This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," December 16, 2013. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
Watch "The O'Reilly Factor" weeknights at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET!
O'REILLY: In "Back of the Book" segment tonight, "Watters' World," the Christmas edition. As you may know, the federal holiday falls on Wednesday, December 25th this year. All federal employees are off but get paid.
Also, a new Rasmussen poll says most Americans strongly believe Christmas should be a part of the public school landscape, 75 percent of American adults want that to happen, just 15 percent disagree, 10 percent don't know what Christmas is.
(LAUGHTER)
So, we sent Jesse Watters out to talk to the folks about Christmas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JESSE WATTERS, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Merry Christmas.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 1: Thank you. Happy Holidays.
WATTERS: Do you say, "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 1: Happy Holidays. I'm Jewish.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 2: Happy Kwanzaa is a fan favorite in our household.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I was only having some fun.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATTERS: Why do people say, "Happy Holidays."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 3: I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with eastern Valentine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: You've got a point there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATTERS: As a Jewish guy, does it offend you when people say, "Merry Christmas."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 4: Absolutely not.
WATTERS: Do you think you're offending someone by saying "Merry Christmas."
(CRICKET CHIRPING)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENE WILDER, ACTOR: I'm sorry but all questions must be submitted in writing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATTERS: Is Jesus an important figure in your life around this time of year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 5: I'm an atheist, so no.
WATTERS: You're an atheist. Do you celebrate Christmas.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 5: I do.
WATTERS: I don't know if I can allow that because you can't kind of have both.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 5: Oh, yes.
WATTERS: What does Christmas mean to you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 6: Sharing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATTERS: Where was Jesus born.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 2: In Bethlehem.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 1: Jerusalem.
(BUZZER SOUND)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 1: Nazareth.
(BUZZER SOUND)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 2: Probably in some kind of hospital, Siberia.
(BUZZER SOUND)
WATTERS: The Three Kings came to bring him gifts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 3: From Newark.
(BUZZER SOUND)
WATTERS: Jersey.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 3: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YUL BRYNNER, ACTOR: Sometimes, you leave me breathless.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATTERS: What gifts did the Three Wise Men bring.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 3: I don't remember that. Frankincense and -- I don't know, gold, silver --
(BUZZER SOUND)
-- I have no idea.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 3: Myrrh and sneakers?
(BUZZER SOUND)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 4: Frankincense, myrrh and gold.
WATTERS: Now, what is myrrh. Do you guys have any idea.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 2: It's like that weird noise when a cat is in heat maybe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Ma, ma.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATTERS: Do you know where the Christmas tree tradition originated from.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 7: Sweden.
(BUZZER SOUND)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 3: I'm guessing somewhere in Europe. Maybe somewhere in Siberia.
(BUZZER SOUND)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 1: The United States.
(BUZZER SOUND)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 2: I think it was Germany.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 5: This is just random guess. Like Germany maybe.
WATTERS: Nailed it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE CARRELL, ACTOR: That's what she said.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATTERS: Christmas is a federal holiday. Do you know who proclaimed it a federal holiday.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 2: Lincoln.
(BUZZER SOUND)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 1: Ronald Reagan.
(BUZZER SOUND)
WATTERS: Take a guess. Nineteenth century.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 3: George Washington.
WATTERS: That was the 18th century.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 1: Jefferson.
WATTERS: Grant.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 2: OK. So, he grants us Christmas.
WATTERS: Good one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATTERS: Are you a caroller.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 1: Not in public.
WATTERS: On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 2: A partridge --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 5: -- in a pear tree.
WATTERS: Silent night --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 8: -- holy night.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 1: Honestly, I have no idea.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 8: All is bright.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 4: Zooming out, into another dimension now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Are you finished.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 8: Sleep in heavenly peace.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I give --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATTERS: You're lucky there's no mistletoe here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 4: Eww.
WATTERS: You're a huge Scrooge.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 4: Thank you.
WATTERS: Do you ever watch THE O'REILLY FACTOR on Fox News.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 3: Sometimes, yes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (Speaking in another language)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 7: I have not read "Killing Jesus." Is that about the war.
(BUZZER SOUND)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRUCE MCGILL, ACTOR: War is over, man. Wormer dropped the big one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATTERS: Have you ever watched "Watters' World."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 1: Yes.
WATTERS: I'm Watters.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 1: I'm pumped to be let into your world, Watters. I'm psyched about it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'REILLY: All right, here he is. Now, it seemed like everybody was kind of cooperative again.
WATTERS: Yes, yes, cooperative.
O'REILLY: Nobody fled.
WATTERS: No one fled, except me.
(LAUGHTER)
O'REILLY: Well, you got attacked by the pigeon.
WATTERS: I did.
O'REILLY: And why, why.
WATTERS: He was lucky, I didn't connect there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
I had a little power in that --
O'REILLY: Why. You would have been arrested and Peter would have come and --
WATTERS: I know he would have come. No, I am afraid of pigeons. I don't like them.
O'REILLY: Well, that's your problem.
(LAUGHTER)
Why did they attack. Why did they attack. Why are they on this guy's head.
WATTERS: The guy was feeding pigeons with crumbs.
O'REILLY: Oh, he's feeding.
WATTERS: And they were so comfortable, they perched on his shoulder.
O'REILLY: Right. He's feeding them.
WATTERS: And I think they're like flying rats.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
So, I don't want to make time for them.
O'REILLY: Like some Woody Allen line. I thought that was Mike Tyson. He's a big pigeon guy, too.
(LAUGHTER)
Now, people write me letters. They all, "Look, Watters is looking for the dumbest people. That's who he's out looking." Do you have a big sign, "If you're dumb, please talk to me."
WATTERS: I am attracted to dumb people.
(LAUGHTER)
There's this natural attraction there. I seek them out. Sometimes, I find out. But we do have --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
-- fair piece. I just happened to me in Washington Square Park.
O'REILLY: OK. Tell the audience -- tell the audience what the "Watters' World" selection process is.
WATTERS: Oh, this is --
O'REILLY: Who gets on.
WATTERS: -- this is secret, Bill. This is the secret sauce here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: Oh, this is like secret sauce.
WATTERS: It's a lot of instinct. OK, I look for personality.
O'REILLY: Right.
WATTERS: OK. I look for looks and I look for someone that's a good talked.
O'REILLY: Do you have auditions. Do they have to do a dance.
WATTERS: In my mind, OK.
O'REILLY: All right.
WATTERS: No, you know, I'll either look --
O'REILLY: So, before the camera goes on, --
WATTERS: -- for someone with a crazy hair, someone with the good looks.
O'REILLY: Wait, wait. So, before the camera goes on, you ask them a few questions just to see what they're like.
WATTERS: No, not at all.
O'REILLY: No, you go cold?
WATTERS: We start right away.
O'REILLY: OK.
WATTERS: And then if they're bad, I just bail immediately.
O'REILLY: OK.
WATTERS: But if they're good, we warm up.
O'REILLY: You ask permission before you can talk -- before you talk to them.
WATTERS: Well, I say, you know, "I'm Jesse from THE FACTOR. I want to talk to you about Christmas."
O'REILLY: And then they say another thing.
WATTERS: And then we go.
O'REILLY: All right. I think you got "Watters' World." And if you're a pigeon, get him.
WATTERS: No, please no.
Content and Programming Copyright 2012 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2012 CQ-Roll Call, Inc. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of CQ-Roll Call. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox