Juan Williams and the BS of "Bias"
Oct. 21st, 2010 06:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kent_allard_jrAccording to David Weigel, "The liberal NPR commentator -- former NPR commentator, as of yesterday -- has instantly become a sort of icon for conservatives angry about media bias."
I don't think Williams deserved to be fired, but then again, I felt the same way about Helen Thomas, and at least the Williams case brings us closer to a consistent standard; no reason to fire someone for anti-Jewish remarks and not for anti-Muslim ones. Conservatives, apparently, don't mind the double standard -- Jews are now "good" while Muslims are "bad," just anti-black racism is frowned upon while anti-Hispanic rhetoric is welcomed and encouraged -- and while I think it's stupid, I can somewhat understand it.
To call the Williams firing a case of "bias," though, is goddamn incoherent. It suggests that "bias" is nothing but "expressing a view that conservatives don't like." I guess conservatives have stopped thinking about the words coming out of their mouths, and just throw out slogans reflexively like a pack of drooling dogs, so if they say "media" they have to add the word "bias" to it. Cue Orwell and his English language essay for details.
I don't think Williams deserved to be fired, but then again, I felt the same way about Helen Thomas, and at least the Williams case brings us closer to a consistent standard; no reason to fire someone for anti-Jewish remarks and not for anti-Muslim ones. Conservatives, apparently, don't mind the double standard -- Jews are now "good" while Muslims are "bad," just anti-black racism is frowned upon while anti-Hispanic rhetoric is welcomed and encouraged -- and while I think it's stupid, I can somewhat understand it.
To call the Williams firing a case of "bias," though, is goddamn incoherent. It suggests that "bias" is nothing but "expressing a view that conservatives don't like." I guess conservatives have stopped thinking about the words coming out of their mouths, and just throw out slogans reflexively like a pack of drooling dogs, so if they say "media" they have to add the word "bias" to it. Cue Orwell and his English language essay for details.
