I need some DU love…I'm trapped with my FOX NEWS parents...

[dorkzilla]

I love my mom and step-dad. They're basically wonderful people; step-pop works REALLY hard, taught me a lot, is giving me my seed money for my business, and aside from the fact that mom buys cheaper candy to give to the messicans that Trick or Treat in her neighborhood they are very sweet people. They live in a weird TeaParty neighborhood in the SouthBay of Los Angeles. Here, even the Union-member teachers are conservative Republicans.

I stopped by their house on the way home to NY on a business trip (at Mumsy's insistence). Fox has been on in their house 24/7. EVEN WHEN THEY'RE NOT IN THE HOUSE. We go shopping, they have Fox on at home and listen to Hannity and his ilk on satellite radio in the car.

I've heard SO MUCH BULLSHIT in the past 72 hours that I want to cry. 99% of what they've been talking about is what a disaster Obamacare is and how Bill Clinton has "rejected" Obama and the Dems went to the President today and demanded that he recall the law and "make things right". I've heard about how climate change is bullshit, how Obama hates America etc. etc. Every time I try and debate them, I get shot down with the dismissive "you drank the KoolAid".

I know they're full of poo, but I just need a reality check. I mean, I know I am nuts! but am I REALLY NUTS? Please DU pals, just give me a nugget or two of good progressive news! An anecdote about how stupid the TeaBallers are. ANYTHING!!!!

Help me feel (relatively) sane again? Please???

[hollysmom]

1. Ok, have you thought of getting one of those click counters

and counting the lies to keep sane and telling your parents what you are doing. Or finding one thing you can prove is a big lie and presenting them with it.

I can't relate, my parents were more liberal than me and I have been considered way to far left by most of my liberal friends, ha ha . I miss my parents.

[dorkzilla]

3. Oh, Hollysmom, whenever I point out the lies they either say "liberal media" or

they just say "I don't believe it". The conversation has to stop when you say "but Mom, over 90% of climate scientists know that man IS contributing to climate change" and she says "I don't believe it".

It's FRUSTRATING as HELL.

[hollysmom]

5. well, I would not pick climate change or anything recent

you need something like during the McCain election when that woman said she wanted the government to keep their hands off their medicare. So maybe something about cutting medicare or social security might get their attention.

[Raine1967]

41. When I get to that point with my mom I ask her this:

"Do you really think I would lie to you, Mom? Do you really believe that?"

[Lint Head]

2. I know they love you. So, have you thought of asking them to let you watch a mindless reality show?

[dorkzilla]

4. YES! My mom had Fox on, I said "you know, you're being provocative"...

She tried to find something on PBS, but I just said "shut it off and we'll talk." When Pop came home, he turned on Fox.

[hollysmom]

7. well not knowing how old they are, I am now considered pretty old, so I am going by they are near my

maybe not,

But you can get them a subscription to Hulu and then they can watch reruns of favorite tv shows, like the twilight zone - remembering that years ago most shows were pretty liberal.

[dorkzilla]

8. Mom is 71, Pop is 65

They WERE really liberal. Really. The richer he gets, the more conservative they both get.

[hollysmom]

11. Well, never had to deal with rich relatives

but older and younger than me - the key must be in medicare and social security and what ever else they love beyond reason. Like I can be very defensive about my doggy. I have a conservative friend who recently lost her dog and she thinks the treats might have been a reason, so I talked to her about strengthening the FDA, she is getting the message about cutting out regulations. She is becoming more liberal, or I am wearing her down. or she is lying to shut me up one of those things.

[Javaman]

33. I call it the rich man's disease: wealth. nt

[PumpkinAle]

6. Tell them there's a documentary

about Fox on Sunday nights, called ........ The Walking Dead.

[dorkzilla]

9. RTFLMAO!!!!!

I got them to watch Breaking Bad, so this actually MIGHT work!!!

I love it!!!!

[advanceptbiz]

10. Unbelievable!

Wow. Your parents are very loyal to Fox and I can understand how you feel. I do not actually watch news, I'll just know the latest from some set of friends. Maybe you just used a headset and listen to audios that you want to hear so you can ignore what they are listening to. Good luck!

[Mariana]

25. If they're anything like my folks

they really crank up the volume so you can hear it anywhere in the house, even with a headset on.

