# Yes, I Am Pitting Fox...For Once Again Being the Home of Assholes
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [August 16, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936 "2011-08-16T19:07:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936/1 "2011-08-16T19:07:53Z")
So [MoveOn.org](http://MoveOn.org) posted a [video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=G7L3xpElK0Y) with some kids supporting a more progressive future. Specifically the [Contract for the American Dream](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=G7L3xpElK0Y).
Nice, if that is your political bent (it’s mine). If it isn’t, oh well, poor kids, they have awful Coommunistic Parents. Or if you are Fox News you say this..
> [@](#):
>
> These kids are a bunch of **dorks**.
or
> [@](#):
>
> …because those **little bastards** are making me so angry…
[Media Matters](http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201108110002)
Stay Classy Fox News.
Well at least one kid is taking it lying down [kid](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/16/1007478/-Kids-Stand-Up-To-FoxNews-Bullies?via=siderec)
> [@](#):
>
> Hello everyone. Recently I did a video for the Contract for the American Dream. [Moveon.org](http://Moveon.org) and Rebuild the Dream brought together 130,000 Americans to create the Contract for the American Dream. The Contract offers real solutions to get our economy back on track.
>
> I and eight other children that participated in the video were discussing those solutions which include a strong economy, good healthcare, and a fair living wage for all Americans. Millions of Moms and Dads out there can’t find jobs. My future, my friends’ futures, and your childrens’ futures depend on a strong economy, good healthcare, and a good education.
>
> Recently FoxNews attacked me and the eight other children in the video and even called us names. Basically they were saying we didn’t have a right to speak out on issues that affect us now and issues that will affect our future. A recent guest even called us a curse word.
>
> Bullying is a huge problem facing young people today. We don’t need to turn on the TV and see guests on a major network bullying us.
Very nice.
---
### Author:  [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936/2 "2011-08-16T19:30:10Z")
_Red Eye_ is supposed to be Fox’s answer to _The Daily Show_, except that _The Daily Show_ is actually funny.
That aside, the hosts of Fox’s lighter programming are a bunch of chuckleheads. The hosts of _Fox and Friends_ are too moronic to be on any other network (I’m pretty sure Don Henley wrote [“Dirty Laundry”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46bBWBG9r2o) just for them.), and Greg Gutfeld is as funny as a three-alarm fire at a children’s home. They go after low-hanging fruit and still get it wrong. Small wonder Keith Olbermann has so much fun with them.
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### Author:  [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2011, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936/3 "2011-08-16T20:56:22Z")
Not to defend FOX, they were wrong, but that video creeps me out in a liberal Jesus Camp sorta way.
These children are acting as mouthpieces for their parents. There is no such thing as an 8 year old Democrat, 8 year old Republican or an 8 year old Christian for that matter.
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### Author:  [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936/4 "2011-08-16T21:23:32Z")
Be that as it may, you don’t shit all over the kids who made the video. _Fox & Friends_ teed off on them as well, so it’s not just one rogue show. Methinks these “hosts” need a few lessons in class.
---
### Author:  [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936/5 "2011-08-16T21:27:28Z")
> [@Sitnam](#):
>
> Not to defend FOX, they were wrong, but that video creeps me out in a liberal Jesus Camp sorta way.
>
> These children are acting as mouthpieces for their parents. There is no such thing as an 8 year old Democrat, 8 year old Republican or an 8 year old Christian for that matter.
I agree with the relgious stuff. A child can’t have the mental capacity to be able to determine for himself some of the fundamental questions humanity has been struggling with since we pulled ourselves out of the jungle and into a world of metal and concrete. But a child can say “Do I think rich people should pay a little more? Do I think the government can sometimes do a good job (playgrounds, parks, roads, etc)? Do I feel that it would be fair if people working a job should get enough money to survive?” That can throw you in on the side of Dems or Reps without the kid actually knowing about them, simply by believing the things that Dems and Reps believe in already
---
### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2011, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936/6 "2011-08-16T21:36:34Z")
> [@Sitnam](#):
>
> Not to defend FOX, they were wrong, but that video creeps me out in a liberal Jesus Camp sorta way.
Yeah, a little creepy. At least they had the brains to not have some 6-year-old advocating for abortion rights.
And some comedian they had on the show called them “little bastards”. Meh. That’s nothing you wouldn’t hear Bill Maher say on his show, or if he was being interviewed on a late night show, like this one. They’re supposed to be “edgy”.
---
### Author:  [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936/7 "2011-08-16T21:48:16Z")
> [@MsRobyn](#):
>
> Be that as it may, you don’t shit all over the kids who made the video. _Fox & Friends_ teed off on them as well, so it’s not just one rogue show. Methinks these “hosts” need a few lessons in class.
I hate FOX News as much as anyone, but i’m afraid i can’t get too worked up about this.
Sure, calling them “dorks” and “bastards” isn’t exactly highbrow political critique and is pretty typical of the sort of stupidity that you see on FOX. But calling people names isn’t a big deal, IMO, and it’s clear that these are opinions and not statements of fact. The kids aren’t going to be permanently scarred by it (if they’ve even seen it), and if the parents are upset, maybe they should have thought about that before allowing their children to participate in a political video.
Like the OP, this video reflects a lot of my political leanings, but this incident is small potatoes in the world of FOX News idiocy.
---
### Author:  [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936/8 "2011-08-16T21:57:06Z")
WOW! That video is disgusting. Kids are being used as mouthpieces for political issues they don’t fully comprehend. No one can tell me that it was the ideas of the kids being represented. Some of them, _maybe_. I don’t think kids should be used for such purposes, regardless of the political or religious bent. I really find it disgusting.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936/9 "2011-08-16T21:59:51Z")
Hey, if the little bastards want to get involved in politics, they might as well learn right off the bat that it’s a dirty business.
