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Ryan WingerWe all know Bill O’Reilly, the neo-conservative pseudo-political analyst who likes to think of himself as somewhat of a hero, standing up for the issues that matter to FOX’s predominantly white, middle-class viewership. In case you’ve been living under a rock for a while, O’Reilly hosts the “no-spin zone.” And believe me, nobody gets away with anything on his watch. He really socks it to ‘em, whether it’s this year’s most vulgar gangster rapper or an America-hating, liberal comedian like Al Franken, the man paints himself as a straight-shooter, possibly more honest — and certainly haughtier — than old Abe.
All things said, it was quite a shock to hear about Andrea Mackris’s sexual harassment lawsuit against O’Reilly (that’s right, now President Clinton isn’t the only lewd Bill). Not only did O’Reilly, 55, allegedly beg the 33-year-old FOX producer to have phone sex with him, but recounted tales of dozens of his sexual exploits to her on several occasions, and generally acted like a 12-year-old boy acts when he discovers that his body is changing (you can get the juicy details at thesmokinggun.com). She claimed that she never encouraged this sort of behavior, but she felt like she might lose her job — or worse — if she spoke out. Included in the charges are purported statements by O’Reilly detailing everything from him losing his virginity at New York’s JFK airport, to his plan of action if any of the women he’d been with ever were ever to go public to his prediction, no, assurance of a mafia-style untimely end for arch-enemy Al Franken. The story gets even worse, but many of the details are too inappropriate to mention. It all fits together to form a picture of a raunchy, pathetic and above all believable image of the man best known for smugly debunking liberal spin.
Are we shocked? Bewildered? Or is this just another spinster spinning a web of lies? I’m sorry to say that because of the depth, detail and plausibility of the statements, I think there’s most likely some validity to them despite the case being settled recently.
What about Bill’s reaction? He said: “This is the single most evil thing I have ever experienced.” My reaction: I can’t say I have much sympathy for O’Reilly in his battle against evil. Granted, these were only allegations, and both sides have since settled the case, but he may yet get what’s coming to him. At the very least, this revelation puts a solid dent in O’Reilly’s credibility, especially when it comes to traditional family values. Thanks to an “unstable crazy girl” (his words, allegedly) the moral high ground may be eroding from under his feet. Maybe now he’ll wipe that silly grin off his face.
Submitted 11-11-2004
MALIBU, CA
