O’Reilly Knows Letterman Can Spot a Phony
by RonChusid January 4th, 2006 @ 9:43 pm
Earlier I reported about David Letterman stating that 60% of what Bill O’Reilly says crap. How perceptive is David Letterman? Do we trust his judgement about Bill O’Reilly? To answer these question, I turn to Bill O’Reilly, writing about David Letterman in 2001 at WorldNetDaily:
The late-night program hosted by David Letterman is the toughest interview show on television.
That’s because Mr. Letterman is a smart guy who can spot a phony with telescopic accuracy and expects his guests to bring something to the table. If a guest begins to sink on this show, the bottom is a long way down.
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Ron,
I’m guessing Dave would put this in the 40% that O’Reilly says other than the crap….
Like Dave, I don’t listen to Bill any more than I have to. There are shifts when it seems every patient is tuned in to
Bill and I usually don’t eat dinner…
I do read Media Matters and, combined with his domineering style, the impression I have would be MORE
than 60% is useless. His popularity is a sad reality of American society.
Letterman was being kind.
Happy New Year Cali Dem!
An antidote for O’Reilly is “The Colbert Report,” which, in my opinion, is getting better with each broadcast. Laugh out loud funny, especially the segment called “the Word.”
ps. Hi Cali Dem! It’s 2006, woohoo!
While mentiioning memorable visits by Bill O’Reilly to other shows, don’t forget how he couldn’t handle Terry Gross.
I don’t know how any Republicans can say Bill O’Reilly won that debate.
1. Letterman’s show is not a political forum. He brings on guests, allows them to plug their product and tell some funny stories. It is telling that Dave didn’t mention what product Bill was hawking.
2. If one watches Letterman regularly, like me, the amazing thing was what was missing from the interview. Usually after everything the guest says, the audience cheers, laughs or applauds. After everything O’Reilly said, there was only silence. Every time Dave put down O’Reilly, the audience whooped and applauded enthusiastically.
3. The one moment of Applause O’Reilly got was when he said Cindy Sheehan shouldn’t be calling terrorists “freedom fighters”. The audience agreed with him on that one point.
4. That applause for O’Reilly prompted Letterman to say “I’m not smart enough to debate you point to point on this, but I have the feeling that about 60 percent of what you say is crap, but I don’t know that for a fact.”
5. O’Reilly has a tendancy on these shows when he’s in trouble, to say stuff like “Watch the Factor, you’ll get addicted, we’ll send you a hat.” He did it to Jon Stewart and even on his own show to Howard Stern. It’s a way for him to change the subject and plug his merchandise. Letterman wouldn’t let him get away with something so trite, saying “Well send Cindy Sheehan a hat.”
6. Letterman ended with a handshake, saying “Bill, it’s always a pleasure.” The audience roared laughing because that’s a backhanded put-down Letterman often uses. The lesson that Bill hopefully learned is that comedy will always trump pompous posturing.
It’s a pity Letterman feigns stupidity on political matters. He did the same thing when Bush came on a few years back. If only Dave boned up on politics a little before these interviews…..he’d tear these guys apart.
“It’s a pity Letterman feigns stupidity on political matters. He did the same thing when Bush came on a few years back. If only Dave boned up on politics a little before these interviews…..he’d tear these guys apart.”
This is exactly why Letterman has had a long career on network TV and Jon Stewart is on Comedy Central.
Hey Pamela & kj!
Happy New Year, friends…let’s take back our country in ’06!
Your blog is looking good and has lots of great content. Keep up the good work.
Jon Stewart is ahead of Letterman in one department. He’s invited to host the Oscars. I don’t think they’ll invite Letterman again.
When Dave repeatedly cut Bill but topped it off with the big finish “as always it has been a pleasure”, Even with the flu, I actually imitated the infamous Tom Cruise / Oprah moment (another one who spouts off ignorant opinions based on his ego instead of documented medical evidence) by Jumping up and down on my couch. The beauty was that by Bill being so arrogant and only watching his own show, he was unfamiliar with Dave’s comments so was too obtuse to know he was being dissed– until Dave finally came out and told the man straight out what I have been telling my ex-husband for years,,,60% of what Bill O’Reilly says is crap (at LEAST 60%). Definitely a 2006 political top ten moment for me. One that gave me hope for the New Year!