O'Reilly's Take On Harlem Eatery Stirs Pot
Fox News Host Says Sylvia's Is Same As Any Other Restaurant "Even Though It's Run By Blacks"
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Analyzing O'Reilly's Remarks
Alex David, of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, speaks with Julie Chen about the racial comments made by TV talk-show host Bill O'Reilly
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Flap Over O'Reilly's Remarks
Controversial TV talk-show host Bill O'Reilly is accused of making inappropriate racial remarks following a dinner with the Rev. Al Sharpton at a famous Harlem eatery. Bianca Solorzano reports.
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Fox News host Bill O'Reilly (AP)
Fox News host Bill O'Reilly has raised some eyebrows by saying his experience at Sylvia's, a famous Harlem restaurant, was "exactly the same" as any other restaurant in New York City, "even though it's run by blacks, primarily black patronship."
O'Reilly also said: "There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, 'M-Fer, I want more iced tea.' "
O'Reilly talked about his visit to Sylvia's last week on "The Radio Factor," his syndicated radio program. ("The Radio Factor" is distributed by Westwood One, which is managed by CBS Radio.)
"You know, I mean, everybody was -- it was like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb in the sense of people were sitting there, and they were ordering and having fun. And there wasn't any kind of craziness at all," O'Reilly said.
Media Matters For America, a liberal media watchdog organization, first reported the comments. Karl Frisch, a spokesman for Media Matters, told The Associated Press that O'Reilly's comments were "ignorant and racially charged."
On the Sept. 25 edition of "The O'Reilly Factor," his Fox News program, O'Reilly addressed the issue.
"Media Matters distorted the entire conversation and implied I was racist for condemning racism," he said.
O'Reilly added: "If a slime machine like Media Matters can get its far-left propaganda on CNN and NBC News, the nation is in trouble."
Bill Shine, senior V.P. of programming for Fox News, said discussion of O'Reilly's comments constitutes "nothing more than left-wing outlets stirring up false racism accusations for ratings. It's sad."
O'Reilly made the comments as part of a discussion of a dinner he shared with the Rev. Al Sharpton.
Sharpton spokesperson, Rachel Noerdlinger, said in an e-mail that Sharpton "was surprised that anyone would be surprised that blacks would act that way." She said Sharpton planned to ask O'Reilly onto his radio show Wednesday to discuss the issue.
Added Noerdlinger: "Nothing Mr. O'Reilly said at the dinner itself was offensive, according to Rev. Sharpton."
As part of his comments, O'Reilly said, "Black Americans are starting to think more and more for themselves. They're getting away from the Sharptons and the Jacksons and the people trying to lead them into a race-based culture."
O'Reilly contrasted his experience at the restaurant with the image "white America" has of a black culture "dominated by Twista, Ludacris and Snoop Dogg."
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See all 387 CommentsTalk about a purveyor of hate, he wishes to kill this nation.
Comments have little to do with this article, but the guy is a jerk with tons of power who complains about "liberal" or "big media" whenj he has fifty times the power of any liberal or "mainstream columnist.
There won''t be one good thing to say about his role in America.
Wonder if he''s still making those obscene telephone calls?
O''Reilly had dinner with the God Bigot, Lynch-the-Duke-Lacrosse-Players, "Tawana Brawley" Sharpton "and there wasn''t any kind of craziness at all". Now that''s AMAZING! He must have been been playing Uncle Tom!
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O''reilly is just to funny and stupid!
-an Italian restaurant in an ALL-WHITE suburb.
He sound more like the Ali-G guy on HBO.
During the most horrible aftermath of Katrina when people were standing in flood waters, hundreds dying in their homes, O''Reilly kept pressing then police chief about whether or not he was going after the looters. He couldn''t even find half his police force, people were screaming and dying, and O''Reilly kept showing clips of the looters.
He has made his view of black Americans very clear over the years. That''s why he''s the neocon hero.
Of course, he himself might be racist too.
But as I did not hear his speech to hear the entire thing, complete with vocal inflection of his words, I can''t exactly judge.
I dunno, but I don''t think he''s as bad as people are making him out to be. (but he''s not perfect, nor do I agree with him on every issue he talks about!) But a lot of people instantly denounce him as being racist, without thinking of other possible perspectives on the issue.
BTW: When somebody says "All Asians are intelligent", "Jews make the best lawyers", and so on, isn''t all that a form of racism too? (Some left-wing people unwittingly, when not deliberately, hype up what is known as ''reverse racism''. That is simply racism using positive examples to explain a whole group rather than negative examples. I thought people were just people, and that to segregate them out, one way or the other, was wrong?)
One way or the other, the truth is in the middle.
And if he was a racist, would he have gone to Harlem in the first place?
That''s about how any intelligent person should take his remarks. It''s a no-brainer. Bill knows he has to stay controversial to be relevant on Fox News. He loves to push the envelope, and he knew exactly what he was saying and why he was saying it.
There may even be some black folk near where he lives.
Should he visit with them he may learn that:
1. Some are educated;
2. Some hold jobs;
3. Some have family values;
4. They are not all born in Africa and shipped here;
5. They don''t live in the jungle;
- he might even learn something from them.
C''mon o''reilly try shaking their hand (they won''t steal your watch-really).
Because it was a back-handed compliment. Like saying a black man "speaks well". In other words, he speaks white.
They might start letting some of the better behaved "negro folk" into the establishment.
A "negro" eating in the same restaurant as o''reilly?
Nevermind, don''t want to stir up the other white folk.
Oh BS... I''m familiar with the "speaks well" Chris Rock routine & this isn''t the same thing at all. He was specifically pointing out how his actual experience was not in line with how some people stereotype black run & visited establishments...
And yet someHOW, someWAY - YOU still manage to cry racism... my God - do you ever get tired of whining about what a poor poor victim you are? Why don''t you try earning yourself some respect instead...
pathetic...
And THAT''s what should bother you most of all...
Have you ever whatched fox noise,... errr news?
Next you are going to tell me water is wet, and Rush does drugs and likes little boys. Thank you, mr. Obvious.
We''re sure the left-wing New York Times,partners of CBS (Crush Bush Station), fresh off their corrupt MoveOn.org scandel will have there own little liberal hit piece on O''Reilly.
CBS (Clinton Broadcasting Station) there is a concept you and your liberal staff need to start warming up to and that is ALL OF AMERICA KNOWS YOUR CORRUPT.
Diversity is what is needed at CBS (Cheney Bashing Station)
How much lower can CBS (Censoring Broadcasting Station) go?
but perception5 get a grip on life your CBS stuff is a little lame liven it up.
Posted by perception5 at 06:27 PM : Sep 25, 2007
That''s a good question. Here O''Reilly went into a eatery whose patronage was primarly black Americans. But if you go to one with primarly Hispanic Americans, they''re mostly abusing drugs according to this morning''s Health survey--so O''Reilly shouldn''t do that. What does CBS suggest?
Posted by finewoven
Great, and he can''t eat chineeze cause that krap is contaminated.
And everyone knows the irish food of potato and steak is bland, not to mention the dog meat the koreans eat.
Guess he''ll have to eat crow, but from where?
I have a problem with why he feels he has to point out that all blacks do not act like the stereotypes whites have of blacks. Dont civilized Americans already know this? and If they dont, there lies the problem!
I would also like to point out that Bill O''Reilly is not a M''Fing racist pig or that there is not one decent and honest person who listens to him that would agree with that.
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