Mark Cuban: Bill O'Reilly Is Just a Wonderful, Confused Guy

Authored by Mark Cuban on November 12, 2007 - 10:27am.

I've grown to love Bill OReilly. Seriously. If there is anyone who can publicize a political movie, its Bill and I truly appreciate that about him. Magnolia Pictures and HDNet Films' Redacted premiered last week as part of HDNet's Ultra VOD program. With HDNet Ultra VOD movies premiere first in Hotels and on cable and satellite VOD systems PRIOR to making their national theatrical premieres. HDNet Movies will also show a sneak preview on Nov 14th, 2 days before the Nov 16th theatrical release.

Its a new and different approach to selling movies, but it gives everyone and anyone who cant make it to theaters or who prefer their living room to a theater the chance to see the movie without leaving the comfort of their own homes.

The way the movie is released is important because it has allowed us to benefit from Mr OReilly's comments about Redacted even before the movie has made its theatrical debut. If you don't happen to watch his show, he has made the movie out to be Anti Troops. Of course there is one catch, he hasn't seen the movie yet. But why should that get in the way.

You see, Mr OReilly thinks that movies are a tool used by terrorists, and any Anti American faction as motivation to hate us and everything we stand for even more than they already do. I'm not sure that terrorists and those who are Anti American need any more motivation , or if they are even capable of hating us even more than they do. We are at war. There are people willing to be convinced to blow themselves up to kill as many of us as possible. Anytime, anywhere. I don't think there are any clerics expanding the offer of 70 virgins to include a DVD. Nor do I believe that they are translating the movie and then gathering around a TV or Internet screen to get motivated to strap explosives to themselves or to build IEDs.

I don't see it. I have asked many of Mr OReilly's followers if they have any factual evidence that this takes place, or is this just a ploy by Mr OReilly to get his viewers all riled up , without any basis in fact. ? No one has come up with any factual examples to this point. In fact, when Mr Oreilly had the author of "Schmoozing with the Terrorists", when asked whether the terrorists the author had dealt with had even heard of several people Mr OReilly considered aiding the cause of the enemy, the author stated the terrorists had never heard of them. That they didn't know their positions until Mr Klein told them , at which point they loved them. Which of course means that Mr OReilly was supportive of a guest that was engaging the enemy and giving them new information they found encouraging. How could you Mr OReilly ? Supporting an author who sourced information the terrorists found encouraging, isn't that traitorous ?

I think Mr OReilly is giving movies far too much credit. The movies with true cultural impact are few and far between and as Mr Klein points out, don't have the reach some think they do I also think Mr OReilly is a hypocrite.

Last week he wrote an article entitled "Harming America the Pop Culture Way". It starts off with:
" Some Americans believe that pop culture has no impact on the state of the nation. They think that reporting on the media is frivolous -a complete waste of time. They are dead wrong. Just look at how the hip-hop industry has damaged so many young Americans, giving them insidious role models to glorify crime and self- destructive behavior."

Maybe 28 years of hearing "Hotel Motel Holiday Inn, if your girl starts acting up, then you take her friend" has corrupted our minds. Mine included. But come one Bill, can you at least quote one study or source ? I also wonder if you actually believe what you say and write. Just yesterday on your TV show, in an interview with the hilarious Vince Vaughn, you called Wedding Crashers on your personal 5 top favorites of all time. Now maybe I was laughing so hard during the movie I misunderstood, but didn't the Wedding Crashers feature guys taking on fake identities at weddings to try to get laid ? I'm stunned. You thought that this example of Hollywood corrupting the morals of the kids in this country was funny ?

Bill, do movies corrupt absolutely, or do they not ?

Maybe you should actually read some of what you write Bill. In the above mentioned America Pop Culture Way article , you include the following:

"Finally, I went to see a movie called "American Gangster" over the weekend because of charges it glorified a drug dealer, played by Denzel Washington. "

Bill, you went to see a movie because you thought it glorified a drug dealer ??

Then you went on to say :

"But "American Gangster" did not glorify the dealer, although now for children, it is an excellent film, one that targets corruption, and demonstrates the evil of Mr. Washington's character.
Those kinds of movies, tough as they are, actually, help the United States, unlike films that actively spur anti-American hatred. All of us have a responsibility to speak out against that."

I want to make sure I understand something here Bill. Are you saying here that you were wrong about a movie you hadn't yet seen ,and you changed your mind after you saw it ?

What a concept. I'm glad you thought of it Bill.

Mark Cuban

This piece was originally published on Mark's blog Blog Maverick and is posted on DMW with the author's permission. Mark's bio can be viewed here. The views expressed in this post are the author’s own, and do not represent the views of Digital Media Wire.

