This didn't start with Carlson. Andrea Mackris, an associate producer successfully sued O'Reilly back in 2004 for the same lewd behavior. And, she had the tapes to prove it.
So, Andrea had no clue how to shut up her boss on the phone diplomatically? Really? How about, hey Bill, my boyfriend just walked in? Oh, I have to finish cooking. The paint brushes are drying up , I need to clean them? I just put bleach on the bathroom shower grout. I need to clean the bleach off. I have to pick my girlfriend up from the airport. Oh dear, my dog just ate a whole bar of dark chocolate...I have to go to the emergency vet NOW! Oh, the washer is leaking water on to the condo floor. My mom is calling, gotta go.
The is right off the cuff. So, give me an effin break! These allegations are bull shit.
Since when are lewd conversations illegal or worth millions in penalties and fees? That law makes about as much sense as outlawing certain types of light bulbs. And it’s unconstitutional.
Like Chris Rock said, the only real sexual harassment is when you tell someone they have to have sex with you or you’ll fire them. While there was evidence to indicate Ailes might have been involved in job-related retaliation like that, nobody has presented anything showing O’Reilly retaliated against women via their jobs.
The whole idea of getting the bedroom police out there to investigate people’s sexual relationships and comments is exactly what’s happening to railroad young men on college campuses. This is all cooked up by man-hating feminists and social justice witchhunters, the kind of people who believe every sexual act a man does is a rape. And they are increasingly getting sexual assault and sexual harassment legally defined to back up their belief system.
I agree O’Reilly had moral failings with respect to his marriage. But the idea that your boss can or should fire you because of such things is ludicrous. If a company fired a woman because he disapproved of her sex life, the feminists would be suing that company for millions. And no actor would be allowed to work in Hollywood again.
O’Reilly is not the only stakeholder here. There are 4-5 million viewers whose opinion matters much more than a handful of corporate executives. Fox has the right to fire him, but it’s a serious mistake for any business to ignore the demands of their customer base.