Bill OReilly is defining un-American activities in the Trump era

[inanna]

January 4 at 11:56 AM

This momentous point in the history of the United States presents a number of issues, including allegations that Russia hacked key U.S. institutions during the presidential election; the future of the country’s health-care system; congressional ethics!

So what topic does Bill O’Reilly choose to cover? The dearth of top-flight performers booked to perform at President-elect Donald Trump’s impending inaugural festivities. “There are wide reports that many entertainers are frightened to perform in the inaugural festivities on Jan. 20,” lamented O’Reilly, who attributed the problem to a “reverse McCarthyism” prevailing in Hollywood. “Remember that in the 1950s, Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy started accusing people in Hollywood of being communists. That led to a blacklist where people were not hired because McCarthy smeared them. Today, it seems, anti-Trump zealots may be doing the same thing: If you’re a Trump supporter, you’re a bad person and a number of entertainers believe their careers will be harmed should they associate with the new Trump administration.”

The New York Post reported last month that just such a backlash helps explain why tenor Andrea Bocelli won’t be performing at the inaugural.

So there’s that. Omitted from the O’Reilly monologue, however, is some rather consequential data. One member of the Rockettes — which will perform — told Marie Claire magazine, “This is not a Republican or Democrat issue—this is a women’s rights issue … This is an issue of racism and sexism, something that’s much bigger than politics.” That’s the very opposite of the scenario laid out by O’Reilly: This Rockette isn’t objecting for fear of a backlash from anti-Trumpers; she’s objecting for reasons of conscience. Same thing with the member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir who quit the organization over its decision to perform at the inaugural. “I only know I could never ‘throw roses to Hitler.’ And I certainly could never sing for him,” wrote choir member Jan Chamberlin.

...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2017/01/04/bill-oreilly-is-defining-un-american-activities-in-the-trump-era/

[underpants]

1. O'Reilly is such a victimized little snowflake

His little bit made no sense.

[malthaussen]

2. "Frightened," forsooth.

Because it is inconceivable to believe that their gag reflexes are triggered by the very thought of celebrating this man's Presidency.

-- Mal

[Nitram]

3. LOL, "reverse McCarthyism!" O'Liely is such a card.

[BobTheSubgenius]

4. My wife was a director of a large facility of the Boys and Girls Cluc

The impact that the Club had had on the lives of some people was very evident in the "names" that would show up for fund-raisers, sometimes at their own expense. Jay Leno (who donated his speaking fee back to the Club), Denzel Washington, Jamie Farr, and many, many others far too numerous to list. She spent a whole day working an event with two people to whom she had not been introduced, but corrected that near the end of the day. She was surprised to learn they were duPonts and said you would NEVER have known it.

Almost without exception, she said, they are wonderful and caring people, and all of them believed in the mission of the organization. Then, along came Bill'o The Clown, who may have had genuine admiration and gratitude, but who surprised my wife on a personal level.

She was taken aback to find that he is exactly the same asshole in daily life as he is on his show.

[4Tone]

5. O'Reilly had the gall to say:

"Man won the election. Give him a chance. Respect the process and stop the nonsense."

Remember when Republicans did exactly that for Obama? Me neither.