Much has been made, by pundits from across the ideological spectrum, about Miley Cyrus' performance at the VMA awards. But Bill O'Reilly's take is interesting in that it not only exposes his patriarchal sexism; but a double standard regarding sex and race, vis-à-vis the entertainment industry and society at large. O'Reilly has long been obsessed with Cyrus's actions and even wardrobe. While it seems consistent with his patriarchal misogyny, his verbal spankings, from a Freudian perspective, raise some serious questions. Not surprisingly, O'Reilly's commentary about Cyrus' performance at the VMA's was a reflection of his own paternalistic views in that he scolded Cyrus' father for not scolding Miley. Meanwhile, he ignores Robin Thicke's grinding against Cyrus while singing a song that is degrading to women. There is another double standard. O'Reilly doesn't feel that the actions of the white Miley Cyrus have any implications for white society - but in denigrating the African-American community, he blames, in part, rap music. 

In his latest column, "The Content of Character" (Ha, this from a guy accused of sexual harassment, hiring a local cop to stalk his ex-wife, and trying to get his wife ex-communicated from the Catholic Church!), Bill described Miley as a narcissist (Oh, the irony!) and castigated her for "simulating sexual activity." He castigates Cyrus' father for not taking a firm hand with his 20 year old, adult daughter. He then blames bad parenting for the coarsening of American society and politicians for not blaming bad parents for this supposed demise of American culture. He blames "secular-progressives" for not being willing "to cast aspersions" ( O'Reilly specialty) on bad parents while promoting social programs that act merely as "baby-sitters." (Meanwhile, O'Reilly is using his kids' therapist as a nanny). He demands that President Obama "campaign" against bad parenting.  

Last week, O'Reilly discussed the Miley Cyrus "deal" with Greg Gutfeld. He described how "there's a lot in play" that isn't "trivial." Patriarch Bill immediately got into the "father" thing which, as he noted, is the subject of his latest column. His misogyny was in full display as he pontificated that "the father is responsible for guiding his children in a certain direction." Obviously, in O'Reilly world, mothers aren't part of the parenting process. (Hmm, reflection of his custody battle?) He noted that "Billy Ray Cyrus looks adrift." Naturally, O'Reilly showed video of Miley's VMA performance. O'Reilly denigrated female performers when he said that Miley "wants attention" and "is like a lot of young women in show business, they don't have attention, every ten seconds, they get depressed." Obviously, in O'Reilly world male performers are models of stability. And so it went.

But as I noted earlier, O'Reilly is also obsessed with hip-hop music and never wastes an opportunity to use rap music as a way to attack the African-American community. Last week, he made the ridiculous claim that MLK, Jr. "would not be happy with out-of-wedlock birth rate [ah, that old misogyny rears its head], violence, the broken education system, and rap music." He even sees rap music as corrupting white youth as evidence in his question of whether "gansta rap is hurting our children." But in analyzing Cyrus's behavior, he sees no greater social significance. The reality, of course, is that neither Cyrus nor hip-hop has any greater social significance; but Bill O'Reilly doesn't see it that way. 

Bill O'Reilly's "concern" for Miley Cyrus is truly creepy as it exposes Bill's twisted world in which "fathers" "guide" their adult daughter's choices because, God forbid, a woman make her own choice and act independently. Mothers, on the other hand, have no role. Meanwhile, white male entertainers are, I guess, just boys being boys. Black entertainers, on the other hand, are destroying black society. It's a complex world....