With all the outrageous bias and assorted craziness going on at Fox News it’s a bit strange I’ve given up a brief blogging sabbatical to post on such a trivial segment as “Fox & Friends” hauling in mentalist faker John Edward to talk about Jack LaLanne’s death and what it’s like for him on the other side.
Sure, I could cover Bill Sammon’s latest memo-gate exposing him as a hyper-partisan fraud pretending to be a news editor. I could blog on 400 rabbis placing an ad in the Wall Street Journal criticizing Fox News in general with emphasis on Glenn Beck for all the Nazi and Holocaust references. I could blog on so-called ‘real journalist’ Bill O’Reilly who boasts the best research team in the business once again ripping a story from the red blogs – the heavily edited Planned Parenthood ACORN like hoax video – and spinning it hard to the right.
However, this unintentionally humorous ‘news’ segment gave me a case of the giggles so I just had to share it. Enjoy!
Fox News cheesecake model Megyn Kelly desperately wants us all to take her seriously. Which might explain why her hobby appears to be a pin-up model. I just wonder what the mainstream media bashers over at Fox News would do if, say, Katie Couric did a bikini spread for Sports Illustrated? Well, maybe that isn’t so great of an analogy but you get my point.
However, showing off her bosoms to the cultural conservative hypocrites glued to Fox News isn’t Megyn’s only play to climb the propaganda factory’s corporate ladder. Her main selling point is she’s a smart, aggressive pit bull promoting GOP TV’s conservative message. In a crowded Fox News field of leggy opinion journalists wearing very short skirts Megyn has clawed her way nearly to the top.
Speaking of hypocrisy, GOP TV’s doesn’t end with making a complete mockery of their laughable “fair and balanced” slogan. Nor is it even the fundamental hypocrisy of a network sanctimoniously promoting superficial Christian traits while pushing sex like some sort of cable news pimps. No, if the lips of one of their opinion journalists is moving there’s a very good chance they’re spewing hypocrisy.
“Political correctness”. It’s a term the right has repeated to the point most people accept it as the sole province of liberals. Those bleeding hearts who use language to protect the sensitivities of us all while promoting their agenda. So why does Fox News talk about the “death tax” when the proper term is “estate tax”? Why, as I recently posted, is Fox News reviving the term “death panel”? Why is Bill Sammon instructing reporters to use the term “government option” instead of “public option”?
We know the answer. Fox News’ conservative version of political correctness is very successful at casting a negative light on political issues. Fox News analyst Frank Luntz, the author of Words That Work, developed the successful “death tax” spin phrase in focus groups. “Death panels” earned the PolitiFact Lie of the Year, in large part, because of its success in dishonestly changing the debate on health care reform.
Leo E. Laurence over at the Society of Professional Journalists blogged that “illegal immigrant” is an offensive term and should be replaced with “undocumented worker”. Fox News opinion journalists and pundits pounced on this pretty much churning the same talking points including coming up with ridiculous sounding ‘what’s next’ examples to make a mockery of Laurence’s suggestion. What brings Megyn Kelly to the forefront is her ‘what’s next’ example of “non-consensual sex partner” replacing “rapist”.
A key to Fox News’ success is turning mundane news into sensationalism. Congratulations to Megyn for hitting the top of the blogsphere charts. However, after witnessing her segment what really struck me wasn’t her headline grabbing example. What struck me is her complete dishonesty in blowing up the scope of the movement behind this change far beyond reality. Being an opinion journalist, it’s not surprising Kelly didn’t do any research beyond what she dug up on red blogs. She opens with the bogus claims the Society of Professional Journalists is pushing for this change. That’s what’s known as a lie.
However, it’s a sizzling lead-in to get the conservative fanboys to pay attention. Later she qualifies this saying it’s their Diversity Committee behind it. Well, that’s a lot different. However, it’s still a lie. It’s only the opinion of one man: Leo E. Laurence. Because of the furor, he updated his post to make this perfectly clear.
