rv581 Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27484-2003Apr15.html The Unfunny Factor By Lloyd Grove Tuesday, April 15, 2003; Page C03 Maybe Bill O'Reilly should declare a "No-Quip Zone." Emceeing Saturday night's Best Friends rock-and-roll gala at the Marriott Wardman Park -- which raised $800,000 for the 15-year-old charity benefiting inner-city schoolchildren -- the Fox News Channel star was trying to fill dead air during a lull in the entertainment. Members of the "Best Men," as the sixth-to-eighth-grade boys in the program are called, were delayed getting onstage to perform a lip-synced rendition of the Four Tops standard "Reach Out (I'll Be There)." O'Reilly ad-libbed: "Does anyone know where the Best Men are? I hope they're not in the parking lot stealing our hubcaps." Many in the audience -- which included Cabinet secretaries Tommy Thompson, Gale Norton and Mel Martinez, Mayor Tony Williams and business types Fred Malek and Jim Kimsey -- apparently didn't hear about the hubcaps amid the hubbub. A witness spotted attendee Bo Derek's jaw dropping, and yesterday she confirmed that she did hear it, but declined to comment further. Channel 9 anchor Andrea Roane was overheard murmuring: "Unbelievable." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 How is that a bigoted slur? Against whom? Hubcap thiefs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Genius Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 Actions have consequences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rv581 Posted April 15, 2003 Author Share Posted April 15, 2003 Originally posted by Kilmer17 How is that a bigoted slur? Against whom? Hubcap thiefs? He was at a charity event for inner-city kids. Which probably means an African-American crowd. Asking aloud if the kids were going to steal his hubcaps is certainly in questionable taste. I'm sure you can see that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 Im glad the left can infer what they need to make someone a racist. O'reilly has been a major proponent of this organization. Giving it press as well as a reported 100k of his own money. This is a liberal witch hunt. NOthing more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarhog Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 Pretty stupid remark if he said it....but he could have just as easily been thinking of them as 6th to 8th grade boys (bet OReilly was part juvenile delinquent at that age) rather than 'those inner-city kids are all little thieves'. One comment does not a bigot make. I've said it before, OReilly ain't the sharpest tool in the shed to begin with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Genius Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 Kilmer, Just like you are inferring what doesn't constitute bigoted comments? How about we just let the gen. pub. decide if they wanna pillar O'Reilly of his poor choice in words? If this indeed is a story - then let it play out as one. I think its pretty harmless myself.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 TEG, I guarentee that Fox's rivals will run with this even though it's a non issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaFunky1 Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 I think everyone should be held accountable for their words... Dr. Laura was boycotted because people on the left felt she was a homophobe... Jeaneanne Garafolo's show is being threatened witha boycott because of her anti-war stance... The Dixie Chicks boycotted because of comments made about the president overseas.... Now there will probably be a round of Bill O'Reilly is bigot and have people try to boycott both his tv and radio shows... After all the flack O'Reilly has given Jesse Jackson and his rainbow push coalition, as well as other organizations under Jackson, I can see Jesse coming out against this statement and possibly use the race card... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redman Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 It's stupid and tawdry to insult the very people you're there to honor. That's the shoot-from-the-hip aspect of O'Reilly that I don't like. But I fail to see how it's racist to anyone except one looking to be victimized by an insult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 That's my point. It's not bigoted, it's not racist. Only a race monger would call it that. A few years ago a DC councilman (or some politico) used the word "niggardly" to describe funding. The outrage was insane. But it's not racist, it's not bigotted. If someone is unable to grasp the concept and infer something on their own, THEY should be the ones held accountable for ignorance and race baiting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codeorama Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 The problem is that if O'Reilly actually said what they say, he's hitting on a classic stereotype of african american males, that they are all thieves. Did he intend to do that? I wouldn't think that even he is that stupid. But how can any of you not "see" that that could be mistaken for as a racist comment from an obvious conservative rightwinger? If I was there and heard that, I would have been shocked and curious as to what the response would be. I work with many many african americans and If I said something like that in regards to african american children, I would be fired so fast it wouldn't be funny. But I wasn't there and obviously don't know what was really said,. