Against All Facts Fox’s Phony War On Halloween Grows More Incomprehensible
Reported by Aunty Em - October 25, 2011 -
When Fox “News” starts hammering at a meme it’s never hard to figure out why. Usually it falls into one (or more) of the following rubrics: Defending the GOP; defending the Teabaggers; defending the latest Republican to say something stupid; attacking President Obama; deflecting blame of President George W. Bush by attacking Obama; deflecting blame of the GOP by attacking Obama; defending Jesus; defending Christians; defending the flag; and defending Patriots both true and phony. That’s why Fox’s Phony War on Halloween™ is so incomprehensible. To start, it doesn’t fall into any of the above categories. Furthermore, the holiday itself seems to be diametrically opposed to Fox Audience Values™. In fact, there are whole swaths of ‘Merkin Fundamentalist Communities (traditionally a big part of the Fox “News” audience) who believe that Halloween is the devil’s holiday and, if they had their way, they’d ban it. Furthermore, the aims of those who wish to moderate the holiday (during school hours) would seem to dovetail with several Fox memes, mostly those about how the educational system is failing our children. So, when The Foxy Friends on Fox and Friends doubled down yesterday and called it an “all-out assault on Halloween,” I listened extra carefully to see if I could hear the dog whistle. Watch:
Video courtesy Media Matters
While Gretchen Carlson got to say her favorite phrase “political correctness,” I didn’t have to listen long or hard: Brian Kilmeade gave the game away in the first 10 seconds.
BK: It’s an all-out assault on Halloween. Schools across the country are doing everything—from banning costumes to even removing the holiday because it may offend the immigrants.
When all else fails, blame “the immigrants.” They brought on Daily Caller Senior Editor Jamie Weinstein to validate the Fox “News” Point of View [COMMENT: Isn’t it troubling that a news channel has a point of view? It’s why News Hounds exists]. He calls the educators reasons “asinine excuses” which compel people to fight against education, in favor of Halloween. Then he foolishly adds, “The immigrant excuse [that] you have a lot of people and cultures that don’t like Halloween. I grew up in south Florida [with] many cultures. I never once encountered anybody from a different culture or a different ethnic group that had a problem with Halloween.” That proves it!! As they say in Plan 9 From Outer Space.
Later Gretchen gets all-wistful-and-nostalgic-like: “I’m just sad ‘cause I have two little kids and I’m wondering if they’re not gonna ever see the American traditions that all of us—”. At that point she interrupted herself. Maybe the thought is simply too unbearable for her to continue. But here’s the thing, Gretch: Halloween is not a ‘Merkin tradition. It originated overseas a very long time ago as a way for the Catholic Church to co-opt a Pagan holiday, which might make it a religious tradition—except for the fact that you’re not talking about Halloween’s origins as All Saints Day. However, what makes you extra irrational, Gretchen, is calling the Tricking and/or Treating and/or the costumes of Halloween an American tradition. Halloween was barely acknowledged in ‘Merka until about 100 years and took decades to grow into the commercial glut it has become.
COMMENT: Please, keep up your Phony War On Halloween because, to be frank, it makes me laugh to see your network so ignorant about history and, more importantly, whose so-called holidays and so-called traditions are in need of defense. When Fox “News” finally starts a Phony War On the uniquely Red, White and Blue, All-American, strictly home-grown, long-time tradition of Black Friday, I’ll grow concerned for the mental well-being of all the Foxes and their Friends. Until then, it’s just Fox being Fox and Halloween is the just the latest collateral damage in the on-going Cultural Wars.
