FOX News manages to not surprise us with it's ways of being offensive and dismissive of those they think can be safely picked on. It's mostly a matter of being asses to generate a feel good atmosphere for the close-minded viewers at home.
On this occasion it was a chance to attack and mock Wiccans and Pagans. And the problem isn't with something these people were doing. No, it is a matter of them have holidays in the religion being acknowledge at one university.
It seems banal enough. But FOX's best and brightest saw an easy and quick way to throw out some red meat to it's paranoid Christian, ignorant Witches Are Real, and the Schools Are Indoctrinating Our Kids audiences. Trouble is, this isn't the 1980's. So literal witch hunts are just not in vogue today. (Don't get me wrong, various Wiccans and Pagans are facing discrimination and intolerance in some small towns and small-minded communities.)
Oh, and yes, Tucker "Look, Ma, no bow tie!" Carlson is along to amplify the jackassery.
The University of Missouri, in it's guide to religions, acknowledges Wicca and Paganism, among many other religions. FOX gets a bit petulant and snarky at the idea of them getting seen as in anyway equivalent to Christianity. If you acknowledge pagans, you must hate Christ! You are out to destroy America!
How dare anyone recognize their holidays! Witches! With their...witch things... Lucky that we have Tucker to explain what Wiccans are (About witchcraft and D&D playing and divorced old women and Halloween.), such a smart man. How dare these pagans get any respect! Right? In particular, they get pissy at the number of religious days and celebrations they have. They seem upset that they get any consideration, like having their holiday dates written down and shared. So let's look at that what is shared.
Pagan/Wiccan holidays noted by the U of Missouri:
- Mabon / Autumnal Equinox
- Samhain
- Yule / Midwinter / Winter Solstice
- Imbolc / Candlemas
- Ostara / Spring Equinox
- Beltane
- Litha / Midsomer / Summer Solstice
- Lammas / Lughnasadh
That's 8 holidays. I would like to note that in the listings they mention the general practices for the holiday, and also any recommended accommodations for students that are of a given faith at the time of the holiday. These holidays ask for no special accommodations they are just special days. So they don't get you out of class or tests or anything else. They only matter if you give them significance. But that is too much for FOX
FOX acts like it's weird or a big deal. You could note, Judaism has 11 holidays, and some accommodations asked for. Christianity has 7 holidays (with the Easter Orthodox having 4 holidays in variance) and accommodations requested. And there are other religions acknowledged from the Baha'i to Shinto Buddhism. But as dense and bigoted as FOX can be, it isn't going to point a mock the Jewish faith, it messes with their agenda of using Israel to push war.
For FOX and Tucker Carlson, Wiccans seem like an easy target of mockery, humiliation, and bullying. A group you can just call witches, then say anything you want with no one harm to you. And, of course, with the core demographic for FOX News, calling pagans and Wiccans witches is a plus. (They also like it when you demonize all Muslims to. shhhh!)
AND if all this wasn't enough. Tucker Carlson takes a swing at Halloween. Tucker? You can say a lot of crap. But. Never. Touch. Halloween. I have no religion interests, but I love Halloween. And a weenie like you has no place mocking it. You gibbering hyena of psuedo journalism. Candy, kids, costumes, spooky movies and sights. It a day for fun, character playing, and laughing at the macabre.
And, Tucker, being the good Christian you play at being, you have heard of All's Hallow Eve, right? Sorry the actual celebration isn't banal enough for you. I'm guessing you also have a bug up your butt about Fat Tuesday to then?
Tucker actually says in the video, "Call me a bigot." And I am happy to. Tucker is a stuffed suit with a tiny dull prep school bully squirming around in it. You just up and call these people and their religion fake and sad, not based on any facts or insight, just based on your ignorant contempt. It's the same insight he brings to politics. And it's why he's an easy fit with the rest of FOX News. At least in the video, the woman in the middle by the end looks a little uncomfortable when they get to the point where Carlson is just out and out venting and mocking women. But that's what Tucker is about. Eager and excited contempt of people not like him. He's always giddy to get a shot at that, he thinks it makes him look big. (Really, it's a lot like Joe Scarborough.)
He's since apologized. But in it he shares that he thinks their holidays are weird. Nice guy. So classy.
Too bad Wicca doesn't have a holiday where they celebrate a figure resurrecting from the dead by eating ham and looking for hidden eggs placed by a magic rabbit. You know, non-weird religious festivities.
I am not religious at all. I have qualms with all the different faiths. But I don't see a need to criticize or fight unless their is a problem or danger worth talking about (or I think of something damn funny). But I definitely have no taste for bullies at anytime. We all know what bullies really are, and if you don't, just look at Fox & Friends and Tucker Carlson. See how pathetic they really are. These are the type of people we have to stand up to.
Sadly, we live in a world with FOX News. A station always up for a witch hunt, literally. (Yes. I had to go there.)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment