In the high-stakes world of cable news, words matter. Nicknames matter even more. And this week, Fox News found itself at the center of a media storm after Jesse Watters revived a moniker for Maria Bartiromo that she has reportedly despised for decades. What began as a casual anecdote on The Five quickly spiraled into a broader conversation about sexism, credibility, and the fine line between nostalgia and disrespect.

A Joke That Fell Flat

It all started on the September 1 broadcast of The Five, when the panelists were trading lighthearted stories about their first jobs. Watters, reminiscing about his time as an intern at the New York Stock Exchange, recalled seeing Maria Bartiromo in her early days as a CNBC correspondent.

“Maria Bartiromo was there and everybody called her Money Honey,” Watters quipped with a grin. “Later, we worked together at Fox News. Isn’t that great? I actually work with Money Honey. And I’ve been working with Money Honey for all these years.”

The studio chuckled, but not everyone was amused.

A Name with a Loaded History

For Bartiromo, the nickname “Money Honey” is no ordinary jab. It originated in the 1990s, when tabloids latched onto her image as an attractive woman covering Wall Street—reducing her sharp financial reporting to a mere punchline about her appearance. While some viewers may have found the moniker endearing, many critics (and Bartiromo herself) believed it undermined her professional credibility.

Greg Gutfeld, sitting alongside Watters, quickly interjected: “She does not like that name.”

Co-panelist Lisa Kennedy confirmed the tension, recalling how Bartiromo had bristled when Watters used the term in person. “She was not terribly pleased,” Kennedy said flatly.

But Watters brushed it off, responding with mock innocence: “Does she not like that name?” Then, in a move that shocked even his colleagues, he attempted to justify it with a political twist: “We can say it—Trump is in office.”

From CNBC Darling to Trump Loyalist

Maria Bartiromo’s career trajectory has been anything but ordinary. After making her name at CNBC as one of the first female journalists to report live from the New York Stock Exchange floor, she joined Fox News in 2013, bringing instant prestige to the network’s business coverage.

Over time, however, her brand shifted. Once celebrated as a hard-nosed financial reporter, Bartiromo became a vocal supporter of Donald Trump during his presidency, conducting interviews that critics argued were more like campaign promotions than journalistic interrogations. Supporters praised her loyalty; detractors accused her of sacrificing credibility for access.

Through it all, the shadow of Money Honey lingered—a nickname that reminded her, perhaps cruelly, of how quickly women in media can be boxed in by labels they didn’t choose.

The Double Standard

The resurfacing of this nickname raises a broader question: would any male anchor have to endure being defined by a tabloid moniker decades after proving himself? Bartiromo, now 57, has hosted multiple flagship shows, built a reputation as one of the most recognizable financial journalists in America, and influenced political discourse at the highest levels. And yet, to Jesse Watters, she is still “Money Honey.”

The tension is not merely personal—it’s symbolic. It reflects the struggle of women in media to escape reductive branding that clings to them long after it should have been retired.

The Trademark Twist

Ironically, Bartiromo herself once leaned into the nickname. In 2007, she filed trademark applications to use “Money Honey” on a line of children’s products designed to teach financial literacy. The move puzzled many observers: was she reclaiming the insult, or simply capitalizing on her notoriety? Either way, the trademarks eventually expired, leaving the nickname to drift back into the cultural ether—until Watters resurrected it.

Watters Plays with Fire

If Watters expected his colleagues to laugh along, he miscalculated. The panel’s awkward reactions highlighted the uncomfortable truth: calling Bartiromo “Money Honey” in 2025 isn’t nostalgia—it’s provocation.

By shrugging off her well-documented distaste for the term, Watters fueled the perception that he prioritizes a quick laugh or soundbite over respect for his colleagues. Worse, his justification—that Trump’s presence somehow makes the nickname permissible—only added fuel to the fire, tying Bartiromo’s professional image once again to the former president.

The Fallout

For now, Bartiromo herself has remained silent on the incident. But in media circles, the moment has already reignited debate about Fox News’ workplace culture. Critics argue that this exchange reveals an undercurrent of dismissiveness toward female colleagues, while supporters insist it was harmless banter blown out of proportion.

Still, the optics are difficult to ignore: in an era where cable news brands itself as serious journalism, one of its marquee hosts casually mocked a veteran anchor with a nickname she has publicly resented for years.

More Than a Nickname

The real issue is bigger than Maria Bartiromo or Jesse Watters. It’s about the power of names to shape narratives. Once affixed, a label can elevate, diminish, or haunt. For Bartiromo, “Money Honey” is not just a nickname—it is a reminder of how women in positions of power are often forced to fight battles their male counterparts never face.

And for Watters, this controversy is a cautionary tale: in the age of viral clips and heightened sensitivity, even a joke can spiral into a referendum on respect, professionalism, and the line between playful ribbing and public humiliation.

Conclusion

The storm around Jesse Watters and Maria Bartiromo is not merely about a word—it’s about the weight that word carries. To dismiss it as harmless nostalgia is to ignore the decades-long fight women have waged for recognition on their own terms.

Watters may think it’s all in good fun, but to many viewers, the revival of “Money Honey” feels like dragging Bartiromo—and the progress she represents—back into an era she fought hard to leave behind.

And in the cutthroat world of cable news, where credibility is currency, the wrong nickname at the wrong time can cost more than anyone is willing to admit.