I don't know what it is about so many Faux viewers that they have to have it on ALL THE TIME. Every single Faux watcher I know does that. It's weird. And when you have visitors, it's just fucking rude to glue yourself to the teevee all day long.

[dorkzilla]

26. I don't leave Mother Jones around when they visit...

nor do I leave MSNBC on. I was trying to quietly sneak away when my mom said "you don't want to spend time with your old lady"? I said "not when you've got that on, no.".

You're right, its weird. I think they leave it on so the teevee can do the arguing for them.

[Mariana]

49. But they have it on all the time even when they're alone.

So, it's obviously not just a matter of having the teevee do their arguing for them.

Of course, if they'd just turn the damned thing off, you could talk about something else and then there'd probably be no arguing. On the other hand, it seems like most of them are incapable of having a conversation about anything without injecting some Faux bullshit into it somehow.

I don't understand how they don't get bored watching/listening to the same stuff, all day, every day, for months and years on end. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks it's weird.

[johnnyreb]

12. The Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal channel!

They're promotin' that muslin (sic) news channel!!

Fox's Saudi Prince
By Frank J Gaffney Jr.
FrontPageMagazine.com | September 30, 2005
With surprisingly little media attention, Saudi Arabia has bought a stake in the company that owns what has been, until now, arguably its most visible and influential critic: the Fox News Network. Will this be the end of Fox’s “fair and balanced” coverage of the immense Saudi role in promoting Islamofascist terror? Or can American viewers rest assured that the royal Saudi buyer, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, has nothing more nefarious in mind than increasing his already vast fortune?
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=19652

News Corp’s number-two shareholder funded ‘terror mosque’ planner
August 20, 2010
On last night's "Daily Show," Jon Stewart skewered these antics as a "dangerous game of guilt by association you can play with almost anybody," and proceeded to tie Fox News to al-Qaida by connecting Fox News parent News Corp's second-largest shareholder, Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, to the Carlyle Group, which has done business with the bin Laden family, "one of whose sons — obviously I'm not going to say which one — may be anti-American."
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upshot/news-corp-number-two-shareholder.html

[dorkzilla]

15. I love you, Johnnyreb!

Now THIS is news I can use. I knew this but totally forgot about it.

[rudolph the red]

13. My father is that way, it can be pretty annoying at times,

I just try to keep him engaged in conversation and ignore the noise from the TV. I figure that, at his age, he is set in his ways and there isn't much that I can do to change his opinions.

[Skittles]

14. you want I should kick some Fox News-watching parental ass, dorkzilla?

LEMME AT THEM!!!

[dorkzilla]

17. Heeheeehee! Yes, please proceed Skittles!

I'll buy ya' several drinks!

I feel like I'm living in an alternative universe!

SICK EM, SKITTLES!!!



xo

[Dreamer Tatum]

16. Wow, how lucky they are that you bow to their level.

And how kind of you to allow them the privilege of giving you money.

Must be hard to tolerate people who've treated you so well.

[dorkzilla]

18. Um, you know nothing about me or them.

I was emancipated at 16 (which means I HAD to graduate 18 months before I was supposed to and had to work at the same time. Did you have your own apartment at 16??? I don't flipping' think so..), done everything without them, and only when I gave Pop the ability to carry on with his business (I had just had MAJOR neck surgery--2 cadaver bones and a LOT of pain) while I took care of my mom when she was sick (stage 4 cancer--and they've got 3 other kids who could easily have done it but didn't) did he OFFER to give me the seed money for my business.

So I think your assuming kinda wasn't the right thing to do, now was it?

I'll be waiting for my apology.

Unless you know some facts about someone's life, shut your fucking pie-hole. What a shitty thing to post.

[dorkzilla]

20. What are you basing your opinion that I talk down to my family on? A couple of sentences?

Nothing. I don't talk down to my family, but you do a pretty good damned job at talking down to people you don't even know.

Have at it.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

56. In his defense.

He's a total douchebag who's been allowed to troll this site for years.

[johnnyreb]

21. You totally misread his OP.

And you would have to work quite hard to misread it so thoroughly.

[dorkzilla]

22. Thanks, Johnny

FWIW, I'm a woman. Maybe I should put a bow in my hair! But thank you for that.

[johnnyreb]

23. Oops!

Soon as I posted, I thought: Maybe I shoulda checked first!

