More than forty companies have pulled their advertising from the Fox News O’Reilly Factor– thank God. Â If you don’t understand that sentiment, here’s why: Â The Washington Post published an editorial on Sunday detailing Bill O’Reilly’s mistreatment of women and the great lengths FOX News has gone to in sweeping his abuses under the rug. Â No wonder he’s constantly defending his friend Donald Trump– birds of a feather . . . .
The Post editorial followed the New York Times story about O’Reilly having cost FOX News $13 million to settle sexual harassment suits filed by women who used to work for FOX.
According to the Post, Mr. O’Reilly’s been busy for a while.  In 2004, former producer Andrea Mackris filed suit against O’Reilly for a number of crude remarks and phone calls in which the conservative host called her while he was masturbating and penetrating himself with a vibrator.  Mackris got a cool a $9 million payout and was ordered by the terms of the settlement not to ever speak publicly about what O’Reilly did.
Former producer Juliet Huddy settled her case with a payout in 2011. Â Rebecca Diamond, Laurie Dhue, and Rachel Bernstein got payouts, too, after filing harassment lawsuits. Â It almost seems as though the cost of admission for a job at FOX News for female job-seekers is the price of being harassed by Bill O’Reilly. Â After paying out $13 million in hush money, FOX didn’t reprimand O’Reilly– it renewed his contract.
Wonder what the other famous Bill would say about this. Â He lost endorsements, had gigs canceled, and his tv shows were pulled from syndication to interrupt his income– and largely because of claims that for the most part never ended up in either criminal or civil court. Â Just sayin’.
Some say there’s a big difference between rape and sexual harassment. Â Others say that for the woman involved it’s all just a matter of degree. Â A woman never knows if a man who is constantly calling her, saying crude things to her, trying to kiss and fondle her, is otherwise harmless or is just one step away from raping her one night? Â Rich and famous people go to jail, too.
I wonder if the “same” people whose indignation caused them to write, call, email, and text the companies who supported Bill Cosby took the same steps to do unto O’Reilly what they did unto Cos. Â Double standards do exist. Â Like keeping O’Reilly on the air. Â But then, before the election, Trump boasted about sexual assault, and he got elected President.
Go figure.
