Fox Haters Week in Review
Short skirts, the sound of silence, and The Great Fox Twitter Conspiracy. All this and more in the latest edition of Fox Haters Week in Review.
Skirting the Truth
Recent reports have detailed CNN's slide to third place in the March cable news ratings. But it didn't take long for someone to come up with a unique anti-Fox spin: short skirts! New York Focus explains it all:
For the first time, according to Nielsen, CNN came in third place in cable news program ratings behind Fox and MSNBC.... Fox could be liberal as heck and still have the same ratings if they had the same "sex sells" strategy. There have been a lot of Fox female anchors doing the showing of a lot of leg: E.D. Hill, Ainsley Earhardt, Linda Vester, Gretchen Carlson, and Catherine Herridge to name some of them. That's a lot of women, and I'm sure I've left someone's name off the list without intention.Well, let's see. E.D. Hill wasn't on the air in March. Linda Vester hasn't been on FNC for years. Catherine Herridge is not an anchor. Oh, and one other small point. The Nielsen report they are citing? It's for primetime programming. On FNC that would mean: Bret Baier, Shep, O'Reilly, Hannity, and Greta. All world-famous for showing leg in their short skirts.
And That's the Memo
The latest attempt to marginalize Bill O'Reilly is to pretend his "ambush interviews" are unethical, unacceptable, or even dangerous. That of course means one has to avoid mentioning that Mike Wallace, Chris Hansen, and Michael Moore have built their careers on unethical, dangerous "ambush interviews". Fox haters have no problem maintaining that pretense, but sometimes we get a glimpse behind the curtain. Talking Points Memo has been promoting the jihad against O'Reilly's ambushes. So it was ironic, and revelatory, when one of their writers chose the highlight of the week: a New York television reporter engaged in--you guessed it--an ambush interview! Because ambushes, you know, are only wrong, and only constitute "stalking", when O'Reilly does them.Too Good to Correct
When a Media Matters smear goes awry, don't hold your breath waiting for the correction. On March 17 they fumed:
A FoxBusiness.com article reporting on an amendment that Sen. Chris Dodd added to the recovery bill featured the false headline -- subsequently posted by the Drudge Report -- "Amid AIG Furor, Dodd Tries to Undo Bonus Protections He Put In." Additionally, Fox News' Trace Gallagher falsely claimed that Dodd "created a loophole that allowed AIG to give out these bonuses."... Neither the amendment as offered by Dodd nor as modified by the conference committee contained an "exemption from any limits" for bonuses agreed to before February 11...They followed up with another attack the next day:
Fox News' Sean Hannity repeated the false claim that an amendment Sen. Chris Dodd added to the recovery bill "protected" AIG bonuses. Fox & Friends' Steve Doocy further advanced this falsehood by asserting that Dodd "inserted into the stimulus package specific language that kept these bonuses in."One again, the MMers claimed that language exempting the AIG bonuses from limitations came from a conference committee report and not the office of Sen Dodd.
But of course we know better. The next day Sen Dodd admitted that he was, in fact, responsible for the AIG loophole, and that his staff even drafted the language. In other words, Fox had it right all along. Now, almost two weeks later, despite repeated requests for Media Matters to issue a correction and/or retraction, the smears still stand.
Paranoia Strikes Deep
Another guy who doesn't like to admit mistakes is Keith Olbermann. You will recall he sputtered furiously about a fake Twitter account bearing his name. He even found a way to implicate "one of the five architects of Fox News" in this nefarious conspiracy. Not satisfied with venting on air, he continued the tirade at his blog of choice, huffily "correcting" another writer:
- Pardon Me, But It Was NOT Resolved...Yes, it's all reliable. Provided you have a television program on which you can call them out after they let a fake version of you run wild.
While we're on the subject of KO, how about his latest attacks on Bill O'Reilly? They certainly fit the pattern: false premise, doctored quote, personal attack. On Thursday Olby claimed to summarize an O'Reilly segment:
First it was NBC running Think Progress to belittle him, now it's Think Progress running NBC. And both of us being run by Barack Obama.Did O'Reilly say any of those three things? Um, no. But Olbermann never lets facts get in the way of a good smear:
Billo also repeatedly implies that Obama could be complicit in all this since Mr Podesta was Obama's transition team co-chair.Once again it's what Keith doesn't report that exposes his dishonesty. Far from suggesting Obama was complicit, O'Reilly actually said the exact opposite:
MORRIS: What disturbed me about the Clinton administration...was how they used the power of the Presidency to release Linda Tripp's personnel file, send out investigators... But I don't see that happening now with Barack Obama.
O'REILLY: I hope not.
MORRIS: He might do it.
O'REILLY: I don't think he will. I'm going to say Barack Obama wouldn't do something like that.
The Sound of Silence
The latest bit of legerdemain designed to marginalize Fox News is the brouhaha over Greta, her husband, and Sarah Palin. The anti-Fox sites and blue blogs went wild with tales of this evil conspiracy and the dire implications it has for journalism. On Friday, a blog at AOL News amplified the noise by claiming this about Greta "van Susturen" [sic]:
[Her husband] also managed to hook Palin up with a slow-pitch puff piece interview with his wife on Fox News.Dylan and Ethan Ris cite no source for this revelation. So where did it come from? They made it up! After all, why bother to expend a few mouse clicks and get the facts from Greta herself?
He met her through me when I interviewed her….I did not meet her through him. I have gotten interviews with her not through him but through our staff on OTR. It is that simple.But all the outrage over Mr Coale's post-election assistance to Sarah Palin came into sharper focus this week. Remember that the goal of the Fox haters is to paint FNC as extreme, right-wing, and biased, no matter what the circumstances. 90% of the distortions and lies are to promote that aim. So on Thursday Greta conducted another interview with Hillary Clinton, a person Mr Coale has campaigned for, raised money for, and assisted for years--far longer than any association he has had with Sarah Palin. Was there another Niagara of outrage from the blogs, accusing Greta of being soft on Hillary Clinton, calling out her husband, citing this as evidence she is in the tank for the Democratic Party? No. Where were all those who were outraged when the interviewee was Sarah Palin? Silent.
Tolerance and Understanding
There really was no other choice for our tolerance and compassion moment of the week. It's all here.
Spot something you'd like to see in the next Fox Haters Week in Review? Send us an email. fox news gvs mm ko
david smawley
The line about FoxNews women showing their legs is just an attempt to marginalize these women and the network, at the same time, implying that the strong ratings are due to such images. Well J$ you pointed out the FoxNews prime time talent lineup, then add smart, attractive on air female contributors and more bright female hosts throughout the day & weekend and you have a formula for the only 800 pound gorilla in the room. This is really a very elementary formula that works extremely well, to the dismay of fox haters who are in a state of total denial.
March 29, 2009, 6:31:18 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Fox Fan
When Fox haters have nothing intellectual to criticize FNC for, they go after the way employees dress.
What exactly is wrong with short skirts anyways? Is there something Zennie Abraham isn't telling us? Boop. Boop. Boop. Gaydar!
His article ends with this genius statement: "CNN has some attractive female anchors, but they don't present them like Fox does. If they did...CNN would overtake Fox for the ratings lead."
Fox News's foxes in short skirts >>> CNN's average women in short skirts. Plus, CNN is boring. Hence the nosedive.
March 29, 2009, 6:34:05 PM EDT – Like – Reply
david smawley
CNN can't even overtake Messnbc & Rachel Maddow, who probably tunes in to FoxNews on a regular basis. My God, CNN can't even beat it's own Headline News Channel, what planet does this moron come from?
March 29, 2009, 7:18:36 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Grammie
A month or so ago both Alisyn Camerota and Lauren Green were on one of the day time shows. They both are former Miss Americas and the discussion was about the pros and cons of participating in the pageant, much less being crowned.
They both felt that after winning they have never again been credited as they should for their talents, academic achievements or professional milestones. Alyson related that she graduated from Stanford with a 4.0 GPA and had a sjhort career as a classical violinist. Lauren Green didn't reach that academic peak, indeed how many do, but she still performs as a classical pianist in addition to her work at Fox.
It says something that both of these wonderfully acomplished women had the same story, that they had to constantly prove themselves to those who knne jerk assume they are beauty with nothing to back it up.
March 29, 2009, 7:21:57 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Scott
I challenge New York UN-focused to produce a single link to Catherine Herridge, HERO MOTHER BTW, in a "short skirt." Sounds like the MARXIST ASSUSSEIN LOVER thinks shirt's are skirt's so by using the MARXIST LOGIC MRS. ASSUSSEIN wear's short sleeved shirt's, I mean skirt's, so she is helping to PROMOTE FOX TOO?
March 29, 2009, 7:30:37 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Grammie
Isn't Catherine Herridge the slender brunette with short hair who covers the Pentagon?
I don't remember ever seeing her sitting down in a full body shot. In fact I've rarely, if ever, seen her in the studio. She usually appears in a head shot format from Washington.
I think my grandson's Middle School paper has higher jounalistic standards than the MSM does these days.
March 29, 2009, 7:33:21 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Cecelia
I don't get the impression that Zenny should be taken very seriously, but I do wonder how he explains MSNBC topping CNN.
Pat Buchanan's pecks?
March 29, 2009, 7:44:30 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Blackflon
Grammie | 03.29.09 - 7:38 pm | #
Here you go Grammie.
http://vbgaming.org/forum/yt.php?v=Zsz2JqJLrDY
March 29, 2009, 7:51:53 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Blackflon
I find that most people who disparage women have inferioity complexes. Much like our friends at Hounds of Hell.
March 29, 2009, 7:53:58 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Fox Fan
Herridge is the FNC DHS correspondent. More importantly, she gave part of her liver to save her infant's life. Hero mother indeed.
March 29, 2009, 7:57:19 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Grammie
Thanks, Black. It was Memorial day and I would swear she was in picnic dress, ie a blouse and shorts.
MM can rant, rave and lie but in this instance, at least, it doesn't seem to have done Dodd much good. His approval ratings at home are in a steep nose dive.
Gee, it couldn't have happened to a more deserving political crrok.
March 29, 2009, 8:10:08 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Grammie
Johnny, this weekly segment is getting better every week. I've really been enjoying it.
I have a request. I love Kelley's Court but don't seem to be able to catch it every day.
Any chance that you might consider making it a daily feature like Hotline After Dark?
March 29, 2009, 9:00:57 PM EDT – Like – Reply
johnny dollar
Will certainly look into that, and thanks for the kind words.
March 29, 2009, 9:07:27 PM EDT – Like – Reply
tess
On Catherine Herridge gon on You tube on Fox News upskirts and you will see a 34 second video on Herridge on uncrossed legs. I dont have anything against women being beautiful and intelligent but these women know that their legs and other parts of their bodies are being used because of the
camera shots, of the way they sit especially Gretchan Carlson swaying back and forth all the time. Jamie Colby is also becoming the Joan Rivers of FNC.
March 29, 2009, 9:21:05 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Zennie62
Dollar, got this one wrong. Here's why:
http://zennie2005.blogspot.com/2009/03/fox-news-short-skirts-johnny-dollar.html
March 30, 2009, 5:41:43 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Cecelia
Actually, Zennie, it isn't your level of melanin that made Johnny critique your theory.
It's your instilled gender morphous chauvinism towards female pulchritudinous biosexual attributes in the lieu of the plethora of robust androgenic male homosapien characteristics of Brian Kilmead, Steve Doocy, Bill Hemmer, Jon Scott, Trace Galligher, and Shep Smith.
How dare you, sir!
Take your western culturally instilled biases elsewhere!
March 30, 2009, 6:45:37 PM EDT – Like – Reply
johnny dollar
Zennie cited Fox female anchors as evidence regarding a CNN slips to third article that only covered primetime. Not one of the anchors Zennie cited works in primetime. Some of them aren't even on FNC any more, and others aren't anchors either.
1000% right? Zennie doesn't even know who's on the air at Fox and who's been gone for years. Typical Fox hater ignorance.
March 30, 2009, 8:02:21 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Cecelia
The Game,
Why are you addressing me with an argument I never made?
March 30, 2009, 8:17:31 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Cecelia
I have no trouble believing that FNC's appearance plays a role in its ratings.
It's sharp graphics, grab-ya effects, good-looking sets and pretty girl and boy anchors, etc, no doubt appeal to a large audience.
THAT is most certainly part of it, but that could never be enough.
So are well-done shows, with interesting discussion, guests from all sides of the spectrum, a variety of topics, and an appealing energy.
They've put together a good product and it sells.
The argument that ratings don't make them best, is specious. No cable station is "the best" in all areas.
FNC has been the best at appealing to a large variety of people. Their numbers back that up and so does a Pew study.
You can dismiss THAT all you want, with various arguments based upon put downs of their audience (predicated upon a disdain for middle America), but MSNBC and CNN don't dismiss ratings or audience appeal.
March 30, 2009, 8:35:55 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Cecelia
Zennie cited Fox female anchors as evidence regarding a CNN slips to third article that only covered primetime. Not one of the anchors Zennie cited works in primetime. Some of them aren't even on FNC any more, and others aren't anchors either.
1000% right? Zennie doesn't even know who's on the air at Fox and who's been gone for years. Typical Fox hater ignorance.
johnny dollar | Homepage | 03.30.09 - 8:07 pm | #
I'd be happy if Zennie could explain how high ratings all day long prove that its sexy female anchors who garner high ratings all day long.
He's essentially say that FNC has high ratings because they have sexy anchors-- the proof of that is--that FNC has high ratings...
That's a circular argument, to say the least.
BtW-- Shame on you, Zennie, for accusing someone who you don't know from Adam, of being a racist, simply because they had the temerity to disagree with your over your blog offering!
March 30, 2009, 8:49:29 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Fox Fan
Zonnie:
NEW YORK (AP) — CNN is poised to finish March third in the prime-time weeknight ratings behind Fox News Channel and MSNBC
You: blogger Johnny Dollar, who hilariously writes that the cable ratings I referred to were just for prime time
Zonnie, you were wrong about the women, wrong about the prime-time ratings, and WRONG to play the race card; a card which, in your deck, is probably worn tissue thin by now. I suggest you blow your nose with it and throw it in the trash where it belongs.
March 30, 2009, 9:00:42 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Grammie
Not only does Zennie see a rascist behind every word of disagreement with him he also seems to have a bad case of hypocrisy.
Three prominently placed ads:
Girls Short Skirts
Save 20-40% On Spring Apparel. Sale Ends Soon So Shop JCPenney Today!
JCPenney.com
Megan Fox Hottest Woman?
Let Your Opinion Be Heard. Doink, Date, Or Dump? Vote Now!
www.ActressArchives.com/DateOrDump
Sexy Girls In Skirts
Latest Fashions in Apparel & More. Sexy Girls In Skirts: Prices.
www.NexTag.com/Clothing
I guess Zennie using sex to sell his site is perfectly acceptable or he would have at least acknowledged that he has a personal stake in that being so b/c he is giving it a try himself.
March 30, 2009, 10:37:11 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Grammie
Johnny, help!
I went to Zennie's website and I can't turn his radio show off.
Any ideas. I don't want to listen to this guy forever.
March 30, 2009, 10:54:41 PM EDT – Like – Reply
johnny dollar
I think that's one of the charming 'bonuses' of that site. Probably the internet thing I hate most is sites that start playing a song or a video when you arrive. When there's no way to shut it off it's even worse.
