Americans Are Afraid And Ignorant (Please respond to this idiot)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20041120/FOX20/TPEntertainment/TopStories ^

[UpHereEh]

Bring on the Bias, Bring on the Bluster

Before the CRTC's decision to allow the Fox News Channel into Canada, there was some speculation about whether conditions might be attached.

I wonder what conditions might possibly apply -- that it be less hilarious? After all the fuss and anticipation, I think most Canadians who are curious about the Fox phenomenon will be a tad disappointed with the alleged news coverage. What they'll see is a lot of blustering and badgering, a good deal of boasting, and not a lot of news. But they will be entertained.

This is, after all, the channel whose star pundit, Bill O'Reilly, referred to this newspaper as the "far-left Toronto Globe and Mail." The same gent (and I use the term advisedly) roused himself to comment on the coverage of Fox News in this paper by declaring, "Hey you pinheads up there, I may be pompous, but at least I'm honest."

Later, when the "pinheads" comment was taken to refer to Canadians, O'Reilly declared he was referring to staff at The Globe, not Canadians. As for me, he called me "a Canadian intellectual." It was meant to be an insult. I was very flattered and amused.

It was all very amusing. But the core of the Fox News attitude and its bullying, often barking-mad pseudo-news style was revealed to everybody earlier this year when Fox News began its mad dance with Canada and Canadians. Bizarrely, it started when remarks in my column came to the attention of O'Reilly and the matter snowballed.

Me, I simply welcomed the possibility of Fox News arriving in Canada, because its biases and bluster are so darn funny. O'Reilly took umbrage and started name-calling. On air, he said of The Globe, "That paper has consistently taken liberal positions on almost every issue."

"And," added O'Reilly, "Doyle strikes up the band."

Over the next few days I was inundated with e-mails from the United States. Most were abusive and some were outrageously so. I was called "a douche nozzle," "a douche bag" and many variations on the theme. I wrote about the mail, pointing out that it was both nasty and unimaginative. This story received some attention in the United States. I began hearing from Americans by the thousands. Most apologized for their fellow citizens, declared their admiration for Canada, and bemoaned the idiocy of Fox News and its supporters.

Next, The New York Times stepped in. Intrigued by the story, the Times wanted to know more. I gave the Times access to the mail I'd received. In a Sunday feature, the Times then chronicled the back-and-forth between O'Reilly and me, and printed examples of the sort of American mail that came my way. The Times provides stories to newspapers around the world, and this story duly went international. Soon, I was hearing from people in Australia, Britain, France and many other countries.

On Fox, O'Reilly mentioned the Times story. Somewhat chastened by the ignorant, poisonous vitriol of his supporters, he tut-tutted about that sort of behaviour. That was it, really. But the upshot was clear: O'Reilly was revealed as a buffoon, and fans of Fox News were shown to be belligerent crackpots.

Can anybody here possibly take Fox News seriously? Hardly. The channel describes itself as "fair and balanced" when it clearly is not. Its other slogan is "We report -- You decide." That, too, is a joke. There isn't much on Fox News that most reasonable people would describe as "reporting." There is an awful lot of talk. There is shouting, bullying and blather. It is all so ostentatiously over-the-top and biased that it's wonderfully funny.

While it's funny, it is also important that we see it. Fox News Channel has easily overtaken CNN as the most-watched news channel in the United States. It didn't achieve that position by being a sober, diligently objective newsgathering operation. It achieved it by adding an operatic quality to the news -- apparently the future of civilization hangs in the balance, and if the Fox News pundits don't get their way, democracy and decency will disappear.

A lot of Americans are afraid of the rest of the world, afraid of change, and ignorant about what happens in other countries. What they want to hear is a news service that agrees with their suspicions and tells them that, basically, people in other countries are stupid and envious of the United States. Fox News does precisely that.

Fox News undoubtedly helped re-elect George W. Bush. In one instance, O'Reilly interviewed Bush and reminded viewers that the President was brave because he had agreed to be interviewed.

In another instance, a report by a Fox News correspondent was posted on the network's website, just after the first presidential debate. The story claimed that John Kerry had boasted about his manicure and described himself as "a metrosexual." The story was bogus; not a word of it was true. Yet, for a time, Fox News presented it as a legitimate report.

Now in Canada, we're not so small-minded, petty and unsophisticated that we'd even consider making an issue about some guy's manicure. Also, we don't hate France. Loathing of France seems to be the bedrock of Fox News.

I've got a funny feeling that it would be a head-slapper of a revelation to the Fox News Channel that Canada is officially a bilingual country and, for many Canadians, French is their first language.

In fact, I've got lots of funny feelings about Fox. It's going to be hilarious to have daily access to its preposterous view of the world.

By JOHN DOYLE

Saturday, November 20, 2004 - Page R1

[freedumb2003]

You might want to share with the us that if you want REAL amusement, watch the Canadian legislature in session.

