Could O'Reilly's outrageous comments be a trap?

[MindPilot]

FOX is a cable channel. The FCC would like nothing more than to have an excuse to regulate cable with the same "decency" they apply to broadcast content. If the FCC uses the "terrorist threat" to get it's nose in the cable tent, then we will be saying buh-bye to Bill Maher, watching sanitized movies, and cable will be all family values all the time, just like network. Only you get to pay fifteen bucks a month for it.

Instead of condemning O'Reilly, calling for his resignation and censure, we should support his right to say what ever he wants regardless of how offensive or hateful it may be. In other words, rhetorically disarm him.

I am in no way defending O'Reilly, but if he is censored, we are right behind him.

On edit: If it was on his radio show, that is a totaly different situation. The FCC should do their standard thing of fining the fuck out of FOX, WestwoodOne, and all the affiliates who carried it.

[MojoXN]

1. Censorship is wrong.

But I have no problem with organizing a boycott or similar action.

MojoXN

[tridim]

2. I thought it happened on his radio show

???

[havocmom]

5. That's what I heard. There is audio but no video

That sorta means, um, :think: radio.

[NMDemDist2]

3. he didn't say it on TV IIRC, it was from his radio show wasn't it? n/t

[99Pancakes]

4. I prefer condemning him

A sea of angry voices need to drown him out. Since when does "freedom" equal an invitation for terrorists to bomb our country?

[MindPilot]

11. Since the man some call president said

"bring it on"

Since Pat Robertson said "you voted god out; expect a disaster."

Since Man Coulter said, invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity.

Since Jesse Helms(?)warned President Clinton that he "should bring bodyguards."

They are setting the standards; we're not.

[PatrioticLeftie]

6. Hmm, I never thought about it that way

But in some way, I believe O'Reilly is just being a rat bastard as usual.

[tularetom]

7. I'm just for "fair and balamced" treatment

of all speech. If a "liberal" commntator had made a similar statement regarding some red-state population center such as "Both of Mississippi's senators are opposed to Roe v Wade, which is the law of the land therefore Mississippi should not receive any federal aid for hurricane relief" the screams for censorship from the pubs would be deafening, there would be senate hearings and the poor shlub that said it would be dragged out to publicly apologize. But you don't hear any similar outcry when this asshat comes out with his latest burst of verbal diarrhea. No censorship just equal treatment.

[Mz Pip]

8. I like it when he says totally bizarre things

It reinforces what an ass he is. The more he talks like this the more he alienates people.

Freedom of sppech is a good thing. The more people speak the more we learn about how they really feel.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[bigbrother05]

9. He is just looking for head lines

any press is good press. Look how many people on here are talking about him.

[EFerrari]

10. It's not good press if it upsets your sponsors. : )

[bigbrother05]

14. He's just digging his own hole, the repugs are good at it.

Give them enough rope and they hang themself.

[NanceGreggs]

12. As disgusting as the O'Reillys of the world are ...

... the only thing that should boot them off the air is poor ratings!
We don't need censorship; we need more smart people tuning him OUT!

[EFerrari]

16. I'm perfectly willing to go on record as being in favor of censoring

hate speech -- which has become a fine art in this country.

[NanceGreggs]

20. And who defines 'hate'?

You'd have a truckload of Repugs yelling 'hate speech' every time someone like Jon Daily or Bill Mahr said something anti-Bush. Think it through; that's a door nobody wants to open.

I stand by my original post: Turn the radio/TV OFF if you're offended; nothing 'censors' these people like tanking ratings.

[EFerrari]

21. Consensus defines "hate". That's a no brainer.

And simply turning off the nearest hate speech works for you, but doesn't speak to your responsibility to the community being poisoned by hatred.

But, I agree re the ratings. I'm going straight to O'Reilly's sponsors. The bottom line is being put on the line. That's what they care about, you're totally right.

[Cleita]

13. Oh puleeze, they don't think that far ahead.

O'Reilly put his foot in his mouth plainly and simply. FOX will be on the defensive for this and not on the offensive. Also, my non-news FOX station carries Sex and the City reruns and other programs that could hardly be called family entertainment.

I think FOX News should be shut down for threatening a large city's population with death and destruction, only to be reinstated when the fairness doctrine is brought back. I don't object to FOX's entertainment division, but they should get out of the news business until they can meet common journalistic standards.

[EFerrari]

15. Yeah! Like those great reporters at the NYTs!

LOL!

I'm laughing because I don't know what else to do, Cleita. Our kids are going to read about this someday and say, WTF was UP with journalism?

[Cleita]

17. Yeah, them too, but at least the NYT finally fired Miller.

O'Reilly is still on FOX unfettered and undisciplined.

[EFerrari]

19. For now. I hope his desk doesn't have too many drawers.

:hi:

[onenote]

18. no, I don't think that they are a "trap"

First, as noted on edit, his comments were made over a broadcast outlet not cable. Second, and more importantly, there was nothing actionable about his statements as made over a broadcast outlet. There is no 'standard' thing that the FCC does in terms of fining broadcasters for speech that is not sexual in nature. As noted on another thread, in fact, the FCC declined to rule that use of the "N-word" in a broadcast was unlawful even though it is grossly offensive to many people.

So there's no reason to think that O'Reilly was doing anything other than being himself--a hyperbolic, right wing asshole. And the great thing is that the more freedom he has to be himself, the more he marginalizes himself, just as Pat Robertson has done.

onenote