O'Reilly attacked Media Matters with falsehood about whether he received complaint
SUMMARY: In defending his controversial comments about race, Bill O'Reilly claimed that "we didn't hear one
complaint about the program that ran on more than 400 radio stations." Similarly, an Associated Press article stated that "O'Reilly said the [Juan]
Williams conversation was carried on more than 400 radio stations and there
wasn't one complaint from a listener." In fact, during the same broadcast in which
O'Reilly made his controversial remarks, a caller told O'Reilly: "I think
your spinning and bloviating does not do the black community justice. You're
just giving fodder to your viewers who have a negative view of black people
anyway, so your pointing out a couple of [rappers] Twistas and Ludacrises in the
large general population is shameful."
In defending his controversial comments about race, Fox News host Bill O'Reilly claimed on the September 25 edition of his television show that "we didn't hear one complaint about the program that ran on more than 400 radio stations." Similarly, in a September 26 article, the Associated Press reported that "O'Reilly said the [Juan] Williams conversation was carried on more than 400 radio stations and there wasn't one complaint from a listener." While Media Matters for America has no way of determining whether O'Reilly received any private complaints, his discussion of race did provoke at least one public complaint from a listener. During the same September 19 broadcast in which O'Reilly made his controversial remarks, a caller told O'Reilly: "I think your spinning and bloviating does not do the black community justice. You're just giving fodder to your viewers who have a negative view of black people anyway, so your pointing out a couple of [rappers] Twistas and Ludacrises in the large general population is shameful."
As Media Matters for America documented, during his September 19 radio broadcast -- which included a conversation with NPR senior correspondent and Fox News contributor Juan Williams -- O'Reilly said, among other things:
O'REILLY: You know, and I went to the concert by Anita Baker at Radio City Music Hall, and the crowd was 50/50, black/white, and the blacks were well-dressed. And she came out -- Anita Baker came out on the stage and said, "Look, this is a show for the family. We're not gonna have any profanity here. We're not gonna do any rapping here." The band was excellent, but they were dressed in tuxedoes, and this is what white America doesn't know, particularly people who don't have a lot of interaction with black Americans. They think that the culture is dominated by Twista, Ludacris, and Snoop Dogg.
WILLIAMS: Oh, and it's just so awful. It's just so awful because, I mean, it's literally the sewer come to the surface, and now people take it that the sewer is the whole story --
O'REILLY: That's right. That's right. There wasn't one person in [the Harlem restaurant] Sylvia's who was screaming, "M-Fer, I want more iced tea."
WILLIAMS: Please --
O'REILLY: You know, I mean, everybody was -- it was like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb in the sense of people were sitting there, and they were ordering and having fun. And there wasn't any kind of craziness at all.
Later in the program, as Media Matters documented elsewhere, O'Reilly had the following exchange with a caller:
O'REILLY: John, Indianapolis. What say you, John?
CALLER: I think your spinning and bloviating does not do the black community justice. You're just giving fodder to your viewers who have a negative view of black people anyway, so your pointing out a couple of Twistas and Ludacrises in the large general population is shameful. I think you're ruining people's opportunity to make income, and I wish black America would wake up and start boycotting these companies that you convince to boycott artists. Who are you gonna go after next?
O'REILLY: I'm going to go after anybody who rewards bad behavior, and just because you condone bad behavior is not going to stop me. What I think I'm doing is calling these people out who are injuring other Americans, and if corporate America is going to reward those people, then I'm going to bring it to everybody's attention. And -- I didn't call for any boycott. I never do that, except for France, and that's lifted. I just bring it to people's attention. Here's what they're doing. They make the call. You don't like what I'm doing, OK, fine. I think I'm doing the right thing. I think you're justifying bad behavior. I think you have your head in the sand.
We'll be back.
Nonetheless, while attacking Media Matters on the September 25 broadcast of his television show, O'Reilly stated:
O'REILLY: Recently on The Radio Factor, I did an hour on how racism is dumb, how it is driven by fear, and I even used my own late grandmother as an example.
