Fox anchor calls Maddow 'man' on Facebook, suspended

Please can we try and get something straight about Facebook?

When you post things there, it's likely other people will see them. This is especially true if you are a television anchorperson.

Often, television anchorpersons are on Facebook so that (even) more people will, um, like them.

What seems like clear logic may have escaped Fox 19 anchor-, um, person Tricia Macke.

The Ohio news presenter seemed rather peeved about Rachel Maddow, the maddeningly intelligent presence on MSNBC.

As the New York Daily News presents it, Macke took to her personal Facebook page to offer that Maddow is "such an angry young man." (This has since been removed.)

I know that, to some sheltered sorts, the only kinds of people who have short hair and like girls are called men.

However, the last election offered that perhaps the idea that people of the same sex might like each other -- you know, carnally -- seems to have entered a rather wide consciousness.

It seems odd, then, that Macke would find that calling a lesbian "a man" is even funny, never mind conservative, cutting, or catty.

Macke was, indeed, suspended for a couple of days by Fox 19.

She has also now posted an apology to her more official Facebook page that reads:

I recently posted comments on my personal Facebook page regarding cable news anchor Rachel Maddow which were insensitive and inappropriate. I apologize to Ms. Maddow and any others who may have been offended by my comments, as they do not reflect my firm beliefs in individual and equal rights, and they certainly do not represent the opinions or position of my employer WXIX-TV.

If you are famous, even though you have a personal Facebook page, someone is going to see and tell. That's how news organizations get news, isn't it?

In this case, GLAAD (the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) happened to secure a screenshot. Awkwardly, the screenshot shows that when confronted by commenters on this page, Macke insisted she knew what she was saying.

This was accompanied by another reply to an offended commenter that read: "You're right... I am sorry. I should have said antagonistic."

Macke is clearly a wit. Some might conclude, though, that her humor is occasionally sparked by a touch of, well, frisky anger.