The Glen Beck Phenomenon....?

amicus

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Ages and ages ago, in the 1960's, performing the first 'live' radio and television talk show in Hawaii, I stumbled onto the Catholic 'List' of forbidden books...material Catholics were forbidden to read.

The 10 incoming telephone lines went nutz as Catholic after Catholic called and basically said, "How Dare You!" Criticize THE CHURCH.

Hundreds called the radio station management, the sponsors, and pickets showed up outside the studio demanding I be fired.

With the best 'ratings' in their history, the radio station owners, of Indian (India) heritage, as I recall, stood up to the criticism and in fact gave me another hour of air time and a big boost in salary.

The Catholic Bishop of Honolulu, made an appearance on my show, and ending up chucking a Bible at me halfway through the interview/debate/discussion/argument.

Sometime later in my career, I came up with the grand idea to call politicians and newsmakers in the government and put the phone call 'on air', kind of a 'gotcha moment' ala Jeraldo Rivera, that pissed of the powers that be (PTB, tnx Anne McCaffrey)..turned out to be of great entertainment value, but often embarrassing for the tongue tied, obscenity laced, vitriol that went right out on the air..unfiltered, uncensored.

That eventually brought about the Federal Communications Commission, FCC, passing a law that all radio stations had to 'warn' the politicians that they were, 'live' on the air, before any broadcast could be made.

Chuckles...it was 'big time stuff' way back when.

Beck is another story, however, and for the past year, I have been wondering just when and how the 'hammer' would come down on his rantings over FOX television...I don't listen to his radio program.

There was no computer search or satellite television, back in the 60's, no 'live' natiionwie television at all, and my staff was minimal compared to Beck's entourage.

There is talk about a a new FCC doctrine of 'Fairness', which in reality, is just a means of censoring right wing talk radio...but...the FCC has no jurisdiction over Cable or Satellite televison or the Internet, although 'Net Neutrality' is being bandied about as a means of controlling the 'content' of cable television an the internet.

Even Don Imus and the badboy of talk radio...forget his name, were squelched when they went 'a bridge too far', in talk radio and television...and yet, Beck marches merrily on, headslapping the President of the US, long term Congressmen and anyone else he chooses to lambaste with apparent freedom from control or censorship..

Of recent, Beck has taken a Religious bent, and I suspect he may go on to take a shot at Television Evangelic prudery, especially is flack comes in from indignant democrats.

Rick Sanchez of CNN notoriety and Keith Oberman, of the far left NBC affiliate, MSNBC, one fired, a wrist slap suspension for the other, both from the Left, yet Beck reigns supreme....?

One wonders, one does...:rolleyes:

amicus

edited to add: Include the Liberal Juan Willians, bounced from the Left Wing Public Broadast system, guess he just wasn't Far Left enough for them...and then of course, the ultimate sin of appearing on the FOX Network....
 
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Yes, we know you are a brilliant prince among political pundits in your own mind. :D
 
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Rick Sanchez from the left? Didn't know he was political at all. But of course, amicus sees a commie behind every tree, and anyone who isn't engaged in a froth-at-the-mouth hate fest against liberals must be a lefty. He got fired after a radio rant against "the joos" like Jon Stewart, if I recall.

Anyway, Beck is a fun phenomena to watch, regardless of political affiliation. Theatrical antics, disconnected ramblings (that are either evangeligal or tin foil hat conspiratirocal or both) and random emotional outbursts intersected with prop comedy. If someone did satire of a news commentator gone bonkers, it would look like him.

So what the hell are satirists supposed to do now? Now there's a writing challenge. Top Glenn Beck. :D
 
Well....I got arrested, along with a 19 year U. of Hawaii Coed on St. Patrick's Day morning while painting a Pink Stripe down Kaulakau Blvd, the main street through Waikiki Beach, if memory serves. The judge said he would have let it slide if the Paint was Green...heh, but the Radio Station had to bail us out so I could do my show...But the Miss Canada incident, where she drove my '57 T-Bird down the same street at 100 mph...well...that was a different story.:)

I take it you never listened to Rick Sanchez on a regular basis, he was/is without a doubt, an uneducated liberal shill with a tilt towards illegals, his own heritage.

