I like Fox, maybe this might be your problem....

Erich Von Daniken has abducted my FIL! Maybe we should get the two together and take the summer off from parental senior moments.

Love the tile of this thread! If there could be a title contest, I nominate OP FTW!

They have my Dad, Step-Dad, and SIL. Mom's getting there too because Step-Dad has Fox on ALL DAY with the volume turned up to 11. I used to be able to engage with Step-Dad. I enjoyed our spirited debates. Now he just looks at me like I"M the one who's brainwashed. SIL is a piece of work - doesn't WOH, doesn't volunteer at kids' school. Just sits in her kitchen letting Fox wash over her while she forwards political emails. Cannot compute.

I used to work in television and I can tell you that most of the folks I knew in the industry will work for anyone solvent (short of porn). The job market has shrunk, standards have collapsed. It's not 'news', it's entertainment but the 65+ old, white viewers treat it like they have a pipeline to clarity.

Anonymous wrote:Welcome to the club. We need to start a Fox-A-Non meeting, I think.

I'm in. I find it almost impossible to talk to my dad about anything. Most of my responses are, 'Dad, we completely disagree on this issue. I'd rather not discuss it with you.' I'd rather be abrupt than have him spend the entire conversation telling me I'm wrong.

Anonymous wrote:What really bugs me about Fox is the daily Tarts and Vicars Party they have going on. Why is it that the most qualified female reporters they find also manage to be very thin, pretty, with big hair and TONS of makeup? And yet the most qualified male reporters they find look like old grumpy trolls?

If you only want hot people to read the news to the viewers, why no "hot" men?

This is so true. Plus I appreciate the tarts and vicars party reference!

I've instructed my child to smother me with a pillow if I watch nothing but entertainment parading itself as news. If I have to be spoonfed sound bites and told how to feel about them, my life is already over.

Anonymous wrote:OP - Your mom is in good company. Fox outranks all the other cable news networks by about 4 times. There is a reason for that. Fox not only presents news that other networks choose not to present, but they also present panels with opposing viewpoints.
Perhaps you may want to talk with your mother and actually listen to what she says. You may actually learn something.
You sound like a typical youth - thinking you know more about life than your parents who have experienced a whole lot more than you.

Fox is popular. Because it's the "Enquirer" of tv.

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Anonymous wrote:Yeah for someone preaching the need to consider multiple viewpoints and the value of open mindedness, you sound like both a hypocrite and an a--hole.

Hey mom, get off DCUM. Fox is on.

Wanna bet that I'm smarter than you? We should have a contest.

It is not a contest. It is not about who is smarter. The issue is engaging in thoughtful, deliberate dialogue about important matters. Fox robs its viewers of this critical thinking capability. So instead, they say things like, "Hey, wanna bet I am smarter? Want a contest?"

Can't even think of an appropriate smartness contest. Well that was over much more quickly than I expected! Feels good to win.

PS - if you think you're getting "thoughtful, deliberate dialogue" from any comparable liberal (MSNBC) or centrist (CNN) mass media source you are kidding yourself. God forbid you think you're getting that from Democracy Now. The issue with most libs is they don't like the viewpoints on Fox, which is fine, but just say so and stop dressing it up it BS due process explanations. If you want to point to CSPAN or NPR or something, OK, sure, that's somewhat better (though still wildly imbalanced) but in no way comparable to Fox. It's like saying chicken is better than beef because coq au vin is preferable to beef jerky.

You are an idiot. Really.

+1
Talking to people like the 'smartness content' PP is like wrestling with a pig in the mud. You quickly realize you are getting dirty, but the pig is actually enjoying it.

to the OP. I really feel your pain. part of it is that I disagree with the fox bias. But more than that, I just can't stand to have the news on all of the time, particularly FOX, where the speaker seems to be always screaming. combine that with my father being hard of hearing, and visits to their house are nearly impossible. and at my house, I have to ban FOX, but I allow them CNN. the speakers scream less there.

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Anonymous wrote:Ugh my parents are the same way. I don't have an issue with an opposing viewpoint, but what drives me crazy is their lack of believing anything else or even listening to anything else. It's not possible to have a discussion about politics with them- they are so close-minded and repeat the FNC line on anything. So frustrating.

Yes and yes. My mom is a victim of confirmation bias. She will only read crazy right wing blogs that support what she hears on Fox. If she comes across an idea or viewpoint that counters a Fox viewpoint, it blows a fuse in her brain. She has lost the ability to think logically.

Just a thought: Perhaps your mother is upset about your sanctimonious preaching and utter disregard for her viewpoint. You sound like you are disrespectful and mean to her. Don't you appreciate her for raising you to be able to have your own viewpoint? She probably paid for your college education, too. You sound like a young idealist who is incapable of rational debate.

Agreed. Think how you people will feel when your kids start demeaning and belittling you? And they will, since they saw you to it to their grandparents, unchecked. Just an awful way to act.

Some of have noted that our parents were intelligent, free thinking individuals who could offer robust arguments and defend their viewpoints and values with facts. In my case, I am not demeaning my parents. I miss being able to engage with them about politics.

Fox preys on people like my parents. And, it gets to the point where they can't see the water they are swimming in.

What really bugs me about Fox is the daily Tarts and Vicars Party they have going on. Why is it that the most qualified female reporters they find also manage to be very thin, pretty, with big hair and TONS of makeup? And yet the most qualified male reporters they find look like old grumpy trolls?

If you only want hot people to read the news to the viewers, why no "hot" men?

Whenever I hear about someone who only watches Fox News, it reminds me of the study that showed they knew less "news" than people who watched no news at all.

http://www.businessinsider.com/study-watching-fox-news-makes-you-less-informed-than-watching-no-news-at-all-2012-5

*do it

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Anonymous wrote:Ugh my parents are the same way. I don't have an issue with an opposing viewpoint, but what drives me crazy is their lack of believing anything else or even listening to anything else. It's not possible to have a discussion about politics with them- they are so close-minded and repeat the FNC line on anything. So frustrating.

Yes and yes. My mom is a victim of confirmation bias. She will only read crazy right wing blogs that support what she hears on Fox. If she comes across an idea or viewpoint that counters a Fox viewpoint, it blows a fuse in her brain. She has lost the ability to think logically.

Just a thought: Perhaps your mother is upset about your sanctimonious preaching and utter disregard for her viewpoint. You sound like you are disrespectful and mean to her. Don't you appreciate her for raising you to be able to have your own viewpoint? She probably paid for your college education, too. You sound like a young idealist who is incapable of rational debate.

Agreed. Think how you people will feel when your kids start demeaning and belittling you? And they will, since they saw you to it to their grandparents, unchecked. Just an awful way to act.