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Moby: O'Reilly Is a Lonely Man

Wednesday, November 22nd, 2006 at 10:30 AM - by

TV personality Bill O'Reilly recently tried his hand at making friends and influencing people by saying that Apple's iPod is having a negative impact on America and that the techno-savvy have no social skills. Electronic and dance music star Moby wasn't exactly won over, and said that Mr. O'Reilly is "a very lonely man," according to Starpulse.

Mr. O'Reilly also said "did you ever talk to these computer geeks? I mean, can you carry on a conversation with them?"

Moby's reply: "In the 21st century, what defines a 'computer geek'? Bill O'Reilly must be very lonely, only being able to carry on conversations with the two percent of people in the western world who don't use computers for their work and entertainment."

Mr. O'Reilly's comments were made during his Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly show. Speaking on the iPod, he commented "I don't own an iPod. I would never wear an iPod... If this is your primary focus in life - the machines... it's going to have a staggeringly negative effect, all of this, for America."

More of Mr. O'Reilly's commentaries are available through a paid podcast on his own Web site, and a free podcast through the iTunes Store.

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Edison Carter said:

member since 10 Aug 2006 with 228 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Nov 22, 2006 12:37 pm

On the other hand there are people who have little if no geek skills and have trouble working in the modern world. These are the people who call on you for help with some simple computer task, get their iPod off of repeat, or to set the clock on their video player/recorder, because "You know a lot about computers."

It is a matter of balance between your geek and social skills. No one has perfect balance and most of us are one side or the other, it is when you are at the extreme edge of geek or unskilled that things become a problem. As for me I may be a little more on the geek side, but I also have adequate social skills. However, I still don't know who this guy Jay Lowe is that was married to Ben Afflick, perhaps the former host of Inside Edition can clue me in.

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Nov 22, 2006 2:02 pm

"Did you ever talk to this O'Reilly character? I mean, can you carry on a conversation with him?"

The answer is no. Because he's a dumbass, and his splotchy, overly large mouth is always open, while his mind remains ever closed.

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Bosco said:

member since 03 Jun 2002 with 999 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Nov 22, 2006 2:10 pm

Egads, Moby, spokesdork for the picked on... I wonder if he fisked him to totally complete the part. In the words of Eminem... "You’re too old, let go, it’s over — nobody listens to techno!"

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macinnerd said:

member since 15 Jun 2005 with 1682 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Nov 22, 2006 3:32 pm

As if anyone listens to rap... Duh...

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Nov 22, 2006 3:56 pm

Bosco wrote:
Egads, Moby, spokesdork for the picked on... I wonder if he fisked him to totally complete the part. In the words of Eminem... "You’re too old, let go, it’s over — nobody listens to techno!"

Eminem is a punk, and has no place criticizing anyone. I still remember him siccing his posse on Triumph the Comic Insult Dog at that awards show... wotta loser. Then he did a video with him to smooth over the fact that everyone thought he sucked for doing that. Sigh.

Far as Moby being too old, geezus, the Stones must be twice as old as Moby, and they still tour. Betcha Moby's career lasts longer than Eminem's.

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Biff said:

member since 08 Apr 2004 with 1479 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Nov 22, 2006 4:22 pm

Egads guest. Triumph the Insult Comic dog is so childish. I bet you like to have your older brother buy you bud lite. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go drink some 30 year scotch because I saw fancy people doing it and it makes me feel fancy.

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Nov 22, 2006 5:26 pm

As happens so often these days, the point of what O'Reilly was saying was lost (intentionally?) by picking and choosing from his words. O'Reilly was using the iPod as an iconic symbol of the world in which we now live - a world in which the people of Western nations, such as the U.S., totally shape their own "reality." There is little genuine awareness of the true state of things, the real issues involving the nation and the geopolitical world because you don't have to pay attention to it. Indeed, you don't even have to listen to the music of today. You can plug in your iPod and tune out the inconvenient world.

There are good points to this, to be sure. But it's more bad than good in O'Reilly's opinion - and mine.

People used to wonder when the "next Beatles" were going to arrive. The answer in 2006 is "never," because there no longer is a mass market for the neuvo Beatles to attract.

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:01 pm

I love O'Reilly apologists. They're awesome at how they twist and turn to defend their messiah. hmm I bet they're really good at Twister....

