Bill O’Reilly — The Putz Factor
A putz is someone who acts like a dick and while most of the time Bill O’Reilly’s dog and pony show on The Fox News Network doesn’t bother me (mostly because I never watch it anymore after I finally noticed that he sucked) I went to visit my family on Sunday and Monday, and Monday night I was accidentally exposed to the man’s venom. And this time he was after a part of our community — The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
On his Monday night edition of The O’Reilly Factor O’Reilly presented footage shot at a Catholic church in San Francisco which showed parishioners taking the sacrament of Holy 
Communion. Among the parishioners were two members of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. They’re hard to miss. The white face paint, heavily darkened eyes, and their non-traditional nun habits are a dead giveaway. The pair waited patiently in line and when they got to the rail they received Communion from the new Archbishop of San Francisco, the Most Reverend George Niederauer.
At no time was there any disturbance and the two seemed respectful and demure throughout the footage. Cut back to Bill O’Reilly. Outrage! He went on for at least half of his show about how this was hideous, indecent and downright evil. During his interviews with guests he continually questioned them about what they would do if it happened in their church.
His main complaint, after the occurence itself, was that the media, the church and everyone else was hushing the whole thing up. His implication, no, his outright declaration, was that once again the liberal conspiracy against all that is right, decent and pure has struck a blow and no one but O’Reilly is upset. No one but O’Reilly is ready to put on his armor, jump astride a white charger and ride against the evil that threatens. What a pile of white charger crap.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, according to their own mission statement,
“…is a leading-edge Order of queer nuns. Since their first appearance in San Francisco on Easter Sunday, 1979, the Sisters have devoted themselves to community service, ministry and outreach to those on the edges, and to promoting human rights, respect for diversity and spiritual enlightenment. The Sisters believe all people have a right to express their unique joy and beauty and use humor and irreverent wit to expose the forces of bigotry, complacency and guilt that chain the human spirit. “
You can see how people who live by that statement might cause a tight-ass like O’Reilly to be a bit upset. O’Reilly is the man who was amazed when he went to dinner at a restaurant in Harlem and found out it was just like eating in any nice restaurant. No one got shot and people used utensils. Imagine that.
Of course the Catholic Church and the media found no story in two nuns of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence getting Communion. The only story, directly from the Sisters’ website, is that they were there to greet the new Archbishop.
“On Sunday the 7th of October, the morning of the Castro Street Fair, two members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence® attended Mass at Most Holy Redeemer Church. Most Holy Redeemer is located in the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco and ‘prides itself in being an inclusive Catholic community.’ The service was an opportunity to welcome the new Archbishop of San Francisco, Most Rev. George Niederauer. While at Mass the Sisters joined other parishioners in respectful and sincere worship and received Communion from the Archbishop. After the services, they stayed to socialize with the congregation before moving on to attend the Castro Street Fair.”
Through, as I said, over half of his Monday night show O’Reilly ranted and raved that this was an attack and went so far—really showing the putz factor here—to declare that if it had happened in his church, while he was there, engaged in worship, the two Sisters would be dead.
Yes—dead. That hardly seems Christian to me. It seems like a terroristic threat. And, it seems only to be television that taps into fear and prejudice in order to garner high ratings and help Bill O’Reilly with his private goal of building his bank account. Don’t fall for the drivel that O’Reilly spouts on his show. It’s nothing but manipulation designed to keep O’Reilly looking like a hero to people who don’t know the whole story, and who certainly won’t get it from The Putz Factor.
Category: All TGForum Posts, Transgender Opinion
About the Author (Author Profile)
Angela Gardner is a founding member of The Renaissance Transgender Assoc., Inc., former editor of its newsletter and magazine, Transgender Community News. She was the Diva of Dish for TGF in the late 1990s and Editor of LadyLike magazine until its untimely demise. She has appeared in film and television shows portraying TG characters, as well as representing Renaissance on numerous talk shows.Subscribe
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You got it, bang on. Bill O’Reilly only matters to the few people who watch his show. (Or to the larger number who listen to his radio show.) All of those talking heads are the same in that regard. Ann Coulter, Rush, etc, etc.
I think people are starting to catch on that they’re only about creating controversy to make themselves matter. And as the audience gets that, they lose interest.