I try to cut you a little slack as you were cowering in the shadow of the Soviets, praying for US intervention if it ever came to a hot war instead of a cold. Meanwhile, we were confronting communists in Korea and Vietnam and tailing Russian 'Boomers' in all the oceans of the world, and you were left still wondering what the hell Heavy Water with deuteronium ions was doing in your water supply. (look it up)

You don't perceive marxism, socialism or even communism as a threat to your personal liberty as you lived in the shadow of the USSR for much of your early life, and didn't dare to think of resistance or even voicing opposition.

To cover that inherited pacifism, you understandably lash out against any who have the courage you did not...and...I can understand that too...but...you ask too much to ignore your slams, so someone has to call you out...it may as well be me.

I have a question, to which I should know that answer...but...in refering to the Dutch East Indies...does that refer to Holland only, or the 'Low Countries' in general?

Amicus...
 
Glenn Beck is a carnival barker in the tradition of Barnum and Ripley.

Buying a ticket to his show isnt the same thing as allegience to him.
 
Glenn Beck is a carnival barker in the tradition of Barnum and Ripley.

Buying a ticket to his show isnt the same thing as allegience to him.[/
QUOTE]

~~~

You couldn't be more wrong on this one, James, Beck is a force to be reckoned with in US politics because people do have allegiance to him and his ideals and religious fundamentals. Most of the unwashed majority in America are Christians, heart and soul, and he is singing their song. (oh, that was a nice association....heart and soul, I fell in love with you....:))

amicus
 
Glenn Beck is a carnival barker in the tradition of Barnum and Ripley.

Buying a ticket to his show isnt the same thing as allegience to him.[/
QUOTE]

~~~

You couldn't be more wrong on this one, James, Beck is a force to be reckoned with in US politics because people do have allegiance to him and his ideals and religious fundamentals. Most of the unwashed majority in America are Christians, heart and soul, and he is singing their song. (oh, that was a nice association....heart and soul, I fell in love with you....:))

amicus

I'm willing to be wrong but history supports my contention.

Barkers like Beck and Palin know how to promote Peruna and Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Elixir. Thats all this is.
 
Fox News makes people stupid. Or else, stupid people watch Fox News, which apparently makes them more stupid.

Here's proof:
Yet another study has been released proving that watching Fox News is detrimental to your intelligence. World Public Opinion, a project managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, conducted a survey of American voters that shows that Fox News viewers are significantly more misinformed than consumers of news from other sources. What’s more, the study shows that greater exposure to Fox News increases misinformation.

So the more you watch, the less you know. Or to be precise, the more you think you know that is actually false.
 
I saw a similar study with numbers showing NPR/PBS listeners/viewers scoring the highest on current events, and FOX viewers scoring the lowest.
 
Glenn Beck is a carnival barker in the tradition of Barnum and Ripley.

