Gawker
Rupert Murdoch's handmaidens over at the New York Post this morning jumped into a feud between their Fox News shouting head Bill O'Reilly and MSNBC ranter Keith Olbermann. The tabloid's gossip page ran an item dredging up various minor controversies involving Olbermann dating back to his ESPN days, up through an alleged spat between Olbermann and fellow MSNBC personality David Gregory last Tuesday over camera time. It then insinuated Olbermann might soon explode and leave his network. The warmed-over gossip was clearly meant as cover fire on behalf of O'Reilly, a fellow News Corp. soldier, whose feud with Olbermann is detailed in the Washington Post today. In a nutshell:
Olbermann has been criticizing O'Reilly on his show for four years, including naming him the "worst person in the world" and saying his kids have a home life as difficult as that faced by the forthcoming child of a pregnant, transgendered man.
Instead of taking what he dishes out nightly, O'Reilly allowed News Corp. chairman Murdoch and Fox News chief Roger Ailes to complain to NBC executives on his behalf, asking that Olbermann be reined in. NBC refused, and O'Reilly launched a campaign on his show against NBC corporate parent General Electric and its CEO Jeffrey Immelt, saying that GE's business with Iran — "mostly... sales of oil, gas and energy and health-care equipment," according to the Washington Post — endangered American troops in Iraq.
News Corp. then offered to end the attacks in exchange for Olbermann backing off O'Reilly, according to NBC.
The Washington Post said Ailes threatened to deploy the New York Post against Olbermann, but an Ailes spokesman denied this, saying, "Roger doesn't control the editorial policy of the New York Post."
Within a few hours of that denial going online, the New York Post published its initial attack on Olbermann on its website.
That Murdoch properties do one another's dirty work and then lie about their actions is hardly surprising; but one would hope thinned-skinned rageaholic O'Reilly would learn to fight his own battles at some point instead of complaining to his bosses and permitting a sucker punch from Page Six, as though he doesn't have enough media firepower at his disposal on the O'Reilly Factor.
Comments
O'Reilly: "worst person in the world" and thinned-skinned rageaholic ... no doubt in possession of a micro penis
Someone remind me again, what do you have to do to be discredited as a news media outlet now?
Anchor's A-wimp!
WHICH bloviated right-win talk show host is too wimpy to fight his own battles? Despite his well-documented rages against TV producers (courtesy of YouTube and media gossip site Gawker), his bark is proving to be worse than his rabid bite. He recently tipped off the editor of this column to a rival's misdemeanors in the hopes we'd publish them anonymously. And we did - but only after a $50 and a blowjob! It wasn't that good, actually.
But he's got a Polk award. A POLK AWARD people! Does that not count for anything?
oh.
Would it be inappropriate for me to remark here that I think Olbermann is hot?
Well except for the lack of hairline.
@scarletmenace: Not at all. I second your remark!
Two sides of the same obnoxious blowhard coin.
Does anyone take O'Reilly seriously, or do they just tune in for the (unintended) humor? He doesn't need anyone else's jibes to look like a total buffoon most of the time.
@Bell County: well if you are against the pointless senseless civilian killing us army draining us tax base sucking iraq war you don't even get on the air
if ur a right wing pundit, same as always: dead girl or live boy
@scarletmenace: I heartily concur. He looks like Bill Pullman in that shot, who I have always found quite fetching.
Also? Fucking Team Olbermann!!
Hey! The worst person in the world title already belongs to someone else!
If he's so worried about our boys dieing in Iraq, why not hold the president's feet to the fire? he sent them in.
If there is any possible way in which this can end that ends both of them, let's do that.
Well, a newspaper totally lacking any sort of credibility backing up a host and a network lacking any sort of credibility pretty much bolsters the Olbermann is right argument.
So does the fact that Olbermann is right.
But my main problem with this whole thing is that Olbermann unintentionally elevates O'Reilly to his level when one hour spent reading the commentary of either man pretty much demonstrates that O'Reilly is bringing a falafel to a gun fight.
