My father has been thrusting Bill O Reilly's book "The Culture Wars" at me lately. Dad's seriously wanting me to absorb the muse of this great thinker, the self actualized creater of "the No Spin Zone".
"But dad", I said, "doesn't it trouble you that this guy has this huge Dick Morris like sex scandal in his background...which he had to settle out of court?"
"What are you talking about? I don't believe that!"
I prepared for our usual FOX inspired liberal media bias debate, but thankfully none came my way.
It's getting really tough to have heros these days. Doesn't matter which side of the political fence you're on.
But one reality stands out-the largest figures on both the right and left usually only have expertise in one field and one field only.
Talking.
And sometimes they don't even do that very well.
Take Bill O' Reilly. He's in all sorts of hot water after speculating about the mental mindset of a kidnapped kid, the kid's motives for escaping or not escaping. http://www.atlargely.com/2007/01/fox_pundits_cla.html
As if O' Reilly has any grounds or experience in dealing with the mental state of an 11 year old kidnapping victim. But then when has the FOX news network ever practised any responsible attempt at journalism?
O' Reilly is still smarting from the factual smack down he received after commenting and questioning the conduct on another case, one that the facts have demonstrated that he obviously knew nothing about. http://www.benningtonbanner.com/columnists/ci_5028977
Because of O Reilly's (and others in the "news media") questioning of their son's integrity, the parents of that now 14 year old kid were basically forced to go on Oprah and do "one big interview" (to end all the little interviews) and hopefully discourage the media compound camped out on their front door. It was an end run to beat the speculation frenzy that's resulted since their son's freedom.
But then sex advice column author Dan Savage weighed in, completely ignoring what O' Reilly did to set up this frenzy. Savage seems to suggest that Oprah is to blame. He wonders what damage she's inflicted and speculates about the timing of such an interview. Did Oprah step over the line with the kid by asking if he was abused (voicing the very question on everyone's mind), and aren't the parents nit wits for going on the show? http://www.thestranger.com/blog/2007/01/oprah_goes_there
So let's get this right...all the non-experts are the honorable experts and the parents and kid who've been living through their nightmare are the ones full of motives and less than honorable intentions?
Actually I'd say the parents are pretty savy. Now that the sexual abuse part of the equation has been addressed, when all this comes to trial it will be old news. Their son hopefully won't have to deal with round II of an endless barage of reporters asking increasingly prying questions because the public will have already moved on. Score one for the parents against the so called "experts" such as O' Reilly and Savage.
Oh yeah and check out the Colbert report. Seems O' Reilly just made a personal appearance on Comedy Central. Can we dare hope that he's actually searching for a venue where his talents will actually shine their brightest? Political comedy anyone?http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_colbert_report/videos/celebrity_interviews/index.jhtml
1 comment:
I was pretty surprised that major media personalities were asking such questions. As if it is any of their business for one thing, and for another....it's an 11 yo kid for Gods sake. The parents did the right thing. Oprah did not. O'reilly is an asshole.
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