Buying a ticket to his show isnt the same thing as allegience to him.[/
QUOTE]

~~~

You couldn't be more wrong on this one, James, Beck is a force to be reckoned with in US politics because people do have allegiance to him and his ideals and religious fundamentals. Most of the unwashed majority in America are Christians, heart and soul, and he is singing their song. (oh, that was a nice association....heart and soul, I fell in love with you....:))

amicus

I have to agree with amicus on this point. I also agree with JBJ to some extent. I believe Beck appeals to those who have deep Christian beliefs and he has a huge following. Like a carnival barker he draws people in that want and need someone with some semblance of power to speak to them in a way that others do not.

Pelosi, Reid and even the President fail in this respect. The folks who live in flyover country have been ignored for a long time. These are the people who are loosing their jobs and sometimes their homes. Many however, have lived reasonably frugally, have invested in 401Ks, and other investment vehicles. They have seen their wealth decrease, their living standard drop, and believe their children and grand children will have to pay the bills our government is running up.

Having lived frugally they understand when you find yourself in a hole you stop digging. When you are in debt you stop spending. You use it up, wear it out, make do and do without. You quit eating out. You change your own oil in your car. When you have a cold sometimes you don't go to the doctor you just buy some Vicks 44 or Nyquill. You suck up and deal.

They understand what to do and do not understand why the government just keeps digging deeper and spending more and more money. Spending money the government does not have and the government is spending they take at the point of a gun from from those who have cut back on their own expenses.

Beck speaks to these kinds of people. People who want the government to do only the things the U.S. Constitution allows the government to do. To stop doing what the Bill of Rights tell the government what it can not do.

They want the government to stay the hell out of their lives. To leave them alone and to allow them to succeed or to fail on their own.

Beck speaks to those people. To their basic beliefs in a way no Washington politician does. Those in flyover country are tired of the left cramming laws and spending bills down our throats or up our collective asses. Pick your orifice.Obama care, stimulus (Not TARP, that was a different program before Obama.)

We gave the Republicans a 2nd chance last month and I think they may have blown it already with them seemingly already to accept the Omnibus budget bill which includes 8 thousand million dollars in pork.

Beck and Palin rally those who feel disenfranchised by the last and current administrations. WE THE PEOPLE have just discovered who Thomas Jefferson meant in the preamble of the U,S. CONSTITUTION.

We have power that many of us never felt in the past. Now we understand that we have it we will exercise our power until they try to take it from us or until we get lazy and just give it up. Were I a preying man I would prey for nether to happen.

Beck will not run but, Sarah may try but, she will fail. The right needs a hard assed take no prisoners conservative. I am afraid they will nominate another failed politician like McCain or mitt Romney. Should they do that Obama will win and we can start calling ourselves the United States of Western Europe..

What a sad end for a Grand Experiment!
 
I believe Beck appeals to those who have deep Christian beliefs

Oh, please. I think you mean fundamentalist evangelical beliefs. Someone who actually has genuine deep Christian beliefs wouldn't touch any of these hucksters with a ten-foot pagan.

A little tired of fundamentalist evangelicals being accorded the Christian banner.
 
Oh, please. I think you mean fundamentalist evangelical beliefs. Someone who actually has genuine deep Christian beliefs wouldn't touch any of these hucksters with a ten-foot pagan.

A little tired of fundamentalist evangelicals being accorded the Christian banner.

Let me say I am not even a little bit religious. I assume if I wrong I'll find out some time in the future.

That being said. Lets start with the:

Catholics

Lutherans

Baptists

Presbyterian

Methodists

Episcopal

Brethren

Congregationalists

United Church of Christ

7th Day Adventist

Mennonites

Society of Friends

Pentecostals

Moravians

Jehovah Witness

Nazarines

Wesleyan

Feel free to tell me which of the above should not be allowed to carry the Christian Banner?
 
Let me say I am not even a little bit religious. I assume if I wrong I'll find out some time in the future.

That being said. Lets start with the:

Catholics

Lutherans

Baptists

Presbyterian

Methodists

Episcopal

Brethren

Congregationalists

United Church of Christ

7th Day Adventist

Mennonites

Society of Friends

Pentecostals

Moravians

Jehovah Witness

Nazarines

Wesleyan

Feel free to tell me which of the above should not be allowed to carry the Christian Banner?

Methodists, for sure. Pagans, the whole lot of them.
 
Let me say I am not even a little bit religious. I assume if I wrong I'll find out some time in the future.

That being said. Lets start with the:

Catholics

Lutherans

Baptists

Presbyterian

Methodists

Episcopal

Brethren

Congregationalists

United Church of Christ

7th Day Adventist

Mennonites

Society of Friends

Pentecostals

Moravians

Jehovah Witness

Nazarines

Wesleyan

Feel free to tell me which of the above should not be allowed to carry the Christian Banner?

I don't understand your question. You were asserting that all of these were Glen Beck backers. And I can assure you that you are full of shit if you think so.
 
Fox News makes people stupid. Or else, stupid people watch Fox News, which apparently makes them more stupid.

Here's proof:

The surest way to lose elections is to assume that your opponents are stupid. George W. Bush rode that train all the way to the White House. Twice. Ouch, that must have been embarrassing for the Dems.
 
Glenn Beck is a carnival barker in the tradition of Barnum and Ripley.

Buying a ticket to his show isnt the same thing as allegience to him.[/
QUOTE]