@Trixie from Toronto: falafel falafel falafel falafel falafel falafel falafel falafel
loofah loofah loofah
falafel falafel falafel falafel falafel falafel falafel falafel
@BalknChain:
Yes - Barbara Bush was my favorite recipient, for saying that the disaster shelter set up at the whatever-dome in New Orleans after Katrina actually "worked out quite well" for the people who were dumped there... you know, since they were "underpriveleged."
@Mediahohoho: falafel falafel falafel
What's good for the goose is good for the gander...or in this case...what's good for one blowhard is good for another bloward.
If Olbermann has a history, let's hear it, and let's see the video.
Good grief, the video of O'Reilly was 20 years old!
Obviously the Uber Right media has had everything their own way, and someone coming up in their face every night is cause for consternation.
Now if someone could only dismantle Limbaugh and Drudge.
Bill O'Reilly is an American hero dammit...you're all a bunch of pinheads! How many of you have hooked up with women in Bali?!?! Bill has!
37. When Plaintiff responded that she never engaged in phone sex, Defendant BILL O'REILLY professed disbelief, and told her that the sexual storied he told were all based upon his own experiences, such as when he received a massage in a cabana in Bali and the "little short brown woman" asked to see his penis and was "amazed". Defendant BILL O'REILLY then suggested that he tell Plaintiff the same sexual stories, which she knew she would "just love." Shocked and embarrassed, Plaintiff ANDREA MACKRIS informed Defendant in no uncertain terms that she was neither experienced in nor interested in gaining experience in telephone sex. Defendant expressed disbelief.
Pains me to say this but it's getting past the point where the two "newsmen" are a matched set. Month after month of incessant Hillary bashing by Obamamann and his commentariat destroyed any shred of credibility they had for me (even when they were factually correct, their spin was out of control). Now they can retrain fire on all things GOP (where it belongs), but the thrill is gone.
I do like how the pinstripes in his Obamamann's outfits often pick up the lines in his slicked back hair! Very '80s!
@naugahydeinplainsight: Translation: you liked when he was speaking truth to power, until "power" came to be represented by the candidate you support.
Getting "sucker punched" by page six is like being called a Nazi by an actual Nazi. You just sit there, sort of mystified and amused.
All this talk about how appealing Olbermann is wrecking my breakfast...
You know what it's time for?
An Anchorman showdown.
Bring on the tridents.
@meerkat: Well it was the best they probably ever had it. (emulation, her) I liked watching her walk around like she wanted to levitate.
(Gawker dubbed)JFP is still worst person in the world to me.
I love Olbermann, but his 'Special Comments' make me feel like he's yelling at me. It's chilling.
Is there a single thing on any cable news channel that isn't garbage? The biggest mystery with most of it is what kind of person watches:
-- O'Reilly and Olbermann
-- Larry King
-- Nancy Grace
-- Hannity
-- Chris Matthews
-- Glen Beck
-- Donny Deutsch
One horror show after another. Hell, even Michael Eisner had a show!
@fileunder: Since they're usually directed at GWB, I assume he's yelling at our asshat of a President. And that makes me happy, because someone with a national audience finally is.
"Obviously the Uber LEFT media has had everything their own way, and someone coming up in their face every night is cause for consternation."
There. I fixed that for you.
You're welcome.
@Mediahohoho: Oh, I know he's yelling at BushCo and not me. But I know none of them are watching. Yes, I'm glad someone's doing it - his Special Comment last week re: the golf sacrifice was fantastic.
Each of their shows are a window into their souls. O'Reilly is a power-hungry blowhard who loves to control everyone on his show. Yet he takes special pleasure with the women. It is so apparent. Olbermann is a garrulous douche whose idling persona is irritatingly supercilious. When he goes into the red, he's a clumsy thesaurus of rage and vituperation. His outbursts are well-noted, although have yet to be caught on camera. Yet... His unhinged denouement and certain departure is fueling up on the tarmac now, and my guess is it's "wheels up" sometime in early November.
@Mediahohoho: Nah. Am all for speaking truth to power, it's just that the truth is usually a little more complicated than Obamamann and friends let on.
aw... he look nice with a little grey. getting fat, though.
Start a discussion:
Login with your username and password below. Or comment on this post via email.
Forgot your username or password? New User?