#1
Posted: 4/3/05 at 11:10am
At the gym, Friday night, I couldn't help but see the Fox coverage of the Pope's death watch, both before and after the O'Reilly show. Fascinating to watch, up against 3 other TV screens, which needless to say offered rather differnet sort of c coverage.
To those who doubt the Fox agenda ... as an instrument of this Administration -- first of all we had film of the Pope and George W. Bush playing at regular intervals. You would swear these two men were best buddies, who met often and were in constant agreement, constant contact. There was no end to commentary about how much the two men "respected one another" despite "differences of opinion." Every effort was made to tie the current American President to the Holy Father's spiritual agenda. As if that angle was the critical thing to remember in the waning hours of the Pontiff's reign. After years of deeds all over the planet, the most memorable ones involved the current U.S.President. Pat Robertson was even trundled out to stress how close Evangelicals feel to the Pope. As they do to George W. Bush. The message was clear: the world's two greatest spiritual influences are The Pope and G.W. Bush.
Then, at three different moments - including the one just before sign-off -- O'Reilly pointed out that "it's no accident that Terri Schiavo died last night, and the Pope is dying WITH DIGNITY tonight.." They would cut to the talking head in St. Peter's square who kept stressing -- as if this is hard news -- that the Pope's commitment to the "sanctity of life" was being demonstrated at even this late turn in his heroic own. He had to fall all over himself to say that "even though he opted NOT to return to Gemelli hospital ... make no mistake, the Pope has life-sustaining treatment right there in his quarters!" Excuse me, but how did this one impassioned Fox mouthpiece know any of that? Especially when the Vatican media releases kept stressing how the Pope did NOT want to be in a hospital, given extra measures. It was mentioned that he has a lliving will, but quickly put aside. This was spin at its baldest: The Pope clearly opted to die with dignity by refusing herculean measures to keep his organs going -- i.e. not to return to the hospital. O'Reilly's efforts to connect that to Schiavo as "ironic" was mystifying. In effect, the irony was very much the opposite. Not what the "culture of life" fanatics opine, since the Pope opted to do what many -- including, dare I say Michael Schiavo -- do: to abandon treatment that would hold the body here past the point of ... well, dignity.
To those who doubt the Fox agenda ... as an instrument of this Administration -- first of all we had film of the Pope and George W. Bush playing at regular intervals. You would swear these two men were best buddies, who met often and were in constant agreement, constant contact. There was no end to commentary about how much the two men "respected one another" despite "differences of opinion." Every effort was made to tie the current American President to the Holy Father's spiritual agenda. As if that angle was the critical thing to remember in the waning hours of the Pontiff's reign. After years of deeds all over the planet, the most memorable ones involved the current U.S.President. Pat Robertson was even trundled out to stress how close Evangelicals feel to the Pope. As they do to George W. Bush. The message was clear: the world's two greatest spiritual influences are The Pope and G.W. Bush.
Then, at three different moments - including the one just before sign-off -- O'Reilly pointed out that "it's no accident that Terri Schiavo died last night, and the Pope is dying WITH DIGNITY tonight.." They would cut to the talking head in St. Peter's square who kept stressing -- as if this is hard news -- that the Pope's commitment to the "sanctity of life" was being demonstrated at even this late turn in his heroic own. He had to fall all over himself to say that "even though he opted NOT to return to Gemelli hospital ... make no mistake, the Pope has life-sustaining treatment right there in his quarters!" Excuse me, but how did this one impassioned Fox mouthpiece know any of that? Especially when the Vatican media releases kept stressing how the Pope did NOT want to be in a hospital, given extra measures. It was mentioned that he has a lliving will, but quickly put aside. This was spin at its baldest: The Pope clearly opted to die with dignity by refusing herculean measures to keep his organs going -- i.e. not to return to the hospital. O'Reilly's efforts to connect that to Schiavo as "ironic" was mystifying. In effect, the irony was very much the opposite. Not what the "culture of life" fanatics opine, since the Pope opted to do what many -- including, dare I say Michael Schiavo -- do: to abandon treatment that would hold the body here past the point of ... well, dignity.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
Updated On: 4/3/05 at 11:10 AM
