O'Reilly falsely claimed Best Buy employee confirmed ban on "Merry Christmas"
On the December 19 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly continued to assert that "Best Buy orders its employees not to say 'Merry Christmas.' " O'Reilly said that he got this information from "Best Buy employees," falsely claiming that he "had one on the radio today." As Media Matters for America recently noted, a Best Buy spokesperson denied that the company forbids employees to say "Merry Christmas" to customers. A caller on the December 19 broadcast of O'Reilly's nationally syndicated radio show, who claimed that employees at Best Buy "are not allowed to say Merry Christmas" and "could get fired" for doing so, identified herself as a Best Buy customer, not an employee.
On The Radio Factor, O'Reilly also said: "I just don't want some store chain telling their employees they can't say Merry Christmas," adding: "That kind of fascism doesn't play with me." He also reiterated his baseless claim that Best Buy forbids its employees to say Merry Christmas: "[I]f you tell your employee you can't say it [Merry Christmas] as Best Buy did, then I'm going to expose Best Buy and I'm going to tell you who they are. Oh, they hate that. Ooh, do they hate that."
O'Reilly then spoke to the aforementioned caller, who claimed that when shopping at Best Buy, the store manager told her that Best Buy employees "are not allowed to say Merry Christmas" and that another employee said to her: "I could get fired for this, but you are two nice ladies: Merry Christmas." No Best Buy employee appeared on the December 19 edition of The Radio Factor.
From the December 19 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:
O'REILLY: Now for the top story tonight. Another look at this from the atheistic point of view. Joining us now from Washington, Laurie Lipman Brown, director of the Secular Coalition for America. You know, I tried to join up. You haven't -- did you get my application yet, Ms. Brown?
BROWN: We don't have members, just supporters. You can sign up for our e-alerts on secular.org.
O'REILLY: OK, excellent. All right. Now, am I overdoing this? Am I misstating anything?
BROWN: I think you're focusing on the secular aspects of Christmas, which I find somewhat ironic that you're looking at retail stores and these secular aspects, rather than the sacred aspects that most Christians I know focus on.
O'REILLY: Well, how do you know I'm not focused on the sacred aspects? How do you know what I do? I'm just focused on -- and the only reason retail stores came into play was because they ordered -- Best Buy orders its employees not to say "Merry Christmas," according to Best Buy employees. We had one on the radio today.
From the December 19 edition of Westwood One's The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly:
O'REILLY: Here's the litmus test, [caller]. "Have a good Christmas" is fine. That's just like "Merry Christmas." It's just, you know, you don't say the same thing. But here's always the litmus test if you want -- and you go in -- and I did this the other day -- I walked in and -- to get a gift certificate. And I said to the lady, "I need a gift certificate for Christmas." All right. So she knew right away where I was coming from. Now, I expected her, after she gave me the gift certificate, to say, "Merry Christmas." She said, "Happy Holidays." Now, that, to me, was obnoxious. I said, "Merry Christmas," and then I left.
Now, did I make a big deal out of it? No. And I don't care. But I -- it's the little experiment thing. So when you buy something, you look the person in the eye and you say, "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays." I -- you know, say both in case they're Muslim or Jewish or whatever. Even though that shouldn't matter, I think that's what you do, and then you see what they say back.
But anyway, it's always an interesting experiment. And I don't really care. To me, I just don't want some store chain telling their employees they can't say "Merry Christmas." See, that's why I got involved. That kind of fascism doesn't play with me. All right. And that's been distorted by these far-left columnists who say I'm trying to run around make everybody say "Merry Christmas." I'm not. I don't care. But if you tell your employee you can't say it, as Best Buy did, then I'm going to expose Best Buy. And I'm going to tell you who they are. Oh, they hate that. Ooh, do they hate that.
E.D. HILL (co-host): Are they still doing that?
O'REILLY: Yes. Best Buy is to the end, to the end.