Now you can hear that radio hour on BillOreilly.com. It's very interesting discussion. And we didn't hear one complaint about the program that ran on more than 400 radio stations.
Well, yesterday, Media Matters distorted the entire conversation and implied I was racist for condemning racism. Stunningly, CNN echoed the defamation on at least three of its programs.
Similarly, the AP reported on September 26:
O'Reilly said the Williams conversation was carried on more than 400 radio stations and there wasn't one complaint from a listener.
"This isn't about a racially insensitive remark," he said. "Anybody can listen to the unedited version of the conversation on billoreilly.com. You want to think I'm insensitive to race, you go right ahead."
The real story, he said, was about the "corrupt media culture" where outlets like CNN and MSNBC do stories about his remarks "because they're getting killed in the ratings."
Eleven stories on this today?
Again - "conservative misinformation" must not be much of a problem these days.
And the fact that the MSM is picking up this story illustrates the clear and deep liberal bias in the media.
I think your record is stuck, could you reach over and bump it please?
When famous people say stupid and bigoted things well it's newsworthy, just ask Mel Gibson, Michael Richards, and that guy from Grays Anatomy. People should to think before they speak especially someone touting himself as a poltical "news analyst". He did this to himself. The man has a master's degree from Harvard I believe if he truly wanted to comment on other people's bigotry and how wrong bigotry is he could have articulated that in no uncertain terms. I'm sure they taught him that at Harvard and if they didn't he should ask them for a refund.
Seriouselly Shoe, I complained about the O'Reilly comments, I got no response from Fox "News." So, it's obvious that O'Reilly is lying. Wouldn't you agree?
"And the fact that the MSM is picking up this story illustrates the clear and deep liberal bias in the media."
...that, and the fact that Bill O'Reilly proves that he is a clueless ass every time he opens his mouth.
Shoes89: Again - "conservative misinformation" must not be much of a problem these days.
Shoes, I really want to understand the point that you're trying to make. But you seem to be arguing that because MMFA covers O'Reilly's controversial remark and his and Fox's stumbling attempts to defend it, this means that conservative misinformation is not a problem?
O'Reilly screwed up. He was trying to argue against racism, and in doing so, seemed to suggest that he actually does base his expectations of interactions with African-Americans on the very racist stereotypes he claims to be debunking.
That's a stupid thing to do. MMFA pointed this out, and the appropriate response would have been for him to say, "You know what? I wasn't careful with my words, and I stepped in it. I'm really sorry for saying that I was surprised about the behavior of people at Sylvia's. I genuinely didn't mean that." That's it. Over. But instead, he responding by attacking MMFA for daring to criticize him (which is worthy of coverage by MMFA), his fellow broadcasters on FOX defended him (which is worthy of coverage by MMFA), other networks weighed in (which is worthy of coverage) and, finally, O'Reilly flatly lied and said that he received no complaints about the show he did with Williams... and that, too, is worthy of coverage by MMFA.
You didn't hear the whole program did you???
His comment was about marketing aproach by a business that wasn't slanted as it might be in an Italian rest. etc ........
And that whites shouldn't be afraid because of negative stereotypes that he and Williams were talking about...!
I did not the whole program, but I did listen to the hour long segment on O'Reilly's website. And as I said in my post, I agree with you that O'Reilly was arguing that whites people shouldn't be afraid of African-Americans based on mass media stereotypes of African-Americans such as those in gangsta rap. But what he actually said was that he couldn't get over how people were behaving in Sylvia's, and that suggests that O'Reilly himself holds those same stereotypes that he claims to argue against.
I want to be clear about this: I'm giving O'Reilly the benefit of the doubt. I think he genuinely thought that he was offering a positive, anti-racist message about equality. But that simply doesn't square with what he said about not being able to get over his experience at Sylvia's. And that might just mean that he misspoke... except that he's refused to rephrase his remarks since then, and he's had every opportunity.
