On CNN, O’Reilly Is ‘Ahmadinejad,’ Juan Williams, ‘Happy Negro’

NewsBusters.org ^ | 9/26/2007 | Matthew Balan

[Pyro7480]

Even after the Juan Williams "idiots at CNN" rebuke, CNN still pressed on about Bill O’Reilly’s race remarks, and a guest on Wednesday’s "Newsroom" took the language being used against O’Reilly and Williams to new lows. Syracuse University professor and blogger Boyce Watkins appeared on the CNN program, and compared O’Reilly to a murderous movie villain and to Iranian president Ahmadinejad. "If the villain in a movie comes up and says, 'I love you very much,' that usually means he wants to kill you. The fact is that Bill O'Reilly is a guy who has made a career demeaning, degrading, and devaluing every black institution he can get his hands on.... You know, he's about like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, when it comes to making ridiculous assertions and waiting for people to respond."

After his villain/Ahmadinejad comparison, Watkins blasted NPR host and Fox News contributor Juan Williams for coming to O’Reilly’s defense. O’Reilly’s race comments had come from an hour of his radio program that involved a segment with Williams. "Juan Williams sitting there, is sort of the 'Happy Negro' agreeing with Bill O'Reilly, doesn't impress me at all. A man cannot walk into your home and congratulate your mother for not being a prostitute and not expect you to be offended."

Video: Real (3.20 MB) or Windows (3.63 MB), plus MP3 (912 KB)

Boyce Watkins appeared with fellow blogger and NB contributor La Shawn Barber during the 10 am Eastern hour of "Newsroom." Prior to their segment, host Heidi Collins played a report by CNN correspondent Mary Snow, which recapped the whole O’Reilly "affair," including sound bites from CNN contributor Roland Martin (from an interview on "American Morning" in which Martin was critical of O’Reilly) and CNN host Rick Sanchez, who had talked to O’Reilly for a segment on his program.

Barber later took issue with the "Juan Williams is a Happy Negro" characterization by Watkins.

BARBER: You know, that the 'Happy Negro' comment about Juan Williams was totally uncalled for. That's the kind of ad hominem that we have to deal with....

WATKINS: (LAUGHS)

BARBER: And you know, these people are going to talk about O'Reilly and they're doing the same things. Put the man's comment in context. I'm not a Bill O'Reilly apologist. He does say outrageous things, but that's what he does. It's not that big a deal. It's really not that big a deal given the context ...

Boyce Watkins also went over-the-top in portraying Bill O’Reilly’s impact on race relations. Note how Heidi Collins does not challenge any of the previous statements Boyce Watkins made about O’Reilly.

COLLINS: Okay, so Boyce, so far, you've called him a villian and you've compared him to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Other people are comparing what he said to what Don Imus said about the Rutgers basketball team. Is that a fair comparison to you?

WATKINS: Well, I think it is. It is actually a fair comparison. It's only unfair to the extent that actually O'Reilly has done more damage than Imus. It's like comparing 9/11 to the Iraq War. More people have died in Iraq, but in 9/11, it was more traumatic, so people would consider that to be a more devastating event. Don Imus's clash sort of came all at once, where as O'Reilly's -- his pain has sort of been evolving through time, and I think he needs to be challenged and he needs to understand that people are going to come back at him if he makes these sort of offhand remarks about stereotypes in the black community. He may think he's complimenting us, but the fact is that it was an insult.

Earlier in the segment, Collins addressed the following questions to Barber. " La Shawn, what is this story about? Is this about race? Is this about the way things come across on television? Is this about a battle between CNN and Fox?" Barber’s answer:

BARBER: I think this is a lot of media-generated nonsense. I, personally, as a black person, wasn't offended by what O'Reilly said. If you actually listen and read his comments -- listen to and read his comments and context, it becomes clear that he and Juan Williams were talking about the violent, profanity-laced element of the gangster rap culture. And Bill O'Reilly was trying to make the point that people -- white people who don't know black people or aren't exposed to black people, may get the impression that gangster rap culture represents black Americans. Well, we know that's not true. So, he may have expressed it awkwardly. I have to admit that it was kind of an awkward way he said it, but it wasn't offensive to me, given the context in which he spoke.

"Media-generated nonsense" - that’s a good description of this whole affair.

Related: Barber's blog post about the intervew.

—Matthew Balan is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.

[Verginius Rufus]

I saw O’Reilly’s coverage of this topic last night. Then during the commercial break I switched to CNN and they were attacking O’Reilly for his remarks...but quoted only part of them and read into them meanings that clearly were not intended. The moderator then had two black people make comments, a woman who was identified as a Clinton advisor and a man from “Project 21.” The moderator encouraged the woman to find racist meanings in the comments and she was happy to oblige. The man tried to say something in O’Reilly’s defense but they kept interrupting him.

[Brilliant]

“A man cannot walk into your home and congratulate your mother for not being a prostitute and not expect you to be offended.”

Well, I never thought about that, but I suppose this guy must have some personal experience which caused him to think of it.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

“Watkins may have a “Dr.” in front of her name”

That would be “his” name, sir.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

lol, irony.

[Harrius Magnus]

“... but to describe him as this person did, is truly vile.”

Until we can get past the old Lefty paradigm of group politics, this country will remain mired in useless “social issues.”

Some people just live to be offended. It is easier to define oneself with emotion, rather than character, a trait of our founders.

[DoughtyOne]

As a person who was offended by how Juan Williams was addressed here, I do agree with your comments. I think...

LOL. We're in agreement.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

This year, Obama is the "Magic Negro."

And, Jaun Williams is the "Happy Negro."

Looks like Negros is making a comeback.

[ozzymandus]

These fools probably never listened to O’Reilly in their lives, just like 99% of the Rush-bashers in the MSM. In this case, they’re just providing more evidence for white racists who say blacks are too stupid to understand anything. Their own ignorance is aiding their real enemies. That’s the way it is on the liberal plantation.

[ishabibble]

Watkins mentioned BOR’s ongoing war on rap/hiphop and the culture war.

[Jorge]

I don't think O'Reilly was purposely trying to insult blacks, so I can't see making a huge issue out of it.

But it was a really stupid thing to say.

I couldn't imagine going to visit some of my black friends in a black neighborhood and telling them how nice it was that they weren't like some racist stereotypes I'd heard about. That they were nice like "white" people. How freakin idiotic can you be.

[RichInOC]

I’m sorry. This guy’s basically calling Juan Williams an Uncle Tom. What in hell is he smoking?

[fortunecookie]

Watkins blasted NPR host and Fox News contributor Juan Williams for coming to O’Reilly’s defense. -snip- "Juan Williams sitting there, is sort of the 'Happy Negro' agreeing with Bill O'Reilly, doesn't impress me at all. A man cannot walk into your home and congratulate your mother for not being a prostitute and not expect you to be offended."

What? Wow. No 'Imus' reaction to these comments? Yikes!

Think what you may of O'Reilly, but this tactic of the Left MUST BE RESISTED.

BTTT! I agree.

[elizabetty]

Well, at least they didn't say Happy Headed Ho.

[Bogtrotter52]

Agreed. I have gained a great deal of respect for him over time. He is no ones lapdog. But of course to libs any black who does not follow a lib line 100% is a sellout.

[DoughtyOne]

Agreed.

Sorry to reply so late. I was out of town for a few days.