Bill O'Reilly, Brokeback Mountain & the Oscars

In whichever dimension Bill O'Reilly comes from it seems clear that above all ignorance is bliss, because the less he knows about a subject the more authoritatively he writes about it. Here's his take on the likelihood of Brokeback Mountain winning an Oscar March 6:
"So that's what's in play this year at the Academy Awards--a social and political statement. And that's why Star Wars and Harry Potter and Narnia, the three largest grossing movies of the year, are not in the best picture running. Spectacular movies often make tons of money, but they do not advance any cause. Gone are the days when "Gone With the Wind"-type entertainment ruled the Hollywood day.

"So how should we process the current Hollywood award process? Well, I don't have a problem with it. Certainly, it is wrong that some gay Americans, especially teenagers, are made to suffer because of their predilections. Every American should be able to pursue happiness on an equal basis, including gays [By getting married?].

"But I also think the entertainment industry should be up front in explaining what films it values and why it finds them especially worthy. Most Americans are not gonna see "Brokeback Mountain" because they don't relate to the subject, and if Hollywood is now in the "culture-shaping business," it should admit it.

"So look for Oscar night to be a huge night for shepherds who roam the range in their own consensual way. Hollywood is making a statement and Americans should be getting the message loud and clear."

What could this nonsense possibly mean? So Hollywood once upon a time honored money-making O'Reilly-type films like Gone with the Wind (which is, of course true), but now, only message-driven Hollywood only honors films that try to change the world.

This is, of course, standard O'Reilly operating procedure: he finds something offensive, he attributes the same opinions to "most Americans," for whom he speaks. He says that he has no intention of going to see Brokeback Mountain, so obviously most Americans "don't relate to the subject." Obviously my views on Brokeback Mountain and O'Reilly's vastly differ (partly because I have actually seen the film), but that's not what's important about this. It's O'Reilly's blatant ignorance of film history. He just creates reality as it is convenient for his message, a bit like James Fry (A Million Little Pieces).

Here are just a few of the "non-Message" films that have won the Best Picture Oscar: All Quiet on the Western Front, Gentlemen's Agreement, On the Waterfront, In the Heat of the Night, Dances with Wolves.

I guess O'Reilly missed those, since he only goes to see films that the American people like. Come on Bill! Why not stick to what you actually know something about, like who says Merry Christmas and who says Happy Holidays. And leave views on films and awards to those who doesn't have a homophobic ax to grind.