Fox Haters Week in Review
It's time for a look at double standards, and a dog that did not bark, in a special edition of Fox Haters Week in Review.
'Family' Values:
We begin our survey of Fox hater hypocrisy with an incident from The Fox Nation, brought to light in hysterical fashion by the mavens at Media Matters. Is the Obama Family Going to the Mattresses?, said the Fox Nation link, and MM fumed:
Fox Nation renews smear comparing Obama administration to organized crimeNaturally the echo chamber picked this up and ran with it. The News Corpse gang called it a "blatant association of Obama with a famous fictional crime family", and promptly reposted their claim on Keith Olbermann's blog of choice, the Daily Kos. And what Media Matters Fox attack isn't parroted by the newshounds? This time Ellen did the echo chamber honors, cackling that this "demonizes" Democrats, and shows that "it's OK to demean your opponent if he's President Obama".
But wait? Doesn't something about this sound eerily familiar? It did to Chris Golas, who blogged about a similar comparison, when Keith Olbermann spent an entire segment of his show likening the Bush family to the Sopranos:
Hmm. Did Media Matters expose this "smear" comparing Bush to organized crime? Did the Daily Kos blast this "blatant association" of the President with a crime family? (Surely they would have had space to do so, even with the hundreds of references to the "Bush mafia" on their site.) And what of Ms Brodsky and the newspoodles? They too only seemed to object to this comparison when Fox did it.
Except of course that Fox didn't make the comparison. The evil, reprehensible "going to the mattresses" quote? Not written by Fox Nation at all. It is from the New York Daily News, an article by Michael Goodwin that Fox Nation merely linked to:
We could call it doubling down on a mistake. Or drawing a partisan line in the sand. But this is Barack Obama and his favorite movie is - I'm not making this up - "The Godfather," so let's stick with the mob theme. The Obama Family is going to the mattresses.Oddly, none of the above sites offered any denunciations of the Daily News or of Mr Goodwin for publishing the piece. Only of Fox for linking to it. Now why would that be?
We should add that this is nothing new for Media Matters. They have repeatedly gotten their panties in a bunch over any suggested association of the President with facism, particularly if it comes from Glenn Beck. And yet, it's hard to get more blatant and direct then yelling at the President "You're a fascist!", as this video recalls:
Yet not a word from Media Matters when Keith Olbermann does it. Why would that be?
Shaggy Dog Stories:
As we survey the front page of the newspooch blog, there are at least a half-dozen entries dealing with the boycott of Glenn Beck. The promotional push helpfully includes links, lists of sponsors, and encouraging comments like "our effort worked magnificently". But something seems strangely awry. Somehow we thought the mastiffs didn't hold boycotts in such high regard. Maybe we got that impression because they referred to boycotts in this fashion:Hate is hate, no matter where it comes from.And of course they have been quick to point out the harmful effects of a boycott:
his intended campaign to smear the state and boycott their products would hurt the hard working families living there.So why are the newsmutts hyping the Beck boycott? Have they forgotten all they have written in the past? Well we're pleased, and surprised, to say that one writer there is willing to show intellectual equilibrium. Melanie compares boycotts to censorship:
a fairly large segment of our citizenry believes that (l) one should never speak ill of the president - this particular president, that is, and (2) people who disagree with this particular president have no right to say so. One of the characteristics of fascism is to use violence and modern techniques of propaganda and censorship to forcibly suppress political opposition.At least one writer there is consistent, so we salute her for... Oh wait. That article is from 2005, and the President then was... um, well, never mind.
Speaking of double standards at the pound, we had to notice when Ms Brodsky got up in paws about Fox Nation:
It has removed its comments section for its leading story announcing the death of Senator Ted Kennedy. This despite the fact that comments on the site are moderated.And yet, wasn't it the newspooches who, on the death of Tony Snow, turned off comments on their own site? Yes it was, a fact that led to this amusing exchange amongst the kennel-dwellers:
- "Fox Nation turned off its comments..." Yeah, just like this site did when Tony Snow passed away. --Damail
- You're a liar. I was here. I didn't see anything like that.
- You're wrong. Again.
- Damail, You my friend are a stinking sappy drooling liar!
O'Reilly Attacks Olbermann's Deceased Mom, Blogosphere Erupts:
It was like setting a match to gasoline when Bill O'Reilly unwisely decided to drag Keith Olbermann's deceased parent into his feud with the MSNBC host. The reaction was as incendiary as O'Reilly's attack. The staid TV Newser asked in a headline: "Has O'Reilly Crossed the Line?" Media Matters produced an instant special investigative report detailing Mrs Olbermann's saintly existence. Gawker called for O'Reilly to be fired, commenters on Daily Kos upped the ante with colorful description of how to "off" the Factor host, and the Huffington Post splashed huge red-type headlines across the page: "O'Reilly Smear of Olbermann Family: The Last Straw?" (The question mark was their nod to impartiality and fairness.) And the newshounds produced one "original" post for each of the above that they linked to and parroted.Of course none of that happened, except maybe on Bizarro planet in an alternate universe. But the proposed reactions are not unlikely. For a nationally televised cable news personality to use his air time to attack personally one of his competitors and smear a family member in the process--that would be an act of unspeakable degeneracy. And yet, that did happen this week. Only it wasn't Bill O'Reilly--who has steadfastly avoided personal attacks on Mr Olbermann or his family. No, it was Olbermann who, just before lying about his ratings, characterized Bill O'Reilly in this fashion:
In his nightly round of self-applause last night, designed to drown out the echo of daddy hitting him…Does it surprise anyone that Olbermann's diseased invective has passed almost unnoticed? Nothing from TV Newser. Nothing from Gawker. Nothing from Media Matters. Nothing from News Corpse, the newshounds, or The Daily Beast. Sites like these have posted hundreds of articles about the "feud", yet none of them found this sick defamation newsworthy. A Google search shows a whopping nine references to Olbermann's quote. Only one major media site noted the remark: a report from Steve Krakauer on mediaite (ironically run by MSNBC legal analyst Dan Abrams). To the rest of the blogosphere it was the dog that did not bark.
There was one noticeable exception, and in a further dose of irony it was an Olbermann fan site: The O Files. There JFein's increasing discomfort with Olbermann's ways reached a breaking point with Keith's repellent attack. JFein's piece was quickly deleted by the site's administrator, but has been reposted by the author where it cannot be erased:
When you start it out by joking about a matter that is so serious (child abuse), you crossed the line with me and I have absolutely had it with him. It's wrong, it's DAMN WRONG! You don't make that kind of reference, no matter how much you can't stand someone. And the sad part is, there is not a damn person at MSNBC willing to do something about it.When will the rest of the blogosphere treat this story as they would if it had been O'Reilly--or Glenn Beck--who had said it? Or will they simply allow their silence to imply approval?
The TPM Countdown Clock
Yesterday must have been Shep Smith's swan song at Fox News because, according to the Kreskins at Talking Points Memo, by today he has either left Fox News or has been fired. TPM: where you get the news of the future...today!Spot something you'd like to see in the next Fox Haters Week in Review? Send us an email! fox news nh mm
Grammie
It looks like this week'f FHWiR is shaping up to another tour de force, Johnny.
The number of hits Johnny linked to:
"Results 1 - 100 of about 488 from dailykos.com for "bush mafia". (0.35 seconds)"
After FN links to, not even originally publish, 497 more such re BHO I'll be willing to give it a glance.
August 30, 2009, 8:06:50 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Grammie
Johnny, I think TVNewser did do a piece about KO's sick reference to child abuse along with his depraved description of Fox viewers.
August 30, 2009, 8:19:18 PM EDT – Like – Reply
johnny dollar
Please if I missed it point it out because I'll do a correction and an apology.
August 30, 2009, 8:23:26 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Grammie
I should have just kept my mouth shut and gracefully bowed to your superior knowlwdge.
I did go back to check and what I would have sworn that I had seen and read under penalty of perjury was not there.
My memory of TVNewser, here, Meadite, OW, NB all jumbled together, no doubt.
BTW, I just loved seeing your KO/Dean fascist routine again. It has a slight resemblance to Who's on First.
August 30, 2009, 8:58:27 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Cecelia
Great FHWIR, Johnny!
I hurt myself giggling so hard after reading the quote from Ellen bemoaning the demonizing of Democrats (teabagging rednecks...white people with guns...Timothy McVeigh...racists...) and from rewatching the Olbermann interview with Howard Dean.
August 30, 2009, 9:03:01 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Damail
Wow. A thousand and one thank you's, Johnny, for reporting on my sparring session with Newswoofs. The rest of the story: After they called me a liar about them shutting down their Tony-Snow-has-died comments, I shot back with chapter and verse about why they were the ones who were lying. Gee, what a surprise, my subsequent comments were never allowed to post. Man, these people are dishonest. (You listeneing, Pegleg?)
It's possible they might have opened up the comments section later - or was that Huffington Post? - but they absolutely shut down the comments at first. Chrish even admitted it in a posting in June 2008.
I have dealt with dogs like these on my mail routes before. Stand up to them and stand your ground, and they will pee on the grass and then run away.
