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This is a fascinating segment that should be broadcast far and wide, to explain just how bat-shit crazy hosts like Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, and Sean Hannity hold onto an audience.
This is especially interesting to anybody who may have found themselves maligned by a rabid wingnut and then discovered that nobody knew about it but them, because their co-workers and friends were not in the brain damaged demographic.
And now you know where the teabaggers and screaming town hall participants get ALL of their information.
In agreement here. We do watch some TV in the evenings...but we are always pretty busy during the day and tend to not camp on specific tv shows. During the day - lots of iPod music and books on tape or just reading.
ReplyDeleteLife is too short to spend it rotting your brain listening to Rupert Murdoch's Faux news channel. Spreading propaganda to the low information individual...sad but true.
Then again - LOOK at him...it's all about the money - it's not like he CARES about people.
I have just bought this book from Amazon titled "Blood Thirsty Bitches and Pious Pimps of Power" by Gerry Spence. The copyright was 2006. It is a book about hate. Especially hate that emanates from the right wing. I didn't even get past page 35 and realized that Atty Spence needs to add a chapter and re release this book. It is unbelievably true now probably more so than when it was first printed.
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't read it you should see if your Library has it or go on over to Amazon. I bought it used in mint condition and with shipping it was less than $7.00.
It is a great read. It's factual and funny and fills in a little bit more about Faux News and it's minions.
Everytime I visit 86 yr old Mom, I block the faux news station. She always gets it back somehow. My theory is that it keeps her company during the day and she recognizes the voices more than what they say.
ReplyDeleteMy concern, rather, is for those who actually anticipate watching these people and look forward to hearing the lies that they manufacture. These, I fear, are the ones who are too lazy, too inept or simply not interested in FORMING an opinion, they just want someone to GIVE them an opinion.
Keep up the good work, Gryph...
Mary b--Gerry Spence represented Karen Silkwood, I think, when she got contaminated by radiation where she worked. He's from Wyoming, right? I met him. He also defended a pretty awful police chief in WY who shot his own undercover agent...age can surely change you, can't it?
ReplyDeleteI turned the teevee many moons ago when Beck was on CNN; same for Dobbs. When anyone starts spewing venom, I turn them off...just the facts, man. Hard to believe anyone would take Beck seriously. It wouldn't surprise me he gets booted for Palin.
ReplyDeleteI have a few friends that keep their Sirius, XM, or TV tuned to FOX and its right wingnuts continuously. That stuff can mix you up fast, if you believe it.
ReplyDeleteJust finished writing a email to companies indicating that I am no longer going to visit their store (Walmart) or restaurant (Red Lobster) as long as they sponsor hate-spewing programs such as Beck.
ReplyDeleteSuggest others join the boycott!
Not being a television watcher, I really had not idea how bad it had gotten until I was sick last week, and tried to find a little something to watch while in bed.
ReplyDeleteI have to tell you, I got an adrenaline 'hit' from being so angered by the crap I saw, that I got out of bed and told my husband we needed to boycott not only those news (and I use that term very loosely), 'channels' that are 'channeling' something that truly is evil and sick, but likewise not buy any products that are sponsors of those shows.
So I agree; BOYCOTT IS THE BEST THING, and on top of that, THINK FOR YOURSELF - don't let any news channel on television; no radio talk show, or ANYTHING, cause you to second-guess your own intelligence and mind.
I'd include Nancy Grace in all of this; she's nothing but a blood-sucker who loves death; kidnappings, showing the misery of others.
Overall, most television shows have turned to violence; crime, misery - the trauma of a person's life, and to me, THAT IS NOT ENTERTAINMENT.
It's clear the industry is using television as a PROGRAMMING MEDIA - a WAY TO CAUSE YOU TO THINK 'THEIR WAY' - to stir up trouble, and instill fear.
I'm hoping most of those who are turned on to those channels, are NOT TUNED IN, i.e. - they are doing something else in another part of their home, and it's just blaring away at an empty room.
I think it's time to threaten our cable networks with cancelation if they don't put something on worth watching.
All of this is fiction; 'theatre' - pure enactments and these beasts are paid huge sums of money to spread this tripe.
Just 'Pull the Plug'......that's what I did last week, and turned on my music; the adrenaline 'hit' passed, and then I realized what a real crime it is to endorse these shows; to buy any sponsor's product, and that's helped me cut down on my shopping list already.........
My father, who is an older retired gentleman, turns on the radio in his bathroom before his butt even hits the toilet seat. And he keeps it on ALL DAY. In some ways, it functions as both entertainment and companionship for him.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to say that I have seen this man, in many ways so generous and good hearted towards others, become very paranoid and convinced Obama is a muslim who has infiltrated the government with the purpose of rounding up "true patriots" and putting them in labor camps. It is impossible to speak to him reasonably about this subject.
