Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly decided to have a couple of guests on The O'Reilly Factor last night to bash CBS for its decision to broadcast EliteXC mixed martial arts shows, and it was full of every bit as much ignorance about the sport of MMA as you'd expect:
Both of O'Reilly's guests, Jane Hall and Bernard Goldberg, are intelligent, articulate people. But neither of them knows anything about MMA.
O'Reilly referred to it as "barbarity," which is fine -- that's about what I'd expect out of O'Reilly. But then Hall was asked her opinion, and she said, "I think it's a terrible idea. I think it's a terrible idea. And there's no redeeming social value."
Actually, there is exactly as much redeeming social value to MMA as there is to football or basketball or baseball.
Goldberg then praised the good old days of broadcast television, back when CBS had standards, conveniently forgetting that those standards allowed them to broadcast Amos 'n' Andy. I'll take MMA over a minstrel show any day. Apparently Goldberg wouldn't.
At no point during the discussion did O'Reilly, Hall or Goldberg give any indication that they've ever seen a single MMA contest. If people actually want to sit down and watch MMA and then offer a criticism, fine. But it's amazing how often the mainstream media bashes the sport from a perspective of ignorance.
Both of O'Reilly's guests, Jane Hall and Bernard Goldberg, are intelligent, articulate people. But neither of them knows anything about MMA.
O'Reilly referred to it as "barbarity," which is fine -- that's about what I'd expect out of O'Reilly. But then Hall was asked her opinion, and she said, "I think it's a terrible idea. I think it's a terrible idea. And there's no redeeming social value."
Actually, there is exactly as much redeeming social value to MMA as there is to football or basketball or baseball.
Goldberg then praised the good old days of broadcast television, back when CBS had standards, conveniently forgetting that those standards allowed them to broadcast Amos 'n' Andy. I'll take MMA over a minstrel show any day. Apparently Goldberg wouldn't.
At no point during the discussion did O'Reilly, Hall or Goldberg give any indication that they've ever seen a single MMA contest. If people actually want to sit down and watch MMA and then offer a criticism, fine. But it's amazing how often the mainstream media bashes the sport from a perspective of ignorance.
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