HILL: OK. They'll probably see a difference --
O'REILLY: I'm going to look at their earnings, I'm going to look at their earnings, yep. And we have [caller] in Houston's going to back me up. Right, [caller]?
CALLER: I sure am, Bill. And I should've listened to you before. But like a nitwit, I went into a Best Buy with my daughter. We were buying underprivileged children gifts, and we spent $3,000. I'm not kidding. And they ended up being liars, number one. But second of all, we were told by the manager of the store, they are not allowed to say "Merry Christmas." Corporate says no. And he said, "I myself" -- and his name is John in Houston -- said, "I bought a Christmas tree, and they will not let me put it up. We can't play Christmas music, we can't say Merry Christmas." And at the end, after all this -- because it took us eight hours to get them out of their lie, but regardless -- one of the ladies said to us, "I could get fired for this, but you are two nice ladies: Merry Christmas."
O'REILLY: OK. Well, I'm glad you called, [caller]. Now everybody can make up their mind about Best Buy. Because I -- you know, what [the caller] is telling you is what I told you a month ago. And there it is.
Bill has been saying all this Christmas that he was tired of this phony war which he keeps talking about and airs only on FNC. I have bought my presents am flying 3000 miles for Christmas and have not yet been arrested by local authorities. Instead of having some real courage and attacking thr gross over-commercialaztion of the holiday by big corporations, an attck long overdue, Bill sets up a strawman and then destroys it. I really believe his whole schtick is to scare old people.
I hope he gets a bag of coal from Santa.
did ya know that the reich wing has pulled in over $1.5M this year on "war on christmas" merchandise? What a scam, $29 bucks for a bumper sticker that says Put the Christ back in christmas. I shoulda listened to my inner P.T. Barnum and cashed in on that racket.
I was in Best Buy today as a matter of fact (and I will gladly post a scan of my receipt to prove it) and was wished a Merry Christmas by employees not once, but TWICE in succession.
Once by the cashier who rang me up, and once by the guy who checked my receipt on the way out the door (which is illegal in most states by the way; did you know that?).
I purposely say "Merry Christmas" to every employee I deal with at every store I go to. None have said "Merry Christmas" back to me. The usual response is "you too". So, I hardly doubt that 2 employees in one store are enough to say that this company doesn't have a policy against saying "Merry Christmas".
your little string of b.s. should be taken as proof of something, right?
And I'm sure your personal experience alone is proof that there is a policy to forbidding employees of saying what they want. Point is, stores like Best Buy have nothing to prove.
The burden of proof is on those making the accusations. Bill offered none--and quite frankly, his word alonemeans less than nothing.
Happy Holidays :)
I didn't know there was a proper or improper way to respond to that statement. What's wrong with them saying "You too"?
Is your faith so frail that what a cashier says as you're leaving the store is enough to shake you to the core of your beliefs? Are you so in doubt as to your faith that you need it reaffirmed by people you may run across a total of once in your life?
Seriously. Because those are the only reasons I can think of why a person would even consider giving a flying (Expletive deleted). Because the rest of us 98.5% in this country don't care.
come in with a bad attitude. Either wish someone a Merry Christmas because you mean it or keep your mouth shut. Only a jerk would go around giving poor retail employees some stupid test to see how religious they are.
I didnt think of that.
Your delusions aside. IF they had such a policy which is about as likely as you voting Chomsky for President, then those two employees would be violating it. Saying you too is a natural if lazy response. Two employees saying Merry Christmas is a strong indication they are NOT being instructed to NOT say it.
...or Dec. 25, and you may get a different result.
incontrovertible truth that SP's have infiltrated every corner of the retail world and have successfully battled against the Christmas spirit with 2 words: "you too".
That must be how BO buys them.
How else would he be able to pull so many facts from his ass?
Unless he has an intern do it.
Or Dick Morris.
That says it all. We are involved in what many (on the right) are calling the most important war this nation will ever fight. Some have even referred to it as World War III. Iraq is on the verge (well, it's a full fledged civil war, but that's just my opinion) of civil war. Schools are being painted in Baghdad, even as I type this. Theaters are showing an evil movie about dancing penguins complaining about the environment. But the most important story is Bill's ridiculous war on Xmas.
