With apologies to Joel Chandler Harris: Many years ago Brer Fox “News” created a tar baby when Emperor Trump phoned his Birtherism into the Curvy Couch. Then Brer Rabbit, aka Brer Fox viewers, came along and got stuck to him. Hating facts, education, and elite people who know stuff, they yelled, “Don’t throw us into the Oval Office Briar Patch.” And, now we’re all stuck with him. True story.
These days the Uncle Remus stories are considered racist by some. Just like Fox “News” and Emperor Trump.
That aside, those Foxy Friends on Fox & Friends are and Trump are like peas in a pod. Just this week:
Trump’s split screen: A two-hour
virtual conversation between
the president and ‘Fox & Friends’
What Trump Learned About His Phone Tap
Comments From This Morning’s Fox & Friends
Has Trump Replaced His Intel
Briefings With Fox & Friends?
Fox & Friends Are There For Trump
And His Baseless Wiretap Claims
Like They’ve Been There Before
Fox’s Pete Hegseth Promotes
Trump’s Baseless Accusation
He Was Wiretapped By Obama
Meanwhile, they also stuck up for Christians and Jesus, while spewing stupidity about Race Relations and Women’s Rights. Just like every week.
POWERFUL PRIME TIME PROPAGANDA: The 3-hour block on Fox is like a 1, 2, 3 punch — with Bill O’Reilly, Tucker Carlson, and Sean Hannity doing their best to normalize Agent Orange. Here’s how they overplayed it this week:
8:00-9:00 eastern:
A double deflection from Trump’s Russian connections, Loofah Lad’s hair is on fire over leaks, especially the latest “treasonous” WikiLeaks — after promoting the WikiLeaks that helped Trump last year. He purposely ignored Fox’s Birther smears, the inadequacies of TrumpCare, and his own blatant sexism against Andrea Mitchell.
Loofah Lad also pops up in a couple of articles that are worth reading in full. The article O’Reilly Attacks Colbert’s High Ratings as Trump Hate ends with the words:
It’s sad that O’Reilly has such a mean, grubby view of the world, in which people do everything for money — for the Factor, all is cynicism and revenge, it seems. Maybe the next title in his bestselling “Killing” series should be “Killing Colbert” — it has a nice alliteration.
A retired late night host gave a very long interview to Vulture: In Conversation: David Letterman thrilled me when he said the #1 person he would like to interview now is Bob Marley. However, TVNewser was more impressed that Bill O’Reilly Was One of David Letterman’s Favorite Guests:
Q: It was clear that as The Late Show went on, you were more interested in the conversations than the comedy. What sort of guests were you most excited by?
A: Bill O’Reilly — before he became standard talk-show fare. All I knew about him was that his ideology seemed counter to mine. My premise with him was that “You’re too smart to believe the things you’re saying. Aren’t you just playing the part of the right-wing buffoon?” For a long time, I used to think that was true. I always liked having folks on that were not the mainstream.
Believe me, O’Reilly was not playing a part.
9:00-10:00 eastern:
You can take the boy out of the priggish bow tie, but you can’t take the priggish bowtie out of the boy. This week Tucker Carlson attacked Univision’s Jorge Ramos as being Whiter than he is. No, really.
Meanwhile, Carlson has a comedy show he takes on the road both with and without his former Crossfire co-host Paul Begala, more than a decade after Jon Stewart put a stake through the heart of their show. It was a show that generated more heat than light, just like Carlson’s current show. He just argues with people by himself. And, protects Trump.
However, occasionally a guest gets the better of him:
In an article clearly marked OPINION, Freelance Writer Chris Kalback proves what it takes to be published by Carlson’s The Daily Caller:
Tucker Carlson, A Modern Socrates
As a philosopher, I watch Tucker Carlson for amusement’s sake. I see the same method being applied to the guests. Someone comes on to make a grandiose claim. For Bill Nye, it was that climate deniers are psychologically unhinged. With the Washington Post’s Erik Wemple it was Media Bias, and the claims he made in an editorial.
Following the lead of the philosophers has made him successful. His success should be a sign to young journalists. Take note, follow the philosophers.
Journalism has become polluted, and many journalists are political operatives, not skeptics questioning everyone, and everything.
