O’Reilly Gives The Real Deal On Michael Jackson’s Bad Sales
The O’Reilly Factor host Bill O’Reilly gave his input on the Michael Jackson charges that blame Sony for his poor album sales. O’Reilly said, “The real deal here is that like Woody Allen, Americans have turned on Michael Jackson. They believe he is a child molester and they believe he is a freak of nature. The guy is white now. Somehow a black man has turned himself into a white man with hair like Elizabeth Taylor. They don’t want — Americans don’t want this kind of a presence in their living room on the CD, on television, and that’s why he’s such a disaster. I believe he’s done as a performer, no matter what he puts out.” Read on for a complete transcript.
Bill: Michael Jackson pulled another bizarre stunt over the week en, touring around new york city, calling his own records company, Sony, racist among other things. In the beginning, Al Sharpton was on board this strange spectacle and now Sharpton is backing away. Joining us from Los Angeles is Burt Fields, Jackson’s former attorney, who ironically now recommends the Sony corporation, which Jackson despises. All right, counselor. Now, he calls Tommy Motolla, the Sony music boss, he calls him a racist, mean, and very, very, very — three very’s — devilish. So, what say you, counselor?
Burt: I think part of what Michael said and, by the way, I don’t think this is Michael’s idea. I think he is getting some very bad career advice.
Bill: From who?
Burt: I’d just as soon not personalize it. Bill: Come on, counselor! I can’t get anymore personal. He’s calling the boss — he’s calling your boss a racist and a devilish mean guy.
Bill: Who’s giving him bad advice?
Burt: It is ridiculous to call Tommy Motolla a racist. First of all, I’ve known this guy for years. He doesn’t have a racist bone in his body. He has been a staunch proponent of black music. He’s got numerous close friends in the black community. It is absolutely nuts. You know what it does? It cheapens the word racist.
Bill: That’s already been cheapened. That’s gone. That argument has been used.
Burt: When you call people racist, like Tommy Motolla, exactly the, the word has no impact anymore.
Bill: That’s true. Nobody is taking this seriously. Even Champson, who’s got on — Sharpton who’s got on the bus early because it gives him great publicity, even Sharpton is looking at the guy like he’s from outer space. Look at him. Look at his body language. Look at that. He can’t get out of there fast enough. He knows this is a circus.
Burt: How can you make Michael Jackson the poster boy for poor black artists? That’s nuts, too.
Bill: What is this all about? What is this all about really?
Burt: I’ll give you my personal speculation. Just my personal speculation. I think that whoever is guiding Michael in this is guiding him to pressure Sony into making economic concessions. And I think that’s a sad, sad thing. It’s not Michael. Michael is a guy i really like.
Bill: All right. Here’s what it’s about. And I disagree with you here, even though you know these guys better than I do. First of all, Jackson’s ego is shattered because only — he only sold two million copies of his new records. All right? He has to blame it on somebody, so he blames it on his record company for lack of promotion. Me being in the business of competing, we do this all the time if our project fail, we say we didn’t get the support we need. You know that. It’s a trick that everybody uses.
Burt: Of course.
Bill: However. The real deal here is that like Woody Allen, Americans have turned on Michael Jackson. They believe he is a child molester and they believe he is a freak of nature. The guy is white now. Somehow a black man has t turned himself into a white man with hair like Elizabeth Taylor. They don’t want — Americans don’t want this kind of a presence in their living room on the CD, On television, and that’s why he’s such a disaster. I believe he’s done as a performer, no matter what he puts out.
Burt: You could be right and if that’s true, it’s a sad thing. But to go out and start calling people racist, that’s beyond the pail.
Bill: but he’s desperate. He’s not an intelligent man, anyway. I don’t think he’s intelligent.
Burt: He has a fairly high I.Q. I think he is a bright man. I think he is misguided in this campaign. I don’t think it’s going to work. I think — I don’t think it’s just desperation. I think he is out there trying to pressure Sony. He is out there — and this is just my opinion — he is out there saying I’m going to keep on doing this until you guys go along with what I want.
Bill: What does he want?
Burt: Well, that is something that would get into his agreement and it’s confidential.
Bill: He wants more money? Does he want more money?
Burt: Well, of course. Of course.
Bill: For what? Does he want to make another record and you pay him more money for that records?
Burt: I believe that what he wants to do is acquire something from Sony that Sony doesn’t want to sell.
Bill: To give up.
Burt: That’s right.
Bill: This is extortion then?
Burt: I wouldn’t use that word. But it certainly — it’s certainly not effective extortion, let’s say that.
Bill: No, I mean, look — The company is not going to knuckle under over somebody coming out and calling Tommy Motolla racist, which is whacko. There’s nobody in America, as you said, who sympathizes with him. The guy is a troubled guy. I disagree with you. I don’t think he’s a smart guy at all. I think this is dumb and this is the end of the road for Michael Jackson. I appreciate it very much. Thank you very much.
