Here's something you might be interested in.
I had a friend named Bill (wow, that sounds like an intro for an AA book or something). When you have a friend from childhood, and you grow up and realize they're actually a jerk, it's tough.
You look back, and wonder how you didn't see all the signs. But sometimes idiots get grandfathered into your friendship. I mean, if you meet someone at work now, and they're rude, you don't start hanging out with them. But if you played basketball with them as a teenager, worked the same crappy minimum wage job, and other things....you tend to ignore little things that pop up.
With Bill, there were lots of things. The time we played board games at his house and he cheated. Another time we played board games and had the rules wrong. We were already mid-way thru, and he wanted to change the rules around (because, of course, that would benefit him).
The time we were all going to Disneyland in the early morning, and he was an hour late. And didn't care that we all waited in a parking lot for him.
The time in fantasy football, when everyone agreed a rule change should be made. He didn't. And said if the change was made, he'd quit the league (which would've screwed up every other team).
There was a time we played two-on-two, against some college basketball players that were killing us. I was having fun. But he's super competitive. And when the 6'8" guy scored his fifth shot in a row over me, Bill started screaming as if we had $100 on the game. I smiled and said "Calm down, dude. It's just a game. Your guy is scoring over you, too."
As I turned back around, he threw the basketball at my head. I charged him, and those two guys had to break up our fight.
Another time, his fiance came to watch us play basketball. She complimented my shooting, and he had to add "You should've seen him miss those two shots before you showed up. And one was a lay-up."
He even treated her like crap. But she still married him.
He would tell her she was fat, in front of other people. Or that she was stupid, when she couldn't shout out the Jeopardy questions.
We're not friends any more, but it didn't really end abruptly. Usually that's how friendships end, with some big drama. He had a couple of kids, I had a fight with his wife, and we just slowly stopped hanging out with each other.
Now, the other Bill is someone I don't know personally.
It's Bill O'Reilly. I've always enjoyed his shows. I may only agree with him about 50% of the time, but they were fun to watch. But I've slowly begun to hate the guy.
He went on and on, about how the actor who played Nixon in Frost/Nixon should've won the Oscar. He said that Penn would win for playing Milk, because of Prop 8 and all the Hollywood liberals, and blah blah blah.
Now, I wouldn't disagree with his initial premise. The problem I have is he would get mad about it, saying "Frank Langella was Nixon! He became that character."
I saw the movie. He's right. But ya know what? I believe Penn did the same thing. We didn't watch that movie, thinking of Jeff Spicoli, or any number of amazing characters Penn has played. We thought of a gay hippie, who became a business owner and politician. And according to the people that knew Harvey Milk, he too, became the character. Just because O'Reilly (like most of us), isn't sure what Milk sounded or even looked like. Yet, we all know Nixon and his mannerisms.
O'Reilly recently had Greta Van Sustren on. They were both in agreement on something (I forget what), yet he wouldn't shut up. And I've noticed this pattern with him before. He'll have guests, some of them big names, and he just lectures or gives his own opinion. Which is fine. It's his show. I give my opinions on my blog.
But when I interview people, I let them talk. And I listen. And I respond to their opinions, instead of just going on and on about how I feel on an issue.
Another thing O'Reilly did lately that I found odd, was his comments on Jon Stewart and Ken Cramer. First, O'Reilly said Jon Stewart took his clips out of context. That's something Jon Stewart didn't really do. O'Reilly had the same complaint when Jon Stewart once showed a clip of O'Reilly talking about how much he hates the paparazzi following people around with cameras and bothering them. And Stewart than showed Fox News, working with Bill O'Reilly, following people around with cameras and shouting out questions. O'Reilly said this was "out of context." Well, it really wasn't. Nothing about it was out of context. Now, what O'Reilly could've said was, "The difference is...we're trying to get answers from judges who let a child molester out of jail after serving only 4 months. We aren't following Jack Nicholson around when he comes out of Laker games." Now that would've been the thing to say. Instead, he claims the Daily Show just takes things out of context, which they don't really do.
O'Reilly went on and on, before the Presidential election, that if Obama didn't come on his show...blah blah blah. So, Obama went on his show. And much like Greta, O'Reilly wouldn't shut up long enough to let him make his points. Now, sometimes I like that. If you let a politician just say what they want, questions aren't answered. They just rattle off some goofy cliche they know people want to hear. But it really looked unprofessional of him.
He has a slightly pompous attitude that never used to bother me. I remember as a kid, people claimed sportscaster Ted Leitner had an arrogance that rubbed them the wrong way. Yet, I don't think he had that. He just had strong opinions. And when people don't agree with them (i.e. a hockey fan), they thought he was "arrogant."
But Bill O'Reilly really is.
I saw most of Kill Bill the other night. And was really disappointed. When I had seen Kill Bill Two in theatres, and was disappointed...my friends said I had to see the first one. I couldn't even get thru it all.
So, it now completes the days trifecta. Three Bill's I'm done with.
