O'Reilly repeated "Silent Night" falsehood
SUMMARY: Bill O'Reilly once again resurrected his misleading claim that a Wisconsin elementary school "sang a whole different lyric to 'Silent Night,' " erroneously attributing the school's changed lyrics to political correctness. In fact, the new lyrics were merely part of a 1988 Christmas play called The Little Tree's Christmas Gift.
On the January 11 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Bill O'Reilly resurrected his misleading claim that a Wisconsin elementary school "sang a whole different lyric to 'Silent Night.' " Referring to his January 3 appearance on CBS' Late Show with David Letterman, O'Reilly claimed that the Wisconsin school's purported plans to change the lyrics of "Silent Night" constituted a "vivid" example of the so-called "war on Christmas."
As Media Matters for America has previously documented, and the weblog Think Progress originally noted, the changed lyrics were actually part of a Christmas play about a lonely tree lamenting his state to the tune of "Silent Night." Although a December 20 Washington Post article reported that the play has been performed at churches throughout the country -- and was written by the music director of "former president Ronald and Nancy Reagan's church in California" -- the adapted lyrics nonetheless inspired controversy. Moral Majority Coalition founder and chairman Jerry Falwell, along with conservative legal group Liberty Counsel, decried what they called a "secularized rendition" of the song and threatened to sue, ultimately forcing the school to change its Christmas program.
From a December 27 article in the Wisconsin State Journal:
The Liberty Counsel declared victory when the school announced that children would sing the traditional lyrics to "Silent Night," and the girl playing the lonely Christmas tree would merely recite the words to "Cold in the Night" during the play. Falwell congratulated Ridgeway for having a Christmas epiphany like Ebenezer Scrooge. And the national spotlight in the far-right's imaginary "war against Christmas" moved on.
From the January 11 broadcast of Westwood One's The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly:
O'REILLY: So I'm saying to myself, gee, you know, I stopped this three weeks ago, why are these people continuing to do all this? I mean -- what -- OK, you don't believe it. I don't care whether you believe it or not. Dave Letterman doesn't believe it. Do I care? I gave David Letterman two vivid examples: one of "Silent Night" in Wisconsin. Little kids sang a whole different lyric to "Silent Night." And the other in Memphis, Tennessee, where a woman was told in the library she could have the manger scene, but not the holy family, baby Jesus, or the wise men. They're still not sure about the shepherds.
If jesus does return to earth, it'll be to lead all the o'reilly viewers to the truth...that o'reilly is full of crap.
Hasn't one of his henchmen (researchers) bothered to enlighten this man? Haven't the henchmen noticed this on any of the smear sites? Has his e-mail checkers noticed any trends regarding this issue? I mean, seriously, WTH?
Its that rightwingers NEVER give up on a good bit of propaganda no matter how totally debunked. IF its necessary for propaganda purposes it becomes true for that reason alone. Its like the undead it just keeps coming back to life and there seems to be no way to put a stake in its heart.
I've heard that phenomenon described as a "zombie meme".
It is a meme, usually Right-wing, that continues to live and be repeated even though it's been debunked (killed) dozens of times in recent memory.
Usually, zombie memes are perpetuated by zombie partisans...like O'Reilly.
Does he even have a research team?
There apparently are two adaptations of the copywrited play.
The first is that the story is told with re-worded Christmas carols.
The second is done in narrative form with traditional Christmas songs sung at the end.
The school claims they have done this play before. My guess is they always did the narrative version with the traditional songs sung. They probably switched versions although no dumb reporter reported this story with much accuracy. Why they switched, no one knows. Again, lack of information. Could have been for political correctness, maybe not. There are plenty of other war on christmas stories, this may or may not be one because information is lacking.
THERE IS NO WAR ON CHRISTMAS I've been here for 48 years, and I have yet to have missed a Christmas. Even when I was in Hawaii, with it's heavy Polonesian ancestry and customs, they still had Christmas. They were just lacking the snow. Being from Michigan, I missed that.
Bill never makes any mention that these lyrics are part of a play. He simply stamps it with "blatant secular destsruction of Christmas" without offering any elaboration. Did he bother to talk to anyone at the school? Did he bother to ask someone who represents the school to come on the show and state their side of the story?
His whole delivery just stinks of dishonest, "I know everything and you don't" journalism.
Complete agreement
is that this isn't a story. Who's complaining except for the Christian right? O'Reilly is making a habit of repeating the same discredited argument about an issue that never was.
Let's sue the kids on the playground who sing "Jingle bells, Batman smells..." They're changing the lyrics. Why? What aren't the media telling us about this sudden changing of the lyrics to this traditional Christmas song?? I smell a story.
-mid
The Little Tree's Christmas Gift Can you link to the second version? But nothing on Newsmax or Worldnetdaily, please.
that the Liberty Counsel and O'Reilly are congratulating themselves on having threatened an elementary school with a lawsuit and forced the school to change what they were doing. The school caved immediately, of course, because there was never a political agenda behind the play and school officials had more interest in avoiding further trouble than in proceeding as they had planned. Their interest was in providing an enriching experience for the children at Christmas. I find it callous that the Liberty Counsel and O'Reilly pride themselves on bullying an elementary school and making what should have been a happy Christmas celebration for these children into a political controversy.
I have never been that thrilled with the commercial aspects of Christmas. Philosophical objections aside, the pressure to give gifts is stressful for those of us who don't make much money. However, I have always enjoyed the part of Christmas where people decide to set aside their differences and enjoy the holiday together. Thanks to O'Reilly, Gibson and the Liberty Counsel, that part of Christmas is less enjoyable for me. Now you have to be careful what kind of good things you wish for somebody, for fear that they will lambast you for not wishing them a "Merry Christmas". Thanks, guys for ruining the part of Christmas I liked the most.
"This story may be performed in two different ways. In the "Dialogue Version," the children speak their lines and act out the drama. In the "Narrative Version," the Storyteller tells the story while the children pantomine the action. In both cases, the children sing seven short familiar melodies with fresh new lyrics. Written by Ann Lambert and arranged by Dwight Elrich. Pre-school through 3rd Grade."
[link to delrich.home.mindspring.com]
If you look into the story you will find the school picked the song out of a lyrics book. It is quite possible the school performed a version never heard before the parents got pissed when the kids brought home the changed lyrics to silent night.
And if you won't except links from worldnet then let's stop the thinkprogress links too please.
It's adapted for younger children by a narrator saying the lines. In both cases the children are taught new songs to familiar tunes (the tunes of Christmas carols), so there is no mention of the version you referred to in your original post. The version you mentioned is the compromise the school made to get O'Reilly and the other grinches off their backs. It never existed previously.
I've never posted a link to thinkprogress, so I'm not sure what you are talking about.
in the link to the play, they list the songs in the play and Silent Night is not mentioned as a selection.
A reporter should have dug deeper into the story but didn't. I have read the letter from Messer of the school system and there is too much unclear about how what was chosen. No questions were asked about which versions were available or why the school elected to chose the version they did. Did they change versions from the last time they did the play? If so, why? What does it mean to have a different version for young children? So I don't know how you can tell if O'Reilly is right or wrong since you don't know the motivation of the school and they caved so easily.
"Silent Night" is not mentioned becase "Silent Night" is not included in the play. However, the song "Cold In The Night" as sung by the little christmas tree is done to the tune of "Silent Night" and is probably what you're trying to refer to and has always been a part of the play.
Also, the link you submitted actually refutes your first post that there was a version of the play with the traditional lyrics in it. The site you linked to states that both the narrated and pantomimed versions include -- and I quote -- "seven short familiar melodies with fresh new lyrics." There was never a version of this play with the traditional lyrics until O'Reilly made such a fuss about it. This play had been performed for nearly 20 years with no complaints until O'Reilly decided to make a fake issue out of it in order to further the case of "The War On Christmas."
B
There is a version for younger children because younger children have a harder time acting in a play. This is intended to be a play that is easy to put on and adaptable for several age groups. So if children are preschoolers and too young to learn lines for a play, they use the version in which the story is told by a narrator and all the children have to learn are the songs. And the songs are easy to learn because they learn new lyrics to familiar Christmas carols. In fact, all the songs in the play are different words put to the tune of different Christmas carols, so I don't know why such a stink was raised about "Silent Night", but not the others.
Of course "Silent Night" is not listed as one of the songs, that was the reason this whole thing started. The song called "Cold in the Night" is sung to the tune of "Silent Night".
You are trying too hard to make this a political thing. The story is quite straightforward. There was no previous version of the play that the school changed from. There was just this need for Gibson to sell a book and O'Reilly to stir up the rubes.
I suppose that I must be against Christmas since I have taught my grandkids to sing Jingle Bells. Roudolph and Frosty must also be anti-Christmas. BillO spouted off about people saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." He doesn't even realize that the original meaning of the word HOLIDAY = HOLY DAY. What a blooming idiot.
OhReally? was bombed out about only getting Bronze from Olberman the other night. He will settle for no less than Gold from here on out, and will be as outrageous as possible to retain his title as "#1 Worst Person", an award he lost to Sweet Chrissie not too long ago. The Bull is back!!!!
As I commented on NewsHounds.us, O'Lielly, Insanity, and all the rest of the boys on Faux News are bewildered by America's reaction to their station. The whole operation is a satire, just like The Daily Show, only they do it without a studio audience and with straight faces so we're missing the gag. That has to be the reason for their idiocy. Surely they can't believe their audience is THAT stupid as to believe anything they say.
Do a Nexus search on BO and how many times he mentioned Jack Abramoff in the past. BO first mentioned Jack on his show (radio or TV) the day Jack plead guilty. Possibly the biggest congressional scandal since watergate and BO is mum. Most be that he was focused with such laser-like zeal on the "War on X-mas" that he failed to notice. Either that or he and Roger figure if his viewers/listeners don't hear the name they won't make the connection. He's looking out fo who?
Bill is not about news or looking out for anybody but himself and the people who pay him. His nonsense is about ratings and marketing- "Culture Wars" or the like will be released soon.
turn off the tv when o'reilly's on.
I guess we can thank Letterman for exposing this filthy liar for what he is. But he still repeats it, I guess on the philosophy that if you repeat anything enough it seems to be true.
Let's silence this divisive thug/liar. I'll pull the lever on the gallows and chuckle while doing so.
G'by o'lielly...the world'll be better without ya.