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WITH FRANKEN'S FINANCIAL FUTURE SECURE...
O'REILLY MOVES TO BAIL OUT NPR
Fox's Talk King's Bully Tactics Continue To Backfire
by Steve Young

bul-ly: a person who teases, hurts or threatens smaller or weaker persons.

Oct. 8, 2003 -- LOS ANGELES (apj.us) -- In my kids' books, every time a bully is challenged he shrinks into a blubbering mass - or, in Bill O'Reilly's case, ends the interview.

Seems the Fox News Channel attack dog can dish it out but has a big problem taking it.

Fox News Channel's number one show host has been imploding lately, much to the delight of those he's decided to implode on.

Bill's first implosion came from his exchange with comedy writer Al Franken, who had used Bill's mug on his book, "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them." Bill had a bit of a tiff with Al at the Los Angeles Book Expo (broadcast live on C-SPAN) this past summer, then pushed Fox News Channel to instigate a laughable law suit against Franken -- which was thrown out by the court tout de suite.

But the damage had already been done. The ensuing rail unintentionally paid the college education of the little Frankens as "Lies..." raced to number one at Amazon though it had yet to be released, and Franken's appearance fees likewise skyrocketed.

O'Reilly seems to have missed the irony -- or perhaps he has made a deal with Franken for a piece of the action, as he doesn't miss a chance to regularly demean the Saturday Night Live alumnus on his radio and TV shows, keeping Franken's financial portfolio in fine shape.

And then the battleground moved on...

In this corner, the host: Terry Gross -- 5'1", 100 lbs. soaking wet...

And this corner, the guest: Bill O'Reilly -- 6'4", um... over 200 lbs.

This week O'Reilly decided to secure the economic future of NPR, talk radio's lone bastion of liberalism.

Better than any insufferable pledge drive the public supported network could perpetrate on its elite media listenership, O'Reilly's feisty visit to the award-winning Fresh Air show for an interview with award-winning host Terry Gross has once again placed the spotlight on an O'Reilly adversary, a spotlight that NPR is ill-equipped to shine on itself.

O'Reilly went on Fresh Air as part of his promotional tour for his newest book, "Who's Looking Out For You," and for that you've got to give it up for the talk show dynamo. Facing off on enemy turf take guts, something O'Reilly seems to have in spades. On the other hand, did he really think appearing in an elite media (his own description) forum would boost sales of his book?

The interview itself spent more time dealing with O'Reilly than his book, something a lightning-rod personality has got to expect, especially when appearing on a show for the first time. But Bill took exception, calling the questioning a "hatchet job." He pressed Gross, asking if he was being treated fairly -- as fairly as Gross had treated Franken when he appeared on Fresh Air. Gross admitted that she was not as adversarial as Franken's book was meant to be satire.

I don't know if that rationale is consistent, but O'Reilly never seems to hold any punches on his show, so why in the world he would expect any other host to treat him any differently? Or does O'Reilly's new book ask parents and children to dishonor the Golden Rule?

Toward the end of the interview, O'Reilly made a rather lengthy speech that clearly pointed out the "unfairness" of the interview, then stated that the interview was over -- and he was gone.

Interesting.

The first bit of advice offered in Bill's book is for the reader to "become a problem solver, not a problem creator." Other than getting Bill off the hot seat, what problem did his actions solve? While I doubt that Bill would never acknowledge that he would treat his guests as Gross did, I wonder how he would have reacted to a guest unceremoniously walked out on him. Not that O'Reilly would ever invite me on his show for my opinion but I'm guessing he would not have found it a problem-solving move. I suspect he might categorize the guest a coward.

Bill told Gross that she should be asking him about the book but not about him, yet if you check out the preface to "Who's Looking Out For You," the opening two pages are all about Bill, the success of his shows, and how he feels about the "elite media" and the "eggheads" in it.

In his book, O'Reilly has set out 10 Commandments of Effective Parenting, one of which contends that a good parent will "lead by example."

Is the example here that when you disagree with someone, you make your speech then hang up on them? What about giving your adversary "the last word?" On his Thursday radio show he called Terry Gross a "dopey woman" and Fresh Air a "dopey show" and one of the "forces of darkness." Gross's politics may be different than Bill's, but for him to consider her "dopey" is plain silly -- or is it that calling someone who disagrees with you "dopey," then spending the next few days on your shows repeating it in one way or another to your millions of fans, another effective parenting tool?

Perhaps O'Reilly's 11th Commandment of Effective Parenting is to "Do as I say, not as I do!"

Nevertheless, my guess is that Terry Gross and Fresh Air have never received the publicity or the audience size Bill's hissy fit has provided.

The interview that can be heard at billoreilly.com had over 400,000 hits the first day. Freshair.org also has a replay, though O'Reilly refused to allow transcripts or cassettes to be sent out by Fresh Air. Still, with all the attention, NPR can probably forego at least one beg-a-thon. If NPR is smart, they'd put out a Terry Gross book tomorrow.

Not one averse to patting himself on the back, it seems that O'Reilly has not yet figured out that his admonishments of the likes of Al Franken and Terry Gross have only benefited those who displease him most.

Or is it that Bill is "Looking Out For Them" too?

All right -- what say you?

Steve Young is an award-winning television writer, director/writer of "My Dinner With Ovitz"", and author of "Great Failures of the Extremely Successful" (Tallfellow Press -- check out the web site at http://www.greatfailure.com). He writes a regular column for Jewish World Review".