I watched an entire episode of The O’Reilly Factor for the first time last week.  It was an eye opening experience for me, not so much because of what I saw and heard, but rather because of the reactions I noted by observing two of his loyal fans – my parents. 

I was visiting with my parents in the Bay Area.  This was the first time in many years that I had stayed at their home.  When I lived in the Bay Area, naturally, I’d only stop by their house to visit.  And, after I moved away, I would always stay in a hotel when visiting.  But this time due to financial concerns related to my work (as in "lack of"), I accepted their invitation to stay at their house.   

My parents are in their 80s.  They both retired from long middle-class working careers.  My dad worked in a factory for one company from the time he left the Navy after WW II until he retired at age 65.  My mother worked in public school administration for the same amount of time.  Even though they encouraged, and helped pay for, all four of their sons to graduate college, neither of them had an education beyond high school.  

I have always considered my parents to be apolitical.  They never talk politics, and the only thing recently that they seem concerned about is their fear of losing some (or all) of their Social Security or Medicare benefits. 

However, I learned by living with them for several days that they have a strong affinity for watching the Fox Cable Network - in particular The O’Reilly Factor.  

Under any other circumstances I would have moved out immediately.  But, loving my parents as I do, and having learned a long time ago that it is not wise for a Rockford child to argue with his parents, I decided to try to gain an understanding of what makes an O’Reilly fan an O’Reilly Fan. 

The O’Reilly Factor, it seems, is the only non-sports or entertainment TV show that my parents watch.  My mother spends most of the day watching soap operas, and my dad likes to watch sports (especially baseball).  In the evening, they both watch old episodes of Lawrence Welk, Bonanza and Golden Girls.   

Until Bill O' comes on. 

One night I sat down with my mother and watched an entire episode of The O’Reilly Factor – from start to finish (In the past, I’d only seen YouTube excerpts from his show).  Based on this experience, I think I see the genius of the Roger Ailes propagandist approach to brainwashing the elderly. 

At one point O’Reilly winked at the camera and said something like, “and, I’m just looking out for you.”  My mother said, “See son.  How can you not trust that kind-looking man with a twinkle in his eye when he says his only concern is to help you?”  Later in the program O’Reilly talked about a group of “pinheads,” a term he apparently uses to describe any (and all) liberal intellectuals.  My mother then began to berate one of O’Reilly’s favorite “pinheads,” Al Gore, based on things she had heard on his show in the past.  “Don’t you agree that Al Gore is just a smarty pants who likes to talk down to us regular folks?” she said.   

At that point, my head was about to explode. 

I came to realize that The O’Reilly Factor is nothing more than cleverly disguised hippie-bashing.  The Ailes’ formula is to get into the “comfort zone” of Fox elderly viewers.  He lets them know that, “You can trust us to understand and take care of your needs.”  And, at the same time, “We will let you know about the evil, fast-talking, slippery-tongued intellectuals who are out to take everything away from you.” 

Genius?   

Maybe not – But it works!