posted by Damozel | All Bill O'Reilly wanted to do was to demonstrate to Fox viewers (and give him his props for recognizing they might need it) that racism is "dumb." He can't imagine why African-Americans are offended and why he's taking a pasting from formerly "respectful" (his word) CNN. Why would anyone mind that he "couldn't get over the fact" that the fine people of Harlem were very nice? While dining out with Al Sharpton (*O'Reilly's treat), he realized that black society is really just like white society nowadays. Why, not one of the persons of color dining out at Sylvia's or working there spoke to him in hip hop or addressed him as "mofo" (to his face)!
Naturally he wanted to share this joyful insight ("Black people: more civilized than advertised!") with the Fox news viewers. And, to be honest, I think it's kind of sweet. You can see why he's hurt: there he was, bringing the "Ebony and Ivory" to the Fox News demographic, and instead of getting the praise he deserved for passing on the good news, he's been reviled. Honestly, I feel sort of sorry for him. But of course he doesn't need my pity. As a right wing male, his M.O., particularly in moments of discomfort, is rage. So he's whipped himself up into a lather.
Watch here:
If you missed it, here's what he said:
You know, I was up in Harlem a few weeks ago, and I actually had dinner with Al Sharpton, who is a very, very interesting guy, and he comes on The Factor a lot, and I treated him to dinner because he's made himself available to us, and I felt that I wanted to take him up there. And we went to Sylvia's, a very famous restaurant in Harlem. I had a great time. And all the people up there are tremendously respectful, they all watch The Factor. You know, when Sharpton and I walked in, it was, like, big commotion and everything, but everybody was very nice. And I couldn't get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia's restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. I mean it was -- it was exactly the same, even though it's run by blacks, primarily black patronship; it was the same. And that's really what this society is all about, now...
[...] There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, 'M-Fer, I want more iced tea.' You know, I mean, everybody was -- it was like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb in the sense of people were sitting there, and they were ordering and having fun. And there wasn't any kind of craziness at all." (So a white guy walks into a restaurant in Harlem...; emphasis in original)
Watch him say some of it!
Here's why African-Americans don't think they are being too sensitive:
And here's Chrish at News Hounds totally nailing it:
O'Reilly was probably trying, as he claimed, to inform his audience that the rap and hip-hop cultures he excoriates are not representative of all black people, and used his own experience to make the point. But the way he said it revealed his deep-seated prejudices, whether he wants to admit it or not:...As I said, I don't think O'Reilly intended to offend, but this is subtle racism of low expectations, much like the ill-advised remarks George Bush and Joe Biden made about Barack Obama being "articulate." It reflects on his upbringing, which was typical of the time and place, and shows a lack of evolution and sensitivity. You don't compliment someone by telling them how much better behaved they are than you expected (unless you are positively reinforcing a child). (So a white guy walks into a restaurant in Harlem...; emphasis in original)
Back in the Seventies, most of us in O'Reilly's age group learned that commenting with approval on African-Americans who behave the way we imagine white people mostly behave (which, as anyone who watches Court TV knows, ain't true) is a subtle yet pernicious form of racism, in that it assumes that (1) it's surprising to find African-Americans behaving in a way that white people think of as appropriate and "civilized"; and (2) that white people are the final authority on what is and is not civilized and appropriate. What was O'Reilly up to then?
It's sort of like that time when my mother, a/k/a the Southern Lady, remarked with some astonishment (and in the presence of my Aussie friend) that Australians "have television and everything!" In addition, she meant, to kangaroos and aborigines. At least that's how everyone heard it, my friend included.
And it's even more like Barbara Bush, the Dowager in Chief, roaming among the displaced poor of New Orleans in that Texas stadium and remarking afterward, "This is working very well for them!"
The Southern Lady and Barbara Bush are from a generation not well attuned to racial and class insensitivity. What's O'Reilly's excuse? Media Matters has published a compendium of O'Reilly's observations which I think you'll find quite riveting. And ---since they are O'Reilly's very own words---you can't really write them off as the product of "the far left smear machine."
Anyway, O'Reilly's not disappointed with CNN for "picking up the story," just very, very angry. He claims that they did so only because Fox is killing them in the ratings. And, of course, attacking their integrity as journalists and referring to Media Matters as "a slime machine" and "the far left media smear website," and "far left propaganda" isn't defamatory at all. After all, it ain't defamation if it's true and O'Reilly says it is true, so it must be.
Would Bill O'Reilly lie to you? Some people think so, but I am not one of them. I think he is scary honest and---I am only speaking for myself--- I for one fully believe the tasering story, even if the Crux is a bit skeptical. Is it really so implausible that someone would taser BO? I think not.
Bill O'Reilly Surprised that Black Folks are... Folks?
Bill O'Reilly on Taser Story: Is he Making Things Up Again?
Bill & Bill (O'Reilly & Maher) Together Again!
Iraqi Government Fails to Meet Bill O'Reilly's Deadline.
I want to say that I'm surprised, but I guess I'm not. I guess I'm only surprised that anyone allowed him to say it on the air and no one stopped him.
I also want to say that I've heard similar things all my life and while, yes, they were mostly from Southern people, mostly Bill's age, you would might be surprised to learn that they come out of the mouths of young people and folks in the North as well. Usually they are said by ignorant but sometimes otherwise intelligent people who are just experiencing something new in real life for the first time rather than a taught negative stereotype.
And I have to add that while my parents might be among the ones that have occasional slips of verbal stupidity, I am forever grateful that somehow they raised me colorblind enough that I was surprised to learn as I got older that there were negative stereotypes.
Posted by: J. Lynne | October 01, 2007 at 04:38 PM