August 30, 2009, 9:09:41 PM EDT – Like – Reply
chris
what a nice surprise I got when I read this FHWIR and it featured me and my double standard posts. thank you dollar.
August 30, 2009, 9:10:43 PM EDT – Like – Reply
johnny dollar
You deserved it. Your catch of the 'mafia' business with Media Matters was right up there with JFein's as the best of the week.
August 30, 2009, 9:34:48 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Damail
Typed in the wrong month. Chrish's comment was in July, not June.
August 30, 2009, 9:57:28 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Grammie
Check out this Einstein rom the comments at the Kennel re the sponsors boycotting Beck:
"Thanks for printing the list of companies that stopped sponsoring Glenn Beck. I will remember to keep it with me as a reminder of where not to shop and what products not to buy.
cloverfield | 08.25.09 - 3:46 pm | # "
Johnt and The Lil fella have got some heavy competition from this genius.
August 31, 2009, 12:06:27 AM EDT – Like – Reply
cee
Andrew Sullivan is starting off the next week for FOX HATERS.....
"When it comes to Cheney, one of the most incompetent vice-presidents in the country's history, with a record of two grotesquely botched wars, war crimes and a crippling debt, Chris Wallace sounds like a teenage girl interviewing the Jonas Brothers."
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/08/chris-wallace-a-teenage-girl-interviewing-the-jonas-brothers.html
###
I am sure Cankles Keith O will have comments as well with an entire segment dedicated to the former VP tonight.
Will Olbermann be anti-Semitic again?
And the beat goes on.
August 31, 2009, 7:10:32 AM EDT – Like – Reply
Blackflon
This really was one of the best Fox Haters Week in Review. Especially the one about Damail and the Tony Snow post. I remember that one clearly because of the closing of comments.
The News Hounds and Media Matters become more laughable every day. And I mean fall down on the floor laughing.
Johnny, I would like to post this FHWIR on my blog. It's one of the best yet.
I will only do it with approval.
I wouldn't want to be a plagairist like News Hounds.
August 31, 2009, 8:27:06 AM EDT – Like – Reply
Sara
Those assholes at Media Matters and anybody who are left wing bloggers should go shove something sharp up their asses because all they do is attack and discredit people on Fox like Glenn Beck and Bill O' Reilly. Why are we going to be shut up and they are allowed to keep talking when this equal time crap is imposed by the FCC?
August 31, 2009, 9:49:11 AM EDT – Like – Reply
johnny dollar
" I will only do it with approval. "
Request approved. Thanks!
August 31, 2009, 9:54:46 AM EDT – Like – Reply
Blackflon
Sara | Homepage | 08.31.09 - 9:54 am | #
Sara, please let it out. Tell us how you REALLY feel. You'll feel better for it
August 31, 2009, 11:06:50 AM EDT – Like – Reply
Scott
Blackflon, I read your repost over on your site, nice site BTW, but because f the colors of the page it was alittle hard for me to see, had cataract surgery last wed, so I may be worng but I didn't see any credit to J$. Not being picky, I'm not a Liberal Elitist nor a phoney Liberal Elitist aka Keithina and all the left wing blogs. But boy sure hate for them to accuse you of what you said to J$ plagarizm. You know how those Elistist think, LOL.
August 31, 2009, 12:31:52 PM EDT – Like – Reply
JFein
"Your catch of the 'mafia' business with Media Matters was right up there with JFein's as the best of the week."
Thanks for the incredibly kind words! And you're point is absolutely right on. Bill O'Reilly would be forever villified had he said anything about Keith Olbermann's (or any other cable news personality, for that matter) parents. Great sarcasm, by the way, I love it!
August 31, 2009, 2:34:23 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Ashley
Johnny - FNC security has really dropped the ball. For someone who was fired or quit, Shep Smith seems to have taken control over at the FNC studios. Perhaps someone over at TPM ought to call the police?
August 31, 2009, 2:49:40 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Blackflon
Scott | 08.31.09 - 12:36 pm | #
The credit to J$ is in the 3rd sentence down in bold white. The link is below that in a light gray color.
I have had others mention this issue. I may have to look at making some changes. Thanks.
September 1, 2009, 8:57:36 AM EDT – Like – Reply
Grammie
Ramjet, you have a nice site there.
September 1, 2009, 9:20:36 PM EDT – Like – Reply
ramjet
Thanks Grammie-
I've been neglecting it lately, too many irons in the fire.
BTW, members can receive personal emails from the American Eagle Sq Flight Comander based in Wesley Chapel;>)
September 1, 2009, 9:57:42 PM EDT – Like – Reply
