At a time when people were commonly typed by their religious beliefs and when the charge of godlessness was a serious one, the accusation of placing yourself above the Creator was not to be shrugged off lightly.
"The accusation that the NBC broadcasts may provoke copycat attacks - the most serious charge against the network - appears to rest on a notion of severe mental illness as contagious, " wrote Bronwen Maddox of the Times.
But there was one accusation hurled by Icahn that was not just a school yard insult, it was a serious allegation, and Ackman made sure to respond to it firmly.