It is like watching a University Academic Senate or a kindergarten class. Self-important pompous buffoons directly insulting each other and almost coming to blows. No decorum, just jabber.

Funny stuff.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The Jason Blairs of the media are out full force trying to trash GW, Republicans, Christians and anything conservative since GW pounded their boy, moi Kerri!

GD...you are doing a hell of a job of exposing the gay loving leftist embedded in the MSM this morning,..... Thanks....

They clearly are part of the :

______________________________________________________________

Unholy Alliance

by David Horowitz
Hardcover - (September 2004) - $27.95

In this tour de force on the most important issue of our time, David Horowitz, confronts the paradox of how so many Americans, including the leadership of the Democratic Party, could turn against the War on Terror. He finds an answer in a political Left that shares a view of America as the “Great Satan” with America’s radical Islamic enemies.

[Quinotto]

I am a US citizen who was born and raised in a communist country. I have to tell you guys, it is so odd for me to see all these anti-american, liberal editorials and not have flashbacks of the editorial pieces from the communist newspapers. There is so much resemblance, it's sickening. I think I am one of the few who cannot be accused of stereotyping liberals by labeling them as "communist" because of living in a communist country and I cannot help myself but pity these fools (in the worlds of Mr. T) because they simply don't get it. What I find even funnier is accusing the US for not understanding the world when actually it is the world who goes on a loop by repeating the past. One good look at Europe, their antisemitism running amok there, ignoring the danger of Islam (again forgetting centuries of dealing with the Ottoman Empire) and you know that the writing is on the wall. The only thing we can do as Americans is NOT change, it will infuriate them further.

[bubman]

I heard there are close to 1 million illegal satellite feeds in Canada. Oh yeah the people have spoken, either we get what we want legally (which is our god given right) or we get it illegally. Hey guess who won?

[EdReform]

Indeed! I like it!

[UpHereEh]

I know, it's worth grabbing a twelve and some popcorn for. I'm just waiting for an all out brawl to break out over the NDP trans-fat issue.

[beckaz]

A lot of Americans are afraid of the rest of the world, afraid of change...

As usual facts do not matter to these people. America is the fastest changing society and economy, America introduces change abroad by being the trend setter.

America is so afraid of change and foreigners that we have people dying overseas trying to CHANGE Afghanistan and Iraq???? Could this writer recognize a FACT if it bit his head off? (OK, OK, Don't answer that last one).

[Grampa Dave]

Bravo for you good Canadians!

[april15Bendovr]

Its easy to understand why Fox has overtaken CNN. CNN considers themselves to be an internationalist network that appeals to multilateralist socialist issues.
They wouldn't put the American flag pins on their clothing and could barely find it on their screen after 9/11. If they want more of a French, German and Canadian audience it wouldn't be surprising that they would lose their American audience as they try and sell us out to socialism.

[PokeyJoe]

	Fox News has some good anchors, and some not so good anchors. Fox News has some good jocks, and some really ignorant jocks. Fox News isn't perfect, but it's a helluva lot better than cBS, aBS, nBS, msnBS, or cnnBS.

[Grampa Dave]

I have modified it a little:

GIM = GAY INFESTED MEDIA

[UpHereEh]

The worst part about it is that CNN and CNN Headline News are available through basic cable services, but Fox when FINALLY approved is limited to satellite/digital distribution.

[Congressman Billybob]

John Doyle and the Globe & Mail are both part of the MSM. But both are Canadian, so they don't warrant much mention. But now that you raise the point, they are also media dinosaurs who are unaware of their own pending extinction.

More's the pity. It would be cosmically just if these professional liars actually SAW IT COMING. Alas, not to be.

Congressman Billybob

Click for latest, "The Mechanical Voices of the MSM"

[tophat9000]

Hey JOHN DOYLE we don't care about you opinhead

Sorry my stupid American typo... you opinhead = your opinion

[Grampa Dave]

What % of homes in Canada have the semi legal satellite systems?

[eagle11]

What a pleasant fellow!

[ba11game]

Afraid and ignorant? This reminds me of the old Pee Wee Herman line, "I know you are, but what am I?" Yes there are many who are afraid and ignorant among us here in the US. How else can you explain all the votes that Kerry got? People who voted for Kerry did so because they were too cowardly to fight back against the terrorists and too ignorant to realize his whole political career was based on being opposed to the US military. I realize there are a few here that think we are the bad guys in the War and voted for Kerry with a full understanding of his hatred for America, but those people are so small in numbers I don't worry about them. I also don't worry about what some hack in Canada has to say about me and my country. All these cowardly USA bashers may be too gutless to fight back against the barbarians who are trying to take over the world, but I am sure that even though they would never admit it, they are glad we DO have the guts to fight.

[winker]

Blue Smurf Party, not wanted, needed, or appreciated. Take your moronic philosophy and migrate to France!

[EdReform]

Bump!

[MeekOneGOP]

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