14 DAY TRIAL // The moment the media recovered from the shock and the almost unexpected wave of emotion triggered by Michael Jackson’s public memorial service, it began to attack the many manifestations of affection and tributes for the late King of Pop. Bill O’Reilly of the controversial Fox News segment The O’Reilly Factor is also one of them, currently launching on a bitter attack against those who came up with the idea for the memorial and the media that continues to glamorize and idolize Michael’s image.
O’Reilly’s words have not failed to generate an equally powerful reaction on behalf of the viewers. While most believe the anchorman should perhaps mind his own business (with some even saying that he simply “needs a hug”) and let the fans mourn their loss without him telling them what to see and what to believe, there are some who do agree with his words. Perhaps the media is taking this a bit too far, like O’Reilly also argues and, while the King will always remain the King of Pop, maybe he should be allowed some rest now, it is being said.
Among the many points that O’Reilly touches upon during the show is the public’s fascination with Michael’s personal life and to what extent it’s warranted; the media’s two-faced treatment on two distinct and relevant occasions (the child abuse trials and his death); Michael’s reported shame of being black and his prolonged attempts at being white; the Michael Jackson public memorial and how the family dealt with the fans; and more.
“Yes the man was an all star entertainer, but that’s it.” O’Reilly says. “Jackson’s interaction with children was unacceptable for any adult. His incredible selfishness spending hundreds of millions of dollars on himself while singing ‘We Are The World’ should make any clear-thinking American nauseous. Why are Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton making this a racial deal. Jackson bleached his own skin and then chose white men to provide existence to his children. To hear Sharpton speak today, you’d think Jackson was Martin Luther King, Jr. Why is he being held up in the African American Community as a pillar of Black America when he bleached his skin.” the anchorman says.
After attacking Michael and the controversial choices he may or may not have made throughout his life, O’Reilly moves on to talk smack of the media that is now singing Jackson’s praise. Arguably, it is here that he’s in the right, fans agree, in that it’s the same media that once brought Michael to his knees and killed his career that is lamenting his passing.
“The crowd outside the service was much smaller than predicted. The service itself was well done. But the media coverage was bizarre. …And after Michael Jackson was found ‘Not Guilty’ the American media did not exactly elevate him to hero status. Did it? But now that he’s dead (most likely from an accidental drug overdose). He is a hero. How does that work?” O’Reilly asks. See the video below and make up your own mind as to what O’Reilly is saying.