Flickr Photo by lawgeek

Published in DMW Daily, November 13, 2007

Previous story: Buzz Watch: Sergey Brin Presents Android, Google's New Mobile Platform
Next story: Bebo Social Network Introduces "Open Media" Platform

Email this page

add to:

del.icio.us |

digg | Yahoo! MyWeb | Slashdot

Comments

bill o'reilly and "redact"

Submitted by debbie (not verified) on November 12, 2007 - 10:46pm.

I do watch bill and am a fan of his show. I do not intend to see your movie. I do not watch movies dealing with the subject of war as my husband and my son have both been to Iraq. I know enough of what happens there. However, if what bill said is correct I believe that it should not be shown. It will simply put more bees in the bonnet of the liberal loonies. I believe that the people of this country should pull together instead of pulling apart. We should always support our troops instead of putting them down. They work really hard and get paid very little. Their medical, dental, and housing are extremely substandard. We should give them kudos for what they put up with. America needs some patriots and I thank them everyday!!!! So, to all the liberal loonies who do nothing but complain about America and everything it stands for, remember it is a free country and you may leave it anytime to go elsewhere.

Correction for Mark Cuban

Submitted by anonymous (not verified) on November 13, 2007 - 7:31am.

There is nothing wonderful about Bill O'Reilly. He is an arrogant pig.

Mark Cuban, you are

Submitted by Gustavo Reynoso (not verified) on November 13, 2007 - 12:20pm.

Mark Cuban, you are absolutely wrong. How can you say that the terrorists don't need any more material to hate us? Don't you realize that not all of the people over there hate us? But your film may end up being used as a recruiting tool by terrorists to incite anger on young people who still have not developed hatred towards the US and the US military! Don't you realize you are doing nothing but providing fuel for the FUTURE terrorists? You are an American and you should NEVER release ANYTHING that would even possibly and remotely have a chance of hurting our military!! NEVER!! But you are releasing this film! You are so incredibly ignorant as to what you are doing! But I guess while you are sitting at home in your mansion you feel strong and able to do it!! You also criticized O'Reilly because you said he hasn't seen your film and is criticizing it!! Well, YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN TO IRAQ and therefore you should not make a film about it unless you know what you're talking about!! You are such a hipocrite!! I'm not saying you need to support the war but you need to support the troops!! Instead of wasting your money releasing films that hurt the troops why don't you create a film that actually praises the troops and shows many of the good things they have done? The reason why may simply be that you are plain ignorant.

Losers Who Like Bill-O

Submitted by AngryBuddhist (not verified) on November 13, 2007 - 12:36pm.

I love how "Debbie's" post is representative of her kind of propaganda buyer. She's related to the mercenaries fighting Bush's war so she already knows everything about Iraq she needs to. When you're a military family you sure get the REAL story, don't you? You can't be fooled at all. That's why you're smart enough to send your loved ones to serve as cannon fodder on behalf of those who will profit from their death. Talk about wasted lives fighting for a lie... But that's okay for the lemmings who will march to their death without ever thinking about it. They actually believe they're "fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them over here." They are the same morons who think they're avenging 9/11 by going after Iraq and Saddam. How can you support people who will fight whoever they're told no matter how phony the reasons? They'd turn their guns on their fellow Americans if they were told to. Our volunteer military gets paid for the job they chose so this liberal loony doesn't support them or their mercenary families. Bush is THEIR President and they deserve him.

bill o'reilly

Submitted by sal (not verified) on November 14, 2007 - 3:00pm.

hey buddhahaha man....you are a total lunatic!!!

mark cuban

Submitted by sal (not verified) on November 14, 2007 - 2:55pm.

Mark Cuban, like Jane Fonda, is doing nothing but aiding the enemy with this crap he has put out. Knowing that he doesn't care what the average joe says is his only strong suit. He would have been put into jail during WWII....it must be the history-poor education he has received...if he was educated in Texas, I know, via personal experience, that those schools spend more time on 'the alamo' than on US history. I will pray, everday, that he loses his money,which is the only reason for his noteriety, and joins the real world, and becomes a patriot, because, as far as I'm concerned he is a TRAITOR. GOD bless the USA

Cuban is wrong and too arrogant to admit it

Submitted by Brian McKnight (not verified) on November 14, 2007 - 5:12pm.

Mr. Cuban is simply wrong to support a movie that portrays the American Military negatively in a time of war. He simply doesn't get it, no surprise, it's all about him. Mr. Cuban why don't you take the time to fly your private jet to Iraq or Afganistan and ask the troops what they think of your upcoming movie. Don't feed us the bs of we didn't see it yet, u know damn well what it involves. By the way, when are u coming out with a movie about militant extremist islam? Probable not soon right? You may have money, but you are a lozer.

I think George Bush has put

Submitted by anonymous (not verified) on November 21, 2007 - 5:01am.

I think George Bush has put more troops in harm's way that the zero that Mark Cuban has.