~~~

You couldn't be more wrong on this one, James, Beck is a force to be reckoned with in US politics because people do have allegiance to him and his ideals and religious fundamentals. Most of the unwashed majority in America are Christians, heart and soul, and he is singing their song. (oh, that was a nice association....heart and soul, I fell in love with you....:))

amicus

Buying a ticket to Beck's show is ABSOLUTELY the same thing as voicing allegiance to him. Unless you also bought tickets for the Olberman/Maddow show.

Oh yeah... let's not forget that little detail of the first amendment. Silly me.
 
Oh, please. I think you mean fundamentalist evangelical beliefs. Someone who actually has genuine deep Christian beliefs wouldn't touch any of these hucksters with a ten-foot pagan.

A little tired of fundamentalist evangelicals being accorded the Christian banner.

I thought I had quoted the above. My mistake. Now do you understand the question?
 
I thought I had quoted the above. My mistake. Now do you understand the question?

I'm looking at your ridiculously stupid statement. So, no I don't understand your question--except as an attempt to slide away from your stupid statement.
 
Must agree with sr71 on this, Scoundrel.

Some folks have vastly different interpretations of the Bible. I'm so awfully tired of - if you don't pray the same way I do you're not as good as me! Meh.

Glenn Beck is in it for the money. He couldn't give a rat's ass about true spirituality.

Nor do I care about spirituality. I have no idea what Beck's motivation is nor do I really care.

I do find it interesting you chose to focus on a single comment and chose to ignore the rest of the post.
 
Beck is a huckster. A seller of, well, anything the client wants as long as he pays the bills.

As a Mormon he has been exposed to hucksterism, preaching, rousing the crowd for Jesus! what ever you want to call it, so he knows how it works.

Psy Ops, Public Relations, Propaganda, advertising, barking. the evolution of Hucksterism evolved and we have Glen the opportunistic huckster making a good living, spreading propaganda.

Who is paying his salary?
 
I'm looking at your ridiculously stupid statement. So, no I don't understand your question--except as an attempt to slide away from your stupid statement.
Quote sr 71 plt
Oh, please. I think you mean fundamentalist evangelical beliefs. Someone who actually has genuine deep Christian beliefs wouldn't touch any of these hucksters with a ten-foot pagan.

A little tired of fundamentalist evangelicals being accorded the Christian banner.(Quote)

I did not say all or any of them were Beck supporters. I simply asked, based on your quote which should not be accorded the Christian Banner as you stated in your post.
 
Quote sr 71 plt
Oh, please. I think you mean fundamentalist evangelical beliefs. Someone who actually has genuine deep Christian beliefs wouldn't touch any of these hucksters with a ten-foot pagan.

A little tired of fundamentalist evangelicals being accorded the Christian banner.(Quote)

I did not say all or any of them were Beck supporters. I simply asked, based on your quote which should not be accorded the Christian Banner as you stated in your post.

You can't really be that damn dense......can you? Apparently, you can.

What denomination someone follows doesn't have jack shit to do with whether they're actually a Christian or not. It doesn't make a damn bit of difference if someone is waiting at the church doors every fucking time they're open, doesn't mean they're a Christian...not even close.

So, yeah....your statement was stupid. Not the brightest crayon in the box, are ya?
 
JUSTASCOUNDREL

The Usual Suspects here need Beck and Palin as much as the trailer trash do.

Beck had a radio show here for a few years. He's a very funny guy and very creative. After New York took him away I stopped listening to him cuz he stopped being funny, and plenty of his guests talk crap I know is BS.

I suspect Beck did the math and discovered that dolts with no sense of humor outnumber the rest, and he went after them.
 
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