O'Reilly has to be really desperate if he thinks he can distract us from the real problems in the world today.
You are correct. O'Reilly is a shameless whore for his own ego, 24/7. It is appalling how people can watch him consistently and not see this. His only real interest is promoting himself and inflating his own importance......he loves it when he is the issue. For he can then play the victim fighting for the folks against the far left whose only mission it is, in his eyes, to destroy him. He loves to be written about, then he can highlight it on his show..........he is more than I can stomach for more than about 10 minutes of his show.
I admit I tune into him once in awhile to see, and find out it's the same old thing with him.......and now his "War on Christmas" again, all done to promote his book.
He is boring, predictable and fast becoming a cartoon of himself. He should be moved to Saturday mornings.
Loofah-Bill Squarepants?
Is the truth doesn't even come into play when he gets these little isolated incidents that, in the eyes of Bill, are indicators of a nationwide effort to marginalize Christmas.
This is just another example of him botching the story in order to prove that Christmas is under attack.
My most memorable one was him accusing a school of "rewriting" the lyrics for 'Silent Night':
[link to thinkprogress.org]
I don't know where to begin. Do you start with his same day lying or his phony war on X-mas to sell more copies of Culture Warrior? I just don't know.
Either way, Happy Holidays, Bill.
ranting incoherently is all he has
As opposed to which kind of fascism, Bill?
Just wondering.
The form of fascism which would force Best Buy to use "Merry Christmas" in it's promotional materials instead of "Happy Holidays".
I know he denies this...but I don't believe him. Otherwise, what's the point of all this "war on Christmas" nonsense?
the phrase "Merry Christmas" means "prove your loyalty to Jesus or face the consequences!"
I've been wondering ever since O'Reilly started his Best Buy bloviating, why hasn't somebody taken their video camera into Best Buy, and taped a couple dozen employees saying "Merry Christmas", and posted it on YouTube. Email the link to BOR, and dare him to play it on his program. I'll bet you'd never hear about it, at least not on Fox.
this is the best you guys can do? Trying to put forth that Bill intentionally said "employee" when he instead meant "customer"... He clearly mixed up the two words and meant customer, not employee. But of course MMFA has to throw in the "falsely claimed" because they're interested in exposing right-wing lies, not personal attacks on BOR.
Just like last night on the O'Reilly Factor when Kevin Barrett said 2 times that 600,000 Americans had been killed in Iraq when he really meant to say Iraqis. Where's the MMFA news article, "Barrett falsely claims 600,000 Americans have been killed in Iraq" ???
I am not so quick to give Bill the benefit of the doubt here.........I watched this segment last night and Bill was clearly agitated because this woman was calm and resolute in her arguments. That always throws him off his game as he becomes visibly unsettled when his guest presents themselves as informed and intelligent. That may have rattled him a bit, but I think he thought he was losing the arguement and a Best Buy employee would make a far better example than a lowly customer.
I take O'Reilly for what he said.
Where's the MMFA news article, "Barrett falsely claims 600,000 Americans have been killed in Iraq" ???
Strawman
it's just a big mistake. o'reilly meant customer. really? i wasn't aware a store could "order" customers to do anything, nor was i aware a store could "fire" a customer. i don't know why best buy doesn't get their lawyer on him and make him either prove or retract the statement. and let's not forget those "happy holidays" ornaments on the fox website last year that diappeared faster than a snowball in july when this site pointed it out.
Always fun to encounter someone who claims to know the Mind of O'Reilly....maybe people are quick to assume that BillO meant to say "employee" instead of "customer," that it wasn't an honest mistake, because he has such a long, long history of making intentionally misleading statements.
