Apparently, yes.

Fox News Network's favorite alternative proper noun spelling Megyn Kelly was on today, discussing a train derailment in Columbus, Ohio, when the broadcast rolled a clip of citizen journalism video, with the video's cameraman delivering a fairly astute observation of the massive explosion he'd just witnessed.

And yet, Kelly felt the need to apologize for it, and on a subsequent viewing, the 'bad words' were censored:

News Corp's other notoriously conservative news outfits don't seem to shy away from it. Question: Does this say more about Ms. Kelly, the network's viewership, or who someone with Fox News' censor button answers to?

fkamer@observer.com | @weareyourfek

The ever-fashionable Lady Gaga, umbrella ensemble and all.

Do you hear those sleigh bells ring-a-ling too? Every year we think we’re going crazy when the radio starts playing Christmas songs the moment the organic Whole Foods turkey has turned to Thanksgiving leftovers. (It’s been especially unnerving this year, considering the temperature has us repacking our winter sweaters.) We’re happy to get an early jump on the shopping—er—giving this year, as long it means that we can stuff our stockings with toys from Lady Gaga’s workshop at Barneys. Only $95 for an Alexander McQueen shoe replica made out of chocolate? That’s less than we paid at the Met to see the reel heel!

Another holiday treat has been the silence on Wall Street. Maybe everyone made peace on Thanksgiving … you know, just like the Pilgrims and Indians did before the former wiped out the indigenous culture with smallpox. (Zuccotti Lung, anyone?) Those annoying drum-a-drum-drum circles were quickly replaced by Miley Cyrus’s YouTube remix of her song “Liberty Walk” to show her support of the protests. Listening to her high-frequency noises accompanied by images of marches and American flags was like taking a little
Salvia trip without leaving your executive suite.

If you prefer your screeching in a higher octave, please write in to Fox News and demand that pundit/non-token blond lady Megyn Kelly take us up on our offer: After describing the pepper spray used on UC Davis students as “a food product essentially,” we invited her down to our offices for a mutual Mace-off. Think of it as a modern day pie-in-the-face gag, except with more eye irritation.

Those looking for a mob scene last week didn’t have to travel to California—or Wall Street—to stand behind police barricades while shoved by strangers. You could just go to the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This year’s giant Spider-Man float was either a tribute to the upcoming film, or an effigy to the Marvel gods after Turn Off the Dark made it a whole year without being shut down. Worker’s comp: it’s the gift that keeps on giving. Just like Powerball. Which at least this year, is more like a gag gift. Three Greenwich money managers just won $254 million in the lottery, proving once and for all that there is no God—or perhaps there is, and he’s just sitting in his executive suite taking a little Salvia trip. Either way, we’re just going to down some holiday spirits and enjoy ourselves.

Megyn Kelly, let us pepper spray you

Dear Megyn Kelly:
Earlier this week on Bill O'Reilly you minimized the effects of the pepper spray used by police on UC Davis students. "It’s like a derivative of real pepper," you said. "It’s a food product essentially.”

This comment, as you know, has sparked outrage all over the country. Currently, there is a petition with 11,000 signatures asking you to undergo a pepper spraying yourself, so you can notice the difference between a police weapon and something you put on your low-carb chicken Fiesta salad.

The New York Observer wants to extend this offer even further: Come to our offices, Ms. Kelly, and let us document your experience of being maced or sprayed with high grade pepper spray.

You might be wondering "Why should I let The New York Observer in on this piece of stunt journalism? If I do this, why wouldn't I want it to be done by professionals, like that time Christopher Hitchens was waterboarded or Rick Sanchez was tasered?"

The answer is simple: if you let us pepper spray you, we'll allow you to pepper spray one of us to disprove the counterargument that pepper spray is more than just "abrasive." (We'll keep milk and VISINE handy.) If it turns out that being sprayed in the face is more a tactic of fear than actual physical pain, than your point will be proven and people will stop making fun of you on the Internet. And even if it does turn out to be a painful, somewhat terrifying experience for you, then you'll get the chance to retaliate in kind...an option never presented to protesters.

It's a win-win, really. Please let us know ASAP, so we can start assembling the necessary materials. We can do it on a Friday, so the red, swollen eyes won't get in the way of your next TV appearance.

Sincerely,
The New York Observer

(Photo: Weasel Zippers)

After Paul Krugman said the anniversary of Sept. 11 was an “occasion for shame” yesterday, bloggers and pundits sprang to action, one accusing the New York Times columnist of being a “smug coward,” others asking if the “hack” should be fired.

Even former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld tweeted: “After reading Krugman’s repugnant piece on 9/11, I canceled my subscription to the New York Times this AM.”

