FOX News host Megyn Kelly has inserted herself into another controversial topic: Civilian deaths at the hands of US police forces . Ms. Kelly has been serving as host of “the Kelly File” since her return from maternity leave in 2013. During “The Kelly File”’s somewhat-short life, the host generated several controversies owing to her very explicit on-air opinions. The first concerned Jesus Christ & Santa Claus -- & now Kelly is offering Conservative analysis of anti-police sentiment in the United States.
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| Megyn Kelly helms a weather report in an earlier era |
In a January editorial delivered on “The Kelly File” she spoke for “supporters of police” who “have had enough.” Enough of what? The segments & others on FOX News have implied that those associated with law enforcement have had enough of various things -- criticism, bad press, protest, questioning, loss of respect, & the widespread dissent that had racked majority-black areas of the United States in 2014. I would argue that there are several factors that render Megyn Kelly a more effective vehicle for FOX’s Conservative editorial position than other ‘outrage’ hosts. Number 1, Kelly is a former legal professional & is obviously an intelligent and articulate woman. Her professional presentation, & persona of a “newswoman,” rather than an ‘outrage’ host gives her credibility that Sean Hannity, for example, does not possess (& likely never will). The second reason I believe Ms. Kelly is among the most influential assets of FOX News is her physical attractiveness. She is very pretty & somewhat of a sex symbol, while still fitting the mold of FOX News-women before her. She wears dresses (not pants) & her hair is volumized with hairspray. It is definitely a traditionally feminine presentation, but not a very feminine way of behaving -- Kelly is acerbic, rude, condescending, demeaning, and charming (sometimes in the same segment). For Liberal media-critique organizations & MSNBC①, she has been difficult to pin down. Is she a Trojan-horse news anchor, or a less-belligerent, more-acceptable outrage talker? Who knows. But this identity may have moved toward the ‘outrage’ since being awarded her own primetime show. This puts her in the same general neighbourhood as Sean Hannity & Bill O’Reilly.
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| Megyn Kelly looks somewhat forelorne on the "O'Reilly Factor" |
Kelly’s ascendance was not a token quickly given to a pretty blonde. Starting around the time of the 2004 US presidential election, Kelly found success at FOX News -- First contributing segments on legal issues, becoming a weekend host, hosting a weekly piece on Bill O’Reilly’s show, hosting the prominent & popular “America’s newsroom with Megyn Kelly,”②& on-to “The Kelly File” after about 10 years with FOX. Kelly not only is seen as a newswoman with a semi-serious pedigree, but she is also considered one of the “100 Most Influential People.”③ Megyn Kelly serves as a lynchpin for FOX News as its audience ages, & the overt outrage appeals lose their novelty. Megyn Kelly represents the same values FOX has more-or-less always advocated, but delivered in a subtler, almost sub-conscious fashion. This is enough to terrify Liberal & progressive critics,④ who have warned of her ‘Trojan-horse’ potential for years.
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| Megyn Kelly hosted 'Newswheel' programme "America's Newsroom" in the 2000's |
But being FOX’s trojan-horse woman does not mean that Kelly goes out of her way to offer provocative messages in non-threatening ways. In fact, since being awarded her own programme, Kelly seems to have developed a habit of responding to online articles in controversial & scandal-provoking ways.
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| Slate Blogger Aisha Harris made several TV news appearances after Conservative analysts, led by Megyn Kelly, drew attention to her work |
When a Slate Blogger by the name of Aisha Harris inaugurated a discussion of the racial depiction of the mythical figure Santa Claus, Kelly was pre-eminent among critics proclaiming that Santa Claus was, definitively white. Kelly’s response, predictably, garnered more attention than the original Slate article & burnished Kelly’s reputation as a ‘maverick.’⑤ Kelly then later apologized, saying she was joking, though not before she was taken very seriously by other media outlets & those online.⑥ Harris said that the ‘hare-trigger’ outraged responses by Kelly
⑦ & other white hosts “Kind of reinforced my point actually.” This didn’t stop Kelly from editorializing on the racial character of another mythic figure, the deity jesus Christ, whom she also stated was definitively white.
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| Reports emerge every day in the United States that reveal police brutality & killings of human civilians and animals, such as this dog |
Thus, ‘Newswoman’ Megyn Kelly is an outlet for the outrage of law-enforcement to being challenged by civilians. She has spent the last few years garnering her reputation as one who could be something of a Conservative opinion-leader.⑧ Used to experience impunity, overworked, frustrated, & perhaps psychically-traumatized police forces do not react to criticism well (apparently). When one can taze, beat, choke, kill, slam, punch, yell, demean, arrest, & otherwise control other people, (& this power is mandated by law) the wisdom or necessity of criticism seems to fall away -- Thus FOX & its hosts become the nexus for reactionary police associates. (Bernard Kerik, Police Benevolents etc…) Megyn Kelly is by no means the exemplar here: Other hosts reportedly accused Democratic elected officials, Mayor DeBlasio of New York, Al Sharpton of MSNBC, Attorney General Eric Holder, & the President of having “blood on their hands” after two police officers were killed by civilians. What FOX, Judge Jeanine, & Megyn Kelly are obscuring is the fact that America’s black people didn't need these figures to incite them to fight back: The insolence, privilege, & violent actions of the police did that for them.
Who has blood on their hands?
Notes:
①Same thing? lol
②Despite being a ‘Newswheel’ programme, “America’s Newsroom” was personality-driven
③According to one of “TIME” magazine’s spurious lists
④Media Matters, for example
⑤If that is what we are to call it
⑥Which included an appearance on CNN’s “Reliable Sources’ by Aisha Harris where she responded to the attention her post has received
⑦Kelly received support & backup from others like Bill O’Reilly. One could view this as her welcoming into that ‘big-time’ milieu. He later said the controversy was a “Conspiracy” by the Far-Left in the United States
⑧Tho this has not stopped her from challenging prominent Reactionary leaders (Dinesh D’Souza, Vice President Cheney…)
