Is there anyone left who still believes that Fox News practices "fair and balanced" anything? In my opinion this news outlet is the closest our mainstream media has ever come to Germany's "Der Sturmer" magazine, the Nazi propaganda tool whose primary purpose was to whip up hatred for Jews and other targeted groups. Every issue of "Der Sturmer" carried the paper's motto, "Die Juden sind unser Ungluck!" ("The Jews are our misfortune!"). Fox should just adopt that slogan and replace Jews with gays, liberals, or any of the other groups its on-air personalities despise and consistently demean.
I can rarely stomach listening to the TV or radio versions of this biased network, but I was sickened to hear the gleeful and mocking way Fox News host John Gibson reported the tragic death of actor Heath Ledger yesterday. He opened his radio show with funeral music, played the "I wish I knew how to quit you" clip from "Brokeback Mountain" and then laughingly stated "Well, he found out how to quit you." Throughout the show, he continued to make fun of Ledger's death, calling him a "weirdo" and repeatedly playing another "Brokeback Mountain" clip in which Ledger's character says "We're dead!" and then repeating "We're dead! We're dead!" in a mocking tone.
Ledger's death served as the running joke for Gibson and his guests throughout the broadcast. Did he off himself because of the state of the stock market? Did he want to die because he watched the Clinton-Obama debate the night before? It's apparently not the first time Gibson has used his airtime for such offensive remarks. He's joked about terrorists bombing Paris, he's made many disparaging comments about African-Americans and Hispanics, and he's stated on Fox News that non-Christians were "following the wrong religion" and that "they know who they're going to have to answer to." Compared to Gibson, Don Imus sounds like Mother Teresa. If you want to hear Gibson's Heath Ledger rant for yourself, you can check it out here.
After first claiming he'd done nothing wrong ("Why pass up a good joke?" he said about using the "Brokeback Mountain" clip), public outrage must have mounted to the point where the network forced his hand and he issued a wan apology on both his radio and TV shows. An apology that I don't buy for a second. I will never listen to this putz but I'm horrified that he has such a huge forum to spread his hate-filled invective about any group that he decides deviates from his so-called "Christian" values. Heath Ledger took the hit not because he was gay, which he wasn't, but because he portrayed a gay man in a film. Apparently to Gibson and his rabid minions that's all it takes to be branded a "weirdo" whose death at age 28 need not be mourned. Dehumanize, dehumanize, dehumanize, that's the Goebbels way. If gay people, or the people who play them in movies, or the people who support them in any way are less than human, we can certainly laugh at their deaths without any guilt, right?
And now today, members of Fred Phelps' disgusting Westboro Baptist Church plan to show up at Ledger's funeral in New York with their hateful signs and chants. As Phelps' daughter said on ABC news last night, the church believes Ledger "misused the giant megaphone given to him by God Almighty to speak the truth about fags." Charming. A press release on their web site about Heath Ledger is so repulsive that I can't even bring myself to quote from it on the day that this wonderful actor and father is being laid to rest.
some people find that funny. who appointed you the humour sheriff? have you never laughed at someone falling over? it's just a question of degree.
Posted by: wastrel | January 25, 2008 at 07:40 AM
and ps. i'm a fan. i'm sorry he's dead. my sympathies are with his family. but if i can find something to laugh about, i will.
Posted by: wastrel | January 25, 2008 at 07:42 AM
All these people just have too much time on their hands. And not enough gray matter in their heads.
Well said, Danny.
Posted by: david | January 25, 2008 at 08:43 AM
Well said, Danny. I find John Gibson appalling. I have no idea what sentiments such as those are doing on what purports to be a "news" channel.
Posted by: Maria S. | January 25, 2008 at 08:43 AM
Wastrel -- Right. Laughing at someone falling over is JUST THE SAME as broadcasting nastiness about someone who has recently died -- someone whose family, BTW, learned that he had died by hearing it on the news.
Exactly the same thing. Ha, ha.
Posted by: Kitty | January 25, 2008 at 10:24 AM
I was brought up by two very conservative parents. I didn't know it at the time, but they were conservative, Republicans.
But that didn't make them hateful. On the contrary, one thing that was pounded into my little brain was that we must respect others. You know what I mean; don't point and laugh, don't stare, things like that.
Now we live in a society where some say our "freedom" is in peril if we're asked not to point and stare, or if we're asked not to make fun of those less fortunate.
It's just common sense to treat others as you would like to be treated.
Just because someone is a public figure doesn't mean their family have abdicated their pain, sorrow or grief.
Gibson should be ashamed, not just sorry.