As you watch Megyn Kelly in this segment clearly using her role as anchor to steer the discussion to the right it’s not particularly surprising her facts are so inaccurate. All that’s missing is her wearing a bikini during the broadcast to make it a GOP TV ratings home run.
I debated whether or not to post this video because, in a big way, second (or is it third) string right-wing Fox News pundit (or is it analyst) Tucker Carlson saying something outrageously dopey is, well, to be expected. This doesn’t even really fall in the realm of my usual interest in Fox News’ outrageous conservative bias (other than the fact the panel, as is typical, isn’t balanced). Sure, you could claim Tucker is capital punishment happy or he’s expressing culturally conservative Christian values but I don’t really see the fit.
Yet, Tucker’s symptomatic of part of Fox News’ problem. Like a toddler desperate for mommy’s attention, the network is obsessed with ratings. Sure, being a right-wing propaganda factory is the catnip attacting the fanboys but if there isn’t sizzle they’ll still tune out. Just about any time day or night there’s a right-wing shock jock clamoring for the fanboys’ attention too. Which is why prior to the takeover of the House by the Democrats (followed by the horror of Obama being elected president) Fox News filled a lot of dead air space with sensational true crimes like the white girl abduction of the week.
They haven’t had much trouble filling dead air time with the Democrats in power. Political hysteria siezed control. But for personalites like Glenn Beck and even the second stringers like Carlson or Ingraham hoping to permanently place their butts in one of the big chairs mouthing the outrageous is the main course on the menu to gain Roger Ailes’ eye (and wallet).
Anyway, an asshat like Carlson doesn’t deserve 15 minutes of fame on this so I’ve already given him his due. Enjoy the moment.
PolitiFact declared Fox News ‘analyst’ Sarah Palin’s use of the term “death panels” the Lie of the Year. A right-wing constituency desperate to kill health care reform for ideological reasons grabbed onto the smear like a drowning man clutching a lifebuoy. Sarah Palin’s lie spread like wildfire helped to a great extent by the Fox News propaganda factory. The net result is 75% of Fox News viewers believed the lie versus 30% listening to CNN and MSNBC.
The New York Times is a newspaper Fox News and other conservative pundits love to mock and smear as being outrageously liberal and dishonest. That is until they publish stuff that conservatives can use. Like a recent New York Times article “Obama Returns to End-Of-Life Plan That Caused Stir.” The right-wing blogoshpere like HotAir is buzzing about it so you knew Fox News soon would be parroting it through its opinion journalism franchise.
Fox and Friends is the daily morning springboard for Fox News’ political narratives. Yesterday Clayton Morris brought on former Bushie Tevi Troy to reopen the issue. The “fair and balanced” combination of Morris and Troy tapped danced around the issue. Sort of like HotAir did as well.
The result is an odd Kabuki dance. The right is breathless in their outrage but there’s nothing to be outraged about. Anyone like myself who has had to deal with end of life issues with elderly parents know you have to discuss your options with medical professionals and social workers. Hospitals and nursing homes are going to offer these services no matter how much bed wetting the far right does on the issue.
HotAir approaches the ‘killing granny’ issue by fretting the Obama administration is creating financial incentives to cut costs without demonstrating there are any. Oddly, Tevi Troy keeps mentioning the high cost of the last few months of life as if he’s looking for a cost-cutting measure. His fret is the counseling is mandatory and will arm twist families. Again, without a shred of evidence. Having experienced this myself that’s not the way it works.
Even stranger is Clayton Morris lying to cover for Sarah Palin by claiming her term “death panels” wasn’t so much about pulling the plug when the government deemed your life was no longer of value. Sorry, dude, she did.
If this issue regains traction there’s little doubt as Fox News wades deeper into their pool of propaganda the rhetoric will reheat. Obama will have his evil liberal fingers on granny’s plug. Fox News is suggesting again he already does.
