WATCH: Jon Stewart Gets Bill O'Reilly to Admit that White Privilege Exists . . . Sort of
Jon Stewart only wanted one thing from Bill O'Reilly on the Daily Show last night: An admission of the existence of white privilege. It is a fact of life that the Fox peronsality has steadfastly denied, despite overwhelming evidence.
Bizarrely O'Reilly first countered that then Stewart had to acknowledge that Asian privilege exists, because Asian Americans make more money on average than other groups.
"You're missing the point," Stewart said.
O'Reilly continued missing the point, and the two sparred on. O'Reilly acknowledged that slavery and Jim Crow might have been bad, but "that was then, this was now."
Stewart noted that there were more recent examples of racism: for instance that the neighborhood in which O'Reilly grew up (where his family was able to get a cheap mortgage thanks to the G.I. bill), Levittown, did not allow blacks. Stewart also noted that although whites use drugs in higher numbers than blacks, blacks are disproportionately arrested and imprisoned for it. O'Reilly acknowedged this and continued to insist that "if you work hard and are honest" in America, you can make it.
But, O'Reilly conceded towards the end of the segment, white privilege or racism is "a factor."
Stewart was exultant.
Watch:
