HuffPostOh, Geraldo Rivera.
The Fox News contributor, and recent Celebrity Apprentice star, stopped by HuffPost Live earlier today and got into a cringe-worthy conversation with host Josh Zepps.
Rivera—who deems himself a "militant moderate" who favors immigration reform, abortion rights and gay marriage—explained why he thinks hip-hop music has been more "damaging" than racism over the last decade.
"Hip-hop has done more damage to black and brown people than racism in the last 10 years. When you find the youngster—a Puerto Rican from the South Bronx or a black kid from Harlem—who has succeeded in life other than being the one-tenth of one-tenth of one percent that makes it in the music business, that's been a success in life with his pants around his ass and with visible tattoos. It's this whole ethos."
He continued, "And I love Russell Simmons. He's a dear friend of mine. I admire his business acumen. At some point, those guys have to cop to the fact that by encouraging this distinctive culture that is removed from the mainstream, they have encouraged people to be so different from the mainstream that they can't participate other than, you know, the racks in the garment center and those entry-level jobs, and I lament it. I really do. I think that it has been very destructive culturally."
Zepps, who appears to be completely gobsmacked by the rant, replies, "I don't want to go down an entire racial hole because there are a lot of potential explanations for why there is alienation in minority communities [outside of] hip-hop."
To which Rivera answers, "Oh, of course, but I think fashion plays a part."