[…] Carlson followed the philosophers. He followed Socrates. And while he is no Socrates, he is a fantastic model for young students looking to shine in journalism.
Shouldn’t a philosopher make you smarter after you’ve listened to them?
10:00-11:00 eastern:
Fox saves the most slavish Trump supporter for last. While some of the crazy Sean Hannity says is on the radio, he can’t be ignored.
Suggests The CIA Framed The Russian
Government For Election Interference
Hannity: Trump Should Fire Everyone In
The Executive Branch Who Isn’t Loyal To Him
Sean Hannity Asks WikiLeaks To
Confirm His Russia-CIA Conspiracy Theory
Sean Hannity Says Obama’s Campaign
Database Is Proof Of A Shadow Government
Sean Hannity Offers Paul Ryan
Unfettered Access To Promote
Repeal Of The Affordable Care Act
THIS WEEK’S STARNES’ STAIN:
A Fox News Radio Anchor Is Headlining
A Hate Group’s Anti-LGBTQ Briefing
MINOR STAINES: Fox News’ Bob Beckel Apologizes for Calling Jason Chaffetz a ‘Punk’ • Meghan McCain: Obama’s Going to Be ‘The Most Bitter Ex-President That We’ve Ever Had’ • A populist agenda based on Fox News hooey fizzles
THE ENEMY OF MY FRIEND: It’s always interesting to examine who Fox gleefully attacks and speculate as to the underlying reason. Samantha Bee’s ‘Full Frontal’ made fun of a CPAC geek for a “Nazi haircut”. This morning Samantha Bee — long after her show apologized and donated $1,000 to Kyle Coddington’s GoFundMe — was virtually a non-stop punching bag for the Foxy Friends. I think it came up in ever quarter hour. They even interviewed Coddington by satellite and prodded into calling it a half apology.
QUESTION: Would Bee get this treatment if she didn’t go hard after Emperor Trump?
THE AILES EFFECT, STILL: Another Fox sexual harassment complaint settled:
Fox News reaches $2.5M settlement
over sexual assault allegations
Speaking of sexual harassment, poster child Gretchen Carlson made some news this week when she testified on Capitol Hill in front of Senator Al Franken about the unfairness of binding arbitration in cases like hers (and Andrea Tantaros’):
The ex-Fox News host also issued a call for unity around this matter: “This is not a partisan issue. Republicans, Democrats, and independents are all sexually harassed. Their harassers come from all political parties as well. There’s a lot of division in our country right now, but on this issue, we are all Americans. Americans who believe that victims of harassment shouldn’t be forced to give up the rights guaranteed by the Seventh Amendment.”
However, she also refused to comment on what she has in the works tee vee-wise.
Meanwhile, former Fox plagiarist and almost-Trump-White-House-spokesperson-if-it-weren’t-for-those-meddling-kids, Monica Crowley, claims she was framed:
“What happened to me was a despicable, straight-up, political hit job, OK?” Crowley told host Sean Hannity. “It’s been debunked; my editor has completely supported me and backed me up.”
Crowley likened her situation to “what happened” to former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who was ousted last month after misleading the vice president about his call with the Russian ambassador, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, currently embroiled in his own Russia-related controversy.
In the fluff piece Ainsley Earhardt: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Fast Fact #4 was that she defended Roger Ailes.
She’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
FOX BYTES: Fox News Ignores Contributor Nigel Farage’s Mysterious Trip To Ecuadorian Embassy • Fox News’ Latest Conspiracy Theory About Trump’s Wiretapping Lie Started With Gateway Pundit • Fox Host Presses GOP Congressman On His Characterization Of GOP Health Care Bill As “A Stinking Pile Of Garbage” • Fox Host: Enemies Of The American People Are North Korea, Iran, And The Media • Jesse Watters Another Fox Host Putting Donald Trump Over America
This week the Now Now Silly Newsroom published Headly Westerfield‘s The Beginning of the End of McCarthyism, what he hopes will be a teachable moment.
- Friday Fox Follies: Trump Tee Vee - Fri, Jun 23rd, 2017
- Friday Fox Follies: Fair & Balanced No More - Fri, Jun 16th, 2017
- Friday Fox Follies: Comey Comedy Cavalcade - Fri, Jun 9th, 2017
