December 01, 2008
Foxenfreude

Sybil Adelman Sage | Bio

Many on Fox-TV are manifesting symptoms of post-election Schadenfreude or "Foxenfreude," eagerly anticipating the ways Obama might fail, unable to wait for actual events.

Bill O'Reilly, the leader of the pack, has been relentlessly inviting guests into his so-called "spin-free zone" to poke away at Obama's every policy and cabinet pick. Ironically, these tend to be the same pundits who've accused liberals of rooting against our country and being anti-American for questioning the validity of the war in Iraq or challenging the torture of prisoners. It's worth noting that W was given the chance to screw up even before it became widely recognized as his area of expertise. We didn't charge out of the gate to undermine him during his transition period.

With almost two more months of air time to fill, O'Reilly may have to cast a wider net, in which case future shows will likely include interviews with right wing:

-Child psychologists attesting to the likelihood of the Obama girls, however adorable now, turning into rebellious teenagers as a result of being compelled to make their own beds while living in The White House.

-Dog trainers anticipating that pets whose poop is picked up by the children in a family will become confused and neurotic, perhaps even attacking foreign visitors and having to be euthanized.

-Educators citing that the Quaker, non-competitive atmosphere of Sidwell Friends will discourage Malia and Sasha, who will be self-satisfied and never develop leadership skills, therefore limited to careers as unpaid interns.

-Housekeepers balking that having children do chores takes jobs from them and threatens the economy of the country.