Racist,ignorant, or misunderstood? O'Reilly remarks

[yeartolate]

You know, I was up in Harlem a few weeks ago, and I actually had dinner with Al Sharpton, who is a very, very interesting guy. And he comes on The Factor a lot, and then I treated him to dinner, because he's made himself available to us, and I felt that I wanted to take him up there. And we went to Sylvia's, a very famous restaurant in Harlem. I had a great time, and all the people up there are tremendously respectful. They all watch The Factor. You know, when Sharpton and I walked in, it was like a big commotion and everything, but everybody was very nice.

And I couldn't get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia's restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. I mean, it was exactly the same, even though it's run by blacks, primarily black patronship. It was the same, and that's really what this society's all about now here in the U.S.A. There's no difference. There's no difference. There may be a cultural entertainment -- people may gravitate toward different cultural entertainment, but you go down to Little Italy, and you're gonna have that. It has nothing to do with the color of anybody's skin.

--snip--

O'REILLY: That's right. That's right. There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, "M-Fer, I want more iced tea."

WILLIAMS: Please --

O'REILLY: 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.

Curious. WHy would he be so surprised that a place of business run by blacks would be a pleasent place to go?

 

[Maleficent13]

Curious. WHy would he be so surprised that a place of business run by blacks would be a pleasent place to go?

Because he's an ***?

 

[Fitswimmer]

Because he's an ***?

I think that about covers it....

 

[OrlandoMike]

You must not watch his show very often.

 

[NewJersey]

Because he loves the attention he gets.

 

[wvjules]

^ What she said!

Haha...ETA my post was supposed to be under Malicifent's. (sorry NJ)

 

[yeartolate]

So he was being a jerk for jerks sake or do you think he is really racist?

 

[Crankyshank]

Oh because he's a pompous, racist, windbag.

 

[cardaway]

Ignorant AND racist (and don't forget sexual harasser). I'm really wary of his fans because there is no way not to know what the guy is like.

 

[NewJersey]

^ What she said!

Haha...ETA my post was supposed to be under Malicifent's. (sorry NJ)

You're lucky I like you!

 

[Passions71203]

I take it no one on this thread likes him? (No, I am not trying to start a fight)

 

[daisax]

One of the worst kinds of racism... because he was patting himself on the back for being so enlightened and unafraid ("oooh, listeners, I went to Harlem!") and then "enlightening" his viewers (whom he must consider less sophisticated than his Harlem-dining self), by reassuring them that the black folks use silverware and don't throw the m-f word around in their restaurants.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

He's an ignorant, racist, sexist blowhard ***.

 

[OrlandoMike]

I had a great time, and all the people up there are tremendously respectful. They all watch The Factor.

This line alone explains volumes!

 

[Crankyshank]

I wonder if Stephen Colbert will do a play on this since he "idolizes" Papa Bear

 

[basas]

I take it no one on this thread likes him? (No, I am not trying to start a fight)

I like him.

 

[yeartolate]

I like him.

What do you think of his comments?

 

[eclectics]

I take it no one on this thread likes him? (No, I am not trying to start a fight)

The "usuals" will be along to defend him. The man is one sorry excuse.

 

[Robinrs]

No surprise to me... I've seen worse on this board.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

I don't like O'Reilly. I'll forego the drama of name-calling though. At any rate, sounds to me like he's ignorant on this matter. No shocker there.