Finally, I'm a little confused about what you mean by a marketing approach. Can you rephrase that please? Thanks.
Shoes... I like you and your silliness... can I call you silly? I have to admit, I was surprised that you didn't refer to liberals always crying 'those m-f'ers neocons are racist poo-poo heads!'... thank you for your supreme logic and helpful candidicy to this TOTALLY NON- ISSUE OR RACISM... we neanderthals salute you...
O'Really logic- I have a radio and tv show where I can dictate WHO and WHAT gets broadcast... I DON'T hear complaints because MY BUBBLE WON'T ALLOW THEM!! End of discussion...
Yeah people screening calls and threatening to send Fox security to your home if you piss BIll off.
I feel there should be, somehow, a cherry at top of this article. Or if there's another "Who Knew?"(thanks Snoopy) article, it should be at the top of it.
Somehow I kept thinking today of an intro by Neil Innes as The Old Folk Singer. "I've sufferred for my work. Now its Your turn."
Why is Bill O'Reilly so apologetic concerning how those "bad" media outlets and how they behave? If anyone where to mention how Fox is full of lies...he would send those "security" guys to your house.
Bill is leaking..
Bringing back the theme songs of the RightWing Misinformers......Just listening to this Tammy Bruce person...GESTAPO...more RightWing junk..
"CRY ME A RIVER" is being played in every room of FOX NEWS.
And please, Bill, Tammy..have your people come to this website and DECIDE for themselves. Please point out the lies...
Hey I don't blame Media Matters one bit for having some many threads to this, can you really blame them? The only way BO can defend himself is by attacking and lying about MM as well as siccing Fox noise on them as well. Neither of which has proved what BO said wasn't offense to some people.
You forgot to mention Rosie O'Donnell mocking Asians on the "View" a few months back. Everyone remember the "Ching-Ching-Chang" comment Rosie said? Oh, I'm sorry, that's right. You only want to talk about conservative racist comments, not liberial racist comments.
If a person goes into an Italian restaurant and doesn't see "red and white checked table clothes" on the table and says that is "Surprising", are they racist? If a person goes in to a Mexican Restaurant and doesn't get "chips and salsa" at their table and says that's "Surprising",are they racist?
Remember people you can only get offended if you let yourself get offended.That second paragraph made my morning. Seems to imply that yelling Mother f-er is a "traditional" Black custom. Thank you for sharing your stoopidity.
>>f a person goes into an Italian restaurant and doesn't see "red and white checked table clothes" on the table and says that is "Surprising", are they racist? If a person goes in to a Mexican Restaurant and doesn't get "chips and salsa" at their table and says that's "Surprising",are they racist?
Oh, this is funny! The O'Reily apologists are batshit crazy. Yes, if I go into a black restaurant and don't see blacks acting like whites and say "that is surprising," am I racist? (hint: yes)
Seriouselly Shoe, I complained about the O'Reilly comments, I got no response from Fox "News." So, it's obvious that O'Reilly is lying. Wouldn't you agree?
- therick
I am sure Fox just has not gotten to your message yet and Bill will correct this statement as soon as he does.Really, I am sure Bill just been real busy digging up all this fair and balanced yet hard-hitting (mainly Democrats) news. Sometimes a respomse takes a while. Then Fox security will be in touch with you.
What happened to my formatting and typing... Sorry respome should of course be response.
I hope you're right. I'd just hate to be the one who accidently brought down O'Reilly by inadvertantly exposing this oversight.
Yup, you can tell who it is smearing, attempting to demonize, and wishing to discredit others. It's those guys Bill and his pals refer to as "Gestapo" and "loons". Handy, huh?
O'Reilly can dish it out but sure can't take it, can he? How many times has he threatened others with his silly boycotts, or threats to send the fox police over, the in your face house visits? Now he's getting the same scrutiny he gives to others, and he don't like it. Poor little baby...