Bill O’Reilly’s “Culture War” – Real Journalism? Intellectual Curiosity? Or Kinky Voyeurism?
Reported by Priscilla - December 7, 2008 -
Bill O’Reilly has a thing going on for San Francisco and the West Coast. He’s been obsessing about their, in his mind, decadent culture for years. It’s a strange obsession as it centers, at least in the recent video, on sexual imagery and those who “take a walk on the wild side” – despite the fact that the citizens of this area are middle class Americans who pay taxes, raise families, and go about the same business that the rest of America does. But Bill, who despite being a “traditionalist,” likes to talk dirty; and if authorship gives insight into the author’s mind, Bill’s cranium does have, as his former nuns would describe them, “dirty thoughts.” His book, “Those Who Trespass” (not included on his website as an available book) has an O’Reillyesque main character that was “orally gifted” and I’m not talking about talk show hosting. In the same vein, is Bill’s opening comment to “the Obama Girl” about her doing a lot of ‘writhing.” And not that there’s anything wrong with this unless you’re “America’s (traditionalist) daddy.” (And of course, if you’re American’s Daddy who’s talking dirty to an employee who isn’t interested.) But his San Francisco thing makes me wonder if “he doth protest too much.” Why am I hearing that Rick James refrain….?
As described by the Huffington Post, Bill O’Reilly’s “Producer’s Pick” documentary about the evils of San Francisco was “surreal.” Video available here. Bill’s boy wonder Jesse Watters went to the beautiful, cultured, and tolerant city in search of bad behavior and resident outrage. As noted in the excellent San Francisco Chronicle, “The minutes-long documentary goes on to show homeless people lounging in the parks, pot smokers, a transgendered prostitute, strippers -- and, well, that's about it. Jesse Watters, the producer, told O'Reilly he felt like he was in one big Grateful Dead concert filled with "vagabonds, street kids, runaways, your sixties hippie retreads." Bill added, "You wouldn't go to the Presidio at night,You never know what might be lurking amidst those eucalyptus trees!" (Comment: Yeah, Bill, weird guys like you!) That there was no citizen outrage must have been quite upsetting for our falafal wielding culture warrior.
Bill’s outrage about the atheist sign in Washington is extended to his website – which has an ad for Bill’s “Great American HOLIDAY Quiz” According to he who "looks out for" us,"In Seattle, the city fathers are allowing public nakedness in city parks, nude bike riding.” (Comment: One imagines that Bill is probably booking a ticket to Seattle, as we speak. One imagines him dressed in a raincoat and holding a video phone.) And even more outrageous, the city “gives out free birth control pills, including the "morning after" pill.” (Comment: Bill obviously thinks that Seattle is a hotbed of “wanton” women. He’s definitely booking a ticket…)
Comment: I don’t think that “journalist” Bill is taking an academic, anthropological view of all this. As I said at the beginning, that song is playing in my head - with a few substitutions: “He’s a very kinky newsman, the kind you don’t take home to mother. He will never let your spirits down, once you get him off the streets. Ow….Super Freaky!”
