‘That’s bupkis’: Jake defends Martha Stewart’s homeless Halloween costume but doubts her explanation

KIRO host Jake Skorheim defended Martha Stewart’s Halloween costume as a homeless person. He drew the line at her explanation that the costume was meant to raise awareness about homelessness.

“That’s bupkis, by the way,” Jake said on “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio.

Stewart posted a photo of herself in a tattered sweater and jeans, with smeared makeup on her face, holding a sign that read, “I am hungry. Help me,” according to ABC News. She deleted the photo after it drew backlash on social media.

 

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‘It’s a great costume’

KIRO host Spike O’Neill described the scene in the photo: Stewart standing in front of her home with her two dogs.

“And Martha Stewart’s standing in front of her house with her two dogs, both of which cost more than my house,” Spike said. “Martha’s a rescue in this picture. She’s posting herself as a homeless person.”

Jake didn’t see a problem.

“I have zero problems with this. It’s a great costume,” Jake said.

He was most amused by the clipboard Stewart used for her sign.

“She literally couldn’t find cardboard at her house. She only has a clipboard, which is hilarious,” Jake said.

He believes she pulled off the look.

“And if I saw her, I would think she was actually kind of like a crazy sad old lady,” Jake said.

“She wears it well,” Spike said.

Jake noted that Stewart, who served five months in federal prison in 2004 and 2005 after a conviction tied to a stock sale, has some experience with hard times.

“She knows she’s got street cred,” Jake said.

Jake recalls childhood costumes

Jake argued that the costume is no different from what plenty of kids wore when he was growing up.

“It’s a Halloween costume, folks. When I was a kid, everybody dressed up as a hobo. That’s the easiest thing to dress up as,” Jake said.

He remembered his sister pulling clothes out of the garbage to make one, at a time when most families made their own costumes.

“It wasn’t disrespectful to hobos,” Jake said.

Jake and Spike question the first statement

Stewart initially told Page Six that she was “distressed” by the reaction.

“I am distressed that my Halloween costume yesterday, which was intended to bring more awareness to the very serious subject of homelessness, has offended people, which was never my intention,” Stewart said in the statement.

Jake didn’t believe she wore the costume to raise awareness, and Spike agreed.

Stewart’s statement went on to describe homelessness as one of America’s greatest challenges and a cause she supports through charities. Jake pointed to the gap between that message and the photo.

“I missed that when she was dressing up as a hobo and with her clipboard,” Jake said.

Stewart later went further. In a statement on Instagram, she called the costume “insensitive and not funny,” according to ABC News.

“It’s hard to admit when you’ve really screwed up,” Stewart said. “My earlier statement didn’t go far enough. I know many people are suffering economically. Wearing a costume like I did was insensitive and not funny. I am very sorry.”

Jake still had kind words for her.

“But God bless her for trying,” Jake said.

Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.