'Fox and Friends' Discusses Wikipedia's Flaws

November 26th, 2007 4:02 PM

Did you know that "Fox and Friends" co-host Steve Doocy is a 61-year-old stripper who tragically died today? No, he is not, but according to a Wikipedia edit today he is. The November 26 edition of "Fox and Friends" discussed word of some school districts banning Wikipedia and the false information some readers add. As a result, some apparently angry viewers proved their point and added wild information to their pages.

Apparently, Steve Doocy died in a car accident today, is 61, and a stripper. Brian Kilmeade has been dead for ten years. Perhaps his ghost now hosts "Fox and Friends."

Several months ago, MRC President Brent Bozell warned of unreliability of Wikipedia. One internet user falsely claimed there is an ongoing feud between Bozell and famed media critic Bernard Goldberg.

For the record, Gretchen Carlson’s and Brian Kilmeade’s pages have been changed back and editing by "unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled." Steve Doocy’s page has not been disabled, but apparently a Fox fan recently edited it to add a very glowing and positive profile of Doocy most conspicuous in this passage.

"Doocy has been involved extensively in fundraising for the poor and disadvantaged, he has helped build homeless shelters in northern New Jersey, stock food pantries around New York City, and was a national spokesman for the March of Dimes."

Relevant conversational points about Wikipedia throughout the show are below.

GRETCHEN CARLSON: Have you guys ever gone to Wikipedia to look for something? Well, it is the online encyclopedia.

STEVE DOOCY: Because it’s free.

CARLSON: The problem is, I guess anybody can go into these pages and adjust what’s on them? So is it really factual? Well, now some schools are saying "look, we’re going to ban this at our schools because we don’t think this is the best way for our students to be learning about history and other information." And I wholeheartedly agree. The last time I went to my Wikipedia page, guys, they had a fact on there that wasn’t right.

DOOCY: Really?

BRIAN KILMEADE: Your own personal one?

CARLSON: Yeah.

KILMEADE: Oh okay.

CARLSON: So, I mean, I don’t know how to go in and change it. I probably should learn how to do it.

DOOCY: I looked at mine one day, because somebody sent me something about it. And I looked, and it said that I was a Catholic. And then- it said Steve Doocy, Roman Catholic- and then it talked about, said all of these vile things about the pope and stuff like that.

KILMEADE: That you said about the pope?

DOOCY: I never been connected to the pope before. And it talked about where I live. There’s-the problem is if somebody watching right now has got an axe to grind with one of us, doesn’t like us, they just go on and you can anonymously change it.

[...]

DOOCY: But if Paul McCartney asks you to go to the prom, you go.

KILMEADE: That’s true too.

DOOCY: Everybody would go. If Paul McCartney’s watching, I’m available.

CARLSON: Uh oh! I’m going to add that to your Wikipedia page!

DOOCY: I’m sure it’s on there!

CARLSON: And he wants to date Paul McCartney.

[...]

DOOCY: Just to prove my point that Wikipedia is a worthless source when it comes to reliability. According to- you’re seeing a technological and medical marvel right now, because according to Wikipedia, I’m dead.

KILMEADE: In a car accident.

DOOCY: I died today according to what somebody had put in there. Now, listen to you Mister, I wouldn’t be getting-

CARLSON: What does his page say?

DOOCY: Now his page says you died in 1997.

KILMEADE: Really?

CARLSON: Since we’ve been talking about this, somebody went in and adjusted the pages?

DOOCY: On my page somebody has made ten edits already in the last 15 minutes.

[...]

DOOCY: Now according to Wikipedia I’m 61. It’s wrong, of course I’m 67.

ALISYN CAMEROTA: At least you’re alive again.

DOOCY: Thank you! I’m alive again!

KILMEADE: And everyone got over my death in ‘97 pretty quickly.

CAMEROTA: Small blessings.

DOOCY: Hey, you’re still dead.

CARLSON: They had my birthday wrong as well.

KILMEADE: They did?

CARLSON: But so far I am still alive. I think somebody got mad at us because we were talking about Wikipedia and they went in and sabotaged it.

DOOCY: Too bad! It just shows that you can go in and do it.

KILMEADE: If Brittanica turns on us, we don’t have a prayer.

[...]

CARLSON: What’s the latest on you on Wikipedia?

DOOCY: According to Wikipedia, I am now a stripper.

KILMEADE: And what about me? What did you just find out about me?

DOOCY: You are now alive again.

CARLSON: But I’m still really old.