Bill O'Reilly Gets to the Smug Factor on Lupe Fiasco's "Obama Is A Terrorist" Comments
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 at 10:25AM
While his No. 1 nemesis was broadcasting from digital exile, FOX News all-star Bill O'Reilly was on The Factor still fighting the Ghost of Yesteryear's Sista Souljahs and and Ice-T "Body Count" Cop Killahs, when for the umpteeth time, O'Reilly invited a rapper on his show (this time Lupe Fiasco) just to not let him talk, then tell him why he was wrong, then say something to the effect of "what about the children?"
Bill O'Reilly has been engaged in a one-man culture war against rappers for a fairly long time. His battles with Ludacris were both petty and hilarious. His knowledge of Jay-Z pretty much begins and ends at whatever his most scandalous lyric was while standing within virtual proximity of President Obama. And his fight with rapper Cam'ron and producer Dame Dash lead to the still hilarious "U Mad" internet meme. O'Reilly also was early to the "Obama is letting awful rapper and star of Hollywood rom-com Just Wright, Common, into the White House" party.
So, talking down to "Mr. Fiasco" about his "Obama is a terrorist" metaphors was a way for him to claim to be "Fair and Balanced" (he defended Obama!) while insulting the intelligence of a reasonably well-spoken human being who has the gall to speak in rhyme verse over a beat for a living.
The actual crux of Lupe's argument -- that all American presidents engage in behavior that could be perceived as terrorism by those on the losing end of America's foreign policy stance -- was lost in O'Reilly's pearl-clutching, snide defense of Obama not being the same as Osama bin Laden. And because O'Reilly doesn't believe he can actually have an intelligent conversation with anyone, especially a dreaded rapper, what could have been a really interesting debate about America's War on Terror became a "lemme school this rapper right quick about how the world works for obviously he has drank too many 40s and sipped too many gins n' sizzurups." Lupe could have come on The Factor speaking the King's English and wearing a top hat and monocle and he still would have gotten the same short bus treatment. For Bill O'Reilly sees all rappers as being something from a Tipper Gore nemisis dressed in 2 Live Crew's clothing with early N.W.A. lyrics.
Meaning, the mainstreaming of rap and hip hop is something that O'Reilly simply refuses to acknowledge. That Snoop Dogg sells me internet providers while coaching Pop Warner football, Ice Cube stars in children's films, Queen Latifah shills for cosmetic companies, Jay-Z is a married metrosexual business mogul, Common pretends to make-out with Queen Latifah in the films she does when not shilling cosmetics, Kanye West is an "artist," Ludacris is a serious "thespian" and 50 Cent dabbles in method acting.
The culture war (on hip hop) is over. The rappers won the minute the entertainment industry realized there was money in black angst and booty bass beats.
But Bill O'Reilly is going to protect you from Lupe's "dangerous" thoughts that no one really thought that much about, as Lupe has an album to sell. But calling American Presidents terrorists isn't novel or revolutionary.
Neither is Bill O's war on your commercial-friendly "rappers" of the modern era. Can't wait until he discovers whatever the kids stopped listening to two years ago. (The Game, maybe?) That should be hot.
Reader Comments (5)
Great post Danielle. Can I just point out one thing? Did you suggest that Bill O'Reilly would have given Mr. Peanut the business too? LOL! I just had to put that out there.
But seriously, This type of dialogue drive me crazy for the simple fact that Lupe was completely correct and coherent in his explanation and discussion but Bill constantly cut him off and tried to berate him as if Lupe was speaking about something he had no clue about. Politics isn't for the rich only, its not for the educated only, its for the people. No matter how much education you have, you can still be involved and knowledgeable about the politics that govern your country. It's crazy to me how in one breath Bill can condemn the President for so many things but in the next want to come to his aid when a rapper is speaking his mind about the politics of America.
I clicked the video and then braced myself for all kinds of foolishness.
Seriously though, it is time we allowed for variances in behavior of celebrities and their rise to "influence" and why anybody gives a hoot about what they have to say, because like you said Fiasco has an album to sell and we know they'll do anything to sell their stuff. I doubt that before this anyone was really interested in his politics. I know I really wasn't.
Despite that, I was glad to hear that he actually had something coherent to say. We can all agree that whatever president we do not like is a terrorist bent on destroying the very foundations of what it means to be American. Great article!
Qalil.com
<<<Lupe could have come on The Factor speaking the King's English and wearing a top hat and monocle>>>
LOL! This sounds like a job for Farnsworth Bentley!
Nicely done
So Lupe was coherent. Good for him. Next time he should watch those brain farts.