This post-holiday edition begins with a FFF News Alert : Dish Network dumps Fox News, setting off social media war on Facebook. In the ensuing word war:
According to Fox, they have received over 12,000 calls about the blackout, with 7,000 asking to be connected to Dish to disconnect their service. The network also states 22,000 viewer emails have been sent to Dish about the blackout, with reports of viewers inundating the Dish Facebook page with complaints.
Said Fox’s [Executive Vice President of Distribution Tim] Carry, “Relative to any other fight they’ve had, they’ve never had a viewer as personally invested as Fox News. Our viewers are invested. They have a personal relationship with us.”
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While there’s no way to verify those numbers, he’s correct that Fox has “a personal relationship” with its overly-credulous viewers. That’s because the station speaks directly to their id, confirming bias by spoon-feeding lies–playing to their worst fears and resentments.
Fox “News” has been slowly sliding into bat-guano-crazy territory ever since protests erupted following Michael Brown’s killing in Ferguson on August 9, 2014. After more incidents of Cops Gone Wild, more people took to the streets. Fox “News” pushed back harder. Thankfully those poor DISH subscribers were spared the Fox meltdown this week after a crazed gunman shot and killed 2 NYPD police officers.
Was it taking its cue from HQ when Fox Affiliate Deceptively Edits Protest Footage To Show Protesters Chanting “Kill A Cop.” Before sending angry telegrams, Friday Fox Follies is aware when a Fox Affiliate Edits Protest Chant to Sound Like ‘Kill a Cop’, it’s not the Fox “News” Channel; just a lowly affiliate. Yet, the network has done this kind of thing before. You only have to go back to last week when Fox News deceptively edits Al Sharpton’s anti-violence speech to include chant for ‘dead cops.’ It’s not a stretch to believe the mendacity is top-down.
The tenor of Fox’s coverage changed after NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were murdered in cold blood by a crazed gunman. Fox didn’t present him as a troubled man with mental difficulties. He became a stand-in for every protestor trying to bring accountability to police departments across the nation. Compare and contrast How Fox News Covers Right-Wing Cop Killers; When Political Violence Doesn’t Warrant Collective Blame.
Because the murderer was Black, Fox News Seizes On NYC Cop Killing To Bash Obama. Piling on Fox’s Ablow: Obama Does Not Want the Cops Protecting Us and Fox News Condemns President Obama Over Ferguson Protester Attending DOJ Meeting.
It wasn’t just POTUS-blaming. Fox “News” spread the blame around … err … liberally, including: Fox Guest on NYPD Murders: ‘This Is Like 9/11 Again’ and Trump: ‘Professional Con Man’ Sharpton Has ‘Gotten Away with a Lot of Murder.’
There was some minor disagreement. While O’Reilly Tears Into ‘Villain’ de Blasio: He Needs to Resign Immediately, former-NYC Mayor Giuliani [says]: Blaming De Blasio for NYPD Murders ‘Goes Too Far.‘ Absolving de Blasio, he came off totally unhinged when Giuliani: Obama’s ‘Propaganda’ Made People ‘Hate the Police.’ That stinking pile received an unequivocal PANTS ON FIRE rating by PunditFact.
Normal or Nuts fans can be forgiven for thinking Keith “Crazy Doc” Ablow is the Fox News [fool who] Looks at What’s in de Blasio’s ‘Subconscious Mind’, but they were not disappointed at Fox News psychiatrist: Body cameras, de-escalation training are ‘an insult to police officers.‘
However, as Igor Volsky at Think Progress reports, Fox “News” was for the protestors before it was against them: WATCH: Fox News’ Great Flip Flop On Police Brutality Protests.
Remember: On Fox “News” it’s only race-baiting when Black folk do it.
The biggest problem with Progressives who appear on Fox “News” hoping to win a debate is their total lack of preparation. They are rarely ready for the most obvious questions. Case in point was this week’s shoutfest starring Bully Boy Bolling, when Fox Guest Accuses Fox News of Perpetuating Racism; Bolling Goes Off:
He asked, “What are we doing wrong in America that’s perpetuating racism?”
[Jasymne] Cannick replied, “Well, first of all, many of the shows on this very network help perpetuate the racism that exists in America, so we can start there.”
Bolling was stunned and shot back, “How?! Don’t lob a grenade without telling me how!” He pressed her for specifics and touted Fox’s coverage of race issues. Cannick did not get specific about how Fox is perpetuating racist beliefs, though she did say, “You know exactly what I’m saying, Eric.”
While Bulling Boy Bolling pretended he didn’t know what Cannick was saying, a prepared guest would have lobbed back Fox host describes Obama White House as ‘the Hizzy’:
Fox Business host Eric Bolling is taking heat for what critics call racially charged comments about President Obama, such as this one about the recent White House visit of the Gabon president who has been accused of corruption.
“So what’s with all the hoods in the Hizzy?” Bolling asked.
Bolling, who criticized Obama’s recent White House invitation to the rapper Common, has also described the White House as “Hizzouse” and “The Big Crib.”
Last month, Bolling rapped Obama over his trip to Ireland, where he drank a glass of Guinness beer at a time of deadly storms in Missouri. He said the president was “chugging 40’s in IRE while tornadoes ravage MO.”
Eric Bolling is well aware he has a long history of racist comments on Fox “News” and it’s hypocritical to pretend he doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
At year’s end, Mediaite has been documenting 2014 Media Highs and Lows. The Best and Worst of Fox News as Voted by Cable News Hosts category led to a delicious media bun fight as Hannity Flies Into All-Caps Rage After Being Named ‘Worst Of Fox News.’ When Hannity attacked the wrong Mediate writer, Andrew Kirell kept him on topic:
.@seanhannity @TheMattWilstein Sean, you may want to dial back your vein-popping rage. This was a survey of your colleagues, not our opinion
— Andrew Kirell (@AndrewKirell) December 22, 2014
Hannity denied he was responding in anger:
“I WAS HAVING FUN. CAPS EASIER READ#prayforcops.”
MUCH FUN TO MAKE CAPS! SHOULD HAVE WAITED BEFORE HE BLEW HIS STACK BECAUSE: Mediaite Readers Pick the WORST of Media 2014 AND HANNITY TOOK #1 IN SEVERAL IMPORTANT CATEGORIES!!!
• Worst Cable News Host – #1. Sean Hannity, Fox News (28%);
• Worst Cable News Show – #1. Hannity, Fox News (18%) [with The Five, Fox News (8%) at #3 and Fox & Friends, Fox News (5%) at #4];
• Worst TV Pundit, Conservative – #1. Sean Hannity, Fox News (21%) [a category Fox “News” owns with Keith Ablow at #2 (13%), Bill Kristol next (8%), then Eric Bolling at #4 (5%), with Andrea Tantaros, euphemistically bringing up the rear (3%)].
A short history lesson: Since 1996 criticizing Fox “News” has become a cottage industry. In another life Friday Fox Follies wrote for NewsHounds, the motto of which is “We watch Fox so you don’t have to.” Not everyone knows NewsHounds was an outgrowth of the first documentary to prove Fox “News” mendacity, shenanigans, and tomfoolery. Outfoxed is now free online, just like The Interview. Watch:
Headly Westerfield is taking the rest of the year off.
