ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — A former Newfoundland radio station announcer is defending a tweet he sent that said a young woman would get more online viewers if she showed herself stripping rather than playing video games.
Joel North released a 10-minute podcast on Monday evening saying he's not going to apologize because there is nothing offensive about being a stripper.
He says strippers are often self-employed entrepreneurs who are funding their education and he will not apologize because it would be an insult to female strippers.
The original tweet that drew criticism was directed at a woman last week who had invited her followers to watch a live stream of her playing a video game.
North, then an announcer for Coast 101.1 in St. John's, responded: "You'd get more viewers if you were stripping."
The woman dismissed the comment, but a growing social media backlash included criticism from the St. John's Status of Women Council / Women's Centre.
The general manager of Coast 101.1 said Saturday in an open letter the tweet was inappropriate and the staff member who sent it was "no longer an employee" of the station.
In his podcast, North said he resigned because he felt the social media criticism of him was damaging the station.