But anyway, back to spreading the word of the Prince Al Waleed Fox channel!

ps: A caregiver's job can be the toughest in the world.

[dorkzilla]

24. Yep, especially when you are injured.

Don't worry about the woman thing. My breasts aren't going to disappear!

[rufus dog]

27. I used to drive around the LA Basin a lot for work

This was mid 2000's and would play a game of how far I could get before he lied. That didn't last long so I upped it to five lies so I could at least make it a mile or two. Anyway I noticed he couldn't make it five minutes without saying "Clinton." It is 2005 or 2006 and I take the Hannity & Beck loving in laws to lunch. Of course they have on talk radio so when we get in the car to get them back home (about two miles) I state, "what do you think drives his obsession and hate for the Clinton's? They deny it, being Clinton haters themselves so I offer, How about a five dollar bet that he says Clinton before we get to your house. I put the car in reverse to back out of the spot and my MIL asks what is this bet somewhat dismissively, by now I am laughing and my FIL tells her the bet is over, damn Hannity said Clinton already.

So the advice is, mess with them. I also convinced the FIL that Fox News was blocked in the house, told him I wouldn't allow porn, why would I allow Fox News. One day I came in and he was going up the dials he hit MSNBC and literally jumped and went back down. I am sure he thought that if he got to Fox News some porn warning message would pop up.

[dorkzilla]

28. Oh my god, I'm laughing so hard I can't stop!

"I also convinced the FIL that Fox News was blocked in the house, told him I wouldn't allow porn, why would I allow Fox News".



Mumsy would fall for it but Pop wouldn't. But just the scenario in my head is enough! HAHAHAHA!

[csziggy]

48. Use parental controls to block Faux Noise

Then throw away the password. That's what I've done in my house. No visitor is able to turn to that channel - EVER.

Tell Pop that something must have gone wrong with Faux Noise and it was taken off the air.

[defacto7]

29. Reading through your OP and replies,

I get the feeling you have a really healthy relationship with your parents. You disagree, you feel free to tell them what you think, you try to figure out how to get your message across no matter what they're positions are... and none of you split up and go hateful and refuse to speak to each other for 75 years. I call that a really great family attitude in general. It makes me happy reading about it.

Oh, and good luck with your quest for progressive peace!

[dorkzilla]

30. That sums it up pretty much!

Yes, we love each other very much. When mom was diagnosed, my "real" dad stepped in too and took turns watching out for mom. The concierge at their rental flat near her hospital used to refer to my darling dad as my step-Pop's "stunt double".

My frustration with my parents is the 24/7 fox crap and the fact that they used to be open-minded. Now they say climate change is bullcrap. And Obama is from Kenya. And that he hates America.

As a family we've gone through a lot, and in spite of the fact that we disagree, we are very tight. I could do without Hannity on the boob tube, and the Obama hatred at all costs, no matter the issue. My OP had to do with asking for a shred of sanity, maybe a joke. Nothing more. And I thank you for your post…I'm going to share it with my GOPbot mumsy and step-pop!

[Sedona]

31. I'm planning to move to South Bay next year.....

Please Dorkzilla tell where this tea-billy neighborhood is that I should avoid?

I am SO looking forward to being represented by Maxine Waters or Henry Waxman!

[Javaman]

32. Just challenge them not to listen to that stuff for a week.

and listen to ANYTHING else.

you might be surprised what may happen.

[dorkzilla]

35. I just plead with them to turn off the tv

They complied but I said "I'm only going to be here one more day! Lets turn off the boob tube and talk!" They didn't turn it off, but at least they changed the channel.

[The Second Stone]

34. Here are some options

1. Ask to change the channel. I do this at bars that play Fox. It works.
2. Go home. Your parents are telling you to not move in with them. Their house, their soap operas.

[dorkzilla]

36. I'm only here a few days, leaving this afternoon

But when they come visit me at my house they turn on Fox.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

39. You should not let them do that in your house.

I mean, that's just wrong. It's YOUR HOUSE.

Put your foot down, sweetly of course.

[dorkzilla]

45. I do! I just walk over and turn on a movie.

When my mom got her cancer diagnosis they stayed with me initially because she was being treated in NY. I didn't have the heart to ask her to turn it off then, so I wore head phones.

