Why I watch Fox "News" Now, Attaturk and I had a discussion the other day about why I watch Fox "News." Atta claimed that it made him ill knowing that someone he knows watches Fox "New." And, of course, I respect that. I never get in the way of gastro-intestinal hurt. While trying to explain why I watch Fox "News" I came up with this list:

• Know your enemy
• Watch O'Reilly get mad at something silly
• All the news babes (not really but its another point)
• All the great bidness commercials
• What do THE people think? You KNOW, those people.
• All the great graphics
• Apples, bananas, grapefruit
• Wow, maybe I should invest in some gold!
• What is wrong with Stewart Smith?

Then it occurs to me, why do people watch Fox "News?" Really. I thought that it has something to do with ideology, laziness, the need for comfort news for the nut-wing, what is it? And then I figured out why I watch this so-called fair and balanced "news": its funny. Not in that Jerry Lewis We-All-Fall-Down funny nor in the Letterman sardonicism way, but in a they don't realize how funny they are humor. This is more than being on the wrong track kind of funny, because they BELIEVE it --Every word, every defensive posture for the right-wing. For example, the other day I was watching (sorry Attaturk) when I was on the treadmill listening to a report about the most recent reporting scandal at the NYT and the lies that were reported about WMDs and the pretext for the Iraqi war. And the Fox "News" guys did not mention ONE WORD about the war, WMDs, or Chalabi -- all they talked about was how the liberal NYTs had bad reporting and how this damaged the old grey lady's reputation. Wow. Did they just report a story without the context. Yup. I started to laugh so hard I had to get off the treadmill. My best laugh of the day came from Fox "News" and I guess that is why I watch. At least for now.