# Bill O'Reilly really is losing it. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 18, 2003, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-really-is-losing-it/219850 "2003-12-18T21:09:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-really-is-losing-it/219850/61 "2003-12-19T21:33:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elucidator \* > \*\*(You’re Dad is more conservative than _you!_? Who the fuck did he vote for, Khublai Khan?) \*\* He’s not really _conservative_ – he’s sort of all over the fucking place. Very little political consistency with my dad. He adores O’Reilly, though, because he’s convinced O’Reilly sticks it to both sides, while other news sources are hopelessly biased. And frankly, there’s _some_ truth to that, depending on the issue O’Reilly’s dealing with – he hates SUV’s, for instance. But dad’s utterly blinded to Saint Bill’s hypocrisy and stupidity. He doesn’t see that a guest that disagrees with the O’Reilly position will get shouted down regardless of viewpoint; somehow, because sometimes it’s someone on the right and sometimes someone on the left who’s taking a position contra to Saint Bill, it means he’s treating everyone fairly. True story: someone lent dad a copy of Bernie Goldberg’s _Bias_. When I was bitching to him about O’Reilly, he actually said O’Reilly fairer than Dan Rather because – get this – O’Reilly puts up critical emails at the end of each show, and according to Goldberg Rather is very thin-skinned and won’t accept criticism. “Dan Rather doesn’t put up critical emails.” _Of course not, dad. Because CBS Evening News, however biased it might be, is not a news analysis program like O’Reilly’s; it is a news reporting program. You’re comparing apples to oranges. And the critical email thing is not unique. Turn on Crossfire, or Hardball, or any of the other fifty talking-head debate programs for examples._ :rolleyes: I once called my dad because I was flipping channels, landed on the Factor, and was listening to O’Reilly go on about how it was terrible that internet sites were profiting from the Paris Hilton sex video. “Isn’t that exploitation terrible! Using personal moments for dirty profit!,” sez O’Reilly. As he was talking – I am not making this up – _they showed stills from the video_. Granted, the genitalia was fuzzed, but the pics were still clearly designed to titillate. The hypocrisy of the O’Reilly’s venting while _doing the exact same thing at the exact same moment that he was complaining about_ was truly staggering. So I called dad, and bitched about it. And I swear, he actually tried to defend it. “How is O’Reilly profiting here?” Uh, dad? He’s paid to bring in ratings. Titilatting photos = more viewers (it certainly caused my remote to stop flipping channels). More viewers = mad ad bucks. After going around and around on that, he finally gets the point. “Well, how can he do the story without the photos?” Easy, dad – just say there’s a sex tape out there. No one needs to see stills from the video to evaluate the merits of O’Reilly’s argument. Simply reporting the tape’s existence will suffice. Again, we go around this a few times. “Well, so what if he’s hypocritical? He’s better than the other biased jerks out there, like that asshole Dan Rather. Did I mention he reads critical emails on-air?” :rolleyes: I wonder about my dad sometimes… ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-really-is-losing-it/219850/62 "2003-12-19T21:39:03Z")
I feel your pain. Trust me on that. Merry Xmas, you running dog Facist tool of the Ruling Class. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-really-is-losing-it/219850/63 "2003-12-19T22:46:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mademoiselle \* > \*\*Yes! My gosh, what was that. Confroted with the fact that there is no know connection to Saddam an 9/11, her reaction was unbeleivable. > > She reminded me of a kid sticking his fingers in his ears and screaming “I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you!!” > > Chris Matthews, who’s er, shouting style I can’t always apperciate, had me applauding on this one. I oly wish all of America was watching… \*\* Is there a transcript available-I’d have loved to see that! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-really-is-losing-it/219850/64 "2003-12-19T22:58:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elucidator \* > \*\*Merry Xmas, you running dog Facist tool of the Ruling Class. \*\* And a Happy New Year to you, you godless America-hating commie pinko. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-really-is-losing-it/219850/65 "2003-12-19T23:56:01Z")
Is anyone compiling a running list of political pundits and their meltdowns? We’ve got Frankin and Moore on the left, neither of which have melted down; and on the right, we’ve got Coulter, Limbaugh, O’Reilly, and Goldberg, at least two of whom (O’Reilly and Coulter) seem to be off the deep end. Anyone want to add to the list? ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-really-is-losing-it/219850/66 "2003-12-20T00:02:30Z")
On the left, Paul Krugman looks very nervous when I see him on TV, but he hasn’t cracked yet. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/91b2a8/32.png) [@Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_of_Sandwhich)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-really-is-losing-it/219850/67 "2003-12-20T00:18:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rjung \* > \*\*Is anyone compiling a running list of political pundits and their meltdowns? We’ve got Frankin and Moore on the left, neither of which have melted down; and on the right, we’ve got Coulter, Limbaugh, O’Reilly, and Goldberg, at least two of whom (O’Reilly and Coulter) seem to be off the deep end. > > Anyone want to add to the list? \*\* Michael Savage ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-really-is-losing-it/219850/68 "2003-12-20T00:47:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Earl of Sandwhich \* > \*\*Michael Savage \*\* Michael Savage melted down before he ever got a national show… ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-really-is-losing-it/219850/69 "2003-12-20T06:03:10Z")
> [@](#): > > True story: someone lent dad a copy of Bernie Goldberg’s Bias. That’s not a true story at all. Bernie Goldberg’s book is actually called “I didn’t get the job I wanted at CBS whhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaa!” > [@](#): > > Michael Savage Just a few weeks ago I tried listening to him. He ranted on and on about how he was assaulted/metaphorically raped by those crotch pictures of male underwear models while just trying to buy a pair of undies at a department stores. This guy has SERIOUS issues with his own sexuality if he feels threatened by Marky Mark glamor shots. ---
**Author:** ![Astra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@Astra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astra)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-really-is-losing-it/219850/70 "2003-12-21T03:18:46Z")
O’Reilly was on Late Night last night trying to tell Conan O’Brien how to run his show. Poor guy could barely get a word in edgewise with O’Reilly babbling about “allowing liberals to use this show as a political platform.” Irony. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-really-is-losing-it/219850/71 "2003-12-21T08:50:13Z")
And when did O’ Reilly have it to begin with? I predict a very public flame out for this man. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-really-is-losing-it/219850/72 "2003-12-21T09:07:41Z")
God, I hope you’re right. ---
**Author:** ![l1I235](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@l1I235](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/l1I235)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-really-is-losing-it/219850/73 "2003-12-22T18:34:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*Is there a transcript available-I’d have loved to see that! \*\* Sorry Guin, the MSNBC link seems to be broken. You can keep an eye on [this](http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3719710/) page to see if they fix it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-really-is-losing-it/219850.md?page=3)