Falafel Bill on Primates

As you will note in the video immediately below, Bill O’Reilly is incensed that some unidentified someone (not anyone on the front-page, mind you) at Daily Kos once referred to the Pope as a ‘primate’. Now if that droll commenter meant to cast aspersions on the Bishop of Rome by comparing him to our simian president, I can understand the offense. But it’s worth pointing out that even such a disrespectful remark would be technically correct. Human beings, just like gibbons, lemurs, and George W. Bush, are technically ‘primates’. And the Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City is a human being, is he not?

But it is also possible that the Daily Kos commenter was merely referring to the Pope by another one of his titles.

pri·mate -noun
1. Ecclesiastical. an archbishop or bishop ranking first among the bishops of a province or country.

Either way, the Pope is a primate, both going and coming. What the Pope is not, is a monkey.

I have to say that I am more than a little offended by Bill O’Reilly’s segment on Daily Kos. It’s not unusual for FOX News to distort the facts, but saying that Daily Kos is a hate-filled site comparable to the Ku Klux Klan and the Nazi Party is a tad bit over the top. I think that kind of characterization would be better flung at the good ship National Review, where they actually kind of embrace that kind of thing. Just saying.

I know that I’d be violently angry if this site was portrayed the way Daily Kos was portrayed by Falafel Bill. I’m not sure what I’d do about it, but I’d want someone’s head on a platter and a lot of cash compensation. And, to be honest, this site would be a lot more deserving of the term ‘left-wing’ and it certainly allows for conspiracy theories to be discussed. So, I’m a little displeased with Mr. O’Reilly’s two minute hate. Just remember:

* WAR IS PEACE
* FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
* IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

And Bill O’Reilly is a good person.

Update [2007-7-17 10:31:51 by BooMan]: I think Atrios found the offending comment, from July 12th.

* [new] Yes, the Pope is a Primate (3+ / 0-)

As the cover of Free Inquiry magazine said a few years ago, “Catholic Primate Accepts Evolution”.

by dconrad on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 07:03:26 PM EDT

O’Reilly is a fool.

11 Comments

donmyers on July 17, 2007 at 6:57 am

I do not listen to anything O’Reilly says. I don’t watch him. I try not to even respond. I firmly believe O’Reilly is only about ratings; he doesn’t believe what he says; he’s not bothered by any responses to his outrages. It is all about saying or doing something so ridiculous that someone actually pays attention. My three sons have always used his technique so I’ve grown accustom to simply nodding my head in quiet agreement or shaking my head in total wonderment. So, while I have a stake in what is happening with my sons, O’Reilly means nothing to me.

shergald on July 17, 2007 at 8:42 am

One has to agree here. O’Reilly got made only in degree that people pay attention to him. Ignorance is well deserved, which is just to say that this post should be the last one on this topic. Look at Little Green Footballs. Outlandish bigotry, but no one except bigots are paying attention. Let them. Why should we, however?
- BooMan on July 17, 2007 at 10:27 am
  
  In general I agree that much right-wing rhetoric should be ignored for the reasons you laid out.
  
  But, this was a very, very nasty accusation made on cable news’ highest rated program. It deserves some pushback. And some ridicule.

joejoejoe on July 17, 2007 at 10:53 am

I think the Pope is rocking out The Pixies ‘Monkey Gone to Heaven’ on his iPod.

The creature in the sky
Got sucked in a hole
Now there’s a hole in the sky
And the ground’s not cold
And if the ground’s not cold
Everything is gonna burn
We’ll all take turns
I’ll get mine, too

This monkey’s gone to heaven (x4)

DrBB on July 17, 2007 at 11:57 am

It’s theological too–

If man is 5 (if man is 5, if man is 5)
Then the devil is 6 (and the devil is 6, and the devil is 6)
And if the devil is 6 then
GOD IS SEVEN then GOD IS SEVEN then GOD IS SEVEN then GOD IS SEVEN

Pretty good stuff, I think. Hope he’s listening.

hass on July 17, 2007 at 11:43 am

A Primate is an ecclesiatical title. Bill OReilly is a moron.

Sirocco on July 17, 2007 at 12:37 pm

“Primate,” huh? Here’s how some of us here at Booman’s reacted to Ratzy’s election:

If this offends the pious, so be it. The Catholic Church has removed the final shred of doubt: it is a glorified psycho sect.

Once again it has chosen a Pope convinced that every sperm is sacred – although 99.999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 % of them go to waste anyway, presumably in accordance with ‘God’s plan’ – and that the Church must fight the use of condoms even in dirt-poor third world countries where 1/4 is HIV positive.