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarhog Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 Originally posted by codeorama The problem is that if O'Reilly actually said what they say, he's hitting on a classic stereotype of african american males, that they are all thieves. Did he intend to do that? I wouldn't think that even he is that stupid. But how can any of you not "see" that that could be mistaken for as a racist comment from an obvious conservative rightwinger? If I was there and heard that, I would have been shocked and curious as to what the response would be. I work with many many african americans and If I said something like that in regards to african american children, I would be fired so fast it wouldn't be funny. But I wasn't there and obviously don't know what was really said,. You could make a strong case that were all 'bigoted' because we assume these kids are all black because they're 'inner city'. It was clearly a stupid comment to make, but I don't like the 'thought police' whether its Jerry Falwell on the right, or Jesse Jackson on the left. And the one thing I do like about OReilly is that he ducks nothing. He'll probably start his show with it tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 The left has to infer meaning when painting the right as racist, whereas Liberals refuse to denounce COngressman from making racial and antisemitic comments. My take is that he was poking fun at the fact that they were KIDS. It had nothing to do with race except in the mind of leftists on a witch hunt. To his credit, Oreilly hasnt even mentioned it on his show today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fansince62 Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 Hold him accountable. Just as I want to hold the left accountable for ignoring the security of this country in the service of wealth redistribution and other domestic social agendas. I want all the folks who have systematically undermined the defenses of this country to stand and shoulder responsibility. No matter how well intentioned...they are dangerous. Moreover, perhaps unintentionally, they will sell their country out in a heartbeat. Let's spread it all around fellas..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggo-toni Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 Actually, it was a stereotype of white teens back in the 50s that they stole hubcaps, so maybe O'Reilly was (egad) accusing these kids of being Oreos :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codeorama Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 Tarhog, I totally agree with you, I wasn't saying that it's right or wrong, but I just know from my work place that there are certain things you don't say. I deal with racism several times a week. Because I'm a supervisor, I have to deal with accusations of inappropriate things said so frequently it's sickning. I have to moderate and decide what is inappropriate and what the intentions were. Like I said in my post, I can't believe that O'Reilly would be stupid enought to make a racial slur knowingly. But if he really said what he was accused of saying (if the story is even true), it was a stupid comment to make. That's all I meant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 Im all for holding people accountable. But there is nothing to hold him accountable for. If I conclude that someone is making a bigoted slur because they say "pass the ketchup" doesnt mean it's true. If he had said "I hope they are out stealing hubcaps like all little black kids" then I would lead the charge. But for the left to infer their own meaning into a non-racial remark is ludicrous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB81 Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 O'Reilly never reffered to or mentioned race...at all. Maybe it was, you know...just a joke, and instead of wasting time striving to be offended we should just kind of go on with our lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB81 Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 Let's stop calling it "the left" and start calling it "the stupid" or "the ultra-sensitve." I know dozens of intelligent liberals who wouldn't waste their time with this idiocy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggo-toni Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 This is almost as stupid as the uproar over the "water buffalo" remark at Penn years back:doh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 The sad part is that the left doesnt acknowledge what OReilly has done to benefit this cause and group. They are too busy trying to crucify him. If he was a bigot, why would he be there in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posse81 Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 Originally posted by Kilmer17 The left has to infer meaning when painting the right as racist, whereas Liberals refuse to denounce COngressman from making racial and antisemitic comments. Depends on who you classify as a "liberal". Many Members of Congress including Nancy Pelosi spoke out against Moran's remarks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posse81 Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 Originally posted by GGB81 Let's stop calling it "the left" and start calling it "the stupid" or "the ultra-sensitve." I know dozens of intelligent liberals who wouldn't waste their time with this idiocy. Exactly. That term is used very loosely by many, when it serves their argument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codeorama Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 What if O'Reilly was at a chinatown function and said "they are probably outside cooking rice" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.