I had a friend named Bill (wow, that sounds like an intro for an AA book or something). When you have a friend from childhood, and you grow up and realize they're actually a jerk, it's tough.
You look back, and wonder how you didn't see all the signs. But sometimes idiots get grandfathered into your friendship. I mean, if you meet someone at work now, and they're rude, you don't start hanging out with them. But if you played basketball with them as a teenager, worked the same crappy minimum wage job, and other things....you tend to ignore little things that pop up.
With Bill, there were lots of things. The time we played board games at his house and he cheated. Another time we played board games and had the rules wrong. We were already mid-way thru, and he wanted to change the rules around (because, of course, that would benefit him).
The time we were all going to Disneyland in the early morning, and he was an hour late. And didn't care that we all waited in a parking lot for him.
The time in fantasy football, when everyone agreed a rule change should be made. He didn't. And said if the change was made, he'd quit the league (which would've screwed up every other team).
There was a time we played two-on-two, against some college basketball players that were killing us. I was having fun. But he's super competitive. And when the 6'8" guy scored his fifth shot in a row over me, Bill started screaming as if we had $100 on the game. I smiled and said "Calm down, dude. It's just a game. Your guy is scoring over you, too."
As I turned back around, he threw the basketball at my head. I charged him, and those two guys had to break up our fight.
Another time, his fiance came to watch us play basketball. She complimented my shooting, and he had to add "You should've seen him miss those two shots before you showed up. And one was a lay-up."
He even treated her like crap. But she still married him.
He would tell her she was fat, in front of other people. Or that she was stupid, when she couldn't shout out the Jeopardy questions.
We're not friends any more, but it didn't really end abruptly. Usually that's how friendships end, with some big drama. He had a couple of kids, I had a fight with his wife, and we just slowly stopped hanging out with each other.
Now, the other Bill is someone I don't know personally.
It's Bill O'Reilly. I've always enjoyed his shows. I may only agree with him about 50% of the time, but they were fun to watch. But I've slowly begun to hate the guy.
He went on and on, about how the actor who played Nixon in Frost/Nixon should've won the Oscar. He said that Penn would win for playing Milk, because of Prop 8 and all the Hollywood liberals, and blah blah blah.
Now, I wouldn't disagree with his initial premise. The problem I have is he would get mad about it, saying "Frank Langella was Nixon! He became that character."
I saw the movie. He's right. But ya know what? I believe Penn did the same thing. We didn't watch that movie, thinking of Jeff Spicoli, or any number of amazing characters Penn has played. We thought of a gay hippie, who became a business owner and politician. And according to the people that knew Harvey Milk, he too, became the character. Just because O'Reilly (like most of us), isn't sure what Milk sounded or even looked like. Yet, we all know Nixon and his mannerisms.
O'Reilly recently had Greta Van Sustren on. They were both in agreement on something (I forget what), yet he wouldn't shut up. And I've noticed this pattern with him before. He'll have guests, some of them big names, and he just lectures or gives his own opinion. Which is fine. It's his show. I give my opinions on my blog.
But when I interview people, I let them talk. And I listen. And I respond to their opinions, instead of just going on and on about how I feel on an issue.
Another thing O'Reilly did lately that I found odd, was his comments on Jon Stewart and Ken Cramer. First, O'Reilly said Jon Stewart took his clips out of context. That's something Jon Stewart didn't really do. O'Reilly had the same complaint when Jon Stewart once showed a clip of O'Reilly talking about how much he hates the paparazzi following people around with cameras and bothering them. And Stewart than showed Fox News, working with Bill O'Reilly, following people around with cameras and shouting out questions. O'Reilly said this was "out of context." Well, it really wasn't. Nothing about it was out of context. Now, what O'Reilly could've said was, "The difference is...we're trying to get answers from judges who let a child molester out of jail after serving only 4 months. We aren't following Jack Nicholson around when he comes out of Laker games." Now that would've been the thing to say. Instead, he claims the Daily Show just takes things out of context, which they don't really do.
O'Reilly went on and on, before the Presidential election, that if Obama didn't come on his show...blah blah blah. So, Obama went on his show. And much like Greta, O'Reilly wouldn't shut up long enough to let him make his points. Now, sometimes I like that. If you let a politician just say what they want, questions aren't answered. They just rattle off some goofy cliche they know people want to hear. But it really looked unprofessional of him.
He has a slightly pompous attitude that never used to bother me. I remember as a kid, people claimed sportscaster Ted Leitner had an arrogance that rubbed them the wrong way. Yet, I don't think he had that. He just had strong opinions. And when people don't agree with them (i.e. a hockey fan), they thought he was "arrogant."
But Bill O'Reilly really is.
I saw most of Kill Bill the other night. And was really disappointed. When I had seen Kill Bill Two in theatres, and was disappointed...my friends said I had to see the first one. I couldn't even get thru it all.
So, it now completes the days trifecta. Three Bill's I'm done with.