--- title: Beto O'Rourke Apologizes For Comments in 1991 Musical Review description: U.S. Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke apologized for his "demeaning" comments about women in a 1991 review he wrote for his college newspaper. canonical: https://time.com/5412407/beto-orourke-musical-review-apology/ author: Jennifer Calfas article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-10-02T13:05:47.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:53:09.333Z article:section: Politics og:title: Beto O'Rourke Apologizes For 'Demeaning Comments About Women' in 1991 Musical Review og:description: A review from his college paper resurfaced this week og:url: https://time.com/5412407/beto-orourke-musical-review-apology/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8641af5b7c599d5e/69893b9922fb85b094e26cc3/beto-orourke.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5046 og:image:height: 2838 og:image:alt: Texas Senate Candidates Ted Cruz And Beto O'Rourke Debate In Dallas og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Beto O'Rourke Apologizes For 'Demeaning Comments About Women' in 1991 Musical Review twitter:description: A review from his college paper resurfaced this week twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8641af5b7c599d5e/69893b9922fb85b094e26cc3/beto-orourke.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Beto O'Rourke Apologizes for 'Demeaning Comments About Women' in 1991 Musical Review > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=2f50f4d8-efd5-4fcc-b7c5-bb4b83ee4efd&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Showing Up Beto O'Rourke's Campaign Ad [Watch (HLS stream): Showing Up Beto O'Rourke's Campaign Ad](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/HO05EkAJ.m3u8) (1:00)  _Published 2018-09-01. Showing Up Beto O'Rourke's Campaign Ad_ by [Jennifer Calfas](https://time.com/author/jennifer-calfas/) ## Jennifer Calfas Oct 2, 2018 1:05 PM UTC  Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-TX) makes a point in a debate with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) at McFarlin Auditorium at SMU on September 21, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-TX) makes a point in a debate with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) at McFarlin Auditorium at SMU on September 21, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. Getty Images by [Jennifer Calfas](https://time.com/author/jennifer-calfas/) ## Jennifer Calfas Oct 2, 2018 1:05 PM UTC U.S. Senate candidate [Beto O’Rourke](http://time.com/longform/beto-orourke-texas-democratic-senate-race/) apologized for “disrespectful and demeaning comments about women” he made in a 1991 musical theater review published in his college newspaper that resurfaced Monday. “I am ashamed of what I wrote and I apologize,” the Texas Democrat said in a statement, [according to Politico](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/01/beto-orourke-musical-review-855385). “There is no excuse for making disrespectful and demeaning comments about women.” The apology came after Politico resurfaced O’Rourke’s 1991 review of “The Will Rogers Follies” in the Columbia University student newspaper, [the Columbia _Daily Spectator_](http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/?a=d&d=cs19911010-01.2.35&srpos=3&). (Politico reported that it received a tip about the newspaper column by “a person who opposes O’Rourke’s Senate campaign” against Sen. Ted Cruz.) As a 19-year-old college student in 1991, O’Rourke called the musical “one of the most glaring examples of the sickening excesses and moral degradations of our culture” and wrote the show’s actresses’ “only qualifications seem to be their phenomenally large breasts and tight buttocks.” At the end of the review, O’Rourke said he “was the youngest person in the crowd by about 60 years.” “Though I found it revolting,” he wrote, “most people from that long-ago, faraway generation really enjoyed the show, and were very pleased with the performances.” As a Democratic challenger, O’Rourke has come within single digits in the polls against Cruz, who is running for reelection. Throughout his campaign, O’Rourke [has addressed](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/beto-orourke-dwi-episode-in-1998-included-car-crash-and-alleged-attempt-to-flee/2018/08/31/6fff5bb8-ad3a-11e8-8a0c-70b618c98d3c%5Fstory.html?noredirect=on&utm%5Fterm=.daf4e1e585df) his 1998 drunken driving arrest — “a serious mistake” he has “publicly discussed over the last 20 years,” he says. And the Texas Republican Party [shared old photos](http://time.com/5381919/beto-orourke-punk-rock/) of the Democrat on Twitter, but fans of O’Rourke’s found humor in the photo dump. ## Transcript The only way for me to be able to deliver to the people of Texas is to show up in every single community, in every county. To drive to all 254 counties. We've been in Houston, we've been in Dallas, we've been in Austin, we've been in Georgetown. [ INAUDIBLE ], San Benito, Brian, Texas, San Marcos Being here again in Amarillo Just human beings, real people making this happen. Regardless of party or background or geography, we have to be the inspiration for our fellow Texans and our fellow Americans. No one will be taken for granted, no one will be written off. Come out and share what's on your mind, meet your neighbors. Everyone is welcome and we really mean everyone. We gotta work with others who sometime don't see things the way that we do. Beyond [ UNKNOWN ] jsut the poer of people we are the [ UNKNOWN ] contribution corporation. Because you put me into this position of public trust and I serve only you. That's the beauty of this campaign right now. No pacts, just people. Thank you. 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