August 12th, 2010
12:54 PM ET
Bill O’Reilly: Aniston's comments ‘destructive to society’Jennifer Aniston apparently ruffled the feathers of Fox News' Bill O’Reilly when she remarked that women don’t need men to have kids while promoting her new movie, “The Switch.” “Women are realizing it more and more, knowing that they don't have to settle with a man just to have that child,” the 41-year-old actress said of the decision her character makes in the movie to opt for single motherhood. O’Reilly, however, begs to differ. He brought up the statement on his show, “The O’Reilly Factor,” saying that Aniston is “throwing a message out to 12-year-olds and 13-year-olds that, 'Hey you don't need a guy. You don't need a dad.’ "
It’s the kind of perspective that, according to O’Reilly, is “destructive to our society.” And while Aniston can probably “hire a battery of people to help her,” O’Reilly went on, she can’t “hire a Dad.” Fathers, he added, “bring a psychology to children that in this society is underemphasized.” People like Aniston, O’Reilly said, “undermine and diminish” the fathers who are trying hard to raise their kids. Never one to back down from a good debate, O’Reilly noted that Aniston is welcome to respond to his statements. |
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"F****NG THING SUCKS!.....we'll do it live.... WE'LL DO IT LIVE! F*** IT! I'LL WRITE IT AND WE'LL DO IT LIVE!" -Bill O'Reilly abusing members of his staff while working on Inside Edition. WHO CARES WHAT HE THINKS!
Really!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! who are we to even comment or pass judgment on anyone, none of us here are perfect. I think that people have too much time on there hands to talk about others. We will all meet are maker in one form or another and that is all we have to make good with. I do not care if you are rich, poor , a couple or single parent adopt or decide to have your own child. If you have goodness and love within your heart and understanding any child will know they are loved regardless. We all know there is dysfunctional homes with two parents with lots of money and we have seen great homes with single parents who’s children has become our Dr’s, Lawyers of today. What we need to do is mind our own business and take care of our lives not worry about others and what they say. We all have been miss understood at one time or another on what we have said.
I can not understand how he can make so destructive comments and get away with it. This is a clear example of the type of Media we have, twisting words, the concepts, and taking things out of context, etc. For the love to make an "argument" and help their ratings. Mr. O'Really you did not have any thing intelligent, well written, interesting or appealing for any body that wants to heard what we all are craving a good report a great news. You are not doing such in a long time long time. I do not appreciate anything that come out of your mouth, because is TRASH!!!!
please tell me whats so "destructive" about what he said? seems to me that squirting out kids you cant take care of and demand society support is FAR more destructive. Sorry, but we dont need no more baby momma or baby daddies. we need PARENTS. Ole Jenn Jenn better learn the truth
Reilly is blowing Aniston;s comment way out of proportion.....(no wonder, Fox rep) The buzz word in her comment was that men are not needed for women to CONCEIVE children......nothing was alluded to mean children did not need healthy fathering.....pull your shorts out of that painful bind, O'Reilly, and leave Aniston alone......Stas show that there are many more dead-beat Dads than dead-beat Moms......just go take a walk.....
I hear of how God intended for kids to be born into 2 parent homes by some of you, then why does "HE" allow so many deadbeat dads and moms to roam the Earth? Because there is no God for 1 and for 2 if a woman wants to be a single mom, she still may have a father or brothers to help get the male role modeling in. And the kid won't have to suffer the father up and leaving( there are obviously more deadbeat dad than moms). Get your heads into something more important than some one elses lives or comments already.
Jennifer Aniston is clearly still in love with Brad Pitt and the whole world knows it. Frankly, hearing about how she needs to or wants to have a baby is really getting on my last nerve. I am so sick of hearing about anistons love life, and wanting a child. She is 42, she does not need ot have a child at 42. Besides all that isn't one of the reasons Brad Pitt left her is because she did not want to have children in the first place? Something she has denied forever? Well I think Brad was right, she has been whining long enough, just admit it Jen already and spare us the dumb crap.
I absolutely agree with you! Aniston doesn't want a man. She is too involved with her female friends. Every man that she was involved with left her. I'm sure they had their reasons. Jolie was not a homewrecker. There was no home to wreck. She had her chance to become a mom when she was married to Brad Pitt (but she missed the boat). Now she is bitter toward the world. I really do not think that she is the motherly type. She is too busy showing off her body. Stay with your lady friends, Jen. That's where you belong (not with a man).
i am a single mom and i do not need a dad to raise my child. something is wrong with bill..
My husband was merely a "sperm donor". He never showed any interest in raising his sons while married or after. If you can afford to have children and will love and care for them, I am all for it. If you can't, don't have even one, much less a dozen like some of these "welfare weilding women" do! While I agree everyone could use a father, sometime you are just better off without them.
What really gets me is if this was a single dad we were talking about he would be hero for taking care of his child. The beatles said it best, "All you need is love." It should matter where it comes from just that there is enough.
I think O'Reilly is right on with this one. No matter your political views, sociological studies always show that fathers are incredibly impactful on their children-especially daughters. And why is it perfectly fine to have Bill Cosby admonishing black fathers for abandoning their children (heck, he gets awards for it), but when a conservative, white, male commentator challenges a Hollywood actor's sad take on the role of the fatherhood, he's out of line? Enough with the knee-jerk liberal responses.
I agree that the ideal is two loving parents. What I would guess JA was trying to do was to come up with a PC answer to all the people who STILL keep asking her when she's going to have a baby. that's a lot of pressure to put on a woman. no matter what she does it's still "why are you single?" "do you still want to have children?".
Ideally, everyone would have two loving parents, and yes, ideally they would be a mother and a father. There are plenty of fine examples of children raised by a single mother, however. If a woman hasn't found a man whom she loves and would be a suitable parent and she is running out of time, better to have a child on your own than to miss that experience. A loving household is what counts!
If you disagree with Bill's ideals of how people should live their lives, then were wrong. He needs to wake up and smell the coffee. Not everyone can be as moral as you Bill.
The divorce rate should show people,that being married doesn't ensure that you are happy and will make better parents.A woman alone can provide a wonderful home for a child,there are alot of adults,who where raised by a single parent,who turned out just fine.You do not have to be rich in material ways but in love and values. As usual,O'Reilly,is dead wrong.
TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU MARY ANN!!
Boy, cnn sure is good at getting people to argue...not that it's that hard....not every parent is a loving parent...
Lonie: Yes, that's exactly right – if you're single, you shouldn't have a child. The bottom line is you should be married before you have a child. Our society continues to bend the rules because we think we know how things should be done better than God and then wonder why things have gone so terribly wrong.
You can't blame all of the worlds problems on unwed mothers, or poverty, or crime. There is a corrilation between the two but being a child of an unwed mother doesn't mean the child's going to be a drug dealing thug. You've obviously have never seen a mother get her face smashed in by an abusive father. It shouldn't matter I I'm single, gay or straight, as long as the child can be brought up in a loving environment, with people who are there to care for, teach and support the child.
And how many times has Bill O'Reilly been divorced? What does that say to 12-year old? It says it's ok to not stay with the person you promised you'd be with until death.
I agree with you CherylS. A bad marriage ending in divorce, can be more harmful to a 12 year old than growing up with a single parent. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to raise a child on your own if you are prepared to do so.
So according to O'Reilly, just because I'm single means that I can't have a child. The longer I wait the chances increase that pregnancy will be difficult, or the child may have a condition that they wouldn't have had if conceived earlier. Just because a child doesn't have a "father" around doesn't mean that there aren't good men around to help raise the child, such as grandfathers or uncles. I have married friends who have husbands who are too busy popping pills and doing who knows what else instead of raising their children or working to help provide for the child. But I guess they are better off because they are married and the father's in the kids life.
Yes it would be ideal, for every child to have a two parent home. But let's be realistic here. There are men and women who are just not fit to be parents. There are children out there, that are abused, abandoned,and just plain unloved. They don't deserve to have the previledge to have children. So women who decide to have children without fathers, that is your personal decision. There are wonderful single mother's and single father's out there, that give everything in their power, to make sure their children know that they are wanted and loved.
I used to be a big fan of Bills, but lately.. I think he has gone over to the other side
totally against you here Bill. I really dont see where Jennifer is putting down Dads. She is just stating a fact.
I would rather raise a child without a "father" then to have a negative influence in their life just so they can call him Dad.
Sorry Bill, for this, you fall into the "pinhead" catagory in my book
Quit while you're ahead you old cranky geezer.
O'Reilly once again without the spin. Disagree with him often but he calls it as he sees it and still lets you argue your point. Unlike that idiot Hanity.
I wonder how strong the connection is between people that think 2 parents are needed and right wing political\religous views? Freakin republicans, i blame you for all this craziness!
but seriously... what exactly is a kid raised by a single parent missing out on? My mom worked double shifts at the hospital to make ends meet when I was growing up and I turned out alright. I've never been in trouble with the law or anything stupid like that so... personally i'm glad my dad skipped out, wasn't no fun gettin beat. Freakin degrassi fooled me into thinking it was all glamourous. television lies.
god im so bored at work... XD
OH yea, the great Bill O'Reilly and his infinite wisdom! Because having one dead beat parent for some kids isnt enough, maybe they need two! Point and fact is that if one person is raising a child its because the either is a. dead b. not allowed to for GOOD reason or c. a piece of trash of left them. When I left my husband it was the best choice I ever made for my son and I. YES its harder being a single parent but it beats the alternative which was keeping a man who didnt want to be with his son in the first place. If that means i'm aiding in this "destruction of society" then I'll take it.
I don't particularly care for Jennifer Aniston either way, but its her opinion and she has the money to persue it, as long as she loves that child and supports them what the hell does it matter if there's no father?
Plus the kid could just wiki what one is like... they have a page for everything. XD i kid, i kid.
i'm assuming Bill is speaking from a place of personal understanding, what with him being a single mother and all... the guy is simply an idiot.
And Bill O'Reilly also doesn't approve of gay marriage, abortion, or welfare. He obviously does not have the children's well-being at heart all the time either.
How is abortion keeping a child's well-being at heart? It's the termination of the life of an unborn child.
She's promoting a movie. Let's not take ourselves too seriously now.
I agree with Bill. Aniston has no idea what it means to be a regular person and should keep her views focused on other millionaire actors that have the means to do what ever they want. It's not that all single mothers are bad, I'm sure many do the best they can and their children turn out just fine.
Most children need the perspective of both parents to grow up truly complete and happy due to societies ideals of what a Mother and Father represent. Having been a single parent and raised children in a traditional family I can tell you this from personal experience.
Wow Andrea perfectly said!
This is a new day and age people some men should not be fathers and some women should not be mothers. but to those who are good enough to be parents should not have to conform to what society wants them to be. Be your own person. Stand strong in your convictions
@kitty- i agree completely.
grow up people, this isn't 1950, people now sleep in the same beds, african americans have rights, AND single parents can raise a kid alone!
Not all fathers are made of rainbows and sunshine.
Speak for yourself.
@luke skywalker and Jeff P.- i completely agree.
"its better when they have two loving parents" yeah tell that to the kids that dont have ONE loving parent let alone two. So if a woman OR MAN wants to have a kid\adopt and raise it on their own its no ones business but theirs as long as they love that kid and treat them great.
Bill O'Reilly is one of those people that I just want to smack because he goes on and on about crap he has no idea about. Yeah its easy to argue hypothetically about something, the man is just a moron.
I dont believe the question is adoption. Those children are already on this earth needing someone ( 1 parent, 2 parents, grandparents, foster family) to love and raise them, having been deprived of any type of parental love.
The question/discussion is regarding purposely birthing a child and actively deciding against giving them ANY kind of Father from inception.
In one language you cannot refute 1+0 = 1
1 loving parent cannot and will never equal two loving parents. 1 awesome single mom still doesn't equal 2 loving parents. To Jennifer Aniston: 1 Awesomely rich single mom doesn't equal 2 loving poor/middle class/rich or otherwise parents.
Epic chain of comments here... love it.
I totally agree with Bill. Too many people think it's no big deal to have a baby on their own. Most of these people are selfish. Kids do better when they have two loving parents.
Agreed! I'm NO Bill fan but he's right on, here. Jennifer and like-minded women may legitimately hold these opinions but who speaks for their future, dad-less children? Can Jennifer know how her future son or daughter will feel without knowing personally who in part created him or her? Dad-less family situations arise naturally and that is an unfortunate part of life but to create this deliberately is a whole other (self-centered) matter. Bottom line - potentially harmful to the child's self-esteem and, on a wider scale, potentially harmful to society in the long run.
@buffy- umm yeah but who ever said 2 parents was the best thing for a kid? 1 parent will never equal 2? really? you are REALLY good at math. congrats! Why not have 3 parents? or 4 then? Why just stop at 2! The more the merrier is your theory eh?
I think if someone makes the CONSCIOUS decision to have a child ALONE it's no ones business. I'm sorry but doesnt more than HALF of marriages end in divorce? So what advantage is a child gaining from that home exactly? Saying a child needs 2 parents is like saying someone needs to buy a car and then a back up car incase the first breaks down. Unfounded and idiotic.
Equating a loving human male to a spare car. Scary...
I wish Bill O'Reilly, Glen Back and Rush Limbaugh (the three stooges) would take a long walk off a short pier. O'Reilly used to be a Hollywood gossip columnist and now he's held up as some paragon of virtueand intelligence...GET REAL!!
Julie...really? Really? Society's ills are because of single motherhood? Really? I am single mother and my daughter just finished her first year of college. My daugher's father never missed a child support payment – but never showed up for a birthday, or an event...until it was time to walk across the football field because she was nominated for Homecoming Queen. He did do that. You can't blame single motherthood for society's ills. There is no single motherhood without fathers who don't show up... so why not blame the man? What a load of garbage from people who have no idea of what they are talking about.
Single Mom and Julie,
I believe both of you could have stated your position with a bit more clarity and less antagonistic emotion. Fact: A large majority of juvenile delinquents are from single parent families. It goes without saying that most of these children come from a home with just a mom, because the father of the child did not hang around to raise them. Is this the fault of the single mother whose partner didn't man up for his kids? NO! However, most of theses single moms are working multiple jobs to make ends meet for said kid and can't be there to supervise them/raise them.
Does every child raised by a single mother end up as one of societies "ills" NO WAY! You hear stories every day of children/adults who accomplish great things because of a single mom who gave her all to them. However, this is not the norm, which is why when these great things happen the news lines grab the stories and run with it.
Simply put, raising a child is not a one man/woman job, it is at the minimum a two person job, preferably four or more! So, if life didn't work out for your child to have two active parents, then I cheer you on and pray God send you lots of help in the way of grandparents, aunts and uncles and close friends.
However, to purposely decide to bring a child into this world knowing they will never have a Father or someone to call daddy or another set of grandparents and family, is actively making a choice to do life harder than need be. The simple truth is every child NEEDS a father, not every child gets one, but our job as parents is to provide the needs of our children to the best of our ability, why would you actively make a life-long decision to with-hold a need from your child?
Right on sister I completly agree with you.
Single Mom, as your daughter's father definitely did support her at least financially, this is not the situation I was talking about. I understand there are many situations where the father is involved in the child's life to varying degrees.
And I'd also like to add I was wrong to say the problem is "single motherhood". I know it is an amazingly difficult job single mothers do, and I respect every one of you. The problem is non-existent fatherhood. Also, these discussions begin when a wealthy celebrity makes this statement and she does not face the difficulties of the average person.
What is wrong with that man?!! I stopped watching his show years ago, partly because of his negativity but, lo and behold, I log on to check my e-maill, and there is all this crap about Jennifer Anniston and whatever it was she said about having a baby, Of course, I believe in the best possible situation, a kid needs a mother and father, but if a woman reaches the stage in life where she might wonder if she'll ever meet Mr. Right, then more power to her. Go for the turkey baster. As for this business about her sending the wrong message to twelve-year olds, give me a break! This is an era of multi-media and it doesn't take Jennifer Anniston to let any kid (male or female) know that technically speaking you don't need a man to get pregnant.
I don't think that Jennifer Aniston has the mental or intellectual capacity to take on Bill O'Reilly.
I dont watch his garbage programming but based on this article...I finally agree with one thing Oh Really? has to say
I am not a Bill O'Reilly fan at all and disagree with so much of what he says–except this. He is absolutely right on the money here and this debate about single motherhood being bad, good, etc. has been raging on for at least two decades.
If people cannot connect many of society's ills (poverty, crime, overpopulation) to single motherhood, then we'll never be able to solve our problems.
Julie, I totally agree with you.
I agree as well. And, it's easy for Ms. Aniston to say kids don't need a Father when she has all the money in the world to hire nanny's etc., so she can spend time with her child – unlike most single mothers who must stuggle just to make ends meet. Not to mention that anyone with that amount of failed relationships is the last person to give advice on what is needed in order to make another human life successful...stick to your acting Jen.
Never ever in this lifetime would that i thought i'd agree with O'Reilly but he's exactly right, children need their fathers, mothers most often wont take their young children fishing or playing ball, not saying there's no exceptions but fathers bring lots of life lessons to children and are important just as much as mothers. Area's in the inner city that are stricken with poverty where children dont have fathers is a good example, most of the children grow up without guidance because the mother is working hard to provide and without guidance they fall victim to drugs and gangs.
I agree. When a father dies and a woman is left with children, those children should be taken away from that single mother. The traditional father-mother relationship is the only possible form of parenting that can possibly create a nurturing environment.
I understand what you and (uck) Bill O'Reilly are saying, but can't she speak for herself? She's standing up for women, like herself, who are successful but possibly unlucky in love. Women like that can get pregnant and raise a child on their own (admittedly with all the help in the world)-they dont need a man. The child will be raised by a whole group of loving individuals. But she's not espousing this for 12 or 13 year olds! Let her speak for herself and dont judge...lest ye be judged. One more point as well: many children are far better off being raised by one hard-working, loving parent than two that hate each other and are abusive to the child. Everyone who decries single motherhood-many of those women had no choice. The man simply left.
how dare anyone blame the ills of society on single mothers.....women being statistically the least violent of all species of our human kind....how dare you or Bill O'Rielly declare that your nuclear family consisting of a traditional mother and father are "the best" for our children.......How dare you or Bill O'Rielly interpret pschology......Great people have come from single parents..of each gender....further..you also tend to forget all those poor soles who lost their parents young and have lived productive lives in the face of disaster....don't tell me you and Bill O'Rielly have an issue with Harry Potter as well????
Yeah, Bill. 12- and 13-year-olds just hang on Jennifer Aniston's every word.
Well, they seem to hang onto Miley's lack of fashion sense.
Jennifer Aniston is destructive in more ways than one. It is a shame that she is in the public eye and people look up to her. She has no idea of what its like to live in a single family as a child growing up! She has no idea that a family should always start with two people as God intended, not science. She should think before she speaks and realize she has responsibility to those that idolize her every word. (Who don't know any better.) In other words she should realize how SELFISH having a child would be without the proper support. It always hurts the child.