Fox News Has “Angry Grandpa” Freakout
http://www.alternet.org/fox-news-has-angry-grandpa-freakout
It’s easy to poke fun at Bill O’Reilly’s freakout over President Obama sitting down with Zach Galifianakis on his satirical Web series “Between Two Ferns.” On one level, it’s a typical case of Angry Grandpa just not getting it – Did he really say “Abe Lincoln would not have done it”? Why, yes he did – but it’s more than that. It’s a case of an entire political demographic panicking over how irrelevant they’re becoming, and how Obama is hastening their passing. To be honest, some in the mainstream media had a comparable reaction to O’Reilly’s – without O’Reilly’s surreal Abe Lincoln reference and right-wing angst. CNN pundit and bipartisan presidential fixer David Gergen brought O’Reilly’s point into the 20thcentury, tweeting:
But even ABC News’ Jim Avila, unbelievably, badgered Jay Carney at his Tuesday briefing about whether Obama had “damaged” the presidency by appearing with the “Hangover” star (and deadpanning mean jokes about the flop that was “The Hangover III”). “How much discussion was there in the White House about the dignity of the office and whether or not, in order to reach these people who don’t watch us at 6:30, or who don’t watch this briefing,” Avila asked Carney. He went on to wonder “how much the dignity of the office might be lost? This is an interview like no other probably ever done by a president.” Beyond the fuddy-duddy concern about the “dignity” of the presidency, traditional media folks are defending their own turf. They know this president, and increasingly other politicians, are learning how to move out beyond the networks and the Sunday shows, to reach a demographic the networks can’t reach: younger people.
As “Between Two Ferns” producer/director Scott Aukerman told New York magazine:
The great part about it is, this president knows how to reach young people in a way that no other president has, and it’s very important that he reach young people with this issue. This is so much better and will attract so much more attention than him going on a Sunday morning show and talking about this issue when most people I know of this generation aren’t even up that early on a Sunday morning.
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all is well, but as an ozarkian, I may qualify as a good ole boy too. Jus' sayin'.
Erased all the dignity that Dubya 'gained' the office by carrying that fake turkey around for the troops. Very dignified.
And what about Reagan and the open mike outlawing the Soviet Union (bombing begins in 5 minutes).
Presidents get to joke around. Lincoln was shot at the theater. A different type of entertainment, but entertainment just the same. Does O'Reilly get to decide what entertainment is appropriate for the president?
What a buffoon. It's hard to believe ANYONE gives two shits what he thinks.
to GET the show or just how badass the dialog was!
Mostly because of THIS reason - I call it headuptheassittis;
NOPE NO SENSE OF HUMOR IN THERE EITHER!
Repukes really want a king. [youtube]
[/youtube]Get a load of dem hips! (Ugh! Maybe not! It's too embarrassing!)
(Okay, okay, he no longer was a Congressman. But he was my Congressman!
)
Darn it. You make me proud.