Spring Break
Why we shouldn't listen to O'Reilly's hypocritical rants
Patrick Fancher
Issue date: 4/13/09 Section: Forum
We've all been fans of magic at some point in our lives. My personal favorite act is when the magician makes an object disappear. Whether the act is real or simply a ruse, I can't help but feel envious of the performer's ability.
During spring break, I was thinking about people who annoy me and how gratifying it would be to see them vanish. Unfortunately, I'm not a magician. The best I can do is vent my frustrations in written form or, to quote Peter Griffin from "Family Guy" I can tell you about "what really grinds my gears."
Fox News conservative pundit Bill O'Reilly has been relentlessly complaining about some of pop culture's most well-known - yet controversial - celebrities on his show and through the media for a while now. I began to notice his behavior years back when a close friend of mine, for reasons I will never fully understand, recommended I watch Fox News and in particular The O'Reilly Factor.
At first, I was mildly amused by the concept of his "No Spin Zone" and how O'Reilly, much like the majority of Fox News correspondents, was able to defend the bone-headed decision-making of our former president with a straight face. But one day I noticed O'Reilly started taking his commentary in a different direction and began going after people he believed were corrupting America's youth. Much to my surprise, his protests proved effective.
He had enough sway to get hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg removed from a cameo he made in a Muppets movie in 2002, while also getting Pepsi to back out of an endorsement deal with hip-hop artist Ludacris.
He cited Snoop Dogg's past marijuana use and criminal history as the reasons behind his protests; the two men still exchange harsh words through the media to this day.
O'Reilly said that Pepsi hiring Ludacris as a spokesperson was "immoral" and would have a negative influence on impressionable children, according to Entertainment Weekly. He successfully boycotted the popular soft drink, and Ludacris never appeared in any Pepsi advertisements. Much like Snoop Dogg, Ludacris doesn't have anything nice to say about Bill O'Reilly.
During spring break, I was thinking about people who annoy me and how gratifying it would be to see them vanish. Unfortunately, I'm not a magician. The best I can do is vent my frustrations in written form or, to quote Peter Griffin from "Family Guy" I can tell you about "what really grinds my gears."
Fox News conservative pundit Bill O'Reilly has been relentlessly complaining about some of pop culture's most well-known - yet controversial - celebrities on his show and through the media for a while now. I began to notice his behavior years back when a close friend of mine, for reasons I will never fully understand, recommended I watch Fox News and in particular The O'Reilly Factor.
At first, I was mildly amused by the concept of his "No Spin Zone" and how O'Reilly, much like the majority of Fox News correspondents, was able to defend the bone-headed decision-making of our former president with a straight face. But one day I noticed O'Reilly started taking his commentary in a different direction and began going after people he believed were corrupting America's youth. Much to my surprise, his protests proved effective.
He had enough sway to get hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg removed from a cameo he made in a Muppets movie in 2002, while also getting Pepsi to back out of an endorsement deal with hip-hop artist Ludacris.
He cited Snoop Dogg's past marijuana use and criminal history as the reasons behind his protests; the two men still exchange harsh words through the media to this day.
O'Reilly said that Pepsi hiring Ludacris as a spokesperson was "immoral" and would have a negative influence on impressionable children, according to Entertainment Weekly. He successfully boycotted the popular soft drink, and Ludacris never appeared in any Pepsi advertisements. Much like Snoop Dogg, Ludacris doesn't have anything nice to say about Bill O'Reilly.
Note: writers will not reply to comments.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 2
JPC
posted 4/13/09 @ 10:03 AM PST
This column is really weak.
O'Reilly is indeed an egomaniac, probably more so than any commentator whether on TV or radio. However, it seems you're implying that he is against freedom of speech when I'm certain he gave specific reasons for his outcry against Eminem. (Continued…)
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