Now, the countless other insults to reason spouted by this medieval organization I might have been able to tolerate, imbecilic though they are. Thus, the opposition to abortion, homosexuality, and female clergy are abysmally retarded, even when taken as readings of the Biblical creed, which I consider pure mythology; but hey, being a compulsively broad-minded individual I can shrug off a lot of dogmatic mumbo-jumbo as the fruits of human frailty. However, this ‘Big Daddy in the Sky has declared that every sperm is sacred’ lunacy is just a little too rich. And now they have elected yet another Sky Scout in Chief who will put the full weight of the Church behind it. Very well then: that leaves me no choice in what attitude to take.

Fuck the psycho Catholic Church, and fuck His Holiness Benedictus XVI to hell and back.

By the way, heard the one about the physician, the lawyer, the Catholic priest, and the FOX News talkshow host visiting an orphanage when suddenly a fire breaks out? “We must save the children!” says the MD. “No, fuck the children!” says the lawyer. “But do we have time for that?” says the Catholic priest.

What the FOX News talkshow host says is not o’really fit for print.

BooMan on July 17, 2007 at 12:49 pm

Well…we can’t be responsible for Norwegian interlopers.

The O’Reilly segment shows, however, how easily a site can be made radioactive and lose its influence if the commenters on the site do not respect the mission of the site and say whatever the hell they want.

Put another way, would you feel badly if that comment were used on cable news biggest program to call me a Nazi and a KKK sympathizer? And just because I didn’t delete it, they’d feel justified saying I endorsed it.

This isn’t a debating society, it’s politics.

I try to have as open a forum as possible, certainly more open (and therefore more vulnerable) that Daily Kos. But maybe now some people can see why Daily Kos has a diary police. On the other hand, maybe the diary police can see that all their efforts mean little when the right wants to attack.
- Sirocco on July 17, 2007 at 2:30 pm
  
  Put another way, would you feel badly if that comment were used on cable news biggest program to call me a Nazi and a KKK sympathizer?
  
  I only feel responsible for things I am responsible for, and that excludes other people’s insane non sequiturs. Thus I’d take no credit for the influence your site would gain from condemnation by O’Reilly.
  
  And just because I didn’t delete it, they’d feel justified saying I endorsed it.
  
  Much like the aforementioned psycho sect, they feel justified in saying so many outlandish things that it is hard to keep track unless you do so professionally. So what of it?
  
  This isn’t a debating society, it’s politics.
  
  Let’s face it, in the unlikely event that this or any progressive weblog were to have a measurable impact on politics, it would be by doing as I suggested the other day: “Speak up for what is right and leave the politicking to the politicians.”
  
  But don’t worry, I’ll quit my “interloping” promptly.
  - BooMan on July 17, 2007 at 3:11 pm
    
    The ‘interloping’ comment was meant in jest, but the rest of my point stands. The progressive blogosphere raised $25 million dollars in the last election, making it a decent sized, if informal, lobbying group with definite influence. But that influence can be squandered if people insist on taking no accountability for their actions.

gooderservice on July 17, 2007 at 2:30 pm

Pope John Paul II’s decision to recognize evolution shocked the Christian world and dealt a blow to the Catholic Church’s claims about the origin of life and the universe. For many years, biblical creationists have scoffed at the overpowering experiential proof of the evolvement of species and the 4.6 billion-year age of the earth which is printed throughout the world’s organic history. Finally, the Pope was convinced to be more open to evolution in light of such constraining evidence from paleoanthropology and biochemistry.

Surprisingly, on October 24, 1996, Pope John Paul II endorsed …

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-20392136.html

donmyers on July 17, 2007 at 6:57 am

I do not listen to anything O’Reilly says. I don’t watch him. I try not to even respond. I firmly believe O’Reilly is only about ratings; he doesn’t believe what he says; he’s not bothered by any responses to his outrages. It is all about saying or doing something so ridiculous that someone actually pays attention. My three sons have always used his technique so I’ve grown accustom to simply nodding my head in quiet agreement or shaking my head in total wonderment. So, while I have a stake in what is happening with my sons, O’Reilly means nothing to me.
- shergald on July 17, 2007 at 8:42 am
  
  One has to agree here. O’Reilly got made only in degree that people pay attention to him. Ignorance is well deserved, which is just to say that this post should be the last one on this topic. Look at Little Green Footballs. Outlandish bigotry, but no one except bigots are paying attention. Let them. Why should we, however?
  - BooMan on July 17, 2007 at 10:27 am
    
    In general I agree that much right-wing rhetoric should be ignored for the reasons you laid out.
    
    But, this was a very, very nasty accusation made on cable news’ highest rated program. It deserves some pushback. And some ridicule.
joejoejoe on July 17, 2007 at 10:53 am

I think the Pope is rocking out The Pixies ‘Monkey Gone to Heaven’ on his iPod.

