TV presenter Bill O'Reilly has sparked outrage by launching into a bitter tirade about Michael Jackson on his nightly news show - calling the outpouring of grief since the star's death "pathetic in the extreme."

The commentator, who presents "The O'Reilly Factor" on America's Fox News channel, used his Tuesday night program to discuss Jackson in the hours after the music legend was remembered at a memorial service in Los Angeles.

O'Reilly criticized the singer's legions of fans for publicly mourning the star - insisting the "adulation must stop."

He says, "It is basically grandstanding and pathetic in the extreme. Yes, the man was an all star entertainer, but that's it. Enough with the phoney platitudes. His incredible selfishness spending hundreds of millions of dollars on himself while singing We Are The World should make any clear thinking American nauseous. (And) Jackson's interaction with children were (sic) unacceptable for any adult."

The outspoken TV presenter went on to slam Jackson family friend Reverend Al Sharpton for the comments he made during the memorial service, criticizing the civil rights activist for praising the "Thriller" hitmaker's ability to transcend racial boundaries.

He adds, "Why is Al Sharpton making this a racial deal. Jackson bleached his own skin and then chose white men to provide existence for his in-vitro children. To hear Sharpton speak today, you'd think Jackson was Martin Luther King, Jr. Why is he being held up in the African American community as a pillar of Black America when he bleached his skin?"

And O'Reilly didn't stop there - he also attacked the American media, calling news reporters hypocritical in their coverage of Jackson's demise.

He adds, "A cowardly media will exploit any event for ratings. Remember the same people extolling Jackson today were the same people giving his child molestation trial gavel-to-gavel attention. And after Michael Jackson was found not guilty the American media did not exactly elevate him to hero status. But now that he's dead, he's a hero. How does that work?"



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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)

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