Typically the news post-Christmas until New Year’s Day focuses on retrospectives. I pondered how I could do a 2010 in review compilation of clips. However, I haven’t been as active as I should have been in recording Fox News content and Fox News’ web site, while improved, is still pretty crappy. They have to have the worst search engine in the industry plus – huge surprise – they tend to bury their most biased moments which means for most of what I’m looking for if it isn’t on YouTube forget about it.
I took a different path this year. I started out hoping to put together a parody of GOP TV; however, I found so many outlandish clips of Fox News celebrities making completely crackpot statements most of the satire is wrung from my efforts. It has truly been a remarkable year for Fox News coming completely unhinged over Democratic combined control of Congress and the White House in an election year.
While my video production has tapered off, I still catch a lot of Fox News’ content so I’m well acquainted with Fox News taking opinion journalism to ludicrous levels. A study confirms how heavily tainted GOP TV’s hard news is with opinion journalism but outside of their heavily partisan audience who needs a study? It’s a obvious as the nose on your face.
Some might argue that 2010 is par for Fox News’ course. They might argue GOP TV started showing stress cracks back in 2009 when Glenn Beck called President Obama a racist. For the guy behind StopBeck.com that’s what sent him over the top to start his boycott efforts. Media Matters would argue GOP TV became unglued starting day 1 of Obama’s presidency. They put together an excellent first 100 days montage of Fox News viciously attacking the president.
I’d like to tell you I’m making a News Year’s resolution to pick up a dvr to better keep up but the interest isn’t there. Anyway, enjoy my latest video:
Given that today is Christmas, it’s only fitting that I stick with the spirit of giving. What more appropriate gift is there in the context of the Fox News propaganda factory than which worthy Foxy wins the Glenn Beck Honorary Award for Excellence in Misinformation. There’s little doubt someone on GOP TV will win. The only question is who.
Sarah Palin is a logical choice with all her boneheaded screeching about “death panels” long after the smear was proved a complete lie. She also proudly parroted the PolitiFact Lie of the Year that ‘Obamacare’ is a government takeover of health care. Of course, the stage upon which she peddled this cart load of bull to a receptive audience was Fox News.
“Little Lamb of the GOP” is pictured here. A perfect late minute Christmas gift for your closest conservative Fox News fanboy? I don’t know about that but if you want to buy it ordering information is available. The specific price for Michael Caines’ charming work isn’t publicized but his gallery offerings start at $1,200 for drawings and run up to $10,000 on the high end for paintings. Considering that crackpot Glenn Beck charges $500 just for a quickie breakfast, a couple grand for a life-like portrait doesn’t sound so bad. Hey, the painting lasts forever! Not to mention Glenny looks so cute with those soft lamb ears.
Since the vast majority of the content of Fox & Friends and alleged hard news America’s Newsroom is right-wing punditry and ‘analysis’ (e.g., Republican Rick Santorum is on right now talking tax cuts in a softball interview) you’d think they could muster some editorial outrage fitting their ‘war on Fox News’ and ‘liberal arts and entertainment’ memes.
Alas, the Fox News GOP theme of the day appears to be to lionize Ronald Reagan’s economic policies while bashing Obama on the same. Stuart Varney appeared both on Fox & Friends and America’s Newsroom to editorialize how great Reagan’s tax cuts were for the economy in his day and how Obama’s big government spending Socialism (or is it Fascism or Marxism? I can’t keep up with Fox News’ smears of the day!) creates nothing but misery and unemployment. I guess they don’t have time to squeeze in but so much right-wing propaganda.
Fox News Watch has a real problem with hypocrisy. The most obvious hypocrisy is the show dedicated to exposing media bias is outwardly focused on smearing the “mainstream media” while skipping over the constant spew of right-wing spin pouring from their propaganda factory. So when host Jon Scott asks per his habit for his viewers to send him examples of media bias I’ve tried in the past to clue him in to this fact (you can join me by emailing the clown too at newswatch@foxnews.com). I’m not holding my breath here for a response.
If Fox News Watch hadn’t telegraphed loudly enough its head-completely-up-its-ass blindness to its own biases, they decided to up the ante. Now – catch this – we have a show dedicated to exposing media bias that has added a conservative editorial to its mix. Huh?
