Won't Someone Please Help this Poor Woman?

[paft.livejournal.com]

As an incurable bleeding-heart, I’m always on the lookout for someone suffering, and that includes people with whom I disagree. The sight of human pain should cause us all to put aside our differences. Megyn Kelly is suffering right here, on national television.

She’s thrown this Fox News Alert about presumably explosive remarks from Attorney General Eric Holder. “About the Boston bombings – which are already – making news,” she says haltingly, either reading from a teleprompter or repeating what’s coming through her earphone. “This is just coming in, we’re trying to turn the tape from you so you can hear it from the man himself,” she adds, rather hopefully.

Alas, the tape just can’t be “turned,” so Kelly is forced to tell us herself what Holder said.

“He promised to hold accountable those responsible for the bombing, but went on to say, ‘Just as we will pursue relentlessly anyone who would target our people or attempt to terrorize our cities, the Justice Department is firmly committed to protecting innocent people against misguided attempts at retaliation.’ And there’s more, let me bring in our panel.” She introduces Julian Epstein and Jay Sekulow, then continues looking down and slowly reading. “He went on – to say –

(Pause as she reads and the horrible realization dawns about the hay she’s expected to weave into righteously outraged gold)

– uh – to talk about – he didn’t mention the fact that these two are Muslim who have been killed or arrested in connection with Boston. But he went on to talk about how in the dozen years since 911 they’ve investigated more than 800 incidents involving threats, assaults, and acts of vandalism and violence targeting Muslims, Arabs, Sikhs, South Asians and others who are perceived to be members of these groups. ‘As Americans we must not allow any group to be stigmatized or alienated. We must not tolerate acts of hatred.’ And then he goes on to say, ‘Let us resolve once more to let our fellow citizens, meet fear with reason. This is how we will honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. Let us strive to confront ignorance with information. Promote understanding, encourage open dialogue, divert suspicious or prejudiced gazes with outstretched hands.

Uh…

I do have to give the lady credit. She regains her equilibrium pretty quickly, brushes aside the fact that Holder just made a heartfelt, patriotic, and simple plea for tolerance, and starts pushing the idea that the “context” of the remarks makes them somehow inappropriate. By the time Julian Epstein opens his mouth to inject a little sanity into the discussion, she’s on the ball enough to talk over him and feign ignorance about the anti-Muslim backlash in the wake of the bombing.

But really, is it fair to force a human being to go through these motions before millions of viewers? Is it humane? Is Fox News becoming a reality show akin to Chopped, where professional cooks are given bizarre ingredients like Smuckers jam, fish sauce, and rancid calamari and forced – on camera – to turn them into allegedly delicious three course meals? It’s bad enough seeing some thirty-something food professional’s eyes go dead as he runs it all through a blender and dumps it on soba noodles topped with sprigs of cilantro. Can we look forward to seeing Fox Anchorwomen getting tossed the Niemoller Statement without warning, and being forced spin it as an apologia for Nazism?

It’s just not a pleasant thing to watch.

*

Comments

[telemann.livejournal.com]

it's almost on par with CNN in News vs Talking Heads categories,

LOL. Like *that is anything to brag about*

Jon Stewart has made a career of pointing out how bad both CNN and Fox News are.

[merig00.livejournal.com]

Well that's the two we have. Neither MSNBC or NBC even close to CNN and FNC. And as you can see from the chart MSNBC is not even a news channel anymore.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Naw.

Stewart (like many others) praised NBC's coverage (in particular Pete Williams) of the Boston marathon bombing as extremely good. And as Stewart points out, watching Fox News doesn't lead to a very well or an informed audience. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2011/11/21/fox-news-viewers-uninformed-npr-listeners-not-poll-suggests/)

[merig00.livejournal.com]

But at the same time NBC dropped the ball numerous times on editing important video and sound bites. Which on some level is worse than not checking your sources during live reporting.

Anyway, we have only two network news channels that report news. And of course Daily Show.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

NBC dropped the ball numerous times on editing important video and sound bites.

You mean the George Zimmerman thing? Please, the persons responsible were fired. (http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/06/nbc-fires-producer-of-misleading-zimmerman-tape/)

Fox News has done that consistently too. (http://www.mediaite.com/tv/jon-stewart-skewers-fox-news-for-using-edited-obama-video-to-criticize-immigration-policy/) Over and over. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/12/jon-stewart-fox-news-common-outrage_n_860956.html) And over. (http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/health-care-ruling-scotus-cnn-gaffe-fox-news-154347515.html)

Fox News has prematurely announced the death of President Obama TWICE. And they've been caught using misleading footage for several stories.

Want more? Here ya go bud!