Because of the heated response from conservatives  (with commenting on the blog disabled no less), Krugman responded today, reiterating his belief that politicians used the tragedy for—what else—political gain:

"It was a time when tough talk was confused with real heroism, whenpeople who made speeches, then feathered their own political orfinancial nests, were exalted along with – and sometimes above – thosewho put their lives on the line, both on the evil day and after."

Fox News' Megyn Kelly asked if the Times should fire the columnist, but, why would they? Even The New York Times could use traffic a good 9/11 controversy drives.

You have a very close relationship with Fox News CEO Roger Ailes. Tell us something we may not know about him.

Obviously he's very powerful, a television genius. Even his critics will cop to that. But he is also somebody who looks out for the people who work for him. A couple years ago, I had a very bad stalking problem. I was living alone in D.C. In addition to security Fox provided me, Roger offered to pay out of his own pocket for special dead bolts throughout my home. It was just a small thing, but he didn't have to do it. I had a boss who cared, and it made me feel better.

Do you think Fox is biased?

No. Fox News covers stories that some other news outlets won't cover. We ask some questions that other news outlets wouldn't ask. And sometimes that's perceived as bias by people who've grown up in a world where there are only liberal outlets.

She says that Glenn Beck did not harm Fox's credibility because he was clearly labeled as an "opinion host," and, later, that the problem with Jon Stewart is that people think The Daily Show is actual news that made an attempt to be fair.

Did a series of financial fiction in Le Monde lead to a 15% drop in share price for French bank Société Générale? Possibly, according to the New York Times! A few weeks after the bank was featured in the series, the London tabloid The Mail ran a speculative news story about Société Générale's imminent collapse, perhaps based rumors sparked by a lousy translation. It turns out the bank's doing fine; The Mail issued an apology. (The denouement of the fictional series, ironically, is that British journalists fuel rumors that lead to the demise of the Euro.) The series was controversial within France for political reasons. Quelle yarn! Read-le!

Time Warner Cable is in talks to purchase Insight Communications Co., the country's ninth largest cable provider, for $3B., reports Bloomberg and others. Never heard of them? They service customers in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio.

How are things over at AOL? The Wall Street Journal reports that traffic is up 3%, thanks to the Huffington Post, but barely covering the dips at their old properties.  37% of AOL's revenue still comes from subscriptions and 16% is tied to Web-search advertising--revenues from which declined more than 20% in the second quarter.

Twitter is making us poor readers, according to The Guardian, and killing off big ideas, according to The New York Times. Bill Keller is waiting for a high five somewhere.

Since Monday morning, Ms. Kelly, the 37-year-old news anchor with Fox News, has been reporting from the floor of the Democratic convention in Denver. Her channel's riser is located between the delegations from New Mexico and Guam.

"Guam in on the floor," said Ms. Kelly. "Rhode Island is in the nose bleeds. How does this happen? They told me, it's because they went for Barack Obama and Rhode Island went for Hillary."

"They are so excited to be on the floor," she added. "They asked for a shout-out on the air, and they got it. They came over like 10 times and said thank you, thank you. This is a big week for Guam."

And a big week for Ms. Kelly. In addition to reporting in prime time from the floor of the convention, she is providing political analysis for various other Fox News shows, and anchoring the 5 p.m. hour alongside Bill Hemmer, with whom she regularly co-anchors the morning news show America's Newsroom. ("I always say that Bill is my TV husband, and I married well," said Ms. Kelly.)

When The Observer caught up with Ms. Kelly recently in the green room at the Fox News skybox inside the Pepsi Center, she had just finished an appearance on The O'Reilly Factor. Despite the hectic schedule, Ms. Kelly showed no signs of slowing down.

"This is my first convention," said Ms. Kelly. "The energy is palpable. It doesn't matter what your party affiliation is, just being around these people who care so much about process and their country--on the floor in particular--it's contagious. The sheer excitement. I think it's good for the human spirit just to be in the middle of all that positive energy. I look forward to seeing the same next week in St. Paul."

The Observer wondered how Ms. Kelly could hear anything when reporting from the floor during particularly raucous and noisy moments of the convention.

Ms. Kelly reached into her purse and pulled out a pair of TV earpieces, which had been designed especially for her work in Denver. The devices allow her to communicate with the control room and, at the same time, dampen the external hubbub.

"You have to go to the ear doctor," said Ms. Kelly. "You get these molds. I have small ear canals, they tell me. So it's even harder for me to get these things in my ears."

"You've also got the Janet Jackson headset," she continued. "I think it makes you look like you have a big mole right on the side of your face. In another life, at college and during my law school days, I used to teach aerobics. We used to wear the Janet Jackson headsets. Back then I thought they were really cool."

That darn Salon!

Not so fast, Ms. Malkin. Alex Koppelman, Salon's War Room blogger, searched his site and couldn't turn up "anything like what Malkin is talking about." After posting a clip of her appearance and emailing Ms. Malkin, he solved the mystery:

Let's call it the narcissism of minor differences.