LL Cool J Distances Himself From Fox News, Sarah Palin (Update: Fox Responds)

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by Steve Krakauer | 9:03 am, March 31st, 2010

» 37 comments

Well this is an interesting twist – actor/musician LL Cool J, who is one of the celebrities who will be part of Sarah Palin’s Thursday show (and is in the promo), isn’t happy about the ‘misrepresentation.’

He is reacting on Twitter – but is he ‘misrepresenting’ the circumstances as well?

Do me a favor. Start this video now – it will provide the soundtrack to the rest of the post:

Ok, we’re good? Now let’s get started.

So Palin’s special on Thursday at 10pmET is called Real American Stories (here’s a preview), and although it is the premiere episode, the concept of “Real American Stories” is not new for Fox News. It began as a website back in July 2008 – a website, it is important to note, that is owned by Fox News.

Well the website is still there, as is the interview LL Cool J did for it (watch the video here). But here’s what Ladies Love Cool James had to say on Twitter last night:

Fox lifted an old interview I gave in 2008 to someone else & are misrepresenting to the public in order to promote Sarah Palins Show. WOW

So here’s where he’s right, and wrong:

• “Fox lifted an old interview” – Yes, it appears they did. The LL (and Jack Welch) segments were never billed as actual Palin interviews, just that they were to be featured in the show. It sounds like Palin will just be fronting these pieces, as opposed to the Toby Keith interview, which sounds more like a sit-down.

• “…I gave in 2008 to someone else” – No, it looks like he did indeed give the interview to Fox News. Or, at the very least, to a Fox News-run website.

• “…& are misrepresenting to the public” – It has been a little unclear through the promo what exactly Palin’s role will be. It sounds like it won’t be a pure interview show, although the Los Angeles Times reports she “interviewed people in studio for some of the segments.” Clearly, though, not LL.

• “…in order to promote Sarah Palins Show” – Honestly, I can’t imagine how many FNC viewers come over because LL Cool J will be featured. Toby Keith, sure, but LL? If you were planning on watching the special before, you likely still would have if LL Cool J wasn’t involved. No offense, LL.

• “…WOW.” – Yeah, wow is right. This special will likely garner huge ratings, and this extra publicity isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But it does make it a little surreal. Rap battle!

> Update: A Fox News spokesperson responds:

Real American Stories features uplifting tales about overcoming adversity and we believe Mr. Smith’s interview fit that criteria. However, as it appears that Mr. Smith does not want to be associated with a program that could serve as an inspiration to others, we are cutting his interview from the special and wish him the best with his fledgling acting career.

Love it…apparently not NCIS: Los Angeles fans.

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fnc, fox news, LL Cool J, Real American Stories, Sarah Palin

taxed

The should cut his interview out then. If he doesn’t want millions of people hearing his story, I am sure there are other more important stories people care about. I didn’t even know that LL Cool J was still relevant?
Toshiba2

Clearly Fox is looking for cover, didn’t want to have all white guys on the special!
Bias-Media

Given that Fox is the highest rated cable news network, you’d think LL cool J would want his story on Fox. By his comments, it’s disappointing that he feels his story is only relevant if it benefits a certain ideological cause, and not the other…

I guess is is just another Hollywood Liberal; I had hoped otherwise…
TylerDurdin

Sorry ll, if anyone needs to distance themselves it is Sarah from you.
timzank

Toshiba2 says:
March 31, 2010 at 9:19 am
Clearly Fox is looking for cover, didn’t want to have all white guys on the special!

Yep, he clearly should opt for an interview on that bastion of diversity MSNBC. heh heh heh…..

What a myopic putz you are.
http://www.sailrabbits.com Magister

@taxed: LL stars in the LA spin-off of NCIS, a show that may be popular with the Fox demo.
taxed

@Magister: I was not aware of that, thanks for the heads up. I completely forgot that he acted, and I shouldn’t considering I end up watching SWAT for some unkown reason every time its on.

Either way, if he feels like he is being used by Fox I would scrap the segment and bring someone else on. If it is about diversity, I am sure they can find other black actors/musicians that would like the exposure.
Toshiba2

timzank,
Did I hold up MSNBC as a “bastion of diversity”?
roxsteady

I don’t blame LL. Clearly he finds her so offensive that he wanted to make it clear that he did not sit down for an interview with her. LL has a son who’s in college and 2 other daughters who still live at home. He’s already beaten Palin in the parenting department because he’s not a grandfather yet! This is slightly off topic but, maybe one of you Palin fans can explain to me what the hell she was talking about when she and McCain sat down for an interview with Greta? I saw the clip on the Daily Show last night but, I’m sure that those of you who are fans saw it live. I’m sorry but, she sounds as shrill and stupid as every. What the hell was she talking about? How do you folks defend this nitwit?
roxsteady

That’s “stupid as ever! Now, go ahead and explain. I’ll wait.
timzank

Toshiba2 says:
March 31, 2010 at 10:26 am
timzank,
Did I hold up MSNBC as a “bastion of diversity”?

Not directly no, just my way of responding to your veiled inference that Fox must be racist.

You guys are in an enviable position when it comes to criticism of Fox because if they DO feature a black guy for a segment, they are racists, but if they DON’T feature a black in a segment they are racist. Congrats, it’s a win win for you. Your children must be very proud.
timzank

roxsteady says:
March 31, 2010 at 10:34 am
That’s “stupid as ever! Now, go ahead and explain. I’ll wait.