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### Author:  [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2011, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936/10 "2011-08-16T22:04:32Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#):
>
> Hey, if the little bastards want to get involved in politics, they might as well learn right off the bat that it’s a dirty business.
In that case, unleash the hounds.
This is a sleazy tactic sometimes employed by the left. One that Ann Coulter (_shudder_) identified a few years back: make those that are “unattackable” your mouthpieces. It’s a cheap tactic. Once you involve kids, it’s disgusting.
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### Author:  [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2011, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936/11 "2011-08-16T22:15:21Z")
> [@magellan01](#):
>
> Imake those that are “unattackable” your mouthpieces.
But apparently they aren’t.
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### Author:  [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2011, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936/12 "2011-08-16T22:16:37Z")
> [@magellan01](#):
>
> In that case, unleash the hounds.
>
> This is a sleazy tactic sometimes employed by the left. One that Ann Coulter (_shudder_) identified a few years back: make those that are “unattackable” your mouthpieces. It’s a cheap tactic. Once you involve kids, it’s disgusting.
It’s fine to attack the ideas, but this was just _ad hominem_ name calling.
---
### Author:  [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2011, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936/13 "2011-08-16T22:17:52Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#):
>
> It’s fine to attack the ideas, but this was just _ad hominem_ name calling.
Huh? Can you explain your point better?
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2011, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936/14 "2011-08-16T22:18:23Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#):
>
> It’s fine to attack the ideas, but this was just _ad hominem_ name calling.
I’ll have to report you to the Department of Redundancy Department for that!
> [@magellan](#):
>
> This is a sleazy tactic sometimes employed by the left. One that Ann Coulter (shudder) identified a few years back: make those that are “unattackable” your mouthpieces. It’s a cheap tactic. Once you involve kids, it’s disgusting.
The little bastards will survive.
---
### Author:  [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2011, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936/15 "2011-08-16T22:34:29Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#):
>
> I agree with the relgious stuff. A child can’t have the mental capacity to be able to determine for himself some of the fundamental questions humanity has been struggling with since we pulled ourselves out of the jungle and into a world of metal and concrete. But a child can say “Do I think rich people should pay a little more? Do I think the government can sometimes do a good job (playgrounds, parks, roads, etc)? Do I feel that it would be fair if people working a job should get enough money to survive?” That can throw you in on the side of Dems or Reps without the kid actually knowing about them, simply by believing the things that Dems and Reps believe in already
Kids have no idea what these things mean in the real world, nor what the down sides might be to such policies. Expand Medicare to cover everyone? Who’s going to pay for that? Do kids know? Bring the troops home and give them good jobs here? Where are these jobs going to come from? Can any of these kids say how that can even happen?
Some of these kids can barely pronounce some of the words they are saying, I am not convinced they understand all of these points (“remove the cap on social security tax”, yeah, what’s that?), let alone all the implications behind them.
I don’t mind so much having cute kids spout this stuff, it’s just another tactic, but as has already been observed, that shouldn’t make them immune from criticism. I could see Jon Stewart taking a whack at them, although probably without calling them names.
Roddy
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### Author:  [@straight\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straight_man)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936/16 "2011-08-16T22:57:37Z")
This is about as cranky as I get about these topics: no, the children don’t know what they’re talking about in any real depth. Neither do the Tea Partiers. Judging by the talking points of the Republican Party and Fox News, neither do lots of Republicans. Less cranky version: political knowledge in democracies is _extremely_ low. Average Joe has never learned basic economics; there’s a fair chance he doesn’t know the parties apart. I’m not sure I like using children as mouthpieces much, but they’re not _necessarily_ less in the know than an adult in an advertisement.
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### Author:  [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936/17 "2011-08-16T23:42:41Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#):
>
> I don’t mind so much having cute kids spout this stuff, it’s just another tactic, but as has already been observed, that shouldn’t make them immune from criticism. I could see Jon Stewart taking a whack at them, although probably without calling them names.
:dubious: The distinction clearly being made is criticism for their ideas vs. calling children dorky bastards.
Jon Stewart has class, but he is also funny. Ripping on children in any way but ironic is not funny and tends to make grown adults look like children as well.
---
### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936/18 "2011-08-16T23:53:34Z")
> [@Sitnam](#):
>
> :dubious: The distinction clearly being made is criticism for their ideas vs. calling children dorky bastards.
>
> Jon Stewart has class, but he is also funny. Ripping on children in any way but ironic is not funny and tends to make grown adults look like children as well.
I could see Bill Maher calling them dorky bastards. I could see him calling them worse than that, but then he’s on HBO.
---
### Author:  [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936/19 "2011-08-16T23:56:08Z")
Why not let the 8-year-olds spout politics & religion? Lord knows I have to put up with listening to adults yammer on about it all day every day, most of whom have about the same grasp of subtleties and act as spewing mouthpieces for their idiological masters. At least the kids have an excuse for simple unnuanced opinions.
---
### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-am-pitting-fox-for-once-again-being-the-home-of-assholes/592936/20 "2011-08-17T00:05:15Z")
> [@Mrs.Cake](#):
>
> Why not let the 8-year-olds spout politics & religion? Lord knows I have to put up with listening to adults yammer on about it all day every day, most of whom have about the same grasp of subtleties and act as spewing mouthpieces for their idiological masters. At least the kids have an excuse for simple unnuanced opinions.
I think the point is that kids (and some of these looked to be as young as 6) are mentally incapable of understanding the complex economic and political issues being mentioned. Sure, most adults don’t understand this stuff, but at least they could if they put their minds to it.
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