Hot mic

A microphone gaffe, sometimes referred to as an open microphone (in aviation, a stuck mic) or a hot mic, is an apparent error where a microphone is actively collecting and transmitting sound gathered near a subject who is unaware that their remarks are being transmitted and recorded. The error allows unintended listeners to hear parts of conversations not intended for public consumption. Errors usually involve live broadcasting in radio or television, and sometimes material is recorded and played back via media outlets. Such events can cause embarrassment for the person or organization involved, sometimes resulting in serious confrontations and employment termination.

Noted occurrences

Television broadcasts
  • In 1999, during a cricket test match between Australia and Pakistan, Australian Scott Muller misfielded a ball and a voice was heard saying, "Can't bowl, can't throw." Teammate Shane Warne was suspected, but a cameraman confessed.[1]
  • On 22 June 2000, Australian newsreader Marie-Louise Theile was recorded as calling her husband an "arsehole" during what she thought was a commercial break on Ten News in Brisbane.[2]
  • During television coverage of the 2000 Canadian federal election, a CBC Television producer covering Stockwell Day's campaign was heard on-air making a gratuitous comment about the breasts of Juliana Thiessen Day, Stockwell's daughter-in-law. His words were cut off mid-sentence: "This is Logan Day's wife. I've never met her, but apparently she's got tits that'd stop a—" The producer was forced to apologize.[3]
  • After a defeat for Chelsea F.C. in April 2004, British football athlete and commentator Ron Atkinson said of Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly: "He is what is known in some schools as a fucking lazy thick nigger." The microphone was open to some countries in the Middle East, with UK broadcasts having already finished. Atkinson was forced to resign his position at ITV and left his role as a columnist at The Guardian by mutual agreement.[4][5]
  • In September 2005, during a filming of Access Hollywood, Donald Trump and Billy Bush had "an extremely lewd conversation about women" where Trump said "when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything ... grab them by the pussy".[6] When The Washington Post broke the story during the 2016 presidential election, in which Trump was the Republican nominee, several dozen Republicans renounced their support of Trump.[7][8]
  • A series of technical problems on 9 March 2006 forced ESPN2 to switch from its SportsCenter broadcast to that of ESPNews. Caught unprepared by the move, ESPNews broadcaster Danyelle Sargent struggled for words, forcing fellow anchor Robert Flores to finish her sentence. After the broadcast cut to taped footage, Sargent was heard exclaiming "What the fuck was that?"[9]
  • On 8 August 2006, Network Ten sports commentator Dean Jones said "the terrorist has got another wicket" when Proteas fielder Hashim Amla (the first player from a Muslim background to play test cricket for South Africa) caught Kumar Sangakkara during a match between South Africa and Sri Lanka. Jones claimed he thought the microphone was off and made prompt formal apologies, but was dismissed from his post.[10]
  • On 29 August 2006, U.S. news channel CNN was broadcasting a live Hurricane Katrina anniversary speech from President George W. Bush when the microphone of anchor Kyra Phillips was left on. Around 90 seconds of her casual conversation with another woman was broadcast over CNN's coverage of Bush's speech. During the conversation she discussed her husband, whom she called "a really passionate, compassionate, great, great human being," and her sister-in-law, whom she called a "control freak." CNN apologized to viewers and the White House.[11]
  • In August 2007, Australian journalist Kerry O'Brien, presenter of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's The 7.30 Report, was recorded criticising his production staff for a mishap with the teleprompter while a story was running.[12]
  • On 12 May 2008, as a live news teaser was played, Sue Simmons was reportedly heard angrily exclaiming to a co-worker (later revealed to be Chuck Scarborough), "What the fuck are you doing?"[13] She later apologized on-air for her inappropriate language.[14][15] Simmons has said she was attempting to get the attention of Scarborough, who was preoccupied with his computer, but did not realize her microphone was still on.[16]
