January 5, 2008

Secret Service agents told Bill O 'Reilly to calm down and get behind a barricade.

Supposedly, he was "screaming" at a 6'8" Obama aide. Called him "low class." But eventually, he got to tell Obama he loved him and invited him on the show. I don't know. Is that news? It's getting talked about...

MORE: Here:
When the popular Fox News entertainer arrived at the Obama event in Nashua, people turned to him but not always approvingly. "Hey O'Reilly," yelled a man. When O'Reilly turned he got a single-finger salute. A few people approached Bill to shake his hand but the overwhelming sentiment was unfavorable. "O'Reilly hatemonger," yelled a woman. A few other people gave him the bird. "I hate you Bill," yelled a man. "You can't stop us Bill," yelled another. I thought someone might brain him with one of those Obama "Hope" signs.
Irony. It's amusing. You mean, Obama hasn't actually called us back to our highest selves, to the place where America exists as a glittering ideal, and where we, its honored inhabitants, seem capable of achieving it, and thus of sharing in its meaning and transcendence? (I was going to write a post about Ezra Klein's goofball creative writing assignment, but it seems like everyone else already did, and I'm afraid it's too late now.)
A number of people shouted falafel, the word O'Reilly used in a racy set of telephone conversations with a young woman he was trying to seduce as he described a shower they might take together. He meant loofa, which is not a Middle Eastern delicacy but a bath item....
Now, that's funny. Giving him the finger and shouting "I hate you" is only helping him, giving him the video to skewer you. (You kebab.) But yelling "falafel" — he can't use that. Nothing like a good personalized insult that's horrifying for you but not even a dirty word.

35 comments:

AlphaLiberal said...

Why is it so hard to believe Bill O'Reilly was screaming at someone? He does it on his show to guests every night.

Crooks and Liars has a great graphic up of The Pompous One.

Ann Althouse said...

Alpha, I make a distinction between "screaming" and "yelling." I totally believe he was yelling.

There's a big discussion on this somewhere back in the archive. I'll see if I can find it.

tituswy said...

Radar has a very fun quiz online currently where you have to pick whether the woman is a porn star or fox news woman reporter.

I got three out of ten right.

AlphaLiberal said...

Ha-ha. Agreed on the falafel technique. Plus it stokes Volcano O'Reilly. Humor is a much better tool than bile.

But as far as the enmity displayed toward him, it reminds me of an anti-Reagan rally I attended when I was young. I told someone that Reagan had a hateful grimace on his face and they said....

"...maybe you were looking in a mirror."

O'Reilly mongers hate. He peddles in lies and deceit and promotes division. It's a world he made for himself.

Larry Sheldon said...

"When the popular Fox News entertainer arrived "

"Entertainer", not "journalist", or "comentator", or "pundit".

"Entertainer".

De gustibus, but at least there is hope for the language.

AlphaLiberal said...

Here's a recent Media Matters post on O'Reilly lying/whining about Obama:

O'Reilly falsely claimed "Obama has dodged every tough interview"

"Obama has dodged every tough interview.

GOLDBERG: Exactly.

O'REILLY: Every one, and is still a contender."

Mean old Obama and backers, not helping poor sweet Bill O'Reilly. Karma's a bitch.

tituswy said...

I am having noodles and ginger prawns currently.

Sonny Von Buelow ate Ginger Prawns in that movie. I love when he says he wants Ginger Prawns-it is so fabulous.

rcocean said...

BOR has a different take. The aide was blocking the Fox News Camera, was asked to move, did not, and BOR "gently removed him away from the front of the camera".

BOR called him an "S.O.B", there was no interaction with the SS, and BOR will have tape of the incident and his discussion with Obama Monday Night.

More free publicity for BOR and his TV show. Thanks to Media Matters, the blogs, and the Left in general.

No doubt Oberloon will call for O'Reilly to be put in prison. And Oberloon's 4 viewers will agree.

saintrussell said...

Now I'm hungry for falafel! Good thing I live in Nashua. (I recommend Cedars Cafe on Amherst Street, near Exit 8.)

tituswy said...

You are missing a nice day in NYC althouse. I have my little Juliet balcony door open today and am looking at the peasants below.

The rare clumbers are both laying on the balcony looking at the sights and sounds.

The city is alive with color.

tituswy said...

Ginger Prawn would be an excellent drag queen name too.

Ann Althouse said...

Sunny von Bulow is the woman. Claus von Bulow is the Jeremy Irons character.

Ann Althouse said...

"You are missing a nice day in NYC althouse. I have my little Juliet balcony door open today and am looking at the peasants below. The rare clumbers are both laying on the balcony looking at the sights and sounds."

Titus, only a peasant would say "laying on the balcony."

Peter V. Bella said...

O'reilly can be a buffoon, but what does it say about far left Democratic supporters when they are vulgar, rude, inconsiderate, and act like little children. Just because he angers them, they act like teenagers in a locker room. Their web sites are no different. There is a certain level of immature anger in these people.

I am not excusing O'Reilly regarding the shoving incident. He is crass at times. I expect adults to act like adults in public. I guess it is to much to hope for.

Peter V. Bella said...

Media Matters?

The so called independent group formed and paid for by Hillary Clinton supporters?

rhhardin said...

The elevated language comes from Emerson, via Stanley Cavell, probably, if Harvard has been in the picture sometime.

It's not a cliche in Emerson or Cavell, but goes empty pretty easily if you try to imitate it.