I think he has chosen, on some level, to be upset and angry about Subject X, instead of admitting to himself that he is depressed about no longer having a job to do, and feeling anxious about the advances in technology he does not understand. (The radio is something from his childhood.)
In my opinion, Beck and the others are just poison. They are in a crowded theater yelling "Fire". For all their flag-waving, they are the anti-patriots.
Reading some earlier comments here I see a theme of older people listening to the radio and absorbing the hate speech. No offense to elders, but the longevity of the listeners will largely determine the longevity of the radio personalities. I cannot imagine a fresh wave of younger listeners coming along any time soon.
ReplyDeleteIf his followers are mostly people who can stay home and just leave the TV on faux news all the time I wonder if they are mostly the retired, disabled, and jobless. Then there are those who would watch just because it is hillarious.
ReplyDeleteLast weekend I had a yard sale at my home. I live in GA. A very nice older white woman decided that I was just a good person to chat with. After telling me about how her sick 72 year old husband was healed through prayer, I shared with her some of my amazing stories of my prayers being answered as well.
ReplyDeleteShe then, just out of the blue, told me how she and her husband looked in Obama's eyes on a magazine and were convinced that he was just "pure evil". I wanted to take it very slow with her so I did not respond to her outrageous comment. But I wanted to let her know how crazy she sounded so I told her that I understood how she felt because when I looked in George W. Bush's eyes I thought that he was the beast before the coming of the anti-christ and Cheney was the devil himself. And then I went on to talk about why I felt that way. Very valid reasons I must say (illegal and unjust war just to name one) She turned red. I asked her why she thought Obama to be "pure evil". She said that she didn't really know. It was just something evil about his eyes. She was a very nice lady but I am still wondering today if his eye's looked "pure evil" to her because they were brown-not blue- and because they were on the face of a black man. Inner-racism is deep. It's a type of institutionalized racism that many white people have, especially in the South, that they will never admit. And because they won't admit that they are racist, they will never do anything about it. This hatred can hide behide various code words and other made-up faults but in the end it's just pure hatred and bigotry. It's really sad.
Glenn Beck is dangerous..He scares the crap out of me..Him and $arah would make a good team...Hope they both go down together...
ReplyDeleteI can not tell you how many times i have traveled and arrive weary to a hotel room and turn to the news and they have Fox some don't even have CNN but no MSNBC. You just want to catch up on some news and Fox is it. I was at a hotel not to long ago in Columbus, OH and they only had a few stations and when yo tried to tune to CNN you got Fox. when yo are in heavy red areas they just don't even carry MSNBC in those markets.
ReplyDeleteI can't watch that stuff for five minutes.
Hey Gryphen!
ReplyDeleteCheck this out - the chick who said that "she didn't want us to turn into Russia" at the Arlen Spector town hall & who was later interviewed by Lawrence O'Donnell on Hardball is a Glen Beck 9/12'er. She even sells t-shirts.
Here's the Kos post - read the comments, there's more.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/8/13/766517/-Katy-Abram-is-a-9-12-Organizer-(Updated)
That's part of the problem. When you're presented with one side of the story, that's all you can believe.
ReplyDeleteI've heard you can't get MSNBC in the entire state of Mississippi. You have to wonder what bringing in even CNN would do to these ultra-red areas. You'd at *least* have rational, reasonable conservatives for a change.
Here's a list of Faux News advertisers. Let them know you will not utilize their products as long as they sponsor the hate and lies spread by Faux News.
ReplyDeletehttp://foxnewsboycott.com/fox-news-sponsors/
To Anon @1:01,
ReplyDeleteI am pretty certain it is the same Gerry Spence. I know that I had heard about him years and years ago. I don't quite remember but I think that I didn't agree with him on anything. But this book is fantastic! If it is the same person, and I'm pretty positive it is, then you are absolutely right. If you can get the book, you'll be agreeing with every word written. I don't have much time for reading books, although I wish I did. But every time I pick this book up I don't want to put it down. It's very well written, even the Lizard Brains on the right who can't spell or read (Palin's followers) would be able to understand this book. Although I'm sure they wouldn't agree with one word of it.
@Anon 2:08, thanks for that link, I've been looking for a list like that.
ReplyDeleteThere is also colorofchange.org, who have played a major role in getting advertisers off of Beck's show. Yay!!!
Gryphen - many thanks for being a go-to source, yet again. I have learned so much and acquired so many resources through you and others who post here. Peace.