Megyn Kelly Asks Brent Bozell Why Easter TV News Is All About Fashion, Food, and 'Drinkie-Poos'

April 18th, 2014 9:38 AM

Fox News host Megyn Kelly invited MRC president Brent Bozell to the airwaves to discuss a new MRC study on how about nine of every ten Easter references on network news are secular references to eggs, bunnies, candy, and not Jesus Christ. 

As Kelly aptly summarized it, "Instead of talking about Jesus or faith, almost 90 percent of the network's newscast reports on Easter focus on fashion, food and to quote one host, 'drinkie-poos.'” (Video below)

BRENT BOZELL, MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER PRESIDENT: But if you look at the media's coverage of Easter as we did over a three-year period, we found that 89 percent of the stories done on Easter deal with the secular side. Only 50 out of almost 560 stories, dealt with Easter as a religious holiday which is what it is.

MEGYN KELLY: Why should the media be focusing on the religious aspect of Easter? Why should they be focusing on it as opposed to the more secularized icons like Peeps?

BOZELL: Well, let me try to reverse it. There are secular holidays here. Memorial Day, 4th of July, there are people who go to church on Memorial Day to honor the fallen, who go to church to pray for our country. That doesn't mean that this should be a religious holiday. It's a secular holiday. And you can recognize the religious nature of it. I'm just saying, these are religious holidays and they should be recognized as religious holidays. And if there is a secular spin on them, that's fine too, who cares about it?. Look at Christmas, we looked at a two-year period on Christmas and a two-year period, only 1.3 percent of the stories on Christmas ever mentioned the word God. No, it is the birth of Christ, it's not a shopping day.

KELLY: And I know one of the hosts, or one of the segments you've taken issue with or a couple of times has been Kathie Lee and Hoda on "The Today Show." But Kathie Lee, you know her, I know her personally. She is a devout Christian. I mean, this is a woman of faith, but she can have a little fun talking about the pink martinis she's going to have on Easter. And like, why does she wind up on one of your segments just because she does that?

BOZELL: Oh no, it's just an example of it. Look, she is a wonderful person, and these stories are not offensive, it's not offensive at all to have these kinds of stories. What is troublesome is the media seem to be going out of their way not to mention, not to recognize the religious aspect of a religious feast day. Why can't you do that? Why do only 11 percent of the stories about a religious feast, they mention that as a religious feast. Why do only 1.3 percent of the stories of Christmas mention God?

KELLY: Why do you think the answer that is?

BOZELL: It seems like they are afraid to do that.