Less than 10 percent of Obama’s Cabinet appointees “have any experience in the private sector (http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/dec/02/glenn-beck/beck-says-less-10-percent-obama-cabinet-members-ha/)

White House political director once served as right-hand man to ACORN chief (http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/sep/30/steve-doocy/beck-and-others-repeat-claim-white-house-political/)

Texas Board of Education may eliminate references to Christmas and the Constitution from textbooks (http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2010/mar/12/gretchen-carlson/gretchen-carlson-says-state-board-education-consid/)

Health care reform is a government takeover (http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2010/dec/16/lie-year-government-takeover-health-care/) (found not only false but the 2010 “Lie of the Year”)

The Muslim Brotherhood has stated they want to declare war on Israel (http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/feb/15/glenn-beck/glenn-beck-says-muslim-brotherhood-wants-declare-w/)

Governor Rick Scott’s approval ratings are up (http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2011/apr/15/brian-kilmeade/fox-and-friends-host-says-gov-rick-scotts-approval/)

Massachusetts health care plan is wildly unpopular among state residents (http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/may/16/laura-ingraham/laura-ingraham-says-massachusetts-health-plan-wild/)

There’s been more debt under Obaman than all other President combined (http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/jun/01/sarah-palin/sarah-palin-says-obama-has-accumulated-more-debt-p/)

Health care bill includes death panels (http://www.google.com/search?q=Health+care+bill+includes+death+panels+politifact&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a) (the 2009 “Lie of the Year”)

Cash for Clunkers will give government complete access to your home computer (http://www.factcheck.org/2009/08/cash-for-clunkers/)

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Halting gulf drilling costs $8 billion a day in imports (http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/jun/03/sarah-palin/palin-claims-loss-gulf-oil-production-gulf-will-co/)

Democrats plan largest tax increase in history (http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/aug/04/sarah-palin/sarah-palin-said-democrats-planning-largest-tax/)

Obama voted present in the U.S. Senate often (http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/feb/08/sarah-palin/palin-says-obama-voted-present-us-senate-very-ofte/)

John Holdren proposed forced abortions and putting sterilants in drinking water (http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/jul/29/glenn-beck/glenn-beck-claims-science-czar-john-holdren-propos/)

Labor Union President Andy Stern is most frequent visitor at the White House (http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/dec/07/glenn-beck/beck-says-labor-leader-most-frequent-white-house-v/)

America is the only country with automatic citizenship upon birth

O’Reilly never called George Tiller a baby killer, only reporting what others called him (http://www.politifact.com/personalities/bill-oreilly/statements/byruling/false/)

Nobody at Fox News ever said you’re going to jail if you don’t buy health insurance (http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/apr/27/bill-oreilly/oreilly-says-no-one-fox-raised-issue-jail-time-not/)

[nairiporter.livejournal.com]

How dare you drop citations!

[merig00.livejournal.com]

Anyway, we have only two network news channels that report news. And of course Daily Show.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

No.

[merig00.livejournal.com]

Yes.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

I've disagreed, and given you reasons why. You can stop the flame baiting at anytime.

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

why would you get your news from such bad sources?

TV/cable news aint that good, no matter how you slice it.

and while opinion is just that, opinion, it can be an opinion about facts. i may not agree with bill oreilly or sean hannity, but, they could at least talk about an accurate version of reality (and yes, other opinion anchors make mistakes too, but the level and frequency of the FNC crowd is absurd.)

Watch Ann Coulter try and tell a Canadian that they fought in Vietnam, and when he corrects her, that Canada did not, she just says 'we will have to agree to disagree'
no, you skinny blond b****, thats a matter of fact, not of opinion.

[merig00.livejournal.com]

Most of the country gets their news from these sources.
And yes "TV/cable news aint that good, no matter how you slice it."

[paft.livejournal.com]

That doesn't make them reliable.

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

since so many get their news from it, isnt it all the more important that they get their basic facts right??

[merig00.livejournal.com]

Edit: Since paft replied to my comment

I just wanted to point out that if Fox is devouring themselves then the rest of the network news channels are trying to beat Fox at that game.

The only people I like and sometimes watch on FNC are Bret Baier with his panel (charles krauthammer) and Greg Gutfeld.

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

Krauthammer is an insufferable ass, IMO.

Napolitano sometimes gets it, but he is also a (Ron, hopefully not Rand) Paulite. also, wasnt he fired?

and yes, other channels follow foxs lead, which is a bid problem

[paft.livejournal.com]

m: The only people I like and sometimes watch on FNC are Bret Baier with his panel (charles krauthammer) and Greg Gutfeld.

Greg Gutfeld?

Why, for God's sake?

http://torchwood-us.com/2010/11/16/“ain’t-he-cute”-part-ii-why-yes-mr-gutfeld-i-am-a-jerkophobe/

[cheezyfish.livejournal.com]

You are arguing with someone who is using Jon Stewart as the ultimate purveyor of decent media sources... Jon Stewart, the comedian. You actually expect them to see MSNBC as it actually is?

[paft.livejournal.com]

Is that worse than citing Greg "Sweat Shops are KEWEL" Gutfeld?

[cheezyfish.livejournal.com]

What was cited? You are confusing "like" with "cite," I think.

[paft.livejournal.com]

Is that worse than liking Greg Gutfeld?

[cheezyfish.livejournal.com]

Is what worse?

[paft.livejournal.com]

Lost the train of thought already?

Never mind.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

No, he's arguing with someone (me! OH HAI!) who used Jon Stewart as the ultimate comedian making fun of the two most reliable sources cited in the above comment.