When public actions intended to raise attention to a social or political issue cross the line into vandalism and the damage of others’ property, a moral dilemma emerges. When these actions are reported as news, one consequence is the appearance of “copycat” acts that were inspired by the original acts.

Greg Gutfield, anchor of the Fox News program “Gutfield!”, is well-known for speaking his mind on his program.

Recently, during a segment with Gutfield as a guest on “The Five” on Monday, a videotape of two Just Stop Oil campaigners — one with pink hair — flinging a can of tomato soup on Vincent Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” at the National Gallery of Art in London was shown. The Fox network also produces “The Five.”

After the two activists spilled soup on the Van Gogh painting, they each affixed one hand to the wall beneath it, presumably in an effort to attract attention to causes they deemed more pressing than the defacement of a privately held artwork.

“What is worth more, art or life? Is it worth more than food? Worth more than justice? Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting or the protection of our planet and people? The cost of living crisis is part of the cost of the oil crisis, fuel is unaffordable to millions of cold, hungry families. They can’t even afford to heat a tin of soup,” one of the activists said, according to reports.

Just Stop Oil has been demonstrating in the U.K.’s capital for the last two weeks, according to CNBC, adding that the group’s actions were “in response to the government’s inaction on both the cost of living crisis and the climate crisis.”

The two activists were detained, and museum authorities said that the artwork itself was uninjured since it was protected by a pane of glass.

In the tape, Gutfeld can be heard stating off-camera, “Let’s not show it.” “Do not display it.” Gutfeld explained that the media’s exaggeration of the incident is why such stunts continue to occur, prompting Tarlov to respond, “No, I don’t think we even have it.” However, the clip began playing immediately after, which enraged Gutfeld, who went on to say that the media’s amplification of the incident is why such stunts continue to occur.

Gutfeld did not conceal his anger at his own network for airing the video of climate activists defacing a renowned painting with a can of soup in recent days, dubbing them “idiots” for “playing this nonsense.”

More on this story via The Republic Brief:

“This is why it works!” Gutfeld replied. “This is why it works because we’re idiots because we play it. This is why these people are brilliant because you saw this originally at sporting events.”

Co-host Jeanine Pirro disagreed but Gutfeld was not to be stopped. “Once … yes, this is a brilliant play,” he added. “We’re not supposed to play this crap. We’re amplifying their stupid silly message. But I get it. It’s fun to watch,” he said. CONTINUE READING…