So "did you ever talk to these computer geeks? I mean, can you carry on a conversation with them?" actually means are you aware of what's going on in the world?

"I don't own an iPod. I would never wear an iPod... If this is your primary focus in life - the machines... it's going to have a staggeringly negative effect, all of this, for America." apparently means ...I'm not sure...you lost me when you went to the Beatles.

The Walkman didn't destroy society, and neither will the iPod. Bill doesn't like the iPod because Steve Jobs is friends with democrats, if not one himself.

Bill has no problem making money selling podcasts, does he? Can we all say what that makes Bill, boys and girls?

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rpaege said:

member since 16 Dec 2005 with 73 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:08 pm

Guest wrote:
O'Reilly was using the iPod as an iconic symbol of the world in which we now live - a world in which the people of Western nations, such as the U.S., totally shape their own "reality." There is little genuine awareness of the true state of things, the real issues involving the nation and the geopolitical world because you don't have to pay attention to it. Indeed, you don't even have to listen to the music of today. You can plug in your iPod and tune out the inconvenient world.

There are good points to this, to be sure. But it's more bad than good in O'Reilly's opinion - and mine.

Wait a minute. You said the above not O'Reilly. Surely he doesn't need you to speak for him (or maybe he does).

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Nov 22, 2006 10:18 pm

O'Reilly reminds me of a percentage of people who are proud of the fact that they "don't do math". Math illiteracy was a holdover of the times when a liberal arts major had more cachet and social status than apprenticed tradesmen (the precursor to today's engineers and geeks). Geeks are laughing all the way to the bank in their BMWs.

O'Reilly is a dinosaur.

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A guest said: (hide)

Thu Nov 23, 2006 4:20 am

This is the same man who invited terrorists to bomb San Francisco for passing local legislation that he didn't like. Let's not try to hard to find subtlety or deeper meaning in the words of Bill O'Reilly. This man is a nutjob, a megalomaniac, and a post-millenial circus clown in the "reality" arena. Kind of like your creepy uncle who swears a lot but it makes you laugh when he does. Or like Jerry Springer with tourettes. Talk about inventing your own reality. Screaming head freaks foisted upon a society hungry for dialogue about issues will do more damage to the USA than iPods. The content, is, after all, more important than the medium. My guess is that Bill's VCR is still blinking "12:00" at this very moment.

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A guest said: (hide)

Thu Nov 23, 2006 1:07 pm

> As happens so often these days, the point of what O'Reilly was saying

> was lost (intentionally?) by picking and choosing from his words.

The thing about O'Reilly is, you don't have to do much picking and choosing to portray him as a jackass, he constantly says stuff that makes him sound like a jerk that's totally in context. Like his BS about bombing San Fran. He may have a good point about technology, but with him the points always get lost behind his cranky diatribes and his "I'm right and you're wrong" attitude.

Now, to pick on Moby a little, saying that only 2% of the western world doesn't interact in some way with computers on a regular basis seems to me to grossly underestimate the number of people who aren't exposed to computers. A LOT of people don't use computers at work and a LOT (disclaimer: "LOT" is not a scientifically recognized unit of measure :^) of people can't afford to buy a computer (or just don't want one). The latest figures I found from the census bureau estimated that about 50% of households had computers in 2000. Certainly that number has shot upward since then, but it seems unlikely to me that it's shot up to 98%.

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A guest said: (hide)

Sun Nov 26, 2006 11:50 pm

Biff wrote:
Egads guest. Triumph the Insult Comic dog is so childish. I bet you like to have your older brother buy you bud lite. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go drink some 30 year scotch because I saw fancy people doing it and it makes me feel fancy.

Crikey Biff! Hating on things that are funny like Triumph just so you can differentiate yourself from folks that have a sense of humor is so last year. I bet your all 'dark and broody' 'cuz chicks dig that too. Now go running to your color consultant and tell him you're NOT an autumn after all.

Sigh. Internet 'intellectuals', lol.

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A guest said: (hide)

Sun Nov 26, 2006 11:52 pm

Guest wrote:
"Did you ever talk to this O'Reilly character? I mean, can you carry on a conversation with him?"

The answer is no. Because he's a dumbass, and his splotchy, overly large mouth is always open, while his mind remains ever closed.

Amen.

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