Bill O'Reilly makes racially charged comments after dinner with Al Sharpton

Laurent · September 25th, 2007, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Group points out O'Reilly race comments
By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer

NEW YORK - After eating dinner at a famed Harlem restaurant recently, Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly told a radio audience he "couldn't get over the fact" that there was no difference between the black-run Sylvia's and other restaurants.

"It was like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb in the sense of people were sitting there, and they were ordering and having fun," he said. "And there wasn't any kind of craziness at all."

O'Reilly said his fellow patrons were tremendously respectful as he ate dinner with civil rights activist Al Sharpton.

The comments were made during O'Reilly's nationally syndicated radio broadcast last week. The liberal media watchdog Media Matters for America called attention to them by distributing a transcript and audio clip on the Internet.

"This is nothing more than left-wing outlets stirring up false racism accusations for ratings," said Bill Shine, senior vice president for programming at Fox News Channel. "It's sad."

O'Reilly spoke during a general discussion about racial relations with Fox News analyst Juan Williams. O'Reilly said he believed black Americans were "starting to think more and more for themselves" and backing away from a race-based culture encouraged by Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.

He said he treated Sharpton to dinner to thank him for appearing on his Fox News Channel show.

O'Reilly pointed to the lack of difference between Sylvia's and other restaurants as a marker of racial progress. He also noted that he went to an Anita Baker concert recently where the audience was evenly mixed between blacks and whites.

"The band was excellent, but they were dressed in tuxedoes, and this is what white America doesn't know, particularly people who don't have a lot of interaction with black Americans," he said. "They think the culture is dominated by Twista, Ludacris and Snoop Dogg."

Williams concurred that too many people believe there's little else in black culture beyond profane rap.

"That's right," O'Reilly said. "There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, `M.F.-er, I want more iced tea."

Sharpton said he was taken aback that anyone would be surprised at how blacks acted at Sylvia's and will ask O'Reilly on "The O'Reilly Factor" Wednesday to explain what he meant. Nothing O'Reilly said at the dinner was offensive, said Sharpton spokeswoman Rachel Noerdlinger.

Karl Frisch, a spokesman for Media Matters, called O'Reilly's comments "ignorant and racially charged."

Group points out O'Reilly race comments - Yahoo! News

Mira · September 25th, 2007, 07:28 PM

Hey Laurent you crack me up, I just went to post this and I thought "I better do a search first, Laurent probably already posted it"

This morning I heard the audio of his comments on the radio program I listen to. He is just an unbelievable tool!! He brings new meaning to the word, along with smarm and of course slime.

He worked here in Portland many years ago, and my former neighbor was a photographer at the tv station where he worked. He was a complete tool even then. The Irish should disown him.

PaintTheTownRed · September 25th, 2007, 08:38 PM

So the closed minded fool just realized that most black people are normal regular people.

He's only been living in NYC for how long....I'm sure Al Sharpton will save O'reilly's stupid ass.

Mira · September 25th, 2007, 08:56 PM

Oh I'll bet Sharpton and his pals are having private snickers over this one, and I hope Sharpton cleans his clock but he won't... he needs the media and they need him (or so they all think).

Grimmlok · September 25th, 2007, 09:49 PM

oh amazingly you dont hear ANYTHING from the repukes about how horrible this is.

Laurent · September 25th, 2007, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mira

Hey Laurent you crack me up, I just went to post this and I thought "I better do a search first, Laurent probably already posted it"

My blood pressure would thank me to lay off the political threads.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grimmlok

oh amazingly you dont hear ANYTHING from the repukes about how horrible this is.

Shit, of course not, because they're all as equally amazed as O'Repugly that the waiter doesn't rap out the order and the waitresses aren't all ghetto queens.

Mira · September 25th, 2007, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laurent

Repugly

That's a new one! The comments this morning by the radio show host were basically "he probably thought he was gonna hear 'hey mofo gimme another ice tea' "

I wish we had a bullshit meter on these people to tell whether they're doing this for ratings, whether they're just plain stupid or both.

Just Kill Me · September 26th, 2007, 10:01 AM

WTF?!?! Is he serious? I want to punch him in the face, too... I'm just wanting to hit people today.

Ravenna · September 26th, 2007, 10:22 AM

He probably thinks he is being a friend to black people by informing America that they are actually civilized

kingcap72 · September 27th, 2007, 02:24 AM

We of the black delegation would like to thank the Grand Dragon...I mean Mr. Bill O'Reilly for making us look good. He's an inspiration to us all.

MrsMarsters · September 27th, 2007, 03:43 AM

Oh don't you just love O'Reilly and his funeral parlor makeup?

TheMoog · September 27th, 2007, 07:01 AM

"That's right," O'Reilly said. "There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, `M.F.-er, I want more iced tea."

I've no idea who this guy is, but that comment just cracked me up for some reason

darksithbunny · September 27th, 2007, 07:59 AM

"The band was excellent, but they were dressed in tuxedoes, and this is what white America doesn't know, particularly people who don't have a lot of interaction with black Americans," he said. "They think the culture is dominated by Twista, Ludacris and Snoop Dogg."

Weither you want to believe this or not, this really is true. My great grandmother died almost 20 yrs ago and never saw a black person. The only information she had about them was what she got from, ta da! TV. And sadly, the one she had was a black and white model. She asked my cousin what does their skin feel like because it looks so smooth. I am not kidding you. No shit.

Mira · September 27th, 2007, 08:12 AM

Stating the obvious:
What is so pathetic is the fact that Bill O'Reilly speaks to that demographic who needs to hear this stuff. Yes, Matilda, in 2007 we still have people who threaten biracial women who "dare" to have biracial babies, and who don't know the first thing about black people, and don't want to - unless the likes of Bill O'Reilly is talking to them about it.

TheMoog · September 29th, 2007, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darksithbunny

[b]Weither you want to believe this or not, this really is true. My great grandmother died almost 20 yrs ago and never saw a black person.

I believe it!

I never saw a black person until I was 21 (I'm 39 now) and was visiting the nearest big city.

Then later I moved to London and enjoyed the multi-culturalism there and worked for and with people of all races and made great friends.

Until then, I'd grown up in remote north Scotland. We were fairly well-read and interested in the world around us, even though we lacked multi-culturalism. It's generally not a good idea to get all your info - about anything - from TV.