BS at BU: The O’Reilly Factor

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• Reader Comments (4)

  Page 1 of 1 pages

  Daniel Gewertz is a coward. Don’t worry Dan-Man, O’ Reilly won’t interview you. But then again, now he might. Quick Dan, head for the hills!

  Posted by bookworm on Oct 22, 2009 at 6:35 PM

  How is Daniel Gewertz a coward? Seems to me like he made his points clearly and concisely. BU ought to be ashamed, honoring a “journalist”—- I use that term extremely loosely in O’Reilly’s case—in part because he’s a big donor. BU has done nothing but further debase the profession and prove once again that honors are for those with bucks and celebrity, not for their contributions to society. Only thing O’Reilly has ever contributed is the further polarization of the country.

  Posted by vman on Oct 22, 2009 at 7:25 PM

  Daniel, as a journalist, I think you’re misreading the meaning behind the award.  The award comes from the College of Communication, not specifically from the Department of Journalism.  Bill O’Reilly is not a journalist, he is a communicator.  Like the PR folks who tell you that toxic sludge is good for you, O’Reilly tells people what his boss wants him to in return for a paycheck.  The message he often communicates is a load of vile, hate-filled, misogynistic, disgusting, self-righteous, gay-bashing, racist, self-serving crap on a shingle from a bigoted, fanatical, intolerant, egotistical, power-abusing, pandering, vindictive, war-mongering, ideologically-driven, pro-big-oil, anti-environment, out-of-touch far-right fundamentalist.  But here’s the amazing thing about Bill O’Reilly:  people listen to him!  In just a few minutes every night, he can convince people that everything they learned about truth, justice and the American Way is wrong, that the lessons learned in Kindergarten about fair play and being kind to one another are rubbish, and that science is only useful when it reinforces your point of view.  That is a truly remarkable power of persuasion, and it must be what the College of Communication recognized (unless it merely bestowed this honor to repay financial donations).

  Mind you, we’d all appreciate O’Reilly if his powers of persuasion were used in an ethical manner to disseminate the truth for the good of humanity.  It is a shame that Boston University was misguided enough to place the bar at not spending time in jail.  In so doing they err by not examining the assumed premises: (a) that the law is always correct, (b) that the law-breakers are always incorrect and (c) those who do have not spent time behind bars, but who have made a lot of money must be worthy of recognition.  Next, they may honor Rush Limbaugh.  And my children will attend school elsewhere.

  Posted by nyvegan on Oct 22, 2009 at 7:45 PM

  O’Reallly?

  Posted by frank67 on Oct 23, 2009 at 11:55 PM

  Page 1 of 1 pages

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• BS at BU: The O’Reilly Factor