offended and went to a policeman and made a report of racist thuggery. The guy was arrested shortly after his set, at of all places, a Chinese restaurant where he was having dinner. It’s a hate crime to say anything if someone is offended. This is what American will come to. You just can’t make this stuff up.
I WILL NEVER COMPLY
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:06pmSome U.S. citizens seem to be terminally offended.
Report Post »Guerrino_P
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:24pmI couldn’t agree with you more GONZO. Once in a while, it’s good to hear a good joke about kinky sex, dykes, kikes, bible thumpers, rednecks, libs, wops, and wackos.
Report Post »moreteaplease
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:30pmAnd then they get offended if you don’t offend them in some way so they can rant and rave. It’s a no win situation with people like this woman.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:32pmThanks for your ever valuable input.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:32pm@Guerrino_P
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:24pm
I couldn’t agree with you more GONZO. Once in a while, it’s good to hear a good joke about kinky sex, dykes, kikes, bible thumpers, rednecks, libs, wops, and wackos.
………………….and blonds!
Report Post »Love_Small_Dogs
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 2:18pm“………………….and blonds!” (sic)
“If I can guess what your ‘real’ hair color is, can I have my sheepdog back? “
Report Post »Hawt'n'secksie
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:06pmA gun probably forced Stein to make these remarks.
Report Post »smithclar3nc3
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:05pmWe need to have a war in America to re-establish common sense. It’s a joke and not only that there are two different interpetetions one that ironing and man service is womans work and the other liberal; view could be that texans are living 50 years in the past. If people believe in free speech and ending this Political correctness boycott all these businesses that make moves like these. We need to establish a society where jokes are considered jokes and nothing more.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:34pmThe liberals have no sense of humor. They take everything personally and retort with rancor.
Report Post »IMPEACHBHO
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:41pmYES! It’s called freedom of speech. PC is duct tape.
Report Post »Entropy
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:41pmI can tell you this, I will not be doing ANY business with Citi for the rest of my life. Lib-Prog goons.
Report Post »RETORT_WITH_RANCOR
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 5:54pmLOL – ROTGML -PMS!!
Thanks gang
Report Post »bassist237
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:04pmGet over it.
Report Post »Entropy
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:39pmGenerally, the only broads with chips on their shoulders big enough to make a joke an issue are the ugly feminists.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 12:59pmGeez……………
Report Post »and to the republic
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:13pmBuehler, Buehler, Buehler…….I love Ben but I tell ya he has been on the wrong side of several issues lately on the Saturday morning FOX show he is on…
Report Post »Bonnieblue2A
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 12:58pmHasn’t everyone already cut-up their citibank credit cards? Why is this taxpayer bailed-out bank still around?
Report Post »Revere1
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:02pmOf course liberal feminists complain about Stein’s jokes, but they never complain about the oppression of women in the Muslim world. http://www.battlefield315.com/2011/02/feminism-explained.html
Report Post »ISeeDanger.com
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:05pmBoycott CitiGroup, NOW…
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:05pmSo he is terminated for allegedly making jokes the lady cannot remember clearly, and cannot tell how he told them even after copying them off of the internet?
This smells in so many ways it is not even funny.
Report Post »Mr. Nice Guy
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:06pmI have closed my accounts with them but not actually cut up the cards.
“Stein‘s contract stipulates that he will get paid even if he’s canceled.” Gotta love that!
Report Post »MEESHEL
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:06pmHuh… too much time on her hands I guess. He gets paid anyway lol.
Report Post »Insipid
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:07pmI cut up my Citi cards and got out of my Citi mortgage about 11 years ago.
Report Post »ISeeDanger.com
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:08pmFUNNY..
Report Post »Watch…
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-january-7-2010/peter-orszag-sex-scandal
Showtime
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:13pm@ISeeDanger.com
Report Post »Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:05pm
Boycott CitiGroup, NOW…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Too late! Already have.
Totally ticked when they bought the rights to name the stadium “Citi Stadium” with bailout money!
banjarmon
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:16pmOne of the best things a perspn can do is laugh at themself. If the joke is on you Laugh long and hard.
Report Post »DogWithA_Bone
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:19pmGlad to say that I have never had an account with this bank…
Report Post »Really lady???
We have become too easily offended…
They will change everything for 1 persons issue
BUT when more than half of America agrees on an issue nothing happens… hmmm…
GETLIFE
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:22pmWasn’t he pro-Obama before the elections? Was all over CNN–when I was wondering how such political “intellegentia” could be falling for this guy. Haven’t paid attention to him since.
Report Post »lewbrown
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:34pmI bailed on them over a year and half ago. Now, I get more mail from them than when I was a customer. Thank technology I have a shredder. I don’t even have to open it, just into the machine. Never going back, not in this lifetime.
Report Post »theonefromabove
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:40pmLiberals take a jab at whoever they can.
http://politicalbowl.com – Political Videos
Report Post »afishfarted
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:42pmOnce again, we see that liberals have no sense of humor. And once again, wee see how a totalatarian eliminates any opposition. I personally can’t remember any devisating affect of the pollock jokes when I was a kid, let alone stupid blonde jokes. sheesh, get a life
Report Post »cessna152
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:43pm“Bueller… Bueller….”
I hate PC and glad I dropped Citi idiots years ago.
Report Post »Enuff Zenuff
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:45pm.
Remember when hurricanes were all given women’s names? (never heard of a himmacane anyway)
Liberal feminist‘s protested that it was unfair that men’s names weren’t also used to name the destructive forces of nature…
Then a liberal black congresswoman complained, ‘Aren’t black names good enough to be used to name hurricanes too?’
It’s never enough with liberals – they’ve always gotta be tearing something down. Maybe we should start naming tornados after famous progressives.
