Did Bill O’Reilly Pull an Imus?
Picture courtesy of Yahoo News
Bill O’Reilly is on the hot seat for talking about black people. Black people? Most of my friends prefer to be called “African American’s” but let’s move this little tour bus ahead. Next stop is Harlem at a nice little “African American” owned establishment called Sylvia’s and Bill is shocked to see that there is not a rapper crowd sitting down for a great meal? Is it just me or is he a racist with a stereotype opinion of all “African Americans”?
Over at the Washington Post they have this little story on Saints preserve us and save us Billy (I know the world and you better listen to me) O’Reilly pulling an Imus…
Fox's Bill O'Reilly Says His Stereotypes Taken Out of Context
By Paul Farhi
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Bill O'Reilly says he thought he was dispelling stereotypes when he told his radio audience last week about his recent trip to Harlem with the Rev. Al Sharpton. Instead, O'Reilly found himself yesterday fighting accusations of racial insensitivity.
During a 35-minute discussion about race relations last Wednesday on his syndicated "Radio Factor," the pugnacious host repeatedly decried "demeaning" portrayals of African Americans, particularly in hip-hop videos. To illustrate his contention that such images provide a false impression of black culture, he recalled having dinner with Sharpton at Sylvia's, a famous soul-food restaurant in Harlem:
"I couldn't get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia's restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City," he said. "It was exactly the same, even though it's run by blacks [and has a] primarily black patronship. It was the same. And that's really what this society is really all about now here in the U.S.A. There's no difference."
He later added: "There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, '[Expletive], I want some more ice tea.' It was like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb in the sense of people were sitting there ordering and having fun and there wasn't any craziness at all."
His point, he said, is that "some whites fear blacks based on irrational notions. They're afraid to go into Sylvia's, they're afraid to go to Harlem. But there's nothing different in Sylvia's than any other place in the U.S."
The flap -- which CNN's Rick Sanchez covered again in prime time last night -- has faint echoes of the controversy that drove TV and radio host Don Imus from the air in April. In that incident, the Washington-based Media Matters was the first to note Imus's comments about the Rutgers University women's basketball team, and Sharpton was prominent in condemning those remarks. - Washington Post
What I truly find offensive in his so called discussion of race in America is that he was shocked to see that “African American’s” don’t fit into the mold that he has stored away in his own head. What other group of Americans don’t fit into his little fixed mindset? All of us Mick’s must be drunkards and bar room brawlers. All Italian’s must be in the mob and are out to kill him. I’m not even going to guess what he thinks about Polish Americans. Mexican American’s must be all veggie pickers… Sorry Bill Richardson, get off the campaign trail and hit the fields bro! All you people of English descent must be royalty bound snobs in his mind. Russian’s, I’m just guessing but Bill might just put you all in the KGB column. Germans… umm, don’t think about waving at Bill within one thousand feet or he just might place you in the Hitler youth corps category.
His comments don’t need to be taken out of context, he proves it in his own defense. Running to the coat tails of Rev. Al Sharpton, who is on his television show more times than you flush the toilet in the house is not a “Fair and Balanced” judge in this case. Will the good Reverend Sharpton take his bread and butter off the table with a condemnation and forceful real opinion of Bill O’Reilly? I honestly can’t see Rev. Al Sharpton burning O’Reilly no matter what he hears on the tapes. Money talks and Al loves his paycheck from Fox News.
Let’s see if O’Reilly fit’s the Don Imus test of what race relations really are in America. I’m betting that he will not be held accountable simply because Billy says so. At least Don Imus apologized and he was at the least remorseful. That isn’t going to be the route O’Reilly will ever take. He knows he is always right and your opinion is nothing to him.
What do you think?
Papamoka
Bill O’Reilly is on the hot seat for talking about black people. Black people? Most of my friends prefer to be called “African American’s” but let’s move this little tour bus ahead. Next stop is Harlem at a nice little “African American” owned establishment called Sylvia’s and Bill is shocked to see that there is not a rapper crowd sitting down for a great meal? Is it just me or is he a racist with a stereotype opinion of all “African Americans”?
Over at the Washington Post they have this little story on Saints preserve us and save us Billy (I know the world and you better listen to me) O’Reilly pulling an Imus…
Fox's Bill O'Reilly Says His Stereotypes Taken Out of Context
By Paul Farhi
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Bill O'Reilly says he thought he was dispelling stereotypes when he told his radio audience last week about his recent trip to Harlem with the Rev. Al Sharpton. Instead, O'Reilly found himself yesterday fighting accusations of racial insensitivity.
