Bill "Falafel" O'Reilly: "I Think Everybody's Got to Relax On All This Gay Stuff"

[one...two...tree 2,762]

About a month ago, Bill O'Reilly went on one of his tirades against gays, in this instance because the San Diego Padres baseball team hosted a gay-pride night and a children's hat giveaway promotion during the same game. The notion of kids and gay people in a stadium at the same time caused O'Reilly to go berserk.

He called it "insane" to "cluster" gay men and lesbians during a "hat giveaway for any kid under 12." O'Reilly reported that "thousands of gay adults showed up and commingled with straight families," and stated, "[C]lear-thinking people understand it is completely out of context and inappropriate." When San Diego Pride executive director Ron deHarte said that it "was no different than any other game," O'Reilly responded, "But you are focusing in and putting more homosexuals into an area. OK? See, that's the problem," adding: "You're putting it in a kid's face at a baseball game." O'Reilly later asserted, "This is social engineering by the Padres."

That was then. Now, a newly-enlightened O'Reilly wants his audience to stop worrying about homosexuality. From Wednesday's episode:

O'REILLY: [Viewer], Ridge Crest, California: "Bill, you said Bill Richardson looked bad by saying he believed homosexuality was a choice. So you're saying politicians need to avoid speaking the truth if their opinions aren't PC?"

I think everybody's got to relax on all this gay stuff.

O'Reilly's clearly confused, which is a shame. He's gone out of his way to convince his audience that gays are bad people, sometimes dangerous, oftentimes violent, and a hazard for children to avoid. This has had a predictable effect: O'Reilly's sizable audience is convinced that they're not supposed to "relax" about "all this gay stuff." On the contrary, O'Reilly has taught them that "relaxing" only makes the threat worse.

Think I'm exaggerating? Here's a list from Media Matters:

* Referring to the ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court striking down state restrictions on the right of same-sex couples to marry, he claimed that, in "10 years, this is gonna be a totally different country than it is right now." He added: "Laws that you think are in stone -- they're gonna evaporate, man. You'll be able to marry a goat -- you mark my words!" (Westwood One's The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly; 03/29/05)

* While discussing the case of two male Massachusetts prison inmates who requested prison officials' permission to marry, O'Reilly asserted that "this crazy gay marriage insanity -- is gonna lead to all kinds of things like this" like "somebody[]" coming "in and say[ing], 'I wanna marry the goat.' " (Radio Factor; 04/13/05)

* He has claimed that the secular progressive movement "would like to have marriage abolished ... because it is not diverse enough." He explained: "That's what this gay marriage thing is all about." O'Reilly then warned of the possibility of "poly-amorphous" [sic] marriage, in which "you can marry 18 people, you can marry a duck." (Radio Factor; 09/14/05)

* O'Reilly has argued that legalizing same-sex marriage will lead to nuptials between humans and other species, saying that "[o]ne of the arguments against gay marriage ... is that if it becomes law, all other alternative marital visions will be allowed." He then related the story of a British woman, Sharon Tendler, who "married" a dolphin in Israel. (O'Reilly Factor; 01/04/06)

* While discussing New York City Councilwoman Christine Quinn's decision to boycott Manhattan's St. Patrick's Day parade over the decision by the Ancient Order of Hibernians to ban the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization (ILGO) from marching, O'Reilly attacked Quinn, calling ILGO's potential participation in the parade "inappropriate." O'Reilly asked, "Why doesn't Ms. Quinn and others who support her wise up?" and stated: "You have your Gay Day parade. You have your Stonewall celebration. You have your Halloween deal, OK? You don't need this."

* O'Reilly has dismissed scientific research on same-sex parenting to assert that "[n]ature dictates that a dad and a mom is the optimum" form of child-rearing. O'Reilly asked "why," if children suffer no psychosocial deficit from being raised by same-sex parents, "wouldn't nature then make it that anybody could get pregnant by eating a cupcake?" O'Reilly declared that by arguing in favor of same-sex couples' right to raise children, "you're taking Mother Nature and you're throwing it right out the window, and I just think it's crazy." (O'Reilly Factor; 12/13/06)

How can anyone be expected to "relax" about "all this gay stuff"?

Steve Benen is a freelance writer/researcher and creator of The Carpetbagger Report. In addition, he is the lead

editor of Salon.com's Blog Report, and has been a contributor to Talking Points Memo, Washington Monthly, Crooks & Liars, The American Prospect, and the Guardian.

[britbird 4]

Hmm methinks Bill 'Blowhole' O'Reilly might be just a little scared of his own sexual feelings.

Anyway. It's none of my, or anyone else's business who people choose to fall in love with. Bless them for falling in love.

And, anyone who thinks that 'gay' is contagious is completely lacking in any form of intellect: note that most gay kids are born of straight parents.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Who really gives a flying ** what Bill O'Reilly has to say?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Who really gives a flying ** what Bill O'Reilly has to say?

According to Billie, 6 million people watch him everynight.

[Marilyn. 340]

he seems to contradict himself in a lot of areas

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

he seems to contradict himself in a lot of areas

Doesn't he always...

Remember Bourne Ultimatum = anti-american. 24 = great.

He's a fcuknut.

Edited August 19, 2007 by Number 6

[Marilyn. 340]

he seems to contradict himself in a lot of areas

Doesn't he always...

Remember Bourne Ultimatum = anti-american. 24 = great.

He's a fcuknut.

yeah, that is what I was referring to.... I wasn't just talking about this article

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Who really gives a flying ** what Bill O'Reilly has to say?

According to Billie, 6 million people watch him everynight.

Mostly for entertainment purposes, I would guess. Not because they take him seriously.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Who really gives a flying ** what Bill O'Reilly has to say?

According to Billie, 6 million people watch him everynight.

Mostly for entertainment purposes, I would guess. Not because they take him seriously.

His show gets boring real fast. Only so many times that you can watch him cut off his guests - who are usually either complete freaks who hang themselves with the rope of their own stupidity; or intelligent, articulate people that Bill cuts off so he can hold them up to ridicule on points of semantics.

[pedroh 21]

Who really gives a flying ** what Bill O'Reilly has to say?

According to Billie, 6 million people watch him everynight.

Mostly for entertainment purposes, I would guess. Not because they take him seriously.

i think unfortunately a lot of people DO take him seriously.. that's very frightening

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I'd have more respect for O'Reilly if his idea of winning a debate didn't involve raising his voice and saying "you can have the last word", before taking it himself.

Edited August 20, 2007 by Number 6

[mawilson 2,133]

What does falafel have to do with O'Reilly?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Not I suspect, because Bill always talks with his mouth full (of falafel). Which would be an improvement.

[Marilyn. 340]

maybe he meant waffle as in waffling

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I'd like to see Bill do his show with a mouthful of Serrano peppers....