The creature in the sky
Got sucked in a hole
Now there’s a hole in the sky
And the ground’s not cold
And if the ground’s not cold
Everything is gonna burn
We’ll all take turns
I’ll get mine, too

This monkey’s gone to heaven (x4)
- DrBB on July 17, 2007 at 11:57 am
  
  It’s theological too–
  
  If man is 5 (if man is 5, if man is 5)
  Then the devil is 6 (and the devil is 6, and the devil is 6)
  And if the devil is 6 then
  GOD IS SEVEN then GOD IS SEVEN then GOD IS SEVEN then GOD IS SEVEN
  
  Pretty good stuff, I think. Hope he’s listening.
hass on July 17, 2007 at 11:43 am

A Primate is an ecclesiatical title. Bill OReilly is a moron.
Sirocco on July 17, 2007 at 12:37 pm

“Primate,” huh? Here’s how some of us here at Booman’s reacted to Ratzy’s election:

If this offends the pious, so be it. The Catholic Church has removed the final shred of doubt: it is a glorified psycho sect.

Once again it has chosen a Pope convinced that every sperm is sacred – although 99.999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 % of them go to waste anyway, presumably in accordance with ‘God’s plan’ – and that the Church must fight the use of condoms even in dirt-poor third world countries where 1/4 is HIV positive.

Now, the countless other insults to reason spouted by this medieval organization I might have been able to tolerate, imbecilic though they are. Thus, the opposition to abortion, homosexuality, and female clergy are abysmally retarded, even when taken as readings of the Biblical creed, which I consider pure mythology; but hey, being a compulsively broad-minded individual I can shrug off a lot of dogmatic mumbo-jumbo as the fruits of human frailty. However, this ‘Big Daddy in the Sky has declared that every sperm is sacred’ lunacy is just a little too rich. And now they have elected yet another Sky Scout in Chief who will put the full weight of the Church behind it. Very well then: that leaves me no choice in what attitude to take.

Fuck the psycho Catholic Church, and fuck His Holiness Benedictus XVI to hell and back.

By the way, heard the one about the physician, the lawyer, the Catholic priest, and the FOX News talkshow host visiting an orphanage when suddenly a fire breaks out? “We must save the children!” says the MD. “No, fuck the children!” says the lawyer. “But do we have time for that?” says the Catholic priest.

What the FOX News talkshow host says is not o’really fit for print.
- BooMan on July 17, 2007 at 12:49 pm
  
  Well…we can’t be responsible for Norwegian interlopers.
  
  The O’Reilly segment shows, however, how easily a site can be made radioactive and lose its influence if the commenters on the site do not respect the mission of the site and say whatever the hell they want.
  
  Put another way, would you feel badly if that comment were used on cable news biggest program to call me a Nazi and a KKK sympathizer? And just because I didn’t delete it, they’d feel justified saying I endorsed it.
  
  This isn’t a debating society, it’s politics.
  
  I try to have as open a forum as possible, certainly more open (and therefore more vulnerable) that Daily Kos. But maybe now some people can see why Daily Kos has a diary police. On the other hand, maybe the diary police can see that all their efforts mean little when the right wants to attack.
  - Sirocco on July 17, 2007 at 2:30 pm
    
    Put another way, would you feel badly if that comment were used on cable news biggest program to call me a Nazi and a KKK sympathizer?
    
    I only feel responsible for things I am responsible for, and that excludes other people’s insane non sequiturs. Thus I’d take no credit for the influence your site would gain from condemnation by O’Reilly.
    
    And just because I didn’t delete it, they’d feel justified saying I endorsed it.
    
    Much like the aforementioned psycho sect, they feel justified in saying so many outlandish things that it is hard to keep track unless you do so professionally. So what of it?
    
    This isn’t a debating society, it’s politics.
    
    Let’s face it, in the unlikely event that this or any progressive weblog were to have a measurable impact on politics, it would be by doing as I suggested the other day: “Speak up for what is right and leave the politicking to the politicians.”
    
    But don’t worry, I’ll quit my “interloping” promptly.
    - BooMan on July 17, 2007 at 3:11 pm
      
      The ‘interloping’ comment was meant in jest, but the rest of my point stands. The progressive blogosphere raised $25 million dollars in the last election, making it a decent sized, if informal, lobbying group with definite influence. But that influence can be squandered if people insist on taking no accountability for their actions.
gooderservice on July 17, 2007 at 2:30 pm

Pope John Paul II’s decision to recognize evolution shocked the Christian world and dealt a blow to the Catholic Church’s claims about the origin of life and the universe. For many years, biblical creationists have scoffed at the overpowering experiential proof of the evolvement of species and the 4.6 billion-year age of the earth which is printed throughout the world’s organic history. Finally, the Pope was convinced to be more open to evolution in light of such constraining evidence from paleoanthropology and biochemistry.

Surprisingly, on October 24, 1996, Pope John Paul II endorsed …

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-20392136.html

Falafel Bill on Primates

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