  • On 14 August 2008, actor Ernest Borgnine was interviewed on Fox News when he was asked about the secret to his longevity. Laughingly Borgnine responded "I don't dare tell you," but then leaned over to whisper into the ear of his interviewer, but the whisper was caught by the microphone; "I masturbate a lot."[17]
  • On 2 March 2009, footage of Dutch news anchor Eva Jinek asking whether to loosen another button on her shirt (which might reveal too much of her cleavage) right before a broadcast, while muttering and shouting mild curses in both English and Dutch, was accidentally leaked to and spread on the Internet. She exclaims "Yeah, boobies!" at one point, continuing with, "Mother of God. Yeah, if you have it, flaunt it!" and citing her mother who might tell her: "I can see your breasts!" She responded the next day, saying she was not annoyed nor embarrassed by the leaked video.[18]
  • Veteran Sky Sports presenters Richard Keys and Andy Gray made remarks that a female referee would not understand the complex offside football rule. This controversy led to Gray being fired and Keys resigning.[19]
  • During a National Football League (NFL) game between the Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts in 2012, during a play that produced a penalty flag, referee Tony Corrente was heard over the loudspeakers of Lucas Oil Stadium saying to a fellow official "that was goddammit!", leading to play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan making a public apology on-air, saying "he didn't know his microphone was on."
  • During a telecast of the 2016 Summer Olympics, CBC commentator Byron MacDonald was caught making an off-hand remark to a colleague discussing the result of the women's 4 × 200 m freestyle swimming relay, stating that a Chinese swimmer "went out like stink, [and] died like a pig." MacDonald and the CBC apologized for the incident.[20]
  • In 2020 during a game between the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals, American broadcaster Thom Brennaman was caught on air calling an unidentified city "one of the fag capitals of the world."[21][22] Brennaman apologized on-air and left the broadcast in the middle of the second game of the doubleheader; Jim Day provided commentary after the top of the fifth inning; Brennaman was suspended after the game's end.[23]

Political
Main article: Political gaffes
  • At the height of the Cold War in 1984, U.S. President Ronald Reagan was about to appear on a radio interview and, as a soundcheck, said "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes." The comment, while not actually broadcast, did eventually spread via rumor around the world. It was not appreciated in Moscow.[24]
  • On 16 February 1993, U.S. President Bill Clinton snapped at an aide "Listen, goddamn it. Come here. You can't do that. You can't take me out here with a mayor and a congresswoman and push them back" after a member of his staff tried to prevent Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton from joining the President walking to a porch for a photo opportunity with construction workers.[25]
  • In 1993 British Prime Minister John Major, after an interview with ITN political editor Michael Brunson, forgot about the recording equipment. He said it was pointless expelling Eurosceptic Cabinet members as "we don't want another three more of the bastards out there."[5][26]
  • Following the 1994 State of the Union Address, Ohio Congressman Martin Hoke was preparing to be interviewed for a live broadcast for a local Cleveland television station. After being outfitted with a microphone by a female producer, Hoke remarked to another congressman that "She's got ze beega breasts" in a mock Italian accent. Although not broadcast live, the remark was recorded and was the subject of a report by The Washington Post the following day.[27]
  • Just before a campaign speech during his 2000 presidential campaign, George W. Bush described New York Times reporter Adam Clymer as a "major league asshole" to his running mate Dick Cheney, whose response ("big time") was also audible. The media reaction was intense, with news stations repeatedly broadcasting it and the New York Post running two pages about the incident.[26][28] Bush said of the incident: "I regret that a private comment I made to the vice-presidential candidate made it onto the public airwaves. I regret everybody heard what I said."[29][30]