Sorry but explaining anything to you is about as productive as using a low flow toilet, some turds just won’t flush.
taxed

@ timzank

HAHA! I don’t care who you are, that is funny!
writer

I don’t think anyone who picks up their information about Fox from the Daily Show is actually willing to hear an explanation.
Toshiba2

timzank:

My inference is clear, Fox is using the LL Cool J interview, unknown to him, because they wanted cover. If it wasn’t the case, LL would not be twittering about it in the manor he did!

No children, but I’m sure one day they will be proud!
StewartIII

C4P: LL Cool J, Don’t Flatter Yourself
http://www.conservatives4palin.com/2010/03/ll-cool-j-dont-flatter-yourself.html
StewartIII

TVNewser: FOX News to Cut Old LL Cool J Interview from New Sarah Palin Show
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/fnc/fox_news_to_cut_old_ll_cool_j_interview_from_new_sarah_palin_show_156885.asp
Toshiba2

Mission Accomplished!
TBDave

I think it’s a shame. The clip on the website makes him look like a really nice guy. But now he comes off like a jerk.
timzank

Toshiba2 says:
March 31, 2010 at 11:32 am
Mission Accomplished!

If his mission was to NOT be seen in an extremely favorable light by about 5 million viewers and now coming off like a schmuck, then yes, he and folks like you succeeded. Congrats!

It won’t help his NCIS show any either. Yet another reason not to watch NBC primetime. Brilliant move for an entertainer.
Olby Sucks

That’s what crack does to you.
Grammie

Toshiba2 says:
March 31, 2010 at 11:19 am

timzank:

My inference is clear, Fox is using the LL Cool J interview, unknown to him, because they wanted cover. If it wasn’t the case, LL would not be twittering about it in the manor he did!

I don’t know the TV industry but I would suspect that even if Fox didn’t need his permission good practice would dictate that he was informed ahead of time. What do you know that we don’t that makes you so certain that your rationale is the only possible reason?
Smithy

LL Cool J?
Never heard of him.
Sarah Palin? Oh yeah.
Who the heck is tuning to see Sarah Palin’s show because of LL Cool J? No one that I can think of.
Come to think of it, now that this “rap singer”(whatever the heck that is), is not on the show, I am going to make darn sure I get all my extended family to watch het show too. Last time I checked, rap music wasn’t exactly family friendly.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Tyrone-Johnston/100000484039084 Tyrone Johnston

When did LL become a complete dickhead? WOW
Cut his segment, I feel his personal story just lost a lot of it’s much of it’s inspiration effect.
Smithy

@ Toshiba2 says: “My inference is clear, Fox is using the LL Cool J interview, unknown to him, because they wanted cover. ”

Cover for what?
This character did give an interview to Fox. Fox owns it. They don’t need no cover from anyone to use it, but whatever. Good riddance to bad rubbish thats what I say.
Smithy

@ Toshiba2 says: “Clearly Fox is looking for cover, didn’t want to have all white guys on the special!”

That’s a pretty idiotic statements isn’t it?
MSNBC has an all white anchor line up, yet I don’t see the loony left beating themselves up over that.
BET has all black audiences and anchors all the time, that doesn’t seem to worry them either, so what’s the problem here?
We gotta do affirmative action on TV appearnces too? Gimme a break!
timzank

Smithy, in Toshiba2′s world, as well as the world of a plethora of posters here at Kosmediaite, the only way life is ever gonna be fair in this country is when there are no white people. Then Utopia will be acheived.

In their world all white people are racists, even themselves if they are white, but THEY are given a devine dispensation for “acknowledging” the absolute “wrongness” of being white.

And it will never change, it’s so engrained in their minds by indoctrination it can’t be removed. Kind of like you can’t fix stupid.
TylerDurdin

FOX wanted cover? LMAO! From what? Dullard libs?
writer

It’s said that by 2050, hispanics will be the majority in the U.S. Who will the far left lay the guilt trip on then? Since hispanics aren’t white, will it still be politically incorrect to disagree with them, or being the majority, will it be okay? I would guess that if a future version of Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson tried laying a guilt trip on hispanics, they’d tell him to f*** off.
Toshiba2

timzank,

NCIS is not a NBC program!
http://www.uselessbeauty.com Vidiot

Fox’s video librarians must be awesome. I’m sure they ran across the LL Cool J interview while looking for old footage of crowds to splice into reports about huge Tea Party protests.
same2u

Wow. I was actually expecting Sarah Palin to perform an interview of LL Cool J. Another subtle distortion by the industry leader in misrepresentations.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Dona-Barone/1060506711 Dona Barone

Toby Keith just announced that HE WAS NOT ASKED TO PARTICPATE either!!! What a cheeeseball show for cheeseknob $arah! HA! HA!
http://www.thecobraslair.com Cobra

Dona Barone,

Isn’t that special about Toby Keith? Now i want the same folks who attacked LL Cool J to attack Toby Keith for having virtually the same response to this.

Second, why does a guy who has sold 30 million albums, and is star on a hit television show that gets between 12 and 16 Million viewers per week need Sarah Palin and Fox News?

Angry Conservatives on this blog need to get over themselves.

–Cobra
http://www.facebook.com/people/Dona-Barone/1060506711 Dona Barone

$o $arah didn’t actually INTERVIEW LL Cool J OR Toby Keith but she will make like Katie COURIC AND pretend SHE DID SOME WORK…GREAT. i HEAR $ARAH IS INTERVIEWING eLVIS AND jOHn LENNON NEXT WEEK….
drex94

Heck… i didnt know Sara Palin was still relevent lol
http://www.facebook.com/people/Shon-Keely/556026232 Shon Keely

How come we don’t see any of you people who were haping the trash talk on LL recanting anything once all of the facts were out? Most people would apologize when they were wrong.