FOX GONE TOO FAR?

Has Fox has gone too far, or has it made a big leap to assume Lyons' missing "wallet" comment was referring to Lou's background; and not just Lou as a person "finding" a wallet?

Question: If Lou was speaking Russian, would we have the same reaction; or would we just consider it "boys being boys?" If Lou was Irish, then would such a comment get the same reaction? [We all know that the Irish got a bad deal for decades, right?]

How about if he was speaking Italian? I do not think so; and therefore, think Fox overreacted on this one. I guess if you think that Latinos have a tendency to "take" others’ wallets (or something bad . . .) then you might overreact as Fox appears to have done. Is that what the Fox VPs think? What about Fox's other TV shows. American Dad? Family Guy? Not very consistent if you ask me.

I think Fox "overreacted" in some manner, but I can see how the comments could be perceived as insensitive in today's "environment" of entitlement, being above the law. See below . . .

I guess Lyon's comment about not understanding what Lou was saying (his Spanish) was more important than the fact that the guy in Lou's story "found" a wallet? And why are you lucky if you find someone else's wallet? Should not you return the wallet in that case? Or did he find his own wallet? I need to watch the broadcast again. This is all very confusing to me! Is Lou's story suggesting that it is okay to keep the wallet if you find it? Isn't this stealing? So the message is that if you tease someone about stealing (from your cultural vantage point?) then you get fired?

At the end of the day, Fox’s actions might just do a disservice to our freedom of expression, right? Or maybe it just supports the growing environment of being free to break the law, or at minimum "finders keepers." Personally, I find it at odds with what we expect our political and business leaders to do. So why are we surprised with the "Enrons" or "Congressional sex scandals" of the day?

Who decides where the line gets drawn that we are allowed to cross? Also, why is it when someone "dings" or hits your parked car that they don't leave a note (at least in LA :))?

I am going to look at the broadcast again, and if I think Fox went too far, then I will boycott the rest of the baseball playoffs. My loss, right!!!

If we want to develop a society in which returning the wallet is more valued than the fortunes of finding a wallet (given one's critical situation?), then we should allow such teasing even if it crosses cultural differences, right? I need to consider this some more, but think this might be another example in which we do not apply one "standard" of conduct to all at the long-term expense of creating immediate surface differences between us.

Another hard topic!