The stages of grief can be a turbulent and confusing time, and the firing of one of our most favorite TV personalities, Bill O’Reilly, has the nation twisted up in an emotional knot that even Houdini would abandon for a stiff drink.
All across the web, people appear to be celebrating O’Reilly’s canning — but what are they really trying to say?
Related: Fox News is proud to be the network of and for creepy old straight men
You know, on second thought we may have miscalculated. This is the same Bill O’Reilly who has a whole mess of sexual harassment allegations nipping at his heels, the same guy who fought hard against marriage equality, the guy who referred to equal restroom access for trans people as an “insane program.”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
So what’s to be taken from the wave of jubilation that’s sweeping over the interwebs?
Just one sentiment comes to mind — good riddance!
Scroll down to see what people are saying:
?? HuffPost splash rn?? pic.twitter.com/xC509CR0IF
— Lydia Polgreen (@lpolgreen) April 19, 2017
more like o’bye-ly amirite
— Kelsey Sutton (@kelseymsutton) April 19, 2017
O'Reilly was paid be TV's white male privilege superego. Sweet that racism & sexism finally killed his bottom line.https://t.co/XBsgd8RRnN
— jess mcintosh (@jess_mc) April 19, 2017
Bill O’Reilly tearfully enters a SoulCycle
“sorry, all the bikes are booked. Maybe try FlyWheel?”
All the bikes were not booked
— Ben Dreyfuss (@bendreyfuss) April 19, 2017
all it took was millions of dollars and an avalanche of complaints https://t.co/wyFoMEdo3a
— Shani O. Hilton (@shani_o) April 19, 2017
Very inspiring to see that numerous sexual harassment allegations can hurt a powerful man’s career once it's bad for the bottom line.
— Elise Foley (@elisefoley) April 19, 2017
FOX News sends a powerful message: a workplace culture of rampant sexual harrassment and aggression will only be tolerated for 2 decades
— John Miguel McCauley (@Mickey_McCauley) April 19, 2017
Reminder that the first $9M O'Reilly settlement for sexual harassment was 13 YEARS ago so it's not like this is a stunning victory for women
— Amy Sullivan (@sullivanamy) April 19, 2017
take note dudes: you may only have 15 years of unimpeded sexual harassment so make em count
— Brandy Jensen (@BrandyLJensen) April 19, 2017
Congrats to Tucker Carlson for being the next best thing to a serial sexual predator who wrote terrible books.
— Chloe Angyal (@ChloeAngyal) April 19, 2017
Fox News: a lazy susan of racist morons. https://t.co/HdGm23VSUh
— Reza Aslan (@rezaaslan) April 19, 2017
Don't thank Fox, thank the Sponsors that pulled their Ads. Fox fired #BillOReilly because of money, not ethics. pic.twitter.com/aXYWDrRRq9
— CK (@charley_ck14) April 19, 2017
h/t NYMag
DCguy
The memo went out to the trolls that to defend O’Relly they are supposed to push the narrative that all O’Reilly did was flirting and if he was young and attractive nobody would have complained.
Can’t wait to see how the trolls try to spin that one on here.
natekerchel
Even they can’t spin their way out of this one. Fox gets no credit at all – they are simply reacting to what all right wingers react to – MONEY. You saw it in North Carolina and now with Fox – its a template I have long advocated myself – attack them where it hurts most, in their pockets. There are no ‘finer feelings’ to appeal to with the right wing or religious extremists, no amount of factual evidence, no appeal to humanity and justice – just take away their money. Boycotts work.
1EqualityUSA
In New York, I used to call him BLO’Reilly because of the way he pronounced his name on, “Inside Edition.” He was arrogant. Faux put the old’ stud horse is out to pasture. His wife must be bummed to hear he has more time.
Uppity
His ratings were high but I don’t think all of his audience necessarily liked him. Some watched because they wanted to know what he would say next. But in recent years he seemed more dated and out of touch than ever. Probably not a problem given most of his audience was over 60, but he definitely rehashed the same subjects repeatedly and his guest list was very limited, presumably because nobody wanted to come on and be dominated and yelled at. The thing is, if he’d been sexually harassing MEN, he would have fired after the first or second settlement. Women have been regarded as lesser beings at Fox News, and that culture came right from the top. Apparently he’s in for a payout of $40 million, so that’s how Fox rewards sexual harassment. Had the NY Times not exposed all of the the prior settlements, Fox would have been just fine with him continuing for as long as possible.
Kev57
I’m in France currently, and yes, O’Reilly’s going is due to money, but not just advertisers. Fox News is, in the media’s word here, “desperate” to have a merger with Sky News in England. English regulators are very strict about such approvals. One of the criteria they use is that the new entity must be “proper,” a truly vague term. O’Reilly’s behavior can hardly be called “proper.”
Blackceo
Bill O’Reilly got cut by Fox News because finally he started affecting the bottom line, and even in the world of the good ole White boys club, they will cut each other’s throat when you start messing with their money. The end.
BigWill
Where’s Fake Biracial Bisexual…I mean Mo. Shouldn’t he have chimed in by now? Something about mean libs? Shadenfreude? Something…anything? Maybe not up yet…
Mo Bro
*sigh*
More fake outrage from the perpetually outrageous left.
LARRY
seriously?? thats the best you got in support of this pig? ROFLMAO MO speechless!! I think I have died or hell hath frozen not sure which.
Heywood Jablowme
That’s pretty lame, Mohammed Bro.
BigWill
There he is! Hi punkin!
Juanjo
Oh come on Troll Bro, that is pretty lame. Aren’t you even going to use the party line about how if he were a young, handsome stud nothing would have happened to him because after all, exposing yourself to a woman is merely a form of flirting
jkthsnk
Millions of dollars is not justice.