Megyn Kelly slams Erick Erickson, Lou Dobbs over sexist "breadwinners" comments

"Why should we take your word for it, Erick Erickson's science, instead of all of these experts?," Kelly asks

Published May 31, 2013 7:02PM (EDT)

    (Media Matters)
(Media Matters)

Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly slammed Lou Dobbs and Erick Erickson on Friday over the pundits' sexist (and entirely unsupported by decades of research) pronouncements about working mothers and the "decline" of the American family.

In a segment hosted by Dobbs on Wednesday, Erickson called female breadwinners "anti-science," "bad for kids and bad for marriage;" Dobbs later chimed in to say that the rise of female-headed households and single mothers are both "troubling" developments.

After sparring with Dobbs (who, in one of the video's most infuriating moments, condescendingly refers to Kelly as "Oh Dominant One"), Kelly moves on to Erickson, who she shreds for ignoring decades of research about working mothers in favor of his own conclusions about gender, work and parenting.

"Why should we take your word for it, Erick Erickson's science, instead of all of these experts?," Kelly asks.

Because scientists have an agenda, (total and utterly agendaless) Erickson replies.

Watch the full exchange below:


By Katie McDonough

Katie McDonough is Salon's politics writer, focusing on gender, sexuality and reproductive justice. Follow her on Twitter @kmcdonovgh or email her at kmcdonough@salon.com.

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Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Children Erick Erickson Gender Kids Loud Dobbs Megyn Kelly Parenting Parents Sex Sexism Video Women Working Mothers