Posted by: David | January 25, 2008 at 10:25 AM
Danny, that's awful. I hope his family and friends didn't see that travesty of "news".
Posted by: Stephanie | January 25, 2008 at 10:53 AM
For someone to find humor in anyone's death tells me this person's soul is debased, empty of human quality. It saddens me to know this kind of depravity has become entertainment. I've never heard of John Gibson (lucky me), but I hope his conscience bothers him, eats at him for enjoying someone's tragedy like this.
Posted by: RD | January 25, 2008 at 11:04 AM
I agree with RD. This John Gibson creep should get what he deserves...fired and a swift kick in his butt. I never watched Fox and after finding out, it's dick cheney's favorite news, I never will. It's sad that people are paid big bucks for this nonsense.
Posted by: Judy | January 25, 2008 at 11:50 AM
I don't watch Fox News for just that reason. It makes me angry. It blows me away how many people do watch it though.
Posted by: churlita | January 25, 2008 at 01:14 PM
Fox blows. Anyone with half a brain knows that. That's why their audience is filled with morons, ass scratchers, and plain old bigots.
I wouldn't worry much about Phelps. He's all talk and little action. Plus he doesn't have enough cash to get to a private, secret location event in NYC. In my experience with Phelps, he blows hard but he's mostly a no-show. When he took on my kid's high school 2 years ago, the town spent huge dollars on security and the entire town came out to ensure that he didn't get to have his perverted say in our city. He didn't show. Really, he didn't. Barney Frank, our Congressman called it. He told us not to get our panties in a knot and he was right. I'm passing on that thought to you.
Posted by: margalit | January 25, 2008 at 01:20 PM
Danny, I always appreciate your articulate posts. Thank you.
I have a hard time with any of our news reporting. Fox would just put me way over the edge, so I don't even go there.
And Wastrel...this is Danny's blog. He gets to state his opinion. That doesn't make him the humor police. That makes him someone who cares enough to speak the truth and speak out about what is wrong when he sees it.
Gibson's behavior is wrong. Just. Plain. Wrong.
Posted by: Wanda | January 25, 2008 at 04:56 PM
Well said Danny, RD. Wastrel, I am wondering if you are as big an ass as Gibson.
Posted by: Lib | January 25, 2008 at 08:25 PM
Wastrel, you are aptly named.
Posted by: Kendall | January 25, 2008 at 10:40 PM
always nice to see that there are still people out there who can think for themselves and will speak out for what they think is right. i think some of the jokes are funny. some are just plain wrong.
i have never heard of this gibson before yesterday. i don't know what he said, other than what danny quoted, so i can't judge. he is therefore irrelevant. but what i think is funny, is what I think is funny. i'm not asking you to laugh with me. you can laugh at me if you like, because that belittles you, not me.
Posted by: wastrel | January 26, 2008 at 06:27 AM
THESE FOX NEWS PEOLPLE ARE THE TERRORISTS RIGHT HERE IN OUR MIDST IN 2008!
Help Us And Save Us from the Christian 'right', who couldn't be more UNCHRISTIAN in their behavior towards humanity! It is deeply deeply depressing how much like Germany in the '30's our Beautiful Wonderful country has become.
Where will all this hatred bring us to....Concentration Camps?
Posted by: OldOldLady Of The Hills | January 27, 2008 at 09:07 AM
You're right, Danny. It does seem that we're reverting into a more tyrannical, less empathetic society than ever before. What is happening to us? I'm ashamed to be called an American anymore. Dehumanize, indeed.
I feel horrible about Heath Ledger's death. He was a very talented man who was taken from us too soon. How dare anyone belittle him and make fun of the tragic circumstances of his demise! What about respect? What about simple kindness?
If things don't change, I think I'll move to a more progressive country when I retire. Any suggestions?
Posted by: char | January 27, 2008 at 11:02 PM
I can't laugh about someone's death. But apparently some people can.
Posted by: Amelia | January 28, 2008 at 07:42 AM
(Which I think is really strange!!)
Posted by: Amelia | January 28, 2008 at 07:43 AM
Not only Fox but the other "unbiased" networks have been scavenging off this tragedy. Inside Edition uncovered some soulless wannabe under a rock to brag that she had supplied drugs to Ledger during the filming of "A Knight's Tale." What was that, seven years ago? But the lead-up made it sound like she had done it the night he died. God forgive me, but I want to push all responsible off a bridge.
Posted by: Ian | January 29, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Fox does it again! See and hear for yourself at: http://sojournersplace.blogspot.com/2008/05/they-just-keep-pulling-me-back-in.html
Much Obliged, SjP
Posted by: SjP | May 26, 2008 at 01:49 PM