March 30, 2009, 11:00:24 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Cecelia
So my question to you is, what is the difference between you obvious MSNBC and Olbermann hatred and and Fox News hater.
The Game | 03.30.09 - 8:30 pm | #
What's the difference between Nicole Simpson hating her ex-husband and O.J. Simpson hating his ex-wife.
The point at which one of the haters loses their sense and/or their principles.
March 30, 2009, 11:37:37 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Fox Fan
Grammie, the ads at Zennie's site are autogenerated based on the content. Since he wrote about short skirts, ads for them came up in the sidebars. After a few words from his audio I pressed "mute" on my laptop and his race-baiting ramblings ceased. The internet isn't so bad when you have full control over it!
March 31, 2009, 7:16:41 AM EDT – Like – Reply
Grammie
FF, that's easy for you to say.
My impudent son once told me "Mom, you know that book Computers for Dummies"? Don't buy it b/c it's way too advanced for you".
Zennie, I apologize. If I had given it any thought I should have realized it was too good to be true.
I finally just rebooted and that seems to have solved the problem.
March 31, 2009, 10:13:11 AM EDT – Like – Reply
Cecelia
So you are comparing I guess MSNBC to a murderer (but not convicted) and Fox News to the person who was murdered. This is about cable news? Seriously if that is your arguement, that is a stretch out of the realm of reality.
The Game | 03.31.09 - 6:19 am | #
No, I made no comparison of FNC or MSNBC to anything. The subjects was "hating" which has to do with those in the act of hating. TV news channels don't hate. People do.
No direct comparison was made of either set of people who hate MSNBC or the set who hates FNC, to murderers.
Any individual can lose their perspective.
It's an abstraction. Reread the last sentence and ponder a while. Maybe you'll get it.
March 31, 2009, 10:35:42 AM EDT – Like – Reply
vstol
So my question to you is, what is the difference between you obvious MSNBC and Olbermann hatred and and Fox News hater.-The Patridiot Game
=-=-=-=
Hate is such a strong word.
Personally, I struggle with returning love for hate. Sometimes the best I can do in response is contempt, derision and disdain.
It's interesting that someone would say "you (sic) obvious MSNBC and Olbermann hatred" when it's actually not obvious, nor even evident, if someone would rationally look at the evidence without prejudice or contempt prior to investigation.
Personally, I enjoy portions of MSNBC, which, BTW, is more than just a cable news network.
However, their primetime programming, is, and has been for years, a disgusting example of lies, distortions and misrepresentations coupled with odious personal attacks against people who have commited the heinous crimes of expressing a differing opinion, professing an opposing ideology or working for a more successfull competitor.
You were, however, correct to give Keith Olbermann special recognition in your question since his default position is hatred. His hatred is preprogrammed, ingrained and congenital. And he thouroughly enjoys inflicting it upon others. (Perhaps, Heckman, some of this may be hitting too close for comfort.)
Exposing hatred, like exposing dishonesty, is a worthy endeavor.
March 31, 2009, 3:46:32 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Cecelia
I'm a fan of Hardball and quite a fan of Morning Joe.
I don't hate MSNBC either.
I don't believe anyone here "hates" MSNBC in the way that the News Hounds hate FNC.
I think how folks feel about Olbermann would come close, but still not actual hatred. It's hard to feel that way towards someone who really has no effect on your life.
However, my intent was not to clarify that. That would open up a new argument, when all I wanted to do was to answer a question-- how are "haters" distinguished from each other.
The differences that distinguish haters is whether one or the other is so full of hate that they abandon the things that they love in order to go after the object they hate.
They fight the hated object by abandoning fairness, truth, commonsense, etc. They either completely lose their sense of perspective or they tell themselves that the end justifies the means.
Johnny chronicles THIS sort of FNC hater.
That's not to suggest that abandoning the principles you love because of the thing you hate, can't happen to anyone.
March 31, 2009, 5:29:45 PM EDT – Like – Reply
