Husker_x Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 That's why I prefer to read. Link to comment
knapplc Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 I only read the paper. On the Internet. And I watch Colbert and Stewart. Link to comment
sarge87 Posted March 26, 2010 Author Share Posted March 26, 2010 I almost pissed my pants watching that Jon Stewart video. Funny sh#t. It's funny and sad all at the same time. I have grave concerns over the rhetoric coming from the likes of Olbermann, Beck, Coulter and Limbaugh. Every year they all get further and further from the middle, and their audiences continue to grow. People need to be wise enough to stop watching and believing this crap. There has to be a threshold where people say, "OK, Glenn, I've followed you this far, but no farther. You've gone loony on this one." But it seems like the critical analysis necessary for that thought is lacking in far too many people. Maybe people are just watching these blowhards for the entertainment value and the words they say don't stick in their psyche. I'm afraid that's not the case, though. I used to be a big fan of Glenn Beck's radio show when it was live in the mornings on KFAB. Back then, he and his cohorts were more into the comedic side of politics. His program was more morning drive like Don Imus. As far as Rush is concerned, he will be the first to tell anyone he is an entertainer first. AM radio was in its last death throes until Limbaugh made AM programming lucrative again. Stations like KFAB would probably have been bankrupt by now if it weren't for the resurgence of talk radio. If you really think about it, stations like ESPN Radio, Sporting News Radio, and the likes probably wouldn't have come to fruition if it hadn't been for Limbaugh creating a business model to pave the way. Ann Coulter is to the right as Molly Ivins is to the left. Both are political satirists and usually a good read. Link to comment
knapplc Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 It doesn't matter if Limbaugh's effect on radio has been lucrative, or that he styles himself as an entertainer. The reality is that people believe what he says, and they act on what he says. Link to comment
Husker_x Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 If people don't think for themselves you can't blame Limbaugh, and besides, if people are willing to believe whatever they hear then we have a worse problem than a talk show host. I catch snippets of Rush from time to time when I've got a long drive ahead of me. Sometimes I agree with him and others I don't. What a country. But I don't blame Pepsi Cola's marketing team for the fact that I love Pepsi products. Link to comment
knapplc Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 Do you blame the guy who yells "Fire!" in the crowded theater? Same thing. Link to comment
Husker_x Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 No, not the same thing. A man yelling "Fire" in a crowded theater when there is no fire creates an immediate panic which can directly lead to people getting hurt. A talk show host on a radio station saying, "You know I think..." is a completely different scenario. You think Limbaugh should be fined or put in jail for speaking his mind? That's what would happen if you caused a panic in a theater. But this is all beside the point. The point is that if people lack critical thinking skills, Limbaugh isn't the problem. Limbaugh can't force you to turn on the radio or agree with him. What he can do is tell you what he thinks. He's one voice among three hundred million. Make up your own mind. Link to comment
knapplc Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 No, not the same thing. A man yelling "Fire" in a crowded theater when there is no fire creates an immediate panic which can directly lead to people getting hurt. A talk show host on a radio station saying, "You know I think..." is a completely different scenario. You think Limbaugh should be fined or put in jail for speaking his mind? That's what would happen if you caused a panic in a theater. But this is all beside the point. The point is that if people lack critical thinking skills, Limbaugh isn't the problem. Limbaugh can't force you to turn on the radio or agree with him. What he can do is tell you what he thinks. He's one voice among three hundred million. Make up your own mind. Come on. We don't live in a fantasy world. We all know there are people who lack critical thinking skills. Pretending that it's all up to the audience is silly. I think Limbaugh should have no audience. I will fight to protect Rush's right to free speech. I just wish people didn't listen to him. And for the second time today, let's not get off the point debating the fact that there is no such thing as a 1:1 analogy. Link to comment
sarge87 Posted March 27, 2010 Author Share Posted March 27, 2010 It doesn't matter if Limbaugh's effect on radio has been lucrative, or that he styles himself as an entertainer. The reality is that people believe what he says, and they act on what he says. ....And people believe John Stewart's Daily Show is a hard news program. Not much difference. One man's sheep is another man's goat. Link to comment
knapplc Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 It doesn't matter if Limbaugh's effect on radio has been lucrative, or that he styles himself as an entertainer. The reality is that people believe what he says, and they act on what he says. ....And people believe John Stewart's Daily Show is a hard news program. Not much difference. One man's sheep is another man's goat. Exactly. Like Limbaugh, Stewart has "news-like elements." But neither should be confused with actual factual news, and yet they are, regularly. Link to comment
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