Now, I don't have that problem as she's happily better. I'm just amazed that they actually have the moxie to turn on that noise in my house. Its like they're possessed.

[B Calm]

37. Ask them if they heard about the congressional republican approval ratings

after they shut down the government!

[dorkzilla]

40. funny you should say that

Last night on Fox they kept saying "obama has a catastrophically low approval rating" and i said "interesting. He may be 39% but at least he's 30% up over the people that put the Con in Congress".

The unfortunate thing is when I say anything that can't be backed up by Fox, they say "I don't believe it".

[JoePhilly]

38. They collecting SS, Medicare?

Can they explain how a socialist who hates America stopped a 2nd Great Depression and more than doubled the DOW?

The right wing folks I know sputter uncontrollably when I ask them.

[dorkzilla]

42. "They don't believe it" OR

No, he didn't do that. They'll blame him for the poor economy, that they'll lay at his feet, but give him any credit for the reverse? Never!

[JoePhilly]

43. If they don't believe actual numbers,

they are the ones drunk on koolaid.

Would be my response.

[dorkzilla]

46. HA! I said that to them last night and they said..

no, YOU drank the koolaid! I felt like I was arguing with a couple of 3 year olds.

[JoePhilly]

54. Too funny.

I have a friend that thinks the US is becoming the Soviet Union.

I have to keep reminding him that the Soviet Union isn't even the Soviet Union anymore.

He also thinks that we are still in a war with Iraq because he can't tell the difference between Afghanistan and Iraq. Saddam and OBL are the same person.

He spews this nonsense in periodic emails, to me and a bunch of old friends ... I quickly destroy whatever he sends mocking him without mercy ... my other friends love it. I'll never convert him, but all our friends know to ignore him and wait to see my responses.

[Locrian]

44. you cant cut that

If they are exposing themselves to that much bullshit - you will not be able to cut through it. The teevee and talkshows are brainwashing them - seriously.

You sort of have to think of them as addicts. TV is a drug - it flattens their world and sucks them into ITS reality. Like any drug addiction it would be tough for them to admit it and do w/o their addiction.

[dorkzilla]

47. I agree. Like I said above, its like they're possessed.

That stuff is literally on in their house 24/7. and LOUDLY too! I try to hide in my room to get away from it -- you can run but you can't hide!!

[Locrian]

50. my dad

My dad is *sorta* like that - but no so right wing. He's 86 and the only source of info is the tv. He cannot understand that there is zero information coming form it of value. It's a 'recreational' drug, and not a very good one.

[Jamaal510]

51. I always try to imagine

what it's like to have wingnut parents or relatives in general, but thankfully everyone in my family is a D. But if I were you, I'd ignore them and let them see for themselves once the ACA starts getting on the correct path. Of course, there is always the possibility of FOX lying about it not working, so that's a dilemma...

[ebbie15644]

52. Same boat!!

My mom doesn't but my dad 24-7. It's either on the tv in his bedroom or on the radio in his car. Then he comes out of his lair to try and start an arguement with me.

[dennis4868]

53. I know what you are going through

My parents used to be progressives but they met new "severely conservative" friends, started watching Fox News 24/7 and I have lost them politically. They watch Fox News all the damn time...they leave it on the Fox News channel even when they are not watching TV. They are lost. They think Obama is the devil, not an American, and a socialist communist (whatever that is). They think they know the facts but it's all lies from Fox News. It's so sad how they have changed. I think Fox News has even changed the way they act. They have less patience for people and act like they know it all and everyone else is an idiot. Sort of like how Bill Oreilly treats people. So I know how you feel totally.

[JHB]

55. Probably not the way to go with parents (or might be, depending on their sense of humor)...

The thought that came to my mind was:

"Don't burst through the wall, shout "Oh Yeah!", and then say I'm the one drinking the KoolAid."

Edited to add:
What did they think about invading Iraq? The inFOXicated people in my life who are all up in arms about Obamacare were conspicuously supportive of W about invading Iraq. 4000 dead, tens of thousand wounded (and that's only counting the American side, mainly because RWers don't care at all for the numbers for Iraqi civilians), trillion dollars spent, all because Bush and his chickenhawk neocon circle wanted to check "get rid of Saddam" off their "to do" list and they used 911 to get people to go along with it.

If you're drinking the same "KoolAid" you were back then, and so are they, you might point out that your drink was right.