My political development is pockmarked with a number of bad memories: the 2000 election, 9/11, the build-up to the Iraq War, Abu Ghraib, and others. But one of my least favorite memories was the bombastic sounds of The O’Reilly Factor, my grandfather’s go-to political news program. For more nights than I care to think about, he would turn the volume up loud enough for the whole house to hear, and O’Reilly would tackle the day’s stories with virulent righteousness. He berated guest after guest, and though the shouting matches were part of the entertainment, the audience took them–and O’Reilly’s beliefs–for gospel.
At that level, his show represented the worst of political television, and for that reason alone I am glad to see that Fox has decided to part ways with him. Of course, the reason for his firing—a bevy of sexual harassment charges—is a far stronger reason to appreciate his departure from Fox News.
I tried to celebrate on Twitter with some levity, though I think I ended up dating myself:
Bye, Mr. O’Reilly! Hope all is well, kiss the plantiff and the wifey. https://t.co/aFcEVRecwp
— Zachary Olsavicky (@zolsavicky) April 19, 2017
The lyric, from the 2004 song ‘Number One Spot,’ was part of unusual beef in which O’Reilly used his show to coerce Pepsi into dropping an ad that featured Ludacris. But the mention of a plaintiff underscores a dark facet of this story: the allegations of sexual harassment by Bill O’Reilly stem back over a decade.
The reason for being satisfied by O’Reilly’s firing is not simply that a powerful person is facing consequences for his actions, but also that he was removed from a company where sexual harassment is embedded into its culture.
That it took so long for O’Reilly to lose his job provides us with two important lessons. First, people deserve to be treated seriously when they bring forth a claim of sexual harassment. The 2004 lawsuit against O’Reilly was settled, but it should have been a final warning. But the corporate culture of Fox News was rampant with harassment issues, and women faced the threat of O’Reilly and Ailes for decades. Second, campaigns to resist harassment are meaningful. Were it not for the threat of boycott, there’s no reason to think sponsors would have dropped their advertising deals, and The Factor—and O’Reilly’s harassment—would have continued unabated.
Harassment is not a problem that can be solved, but it is a problem that we can reduce and take action against. This is a watershed victory against hate, and I hope it emboldens activists to continue the fight against harassment.
Brain Nourishment 