Category Archives: Fox “News” Watch

Megyn Kelly’s White Santa and other corporate myths

Megyn Kelly of Fox “News” waded into the imaginary War on Christmas this past week, and ended up stepping in yellow snow. First, on December 11, as indicated in the video above, Kelly said that “Santa just is white …. Santa is what he is.” Kelly went on to say that “Jesus was a white man too.”

Kelly’s remarks caused a firestorm among historians, anthropologists and almost everyone else over the age of seven. Many people pointed out that, aside from the little technicality that Santa Claus isn’t real, St. Nicholas was from present-day Turkey (and likely swarthy-looking), and the very white, rosy-cheeked Santa familiar to many American kids is merely a Coca-Cola advertising creation. After hearing about all this, Kelly took to the air last Friday to say that she had only been joking about that Santa being white thing, even though there was no indication in her original broadcast that she was joking about it. Then Kelly, apparently in her next stage of grief, said that her critics, not her, had decided to “race bait,” but that, come to think of it, it “is far from settled” whether Jesus was white (even though, according to the evidence, Jesus was a Middle-Eastern Jew who was likely as swarthy-looking or more than even St. Nicholas).

Sadly, Fox’s Megyn Kelly is not alone in having her history shaped by White Corporate America. So in honor of Megyn Kelly’s history lesson, how about we list some other myths perpetuated by some big U.S. corporations, their front groups and bought-off politicians, which make as much sense as Fox’s White Santa/White Jesus:

The news still skews Republican

The very first post at Messaging Matters noted that many issues in the news seem to skew Republican. That was nearly three years ago, and it’s still the case. Many of the so-called major news stories of 2013 were ginned up by Republicans: Obamacare website glitches, Benghazi, IRS “scandal,” etc. Even the New York Times, supposedly the bastion of liberal media, fell for these Republican-created news memes. And how about the lineups of the Sunday morning talk shows? This year, only the GOP Shutdown seemed to favor the Democrats.

Environmental Defense Fund posts climate change Thanksgiving talking points

It’s almost that time of the year again, when every Thanksgiving gathering will have at least one old uncle who’s a right wing blowhard. Old Uncle Ralph, after a few Budweisers, will no doubt spout the latest Fox talking points on “Obamacare,” Benghazi or something else. The good folks at Environmental Working Group have come up with some good talking points of their own regarding one of the conservatives’ pet issues, climate change.

Winning the Affordable Care Act anecdote war

 

Now that Republicans have failed to stop the Affordable Care Act, their next tactic is to battle the Act in an anecdote war. The mainstream television news media love anecdotes, because they are small shiny objects around which the media folks can get their short attention spans. We saw this anecdote tactic play out, for example, during the recent GOP shutdown, when the media reduced many big, important issues about government to a small sideshow dispute over the World War II Memorial.

CNN’s “Crossfire” is back

CNN announced yesterday that it is resurrecting its “Crossfire” television program this fall. According to CNN, the new “Crossfire” will feature Newt Gingrich and S.E. Cupp on the right, and Stephanie Cutter (ex-Obama White House) and Van Jones (ex-Obama White House until President Obama cut him loose due to right wing pressure) on the left.

CNN President Jeff Zucker stated that “‘Crossfire’ will be the forum where America holds its great debates.” Yet “Crossfire,” which first aired on CNN in 1982, helped usher in what is referred to today as “argue tv,” that coarse staple of television news networks such as CNN, MSNBC and Fox “News,” as well as other networks, in which hosts and guests bash each other, often with ad hominem attacks and prepared talking points.

Guest Post: Last Days of the Disinformation Age

Messaging Matters presents this guest post from Kenny Pick, creator and host of the “Turn Up the Night with Kenny Pick” political talk show:

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Did you know that fluoride was introduced to the American water supply as a Communist mind-control plot? Remember the kid from the Life cereal commercials, Mikey? His stomach exploded from drinking soda and eating pop rocks. What about all the Satanic heavy metal music in the 80’s that was responsible for a rash of teen suicides in America? How about those FEMA Death Camps that await us all? Also, the HPV vaccination that causes mental retardation, and the Obama administration‘s deep ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

There is one thing each topic has in common: They are false statements easily disproved by a simple internet search. They are myths, urban legends, lies, and most importantly, disinformation.

As Bachmann quits, Dole and Snowe tell GOP it’s too crazy

As extreme right wing Republican U.S. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann of Minnesota announced today that she was quitting the Congress, former mainstream Republican U.S. Senators Robert Dole  and Olympia Snowe both told interviewers that the Republican Party has veered dangerously off course. While Bachmann could end up with a broadcasting platform on Fox “News” or elsewhere, Republicans would do well to ignore her and listen to Dole and Snowe instead.

The media are dead; long live the media

The Boston Marathon bombings showed America and the world once and for all that the 24-hour cable news network model is dead. Here are some of the cable coverage lowlights of the week:

After Aurora Shootings, How About a Gun Law Shock Doctrine?

Another six months, another tragic shooting. The Aurora, Colorado theater shootings were the 22nd such incident since and including the 1999 Columbine shootings. In the mainstream corporate media, especially the television and cable “news” networks, we hear the cliche “our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of this tragedy.” In addition to that sentiment, now is when we should push for real solutions to America’s gun violence epidemic, such as strengthening the nation’s gun laws. Call it the “Gun Law Shock Doctrine.”

Interview With Progressive Talk Show Host Kenny Pick

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Kenny Pick

There is a small but growing band of progressive devotees who donate their time, equipment and talents to airing home-based progressive political talk shows on the Internet. One of the stars of this movement is Cleveland-based Ken Picklesimer, Jr. a/k/a Kenny Pick, host of the Turn Up the Night with Kenny Pick show which airs on Tuesdays and Fridays from 7-10 p.m. ET on the USTREAM Radio or Not channel on the web, and on Talk Radio One and Progressive Blend Radio (disclosure: the author is one of the co-hosts of Turn Up the Night).

Ken is a southeastern Ohio native who has always been enthralled with media and pop culture. Over the years, he has produced volumes of illustrations and paintings, written and performed hundreds of songs, created and co-published independent comic books, worked in front of and behind the camera on dozens of short films, contributed comedy bits to several radio programs and eventually started his own Internet talk show.

This week, Ken answered some exclusive interview questions regarding Turn Up the Night, progressive radio, and the state of the political media today: