[lbo-talk] O'Reilly whines

Charles Brown cbrown at michiganlegal.org
Tue Oct 21 10:12:12 PDT 2003


Not to disagree with Dennis and Jon's taking on O'Reilly for whining, but I think self-victimization/victim-shifting has been fundamental to the Reaganite counter-reform movement. Affirmative action has been attacked as racism against white people. Limbaugh calls feminists "Nazis", meaning they are victimizing somebody, no doubt men. Welfare "queens" and the poor victimize taxpayers. Big unions victimize corporations. Christians are being victimized by atheists. No doubt, Americans are now being victimized by Iraqis in Iraq. In general, oppressors are now oppressed by the oppressed.

Anyway, O'Reilly's pretending to be victimized, instead of promoted, by the media is the type of demogogy that is central to current rightwing propaganda.

Charles


> When you've gotten to the point that you're writhing around on the
> floor groaning at the top of your lungs with pain because the Times
> Book Review isn't paying attention to you, it's time to hang it up, pal.
>
> First you were dealt a mortal blow by Terry Gross -- a really vicious
> killer, she -- and now you're not getting beaten up by NY Times
> reviewers. Is there no end to your misery?
>
> Jon Johanning

You'd think that a tough guy like O'R couldn't care less if the Times ignored him. Typical Lib Media, right? Besides, if he's at the top of the charts, why does he need a review? Apparently his book is selling. I know a number of authors (myself included) who would take that trade-off in a second.

Billy wants attention. He wants to be Taken Seriously. He's an insecure wreck, and this fuels the nightly televised meltdown that so many viewers appear to find either edifying or simply entertaining.

DP



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