It was not your typical day at Sylvia’s restaurant, the famous soul food institution in Harlem. A CNN crew showed up around lunchtime yesterday, interviewed patrons and filmed some close-ups of a plate of food. Reporters cornered tourists with questions about their dining experience, and the restaurant’s regulars called, not to make an order, but to ask about the controversy.
The food, atmosphere and clientele at Sylvia’s were a matter of nationwide attention yesterday because Bill O’Reilly, the Fox News Channel talk show host, recently described being surprised to find that the black-owned establishment was as pleasant as other restaurants.
“It was like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb in the sense of people were sitting there, and they were ordering and having fun,” Mr. O’Reilly said on his nationally syndicated radio show on Sept. 19. “And there wasn’t any kind of craziness at all.”
His comments have outraged some black leaders and baffled black New Yorkers, many of whom said yesterday they were puzzled by what sort of craziness Mr. O’Reilly would expect to find at Sylvia’s, since the Lenox Avenue restaurant is a favorite of Harlem residents, international tourists and former President Bill Clinton.
Indeed, yesterday afternoon, as Mr. O’Reilly accurately described, iced teas were ordered with civility, not hostility. Servers behind the counter were shoveling ice into glasses and dishing out macaroni and cheese, greens, chicken and some of the other specialties. Black and white customers described Mr. O’Reilly variously as living under a rock, or ignorant of black Americans, or, in the words of one diner, George Hymen, 68, “nutty in the head.”
“The idea that people would be in here acting out, cussing, is kind of archaic,” said Beverly Wilburn, 63, a clothing designer who lives nearby and sat at the counter munching on a sandwich and sipping coffee. “I would laugh if I didn’t think it was sad.”
Some diners said they did not want to judge Mr. O’Reilly too harshly. Samuel Johnson, 49, who went to Sylvia’s after reading about the controversy, said he had met Mr. O’Reilly in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. He was working as a chef at a Lower Manhattan restaurant where Mr. O’Reilly had worked as a volunteer, serving meals. “When I heard the derogatory comments I was like, ‘Wow,’” Mr. Johnson said. “Over all, I don’t think he’s a bad guy. He just made some bad comments.”
Mr. O’Reilly told The Associated Press yesterday that his comments had been taken out of context. “If you listened to the full hour, it was a criticism of racism on the part of white Americans who are ignorant of the fact that there is no difference between white and black anymore,” he said. “Circumstances may be different in their lives, but we’re all Americans. Anyone who would be offended by that conversation would have to be looking to be offended.”
Irena Briganti, a spokeswoman for Fox News Channel, said the network had no comment beyond the statement given earlier this week by Bill Shine, the network’s senior vice president for programming. “This is nothing more than left-wing outlets stirring up false racism accusations for ratings,” Mr. Shine said. “It’s sad.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton, whom Mr. O’Reilly had been dining with when he visited Sylvia’s, appeared on Mr. O’Reilly’s television show last night and said he wanted to hear the radio show before reaching any conclusions. “You and I have gone to dinner before in Harlem, and I’ve never heard you say anything offensive,” Mr. Sharpton said.
H. Kenneth Woods, the president and chief executive of Sylvia’s and the son of Sylvia Woods, the restaurant’s founder, seemed to take the publicity in stride. He said he was happy that Mr. O’Reilly enjoyed his visit. “I was surprised that after all these years in business he would have thought that he would’ve possibly seen something different,” he said. “He’s welcome to come again.”
Mr. O’Reilly, who has earned legions of fans and detractors across the country for lashing out at Democratic politicians, illegal immigrants and a daily cast of characters he calls pinheads, found himself in the middle of a controversy caused not by a rant but by what he considered to be a compliment. Mr. O’Reilly’s Web site, www.billoreilly.com, posted an audio clip of the show and asked people to listen to the actual broadcast and “decide for yourself.”
The strange tale of Mr. O’Reilly’s dinner in Harlem shows what can happen when a right-leaning talk show host shares a meal with Mr. Sharpton, has a splendid time and then discusses the experience in detail on a national radio program, diving into the thorny matter of white perceptions of black culture.
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