YOU dont know what Bill meant, neither does MMFA, the difference is they didnt CLAIM to know they only said he falsely CLAIMED and this is without dispute whatever he MEANT to say, what he said was clearly FALSE. What part of false are you having a problem understanding? Kind of like your claim, it is FALSE. MMFA is in no way misleading anyone. Bill made a false claim period. If he wants to correct himself FINE that will clear up the misunderstanding, that is when he admits he made a FALSE claim accidentally.
even if he misspoke, he's relying on an anonymous caller to prove this BS war exists. That could've been Billy's intern calling in for all we know...it proves nothing.
It sounds to me like Best Buy might be some kind of French company.
Those evil bastards.
Joyeux Noël Guillaume!
"Well, how do you know I'm not focused on the sacred aspects? How do you know what I do?"
Uh, because you're on the radio and tv for three hours a day, and the only time you mention Christmas is to bitch about someone saying "Happy Holidays."
"Best Buy orders its employees not to say "Merry Christmas," according to Best Buy employees. We had one on the radio today."
Sure. He just misspoke. Ok.
send billo the definition of "facism". He's seems a bit confused.
somebody send GHRINO a book on reading comprehension.
but start out at his level......see spot run.
"Will someone pleeeeze... send billo the definition of 'facism'. He's seems a bit confused.
-----
"Facism" is discrimination against someone because of their looks.
Fascism is Fox News.
Oh...the kind of facism in which you said that there should curfews in Iraq, and all violators should be shot? Like that kind of facism?
I won't quote the whole paragraph, but I refer here to Bill O's statement beginning with "Here's the litmus test."
So after all is said and done, after all the declaiming and denunciations, all the accusations and appeals, this is what it comes down to? That O'Reilly finds it "obnoxious" that store clerks don't say what he expects them to say?
Here's my "litumus test" for Billy: If I went to that same store and said I wanted a "gift certificate for a holiday present" (and thus she "knew where I was coming from") and she said "Merry Christmas," should I, following your own logic, regard that as "obnoxious?"
If no, you're not saying that stores should not order their employees to say "Happy Holidays," you're saying they should order them to say "Merry Christmas."
If yes, your whole "war on Christmas" crap comes down to nothing more than personal pique.
In either event, it's bogus.
AND book sales.
O'Riley turns Christmas into a war, everywhere I go this season I'm wished happy holidays or Merry Christmas and my reply is peace on earth. C'mon Billy, try it once, just close out your show saying , peace on earth. The right wing culture of death just can't do it...
No self-respecting NeoClown Troglodyte would be caught dead uttering those Cowardly Commie Hippy words! Peace is for Pussies!
"Happy Holidays" is not some recent PC invention, despite what this troglodyte would have us believe. Bing Crosby recorded a song called "Happy Holidays" in 1942. Of course, we all know how Bing hated Christmas.
I was at Best Buy last night and was wished a Merry Christmas at the register, and on the way out of the door, but, GASP! Best Buy employees no less. So this is just one store, but it appears that they don't fear getting fired for saying Merry Christmas at least. Bill is crazy!!
Nothing more. Who the f--k cares about tidings of joy, peace on earth, good will toward men.
What O'Really and all of the others seem to forget are the first two words that the angel in Luke 2:1-21 spoke, to the shepherds, which were :
"FEAR NOT".
I am so sick to death of being sold fear. That's what it's all about to this sorry excuse for a man, Fear. Fear that his precious lifestyle is being compromised, by store employees, secular progressives, and anyone who disagrees with his totalitarian views.
So anyone who wants to live in fear, be my guest. I have never and will never live in fear.
Although my expenses are many, I took the time to make a nominal donation to MMA. Supporting worthy causes like MMA, in their support of a free, fair & truthful media is imperative to the democratic system we live under. Also, I let Bill O'Reilly know that the little guy supports MMA, as well as the larger contributor. I posted my donation receipt and a Merry Christmas message to Bill, as well.
Is that Bill O'Reilly doesn't even understand the word "secular."
Well, you're awfully worried about Christmas Trees and ornamentation and phraseology, but not very concerned, it seems, with the spiritual underpinnings of the holiday.