It may be that all Obama wants to say is that he enjoys reading Cavell, or (less likely) Emerson.

But then Cavell was worried (in 1986) that Reagan was very likely to start a nuclear war, worried nough to write a despairing essay, so an intuition for Emerson doesn't translate very well to foreign policy adriotness.

George M. Spencer said...

Loud. Pushy. Obnoxious.

Sounds like a good journalist.

He got what he wanted--Obama on his show.

Sam Donaldson would approve.

Ron said...

horrors, would they kick Bill off the air if he said "hummous?" And "babaganoush?" Beyond the pale!

LonewackoDotCom said...

Does anyone know the name for the second pickpocket, the one that does the distracting so the first can steal your wallet? Because, we should apply that name to those who concentrate on stories like this instead of trying to point out the flaws in the policies of Obama and the other candidates.

tituswy said...

Bitch, you knew what I meant but thanks as always for demeaning me and putting me in my place.

I still have rock hard tits and abs which is really all the matters in life.

tituswy said...

Could you imagine having phone sex with Bill O'Reilly?

The loufah take and putting it up her pussy-that is nasty.

He also said he had a big cock-at least that is what the brown women in Thailand told him-per his phone calls to his producer.

Ann Althouse said...

"thanks as always for demeaning me and putting me in my place."

You're the one who called people peasants. Turnabout is always fair play.

paul a'barge said...

Calling O'Reilly "falafel" is like asking Dan Rather "what's the frequency Ken?".

Laura Reynolds said...

Its hard to imagine anyone thinking this was not a good thing for Bill. And yet it happens.

Anonymous said...

Alpha Lib-

He peddles in lies and deceit and promotes division. It's a world he made for himself.

Did Hillary know about "Gennifer Flowers" before the 60 Minutes interview?

Did Hillary know about "Monica" when she was accusing the 'VRWC' on Katie Couric?

Was Hillary promoting "lies, deceit and division"... or is she simply the dumbest woman on the planet?

dave in boca said...

I thought it was "what's the frequency, Kenneth?" Dan is the biggest phony in journalism, while Bill-O is merely confrontational.

The moonbat lefties are full of hatred for Bill-O [& just about for anyone who's sane to the right of them]. Bill himself is often a bit ego-driven, but makes his puny opposition seem like crazy megalomaniacs [like Keith-O, his brain-dead "opponent" whom Bill-O wipes the floor with on a nightly basis.]

Obama should go on O'Reilly's show, as more independents watch the Factor than Repubs, believe it or not. And more AMERICANS watch the Factor than all the other newsies in his time slots---period!

That's what makes the moonbats squeak & screech.

dave in boca said...

Media Matters is a Soros-funded agitprop organ run by David Brock, an admitted liar and unadmitted plagiarist.

Hilary certainly is not as smart as Billy Jeff, but she's NOT THAT STUPID. BJ said the HRC Clinton Inc crew will go negative---as opposed to attacking BHO for his kindergarten essay? And "madrassa" education? I gotta see this.

Trooper York said...

Obscure but personally meaningful insults are the best. That's why when the New York Primary comes along I am going to a Mitt Romney appearance to yell: "Your mother owns a laundermat and your father is stealing the peas."

Anonymous said...

LW-

Does anyone know the name for the second pickpocket, the one that does the distracting so the first can steal your wallet?

I've always heard such teams referred to as the 'face' (distraction) and the 'dip' or 'dipper' (the thief)...

hdhouse said...

There may be some truth to the story that went around media circles in NYC when Al Franken was still on Air America Radio, that he had about 100 luffa gourds put in two big white sacks tied to the end of a piece of plastic tubing (PVC) and delivered to the News Corp Bldg where they sat for a short while with a sign attached that said "Thinking of you Bill...Call me"

Astronaut Mike Dexter said...

Dave in Boca:

Bill [O'Reilly] himself is often a bit ego-driven . . .

Yes, and Michael Jordan is often a bit tall.

reader_iam said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
reader_iam said...

OK, I keep laughing helplessly in response this post. Here's why:

When I was in late elementary school (yeah, decades ago), my little brother and I got in a HUGE fight on the way home from school. He was so enraged, he finally bit my coat, of all things (I was wearing it at the time) and would not let go, even as I kept moving down the street at a steady clip. When I finally stopped and managed to pry his teeth from my coat, he just stood there, spluttering, not knowing what to say and barely able to speak, anyway, until he finally came out with: "You-you-you you Mulligan Stew!!

He was referencing a truly godawful meal--a dog's breakfast, really--of a dish I'd made previously, as one of my early attempts at cooking dinner. (Major household responsibility started early in my family.) I will tell you: technically speaking, I've been called much worse, but that one stands in a class of its own, and just a couple years shy of 40 years later, I remember it still. And his face. And intent.

The falafel bit, and Althouse's riff on personalized insult (involving food!!!), brought this family legend to mind. Thus my laughter.

Also, you all now know what to call me when and if you ever require a "good personalized insult" to hurl in my direction.

reader_iam said...

Say, anyone else want to share a "good personalized insult" from you life? I think that could be fun.

And useful.

; )

Freder Frederson said...

You're the one who called people peasants. Turnabout is always fair play.

Wasn't part of the point of the post criticizing Obama supporters for calling O'Reilly names? If turnabout is always fair play, then why the shock that an Obama supporter would flip O'Reilly off or call him a hate-monger?