Jennifer Aniston appeared on Thursday's Good Morning America and slammed Bill O'Reilly for "insulting women." The actress, promoting "The Switch," her new film about being a single mother, complained about remarks by the Fox News host.
Aniston derided, "[The comments were] also saying something – insulting women that are out there doing this on their own. I was raised by – my mother was single. You know?" [MP3 audio here.]
In fact, O'Reilly, on his August 11 program, did not "insult" single mothers. He went out of his way to respect such moms: "I want to be fair about this, because there have- there are many- there are millions of single mothers who do a great job raising their kids."
What the FNC anchor did do was praise the importance of fathers: "Aniston can hire a battery of people to help her, but she cannot hire a dad...And Dads bring a psychology to children that is, in this society, I believe, under emphasized. I think men get hosed all day long in the parental arena."
He added, "...She's throwing a message out to 12-year-olds and 13-year-olds, okay, that, hey, you don't need a guy."
Stephanopoulos never challenged Aniston on her assertions. He only offered softball questions, such as wondering, "But usually you don’t respond to this kind of thing. Why did you decide to respond?" In fact, he ended up agreeing with Aniston's assessment: "And you’re right. The movie is a celebration of family."
The ABC host only laughed at her snarky remark, "I was actually glorifying 12-year-olds going out there and getting knocked up and doing it by themselves. 'Cause that’s what I like to preach."
A transcript of Aniston's comments on the August 19 Good Morning America:
8:15
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: You caught the attention of Bill O’Reilly. Could you ever believe that was going to happen? He said you were glorifying-
JENNIFER ANISTON: I never actually thought that my name and that name would ever be in one sentence, I must say.
STEPHANOPOULOS: He basically said you were glorifying single motherhood and-
ANISTON: I was actually glorifying 12-year-olds going out there and getting knocked up and doing it by themselves. 'Cause that’s what I like to preach. That was one-
STEPHANOPOULOS: [laughs] But usually you don’t respond to this kind of thing. Why did you decide to respond?
ANISTON: I just felt it needed, it was begging for a response. It was just such an unfair statement that he made against me. And you know, people say things about me all the time, and you just kind of go "Oh, whatever." But this was not just about me. It was also saying something – insulting women that are out there doing this on their own. I was raised by – my mother was single. You know? It doesn’t always start off that way. But sort of, life happens.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And you’re right. The movie is a celebration of family.
ANISTON: It is. It’s family.
Here is a partial transcript of O'Reilly's actual comments from the August 11, 2010 edition of the O'Reilly Factor:
BILL O'REILLY: I want to be fair about this, because there have -- there are many -- there are millions of single mothers who do a great job raising their kids.
MARGARET HOOVER: Do a great job.
O'REILLY: And they're abandoned and they're all kinds -- and they do. It's possible. But it's not optimum, and that's where Ms. Aniston makes her mistake. That she's throwing a message out to 12-year-olds and 13-year-olds, OK, that, hey, you don't need a guy. You don't need a Dad. Dad, ah, you know. That's destructive to our society.
GRETCHEN CARLSON: Because it's -- it's tough to be a parent. I know. I have two kids at home, and trust me, I'm glad every day that I have a husband to help me with the hard work of being a parent. However, here's the alarming statistic: 36 percent of all babies born in the U.S. now are born to single mothers.
O'REILLY: Yes. They don't -- right.
CARLSON: Thirty-six percent. But -- and young people, you're right. They do not have the cognitive ability...
O'REILLY: I don't like this trend.
CARLSON: ... to know the difference of a 40-year-old woman who's financially stable having a child...
O'REILLY: Yes.
CARLSON: ... and a 16-year-old girl.
O'REILLY: Aniston can hire a battery of people to help her, but she cannot hire a dad. OK? And Dads bring a psychology to children that is, in this society, I believe, under emphasized. I think men get hosed all day long in the parental arena.
HOOVER: Do you think they've earned it? Because I've got to tell you, of the 30 percent of single families, a full two thirds of them -- no, I'm sorry, a full 80 percent of them are single families that are run by mothers, not fathers.
O'REILLY: And any man who leaves their children is not a man.
CARLSON: Well...
O'REILLY: OK? Let's make that perfectly clear. But the fathers who do try hard are underappreciated and diminished by people like Jennifer Aniston.
HOOVER: Well, I think Jennifer Aniston is simply making a point. I agree she's glamorizing single parenthood.
O'REILLY: Diminishing -- no.
HOOVER: She's glamorizing single parenthood, diminishing two-parent households.
O'REILLY: Diminishing the role of the dad.
CARLSON: She is.