  • During a televised debate between U.S. presidential candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore during the 2000 presidential campaign, Gore's sighs (in response to some of Bush's statements) were heard through Gore's live microphone. In regard to the incident, Gore was quoted as saying "Both the governor and I have learned lessons about when the microphone is on, and when it's off."[31]
  • On 11 March 2004, following a satellite address to the AFL-CIO, U.S. presidential candidate John Kerry turned to one of the Union workers he was standing near and said "Oh yeah, don't worry man. We're going to keep pounding, let me tell you -- we're just beginning to fight here. These guys are the most crooked, you know, lying group of people I've ever seen." Although being removed by an assistant at the time, Kerry's microphone was still live and captured his statement.[32] His words were presumed to be directed at his political rivals, the U.S. Republican Party and U.S. President George W. Bush. Kerry spokesman David Wade later claimed that Kerry was indeed aware that his microphone was recording and was not referring to Republicans in general but to their use of "crooked, deceitful, personal attacks over the last four years."[33]
  • On 1 July 2006 a technician did not turn off the audio feed during a closed-door lunch between U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov amongst others. Journalists, on listening to the 20-minute broadcast, referred to the conversation as "bickering" about the Iraqi aid programme.[34]
  • On 17 July 2006 a private conversation, afterwards known as "Yo, Blair", between U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the G8 Summit in St. Petersburg was picked up by a nearby microphone. Bush told Blair he hoped the UN would "get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit" (referring to Syria's influence over and support of Hezbollah in the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon), and that by doing so, the crisis would be over. This was reaffirmed by the suggestion to "get Kofi [Annan] on the phone with [Bashar] Assad and make something happen." He also stated that Condoleezza Rice would visit the area.[35][36]
  • On 19 October 2006 during an official meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin was overheard praising Israeli President Moshe Katsav for raping ten employees of his office.[37]
  • Before a Fox News interview on 6 July 2008, a live microphone picked up Jesse Jackson whispering to a fellow guest: "See, Barack's been, ah, talking down to black people on this faith-based... I want to cut his nuts out... Barack, he's talking down to black people" in an apparent response to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's recent speeches on values.[38]
  • In March 2010, Joe Biden described the Affordable Care Act as "a big fucking deal" to President Obama, which was picked up by the microphones.[39]
  • On 28 April 2010 British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was caught on microphone describing an encounter with a female voter as a "disaster" and called her a "bigoted woman".[40]
  • In June 2010, US Republican Senate nominee from California Carly Fiorina criticised the hair of her Democratic opponent, Barbara Boxer when she did not realise her microphone was on during an interview for CNN.[41] There was popular question as to whether this was staged as an attempt to undermine respect for Boxer, or whether it was an honest mistake.
  • On 8 November 2011 a private conversation between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and U.S. President Barack Obama was overheard criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Sarkozy branded Netanyahu as a 'liar' and Obama expressed his displeasure with having to deal with Netanyahu on a regular basis.[42]
  • On 26 March 2012 at the tail end of his 90-minute meeting with the outgoing Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, President Obama said that he would have "more flexibility" to deal with controversial issues such as missile defense. He was heard telling Medvedev, "On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be solved but it's important for him to give me space." Medvedev told the president in English, "Yeah, I understand. I understand your message about space. Space for you…" and President Obama continued his statement with, "This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility." Medvedev responded saying, again in English, "I understand. I will transmit this information to Vladimir."[43] (See also the US missile defense complex in Poland.)
