Bill O'Reilly found comedy in the video of a United passenger being dragged off a plane
If you want to make Bill O'Reilly laugh, just show him a video of a man being forcibly dragged off of an airplane — it tickles his funny bone every time.
In what may have been a ploy to get United to air advertisements during his show, The O'Reilly Factor host chuckled after he showed a clip from the viral video shot Sunday night on a Louisville-bound flight, when a passenger refused to give up his seat on an overbooked plane and was violently removed by airport police. In the footage, the man is heard screaming and passengers are gasping, with one woman yelling "Oh my God! Look at what you did to him!" This elicited a giggle from O'Reilly, who told correspondent Rob Schmitt, "I shouldn't be laughing, but it's just so bizarre."
The hilarity continued, with O'Reilly chuckling as he said, "They had to get some United Airlines personnel from Chicago to Louisville … they had to get them there and so they asked for volunteers, and obviously, this guy didn't volunteer." O'Reilly did settle down later in the segment, declaring that we "can't have this kind of stuff, it looks like a police state." Last week, The New York Times reported that Fox News and O'Reilly settled with five women accusing the anchor of sexual harassment, and The O'Reilly Factor has been shedding sponsors ever since.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Today's political cartoons - October 13, 2024
Sunday's cartoons - the swing of things, fear of facts, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 timely cartoons about climate change denial
Cartoons Artists take on textbook trouble, bizarre beliefs, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Kris Kristofferson: the free-spirited country music star who studied at Oxford
In the Spotlight The songwriter, singer and film-star has died aged 88
By The Week UK Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published