Stacey Dash is known for her outspoken conservative views, which she dishes out on a regular basis as a Fox New contributor.
However, Stacey Dash seemed to be caught a little off guard when she sat down to chat with Meredith Vieira on Wednesday’s episode of The Meredith Vieira Show.
Of course, Stacey Dash had to answer some tough questions posed to her by Vieira on her political views, as they take complete opposite stances on most politically charged topics.
But, one topic in particular pitted Stacey Dash and Meredith Vieira against each other in a rather heated discussion: the gender pay gap.
Watch the exchange:
When Vieira asked Stacey Dash why she took issue with a recent video featuring Rita Wilson that highlighted women’s struggle for equal pay in Hollywood, Washington, and Fortune 500 companies, Stacey Dash tried her hardest to defend herself.
Stacey Dash said, “I feel like it’s an excuse. It’s the same thing with race. It’s an excuse. Stop making excuses.”
She added, “If there are opportunities, seize them and be prepared for them, and be the best, if that’s what it takes. If you have to be extraordinary, then be extraordinary.”
Meredith Vieira then threw out some statistics to support her argument and implied that sometimes being extraordinary isn’t good enough if you’re a woman.
Vieira said, “I feel like we’re fighting an uphill battle. When you look at just the numbers, we make 78 cents for every dollar that a man makes. At the rate we’re going, my daughter, who’s 22, will be 65 when there’s finally pay equality. There’s something wrong, something clearly wrong.”
Stacey Dash then seemed to questioned her data, saying, “I don’t know if that’s true.”
But, Vieira quickly said, “That’s true, that’s documented.”
Stacey Dash clarified herself by saying, “I feel like your daughter will be able to make as much money as she wants in her life. Just like you are — I mean, look at you.”
Vieira acknowledged that she is quite successful, but that it took a lot of hard work and added that, along the way, her male colleagues made more money than she did.
Stacey Dash replied, “I guess I won’t put my fate into anything other than my own action, and taking my destiny in my hands. I will not be a victim.”
Vieira quickly cut in, saying, “I’m not saying I’m a victim. I’m pissed off,” for which she got a round of applause.
Stacey Dash acknowledged her right to be pissed off, but told her to just work harder. She said, “And that’s the thing: If you want to be pissed off about it, then be pissed off about it and work harder for it. Because there is a law passed that we get equal pay.”
“Except we don’t,” Vieira argued back. “We don’t. We don’t.”
That was quite the heated exchange between Stacey Dash and Meredith Vieira! Who’s stance do you agree with more on the hot-button issue of gender pay equality?
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