Think Again 2004

I’ll admit something, I kinda like talk radio, which is weird because I am female, and generally not their demographic. I’m not a big Rush fan, I leaned more toward Tom Leykis, (well at least I did once upon a time when he used to actually talk politics, now the show is just about “racks”). I kind of get a weird kick out of Bill O’Reilly too, but only watch his shows a few times a year. The thing about talk radio though, is it should be taken tongue-in-cheek. These guys are entertainers, and entertainers pander to their audiences . . . otherwise Tom Leykis would still be talking politics. (I doubt he’s actually gotten less smart, he just acts like it.)

Rush Limbaugh

Problem is, especially in the case of Rush Limbaugh, is he has created the “Dittohead” phenomena, which is what he calls his unquestioning followers. Now, this is not what he calls his listeners behind closed doors, the listeners actually refer to themselves as proud “Dittoheads.” Limbaugh actively encourages his listeners not to get their information from other sources. The result is that his listeners feel very sure of their views (because they haven’t seen evidence to the contrary) and actually have nothing but misinformation. Don’t believe me? The Annenberg School for Communications at the University of Pennslyvania conducted a study of 360 people, and observed them while they tracked the health care reform debate for nine months. They used objective (i.e. non-partisan, fact based) questions such as : "Which groups (the elderly, poor, middle class, etc. "are most likely to be uninsured?" Limbaugh listeners overwhelmingly believed that they were the best informed on the subject, when they were actually overwhelmingly the least informed, giving answers like “the elderly,” although they are all covered by Medicare.

Bill O'Reilly

As for Bill O’Reilly and his “No Spin Zone”, his three worst habits are:
1. Misrepresenting his upbringing to bond with the “little guy”. His Fox News bio proudly states: “He lived in a modest house with his father, mother and sister in the Westbury section of Levittown.” Al Franken, his arch nemesis, artfully points out that any map will show you Westbury is decidedly NOT part of Levittown, and is in fact a solidly upper middle class suburb. It doesn’t matter to me where O’Reilly grew up, or at least it wouldn’t, if he didn’t bring it up all the time.
2. Pretending he is non-partisan. Regardless of what he claims, O’Reilly is a registered Republican. Which again, is fine, except he pretends he is unbiased.
3. His habit for cutting off viewers that he doesn’t agree with before they can make their point.

The Daily Show

For my fake news needs, for the past year I have been a daily devotee to the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. It’s not talk radio, but it is infotainment, and it is the best infotainment out there. There is a reason for all of the emmys, and if you haven’t yet caught the show, make sure you do before the elections. Jon Stewart manages to be both funny AND intelligent, and treats all of his guests, liberals and conservatives alike, with respect. He also asks them some very hard-hitting questions. This show, which proudly proclaims being “The Most Trusted Name in Fake News” has actually pointed out many things the “real” news has missed. They showed clips of Cheney saying he never said there were ties between Saddam and Al-Queda and then unearthed the video footage where he quite clearly states just that. They showed the “loyalty oath” that attendees had to sign before being admitted to a Bush rally. None of this news was “fake,” but it is the stuff you never see on the news.

On his 9/27/04 (look up) Jon Stewart was a guest on the O’Reilly Factor, where O’Reilly stated: “You know what’s really frightening? You actually have an influence on this presidential election. That is scary, but it’s true. You’ve got stoned slackers watching your dopey show every night and they can vote.”
Not one to be taken aback, Stewart quickly quipped, “This election is going to rely on the undecided,” he said. “And who is more undecided than stoned slackers? Ice cream or pretzels? Ice cream or pretzels? What’s it going to be?” Still, the comment ruffled the feathers of Comedy Central honchos, who conducted a study of exactly the audience profile of the Daily Show and the O’Reilly Factor. Turns out by a wide margin, Daily Show viewers are far more educated than O’Reilly’s.

Oddly enough, when asked to take a political quiz, Daily Show viewers also did better than other Late Night tv viewers, and, actually, even better than people who just watch news. Hmmm. Daily Show Listeners Ace Political Quiz

So, be forewarned, it IS cable, so there is a slight hint of “raunch” ever so often, but if you really want the best scoop before the election, watch the Daily Show. My 89 year old grandmother likes it. Anyway, you owe it to yourself, and you owe it to your fellow Americans to catch at least a few episodes before November 2. P.S. I’d also like to point out to O’Reilly that the show is also far from being “dopey” although that was a clever use of words after the “stoned slackers” comment.

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