  • On 11 September 2015, Australian immigration minister Peter Dutton shared a joke with Prime Minister Tony Abbott, referring to a late meeting as running to "Cape York time", and when Abbott replied that "We had a bit of that up in Port Moresby.", Dutton responded with "Time doesn't mean anything when you're about to have water lapping at your door."—a reference to sea level rise in the Pacific islands. Social services minister Scott Morrison then drew their attention to the boom microphone above their heads.[44]
  • On 25 July 2017, following a United States Senate Appropriations subcommittee meeting, Maine Senator Susan Collins was caught making disparaging statements about Texas Congressman Blake Farenthold. Collins, talking to Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed, asks him if he heard about Farenthold wanting to challenge her to a duel. Reed asserts that the congressman did so because Collins "could beat the shit out of him." She then goes on to call Farenthold a "fat guy, he huge" and "so unattractive, it's unbelievable" and references a photo of the congressman at a costume party in pajamas next to a "Playboy bunny." Farenthold had previously apologized to Collins for his comments about Collins, and the senator, in turn, apologized to Farenthold for hers.[45]
  • On 21 August 2020, at a virtual Senate hearing about the 2020 United States Postal Service crisis, senator Tom Carper, apparently speaking to an aide, said "fuck, fuck, fuck," while his microphone was unmuted.[46]

Other
  • Britney Spears, about to go out in front of her largest ever concert audience in Rio de Janeiro in 2001, allegedly complained about the organization of her entourage, saying, "Don't tell me that they're just letting the audience just fucking stand out there like that. Oh my God! This is retarded." Her record company denied that it was Spears' voice that was broadcast to the 170,000 in attendance at the event.[5][26]
  • In March 2005 Prince Charles was heard saying, "Bloody people. I can't stand that man [referring to Nicholas Witchell]. He's so awful, he really is." He was heard to say this while posing for photographers with his sons in Klosters, Switzerland.[5][47]
  • On 4 November 2010, radio host Don Imus was caught on a hot mic mocking an advertisement for the charity Kars4Kids during a commercial break, calling them a "moron" and telling them to "go to hell". Imus apologized the next day for the gaffe.[48][49]
  • A fictional example was featured in the U.S political drama The West Wing, in the season 3 episode "The U.S. Poet Laureate" which showed various aspects of the situation, the reactions, criticisms and responses, ending with the suggestion that the gaffe might have been intentional.

See also

References
  1. Article at The Sydney Morning Herald
  2. Transcript, Media Watch, 26 June 2000, Media Watch, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 26 June 2000. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  3. "Breasts across British Columbia" Archived 30 September 2005 at the Wayback Machine, Salon.com, 4 December 2000.
  4. Hughes, Graham. Buzzle.com. 27 April 2004. "Big Ron's big gaffe." Accessed 30 August 2006.
  5. Webster, Nick. Mirror.co.uk. 18 July 2006. "Oops! More gaffes you weren't meant to hear." Accessed 20 August 2006.
  6. Fahrenthold, David A. (7 October 2016). "Trump recorded having extremely lewd conversation about women in 2005". The Washington Post. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  7. Canham, Matt; Burr, Thomas (8 October 2016). Utah Gov. Herbert and Rep. Chaffetz pull Trump endorsements, Huntsman says Trump should drop out after explicit video leaks, Salt Lake Tribune.
  8. Vitali, Ali; Sarlin, Benjy Sarlin (8 October 2016) "Donald Trump Defiant as Top Republicans Flee Candidacy". NBC News.
  9. Flanagan, Jeffrey. The Kansas City Star. 21 March 2006. "Former Metro Sports anchor has slip of tongue on ESPN." Accessed 30 August 2006.
  10. ABC News Australia. 8 August 2006. "Dean Jones sacked over 'terrorist' slur." Accessed 30 August 2006.
  11. BBC News. 30 August 2005. "CNN says sorry for live mic gaffe." Accessed 30 August 2006.
  12. Kerry O'Brien loses it on Aussie TV, The 7.30 Report, Australian Broadcasting Corporation via YouTube, 13 August 2007. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  13. Thielman, Sam (22 May 2008). "WNBC shuffles news anchors". Variety. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  14. Kaplan, Don (26 September 2012). "Sue Simmons tells 'Joy Behar: Say Anything!' she cried in the final days: 'I didn't think it was going to end, but it did'". Daily News. New York. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  15. "Sue Simmons Wants to Know What the F**k You Are Doing". New York Magazine. 13 May 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  16. Sue Simmons explains why she dropped the f-bomb. YouTube. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  17. "Anchors Floored After Mic Picks Up Ernest Borgnine's Shock Secret to Long Life". Breitbart.tv. 14 August 2008.
