2.11.11 - 8:00AM
- by
Jay Hathaway

Bill O'Reilly Fails at Science and Becomes a Meme - You Can't Explain That!

bill oreilly tide goes in tide goes out never a miscommunication can't explain that Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly recently tried to prove the existence of God with the now-infamous line, "Tide goes in, tide goes out. Never a miscommunication. You can't explain why the tide goes in." As anybody with a rudimentary understanding of science is aware, the tides go in and out because of the moon and something called "gravity."

Naturally, a whole lot of people -- from Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert to seemingly the entire internet -- mocked O'Reilly for his comments. O'Reilly, rather than admit that he had given one of the shabbiest pro-creationist arguments of all time, tried to defend himself by saying,

Okay, how'd the moon get there? Look, you pinheads who attacked me for this, you guys are just desperate. How'd the moon get there? How'd the sun get there? How'd it get there? Can you explain that to me? How come we have that and Mars doesn't have it? Venus doesn't have it. How come? Why not? How'd it get here? How did that little amoeba get here, crawl out there? How'd it do it?

Of course, other planets DO have moons, which doesn't help O'Reilly's science cred one bit. The internet, of course, responded with an image meme featuring O'Reilly acting puzzled over simple, everyday things and responding "You can't explain that!"

Check out the original O'Reilly clip and our favorite images from the meme below.

The original video goes in ...

... the images come out.

(Reddit user awesomethunderbolt)

(Reddit user texacer)

(Reddit user thexhatchet)

(Reddit user trevorjordan)

You can't explain that!

link:// "Bill O'Reilly Proves God" Meme on Memegenerator
link:// Bill O'Reilly Meme on Geekosystem
related:// Bill O'Reilly Flips Out, "We'll Do It Live!" - #80 -The 100 Most Iconic Internet Videos

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2.13.11

By bigbe

Lowest Rank

By Joe says; ''How else would it be decided who stands where?''. If there is a god, And I'm not saying there isn't, why does it have to be decided who stands where? If god is perfect then he can make everything perfect and noone would ever commit evil. Do you think he stands outside while ''allowing'' us to commit evil and gets a charge out of it? Man keeps giving God human strengths and weaknesses and all the time saying he is better than us.
I believe that god was created in our image rather than the other way around because of our fears and conceits. Something created us but it certainly isn't the ''God'' that most people think of. Muslims, Christians, Budhists etc. are all wrong in their beliefs but if it gives them peace, so be it.
Remember this; The more people who believe in two differing views. within reasonable percentages, the better the odds that BOTH views are WRONG!

2.13.11

By victoriab100

Highest Rank

"Attempts to put down, belittle and in effect silence people with whom you disagree is a dangerous and anti intellectual"

You have just described o'reily's program perfectly.

2.14.11

By katydid579

Highest Rank

The comment was NOT taken out of context. There was no misunderstanding of what he said. oreilly uttered nonsense and was called out on it. Then, when he tried to bolster his statement with "fact" he dug himself deeper in the "stupid" hole.

2.13.11

By mel

Highest Rank

The problem with Bill O'Reilly is not the dumb things he mis-speaks about. What else is new? I don't think he even takes himself that seriously. The problem is the millions of people who DO take him seriously and think whatever comes out of his mouth is the absolute truth. At this point, O'Reilly is the comic relief at Fox - there are so many "news reporters" on FOX that are far more worrisome than Bill O'Reilly. Let's realize that O'Reilly is pretty much irrelevant at this stage and worry about the Glenn Beck's - because there are millions of people out there who are taking THEM seriously and that scares me - alot. I definitely believe in a person's right to stand on a soap box and say whatever he believes but it's irresponsible of FOX to allow them to do it on TV under the guise of real news. Even if I were ultra conservative, which I am not, I would be afraid of these TV personalities. I'm afraid of fanatics of all persuasions - history has proven that fanatics are people we should all be afraid of - these are people who will never listen to the other side - completely inflexible. I am a liberal but I can't stand Bill Maher either - because he is also a fanatic who won't entertain the idea that someone who disagrees with him may actually have a point. Shouting the other person down is no way to have a serious conversation about serious topics. Why can't we all stop shouting and listen to each other instead of talking over each other in an effort to prove just how smart we are? it's not working - never did.

2.13.11

By stacknef

Highest Rank

Why don't people like OReilly you ask? Well, for one thing, because I disagree with his opinions, he calls me a "pinhead"?

And his comment was NOT taken out of context. I saw the origninal interview and the person he was addressing was almost stunned into silence from such an ignorant question "Where do the tides come from,,,, who knows?"

Well BillO, I asked my 5th grader neice and she told me its a product of the gravitational forces between the Moon and the Earth, without getting into much more detail. I just wanted to check whether anyone else was as stupid. Nope, just him.

2.13.11

By Harley

Highest Rank

I've never met OReilly, so I can't say that I don't like him. I don't think he knows what he's talking about, and his analogy was not a good one. I certainly don't want to silence or marginalize Oreilly either. He has the right to say what he wants, just as I do. Debating his comments is exactly what freedom of speech is about. The simple fact is, tides exist because of the gravitational pull of our moon. Mars happens to have the same sun (as does Venus), and Mars has two moons. Mr Oreilly doesn't seem to be aware of a scientific fact I remember from Jr high (at least). While Religious faith comes from believing (without questioning) something someone wrote centuries ago, Science is about finding out the facts, WHETHER WE LIKE THEM OR NOT. Science does not depend on what someone wrote, but on experimentation and Observation.
Oreilly is free to believe anything he wants. But that also means I'm free to believe he doesn't know what he's talking about, too.

2.13.11

By bjs

Highest Rank

I agree with you Vernon. I don't understand why so many people think that, if you don't agree with them, you are stupid, idiots, and without intelligence.

2.11.11

By seb

Neutral

had to make one myself.
http://images2.memegenerator.net/ImageMacro/5721473/pedo-priests-absolved-by-pope-you-cant-explain-that.jpg?imageSize=Medium&generatorName=Bill-Oreilly-Proves-God

2.11.11

By seb

Lowest Rank

i've seen plenty of his shows. they all make me rage. he is clearly a) retarded and b) an asshole. so what's your point?

2.12.11

By Vernon

Highest Rank

seb,

This is my point:

When your weapon against another person that you do not like are personal attacks and name calling, and not an intelligent rebuttal based on facts and substantive and scholarly debate, you are being anti-intellectual.

That is a typical tactic used by people who either don’t really understand the issues or cannot create an effective and intelligent argument to support their own position.

Have you really seen one entire broadcast, start to finish? I have never seen or heard O’Reilly be an ***hole to anyone.

2.14.11

By sd

Neutral

At the risk of speaking for Seb: I don't think that was a 'weapon' he was using against BOR... i think it was simply shorthand for the conclusion he reached. It's the end of the train of thought, not the beginning.

2.12.11

By Vernon

Highest Rank

sd,

I would like to see a train of thought in an intelligent argument that ends with an immature assessment such as retarded and ***hole at the conclusion.

WHere are the facts to support a that kind of commentary. Since when is liable a legitimate conclusion?

Both you and seb are helping me make my case.

Thanks

2.13.11

By kturnbaugh

Neutral

I think you give him/her too much credit and are white washing the comment

2.13.11

By StrayLeo

Neutral

Vernon, then bor using the term pinheads, shows he is unintelligent?????

2.13.11

By JP

Neutral

Dude - I think you nailed it. Too funny

2.13.11

By JP

Highest Rank

"would like to see a train of thought in an intelligent argument that ends with an immature assessment such as retarded and ***hole at the conclusion. "

Ok - so here you have it.

Retarded - ***hole. Happy now?

2.13.11

By khayne44

Neutral

So Bill O'Reilly's anology of wheather God exists or not, may not have been the best, but the truth is that no one can prove or disprove whether or not he exists. But one thing I know for sure, we all will find out someday, and if your a non-believer, you better be right!!!