During a 35-minute discussion about race relations last Wednesday on his syndicated "Radio Factor," the pugnacious host repeatedly decried "demeaning" portrayals of African Americans, particularly in hip-hop videos. To illustrate his contention that such images provide a false impression of black culture, he recalled having dinner with Sharpton at Sylvia's, a famous soul-food restaurant in Harlem:
"I couldn't get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia's restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City," he said. "It was exactly the same, even though it's run by blacks [and has a] primarily black patronship. It was the same. And that's really what this society is really all about now here in the U.S.A. There's no difference."
He later added: "There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, '[Expletive], I want some more ice tea.' It was like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb in the sense of people were sitting there ordering and having fun and there wasn't any craziness at all."
His point, he said, is that "some whites fear blacks based on irrational notions. They're afraid to go into Sylvia's, they're afraid to go to Harlem. But there's nothing different in Sylvia's than any other place in the U.S."
The flap -- which CNN's Rick Sanchez covered again in prime time last night -- has faint echoes of the controversy that drove TV and radio host Don Imus from the air in April. In that incident, the Washington-based Media Matters was the first to note Imus's comments about the Rutgers University women's basketball team, and Sharpton was prominent in condemning those remarks. - Washington Post
What I truly find offensive in his so called discussion of race in America is that he was shocked to see that “African American’s” don’t fit into the mold that he has stored away in his own head. What other group of Americans don’t fit into his little fixed mindset? All of us Mick’s must be drunkards and bar room brawlers. All Italian’s must be in the mob and are out to kill him. I’m not even going to guess what he thinks about Polish Americans. Mexican American’s must be all veggie pickers… Sorry Bill Richardson, get off the campaign trail and hit the fields bro! All you people of English descent must be royalty bound snobs in his mind. Russian’s, I’m just guessing but Bill might just put you all in the KGB column. Germans… umm, don’t think about waving at Bill within one thousand feet or he just might place you in the Hitler youth corps category.
His comments don’t need to be taken out of context, he proves it in his own defense. Running to the coat tails of Rev. Al Sharpton, who is on his television show more times than you flush the toilet in the house is not a “Fair and Balanced” judge in this case. Will the good Reverend Sharpton take his bread and butter off the table with a condemnation and forceful real opinion of Bill O’Reilly? I honestly can’t see Rev. Al Sharpton burning O’Reilly no matter what he hears on the tapes. Money talks and Al loves his paycheck from Fox News.
Let’s see if O’Reilly fit’s the Don Imus test of what race relations really are in America. I’m betting that he will not be held accountable simply because Billy says so. At least Don Imus apologized and he was at the least remorseful. That isn’t going to be the route O’Reilly will ever take. He knows he is always right and your opinion is nothing to him.
What do you think?
Papamoka
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Labels: African Americans, Bill O'Reilly, Don Imus, Fox News, Imus in the Morning, O'Reilly Controversy, Race Relations, Radio Factor, Radio Waves
posted by Papamoka at
7:08 PM
3 Comments:
The same liberal smear monsters that killed (temporarily) Don Imus' career are doing the same thing with many people that don't flow with Liberal Democrats. One's like Hillary Rotten Clinton. A Woman who has a snow balls chance in hell of becoming President.
Bill O'Reilly must be watched in his entirety or in this case listened to completely for you to form an opinion. Otherwise you cannot understand what he was saying.
If you listen to CNN or are a crazy man/person who listens to MediaMatters you will be ignorant of most things.
Good Luck
I hate to tell you Bruce but Hillary very well might be our next President. As much as a Liberal Democrat that I am, I am in the Bill Richardson corner.
Bill O like Don Imus is a straight shooter and speaks his mind. He has a stereotype in his mind what ALL African Americans look and act like and he thinks that they are all rappers with jeans hanging off their back side. That is what he thinks, not what I think.
As for Media Matters, I don't know anything about them so I really can not say much one way or the other.
As for Imus, you will not find a larger supporter than myself. Sharpton hosed him because he could but he will not even think about burning Bill's house down.
After reading the comments O'Reilly made, I'm not sure it falls into the same category as Imus.
Imus was trying to be offensive, while I got the impression that O'Reilly was trying to contradict racial stereotypes, if in a rather inept fashion.
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