  18. "Eva Jinek NOS Journaal Boobies, knoopjes, moeder en meer. Reactie in De Wereld Draait Door". YouTube (in Dutch).
  19. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. "CBC apologizes after Olympic commentator says Chinese swimmer 'went out like stink, died like a pig'". National Post. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  21. Pickman, Ben. "Reds Broadcaster Uses Anti-LGBTQ Slur on Air, Replaced Mid-Game". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  22. Planalp, Brian. "WATCH: Reds broadcaster Thom Brennaman uses homophobic slur on air, apologizes". fox19.com. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  23. "Reds announcer Thom Brennaman suspended after using homophobic slur". sportingnews.com. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  24. Reagan, Ronald. Audio of Radio Blooper (mp3). 19 August 1984. "". Retrieved 1 September 2006.
  25. Seattle Times
  26. BBC News. 29 January 2001. "Curse of the open mic"
  27. Eric Konigsberg (9 February 1998). "Washington's Sexual Awakening". New York Magazine. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  28. 6 September 2000. "US networks relish Bush's gaffe". Accessed 30 August 2006.
  29. Urban Legends Reference Pages. 27 April 2004. "Major League Remark". Accessed 31 August 2006.
  30. Guardian Unlimited. 5 September 2000. "Bush makes major league gaffe". Accessed 31 August 2006.
  31. Johnson, Glen (10 November 2000). "Gore campaign tactics show divisive leadership, Bush asserts". Boston.com.
  32. "Kerry blasts 'crooked' Republicans". CNN.com. 11 March 2004.
  33. "Kerry: Comment aimed at 'attack dogs'". CNN.com. 11 March 2004.
  34. Blomfield, Adrian. The Daily Telegraph. 1 July 2006. "Condi and Sergei air differences over an open microphone". Accessed 30 August 2006.
  35. BBC News. 17 July 2005. "Bush lunch chat is caught on tape". Accessed 30 August 2006.
  36. CNN. 21 July 2006. "Bush, Blair laugh off microphone mishap". Accessed 30 August 2006.
  37. "Putin's Remarks of President Katsav's Might Puzzle Israeli Delegation". MosNews. 19 October 2006. Archived from the original on 9 November 2006. Retrieved 7 November 2006.
  38. Goldenberg, Suzanne (10 July 2008). "US election 2008: 'I want to cut his nuts out' - Jackson gaffe turns focus on Obama's move to the right". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  39. Adams, Richard (23 March 2010). "Joe Biden: 'This is a big fucking deal'". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  40. "Gordon Brown 'mortified' by his 'bigoted woman' slur". BBC News. 28 April 2010.
  41. Carly Fiorina Open Mic Gaffe, The Early Show, CBS, 10 June 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  42. The Guardian. 8 November 2011. "Sarkozy and Obama's Netanyahu gaffe broadcast via microphones" Accessed 8 November 2011.
  43. "Barack Obama gaffe caught on microphone". The Telegraph. 26 March 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  44. Knott, Matthew (13 September 2015). "Peter Dutton apologises for microphone gaffe". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  45. Quinn, Melissa (25 July 2017). "Sen. Collins apologizes to Rep. Blake Farenthold for calling him 'fat' and 'unattractive'". The Washington Examiner. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  46. Swanson, Ian (21 August 2020). "Democratic senator swears on-air at Postal Service hearing: 'F---, f---, f---'". TheHill. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  47. Times Online. 31 March 2005. "Charles attacks 'bloody press' in microphone gaffe." Accessed 30 August 2006.
  48. "1-877-KARS-4-KIDS: Behind the Most Hated (and Best) Jingle of All Time". Noisey. Vice. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  49. "MORNING ROUNDUP: Don Imus Apologizes for Telling Kids' Charity Singer to 'Go to Hell'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
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