Report Post »AriBenTZion
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:47pmQ. Why does the bride always wear white?
Report Post »A. Because it’s good for the dishwasher to match the stove and refrigerator.
Creestof
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:47pmI love Ben…in fact I think I will grab a carton of Breyer’s neopolitan ice cream and watch “Expelled” right now in his honor.
Report Post »AriBenTZion
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:48pmQ. How do you turn a fox into an elephant?
Report Post »A. Marry it!
AriBenTZion
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:48pmQ. What is the difference between a battery and a woman?
Report Post »A. A battery has a positive side.
AriBenTZion
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:49pmQ: Do you know why they call it the Wonder Bra?
Report Post »A: When you take it off, you wonder where her [blank] went.
AriBenTZion
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:50pmQ: Why are there no female astronauts on the moon?
Report Post »A: ’cause it doesn’t need cleaning yet.
AriBenTZion
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:52pmA job negotiator and a feminist were in dispute… The feminist was argueing over the different pay scales that her women were receiving…
Fem: Okay, why are women paid less than men for doing the same job that a man does.
Report Post »Neg: It says in the Bible that women are worth less than men.
Fem: Where does it say that? I don’t think so.
Neg: Well, you do agree that woman was made from a rib, correct?
Fem: Yeah, so?
Neg: Well, there you have it. A rib is a cheaper cut of meat!
AriBenTZion
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:54pmA woman needs only four animals in her life: a mink on her back, a jaguar in her garage, a tiger in her bed, and a jackass to pay for it all.
Report Post »AZfreeman
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:54pmSo what’s the big picture here? Hey ‘Progressives’, here’s an idea… let’s split the country down political/ideological lines. …that will hasten it’s destruction! That IS your objective…right?
Conservatives will look for Conservative Corporations and businesses to deal with, and liberals will look for liberal Corporations and businesses to deal with. That will surely end well.
…rf
“A house divided will not stand”
Report Post »Who is John Galt?
AriBenTZion
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:54pmMost accidents happen at home!
Report Post »And the men have to eat them.
AriBenTZion
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:56pmHow do you fix a Woman’s watch?
Report Post »You don’t. There is a clock on the oven.
AriBenTZion
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:57pmIf your dog is barking at the back door and your wife is yelling at the front door, who do you let in first?
Report Post »The dog of course. He’ll shut up once you let him in.
AriBenTZion
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:57pmWhat’s worse than a Male Chauvinist Pig?
Report Post »A Woman that won‘t do what she’s told.
Professional Infidel
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 2:01pmI keep getting offers at 0% from them, yea right!! I‘m not even looking Citi’s way. Complain about women taking off there clothes??? She probably is a Barrel
Report Post »Professional Infidel
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 2:11pmBen’s got nothing on me!! My favorite Number is 68. lol lol lol
Report Post »smithclar3nc3
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 2:19pmGiven the percentage of people siding with Ben Citigroup just alienated itself from a large percentage of the population. It‘s time to end this PC nightmare and if a Revolution is what it takes I say let’s get it started.
Report Post »afishfarted
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 2:20pmAriBenTZion
Report Post »Yer crackin’ me up. preciate it
Dale
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 2:23pmThere was a time, in America, when two witnesses or a trial was required to convict someone. Now one lone report gets Stein canned. Gee I wonder if that will work with boh; eric, i see nothing, holder; ben, i invented electronic printing; or little timmy g.
Report Post »cemerius
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 2:31pmOne more character assasination with no need of proof….yep enter into the brains of mush and it becomes fact!! I wonder how things would be if “public figures” could actually sue for slander? Sorta like reverse the burden of proof to these “nut jobs”!!!
Report Post »Eric_The_Red_State
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 2:38pmBOYCOTT the liberal insanity.
Defund these baboons
Report Post »sooner12
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 4:36pmARIBENTZION…..Thanks, I needed that.
Report Post »bobodu
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 6:45pmI paid off and cut up my Citi card when Bush gave them billions.
Report Post »bullcrapbuster
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 7:54pmThis is about progressives shutting down a conservative. Period.
Report Post »Hadituptohere
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 8:32pmno no!! don’t shred the mail you get from citi bank–use their no postage neccesary envelope and mail junk mail back to them on their dime!!!
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on April 29, 2011 at 12:05pm@Blaze Staff
“now been canned after a women accused him of ”
Come on. Seriously guys and/or gals, come on. “A women”?
You have my email, I have the credentials for editing and writing, drop me a line sometime.
As to Stein, well, fact is sexist (and any other joke category) *do* have a place in society. We need to lighten up and stop being so damned uptight about everything. I, as a white male, have jokes cracked about me *constantly* across the media and in entertainment. My wife and children, all tow headed types, are the butt of endless “blond jokes”. Do we complain? No, we take it in stride. And somehow, we’re the only ones who are supposed to take it in stride, everybody else gets their little panties in a bunch if somebody even thinks of telling a joke about any other “group”.
Get over it. Humor is fun. Try it sometime, you might like it.
Heh, iron my shirt and get me a beer…love it! :)
Report Post »roachesneverdie
Posted on April 29, 2011 at 1:06pmVery sad state of affairs but Ben’s getting paid is priceless. Now, I heard him on Brian Kilmeade last week and I have heard Ben a few times in recent years and he is anything but conservative. Now that Glenn has educated us on progressives I believe Ben fits the definition of progressive republican based on his insistence on raising taxes on the rich to pay for public programs. He kept pounding away on that issue saying the rich can afford to do it and the govt needs the money! Sorry Ben, I totally disagree with you on this. I enjoy some of his humor and his character in FBDO but he has lost me as a fan.
Report Post »