I was as confused as everyone else on Twitter when I noticed that Bill O’Reilly was a trending topic this evening. If you watch the video above, you will see why.

In this clip from the Talking Points portion of his Fox News program, he takes issue with the adulation Michael Jackson has had poured upon his memory in the last couple of weeks. I have to admit, O’Reilly does make a point that I have thought myself, in that it is the very same media that tried to rip him apart while he was alive that is now hoisting up on a pedestal. And it’s not just the media, it’s everyone.

I think there’s a collective guilt thing at work here. Everyone made Michael Jackson a punchline because he was an easy target and now that he’s dead and no one gets the chance to atone for their behavior, guilt is driving everyone to want to polish his image so as to protect his legacy, in the hope that our society’s collective sins against the man will be forgotten.

I get O’Reilly pointing out the media’s hypocrisy. But to slam the man for his contributions to society? To say that he was ‘just’ a world-class entertainer? It seems like if a star doesn’t make any apparent effort to better the world beyond sing or appear in movies, we leave them alone but as soon as they try to use their wealth or fame to improve the world in some way, we jump down their throats.

I remember Creflo Dollar going on CNN and getting attacked for having a nice house, despite all of his charity and ministry work. Look what happens every time Bono tries to attract the world’s attention to some cause. As soon as you try to do anything, nothing is good enough. If Michael Jackson wants to spend a few bucks on himself, even a few hundred million bucks, what business is it of Bill O’Reilly’s? It’s Jackson’s money! He’s contributed so much already that he can’t enjoy the fruits of his labor? If I had $100 million, spent $90 million and gave $10 million to charity, I wouldn’t get commended! I’d get taken to task for whatever I spent the $90 million on.

Better journalists than I am have already demonstrated elsewhere how Bill O’Reilly composes his talking points based not on what he believes, but on what will stir up controversy. And that’s why the Twitterverse will not succeed in their campaign to have O’Reilly fired: he’s an asshole on such an epic scale that people can’t help but comment on it. Strong work, Bill. Strong work.

Tags: bullshit, editorial, fox news, media, o'reilly, opinion, rant