The Ex Factor

Last Friday I mentioned how Gawker's John Cook was claiming that a recent, bizarre Fox News attack against the legendarily snarky NYC-centric website was in fact a preemptive strike. According to Cook, he was about to go public with an embarrassing item featuring one of Fox's hosts and the network was responding in advance by trying to trash Gawker's reputation in an attempt to discredit it.

Well, that story has now been published.

It involves Bill O'Reilly, his estranged wife, the guy who may be her new boyfriend, and the Nassau County Police Department.

It's pretty entertaining stuff -- although given what we know about O'Reilly's personality, not the least bit surprising.

Gawker: How Bill O'Reilly Tried To Get His Wife's Boyfriend Investigated by the Cops/8.30.11

Pressure Cook

Nick Denton may be a notoriously mercurial pain in the ass, but that doesn't mean Gawker isn't generally a really good read. And the people he hires -- and occasionally fires because the pillow goblins told him to -- are a major reason for that.

This morning, Fox News's #1 comedy show, Fox & Friends -- specifically the show's most shameless hack, Doocy the Clown -- went on a somewhat inexplicable tear against Gawker, basically casting it as irrelevant and declaring the website officially way past its prime. While Fox and Gawker have never exactly been on the same page politically or culturally, the attack seemed especially odd simply because there hasn't been anything in particular lately that might prompt Fox to lash out in Gawker's direction like the schoolyard bully that it is.

Well, Gawker's John Cook -- who has admittedly made it his mission to be an ongoing thorn in the side of Fox and Roger Ailes -- says he knows exactly why Fox is choosing now to strike. Why it needs to plant the seed among its audience that Gawker's is a voice not to be trusted. According to Cook -- the move was preemptive.

Gawker: Why Fox Is Attacking Gawker/8.26.11

Quote of the Day, Jr.

"The next thing that I would like to be publicly acknowledged is not just that they’re ideological -- they’re not just the TV equivalent of The Weekly Standard or something -- they are actually a power base within the Republican Party."

-- Gawker's John Cook on Fox News

Cook and Gawker are filing suit against the office of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie today. The reason: They want access to e-mails between Christie and Fox News Chief Roger Ailes because Cook believes it's very possible that Ailes is secretly advising Christie on his political career. The thing is, he is advising him -- and he's not even bothering to do it in secret. Fox News is the power base of the Republican party and when Ailes gives you advice, which he has to Christie, you generally take it because Fox stands as your personal megaphone and propaganda engine and Ailes can make or break you.

Remember what I said last week about the danger of having a direct connection between a massive media corporation and American politics? This is what I was talking about.