This is a comforting bedtime story for Bill O's aging Republican audience:
Transcript Here on Fox News
The death of 70-year-old Annette Funicello yesterday, a red flag to the baby boom generation. Annette gained fame at age 13 as one of the leading members of the iconic Mickey Mouse Club.
. . . Americans have more income today, but the big ticket items like homes take a lot more money. On social issues, in 1959, only five percent of American babies are born out of wedlock, five percent. And abortion very rare. Today, about 41 percent, that's a shocking turn of events. In the 1950s drug use was rare. Although the alcoholism rate is about the same as it is today.
Another interesting category, innocence. In the `50s and `60's, premarital sex and explicit behavior even in the media was kept kind of quiet. As Annette Funicello demonstrated social interaction was kind of innocent.
. . . the `50s were wholesome, especially by today's anything goes standards. American baby boomers tend to glorify their youth, we all know that, even the turbulent late `60s and early `70s. But there was a different attitude in America after World War II. Because we had won a hellacious war, white America was kind of unified and standards of behaviour were very similar. That unification made it easier for society to function.There was respect for teachers, for cops, for clerics. Now that's gone. The mantra today being, "Where is mine?"
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These sound like the crumbling thoughts of an individual who finds the modern world simply too much to bear.
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Martin Bashir on MSNBC
Bill O’Reilly should have been a cameo on LL Cool J’s latest song, ‘Accidental Racist.’” Whether or not he means it or not, he’s walked right into this one. White America was unified by what exactly? It’s an absolute slap in the face to 2013 and everything that we stand for in this particular America.
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Angela Rye on Martin Bashir
O'Reilly was also opining during the segment for the days back when America was "more wholesome." Pardon me if I have a little bit of trouble hearing from someone who is apparently in the middle of a divorce right now and
can't control his temper because of it on that topic.
I don't want to hear about the "need to be more wholesome" from someone who had to
settle a sexual harrassment suit with one of their former employees.
I don't want to hear about the "need to be more wholesome" from someone who was
accused of harassing his ex-wife's boyfriend.
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Heather on Crooks and Liars
Modern "conservatism" ladies and gentlemen....... Perpetually stuck in a "Leave It To Beaver" imaginary time warp.
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Lancelot_Link on Media Matters
I love how Rush and Bill remember their glory days when Ike had a tax rate of 92%
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Jimijams on Media Matters
Bill O'Reilly On The 1950s: "White America Was Kind Of Unified" And That "Made It Easier For Society To Function and hang Blackies from Trees "
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Quicksilver M_S on Media Matters
In " I love Lucy" you could not say the word "Pregnant" on the show.
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vueltagrande1 on Media Matters
Wow! what's left for him to say? This is the reason he almost cried
when Obama won re election. His lilly white world was gone again.
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lique on Media Matters
O'Reilly could get on a bus and black people were respectful enough to move to the back when he wanted to sit. The good old days. Also the constant threat of nuclear war, man that was awesome.
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Dylan on Mediaite
The thing is, even in the 50s (hell, especially in the 50s) people recognized those shows as caricature. This dude just doesn't have a freakin' clue. Square probably thinks that The Rally for Decency was the youth cultural event of 1969.
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CommentsSectionsAreDumb on Mediaite
The 50s were a better time, insofar as Bill O'Reilly was not on television.
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MaxwellHowe on Mediaite
