In Monday’s edition of the Globe and Mail, one of the most respected Canadian newpapers, columnist John Doyle wrote about how Canadian cable and satellite providers are mulling over adding Foxnews to their lineups. Doyle was all for it, saying it would be a great new venue for comedy as we laughed at O’Reilly and company. You can read the original column at http://www.globeandmail.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040419/DOYLE19
Somehow, O’Reilly got wind of the article and mentioned it on his show, labelling the G&M as being “far-left” (in reality it’s quite moderate, bordering on conservative – at least by Canadian standards), and saying, “Hey you pinheads up there, I may be pompous, but at least I’m honest.” The the fun began. Dozens of angry Fox viewers wrote Doyle, calling him all sorts of nasty insults, the most hilarious being “Canadian” as if that label was likely to make his blood boil. “How dare they use my nationality as a perjorative! Why I oughta…” The second article is at http://www.globeandmail.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040421/DOYLE21
I lost count of the number of times I was called “an ahole." It was at least 43 times, anyway. I was called “a pussy,” “a wussy,” "a prk,” “a jerk,” “a hack” and “a creep.” A man in Cleveland not only called me “an ahole" but also wished me a "fed-up day." A lady – and I use the term advisedly – in Colorado wrote to say that all Canadians are "a*holes” and thenordered me not to visit her state. I was also called a Canadian numerous times, as if that were an automatic and withering insult.
In an nice touch, a man from somewhere-in-the-USA opened by cheerfully calling me “sonny bub” and, after some confusing name-calling that involved the word “intellectual,” he rose to a great rhetorical flourish – he asked if I had served in Vietnam!