No kidding. Dried up right-wing comic Greg Gutfeld of Red Eye fame shows up now to add conservative editorials. The only thing missing from this theater of the completely absurd is Gutfeld ending his screeds “fair and balanced”.
Okay, I haven’t blogged here for a while. SoD pointed this out back in mid-November. Nobody commented. Did anyone notice?
My road to minor league blogging is a tad different. I didn’t just toss up a blog and hope people would be attracted to my brilliance like a magnet. Actually, I started posting crappy videos of Fox News on YouTube under my sknabt account. The blog followed at the suggestion of SoD. Most people would assume I registered the site since I’ve done most of the posting. Wrong. SoD did.
My real passion is debate, not monologues. So I’ve always attached forums to this site. My hope was my videos (shifted to EyesOnFox on YouTube) would drive some traffic to the blog which, in turn, would attract folks to the forums. For a while the forums attracted a little activity. However, most of the ‘posters’ on the forums were porno, get-rich-quick, pharmacy scam, etc. spambots. I get a chuckle over the fact I got so much spam in the forums it eventually trashed the software’s indexes (corrupted Linux so bad it couldn’t handle a directory!). I replaced the forum software with something better. The good news is there’s no spam. The bad news is there’s no posts.
So this blog was designed to stimulate debate in forums. Epic fail on that count. The other purpose was to create synergy with my videos. However, most YouTubers simply watch the video, leave a simple comment using YouTubes extremely crappy/buggy commenting feature, and move on. Epic fail on that count too.
The net result is my videos get results. While most don’t set the world on fire I have posted stuff to get over a million views.
Then came Twitter. Twitter is just a SMS message hack that for whatever reason caught on fire. I can’t explain it. I simply accept it. It took me a long time to warm up to Twitter, to be perfectly frank. I still have mixed feeling about Twitter because its strict 140 character limit obviously means the sort of substantive debate I crave is out of the question. Nearly 3,000 tweets later @EyesOnFoxOrg has grown to 660 followers with little effort at self-promotion on my part. The irony is @EyesOnFoxOrg was created simply to publicize blog posts. Yet another another epic fail.
A number of my Twitter followers use it to shamelessly promote their minor league blogs. I’ve visited quite a few. Most have no comments. There’s an over-saturation of pajamas clad (like I am right now) bloggers sharing their articulate political outrage and cross-posting links to blogs doing original reporting. There’s not a huge demand to consume this stuff. Real debate is even rarer on the Internet as discussion forums more likely than not are skewed to one side of the political fence and anyone with a different opinion is quickly labeled a “troll”.
SoD and I have tried to recruit more posters for Eyes On Fox to offer a greater diversity of content and to ensure content refreshes more frequently. A final epic fail. Social media like YouTube and Twitter are on fire. My emphasis will lean that way in the foreseeable future though I will continue to post all my videos here.
On the home front, skanbt is “developing” Eyesonfox’s Twitter presence so he has been absent posting. You can check out his efforts at http://twitter.com/eyesonfoxorg. The pre-election hysteria at Fox is over with the Republican victories in the House, though they are puzzled why the Senate was not taken as well.
Papa Bear O’Reilly spoke of the left’s coming unhinged at the election losses…I guess the right was only mildly upset when they lost to the left 2 years ago. O’Reilly says with the rise of the right comes increase Fox hating from the left. But Fox is fair and balanced, right? I’m so confused.
Glen Beck must be running out of conspiracies to bring to light as he has dug up that old Fox favorite, George Soros to beat that dead and dusty horse some more. Beck mentions the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy of which the left often talks about, but its apparently one conspiracy Beck does not buy.
Fox and Beck can’t sit on their backsides as Dick Morris spoke of the Obama Threat in 2 years. The bottom line is the left came to power when the country had grown tired of the right. Now they are tired of the left, but want a split government. I like that too. Bad things happen when either party gets both the House & Senate. The left and the right lack vision and give us the same things they have for 20 plus years. More of the same.
