Friday, May 4, 2007

Sean Hannity Molests Collies

I'm not the first one to say this, but I think it's good for people to say it as much as possible: Right wing radio is really really evil.

Generally, I treat Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, and their various derivatives like I do Newark Airport- if I never go there, then they doesn't even exist. However, a recent trip to God's Country, the state of Oregon, brought both of these previously strategically avoided phenomenon squarely to my attention. Let me say I will never bother with Newark airport again. I fear I will not be afforded that luxury when it comes to right wing radio.

It's not that I'm about to start listening to this drivel. But having had some prolonged contact with this stuff, I can now see that no matter how much I ignore these guys, they are not going away; and they do- in their own haughty, arrogant, aggrandized and tragically deluded way- exist.

But, first, what the hell was I doing listening to these schmucks? Well, that's a funny story. Last week I flew to Oregon to spend a week fly fishing with a friend. We had originally planned to go backpacking, but an emergency appendectomy had my friend on restricted orders from his doctor, so we opted for car camping instead of the backpacking trip. It had it's perks- like cold beer and pillows for the tent- but it meant we would spend a lot of time in the car, driving around Southeast Oregon.

What would we listen to? We played a little music, but we both like news radio. However, we were in some very remote country, and the only radio we could get was local color. Now, if you've never been, God's Country is a bit conservative. Slightly right of Attila The Hun. My friend and I found ourselves listening to the local right wing radio, first with novel amusement, then with growing rage, and finally with mixed bewilderment and awe: like watching a cock fight, or a midget toss- you know it is wrong, and it boils your blood, but you are too stunned to look away.

We listened as the recycled feeds of Limbaugh and the rest murdered news stories, inflicted their tortured worldviews on their poor hapless listeners, spewed mindless rhetorical garbage, and basically grabbed humanity by the throat and dragged it down for a death roll, like Paul Hogan wrestling an alligator. To quote Capetown's favorite movie, what I wouldn't give for a giant sock full of manure.

The guys are so obviously the worst type of political hacks that it would be quite easy to dismiss them as lower life forms if people didn't actually listen to them. That's why I know that I can't escape these guys. People actually called in to agree with these idiots! I couldn't believe it. That anyone would agree with the utter nonsense of these characters is a scary comment on this country.

So let me say it loud and clear, and invite you do to the same: Right wing radio is pure evil. Please remember that.

I don't like Newark airport either.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Back around election time in November of '06, as some of you know, I went on a solo mission across the US. From LA to Boston -- just my sister's Saab, life's belongings, and all the talk radio I could stomach. The day after the elections I drove 15 hours from SF to a Oil Refinery town in western Wyoming. I was soon betrayed by my beloved NPR somewhere near the CA/NV border and got Limbaughed for about 3 hours.

This was my first time hearing more than those short clips proliferated around the 24 news networks when Rush gets into trouble. The masochist in me dabbles in O'Reilly, so I thought that I was prepared for Rush, but the fact of it is, nothing -- not water-boarding or a two day marathon of The View -- could have stifened my spine enough to absorb the absurdity of Rush's radio broadcast.

I was still riding high on the Democratic victory, the Republican "thumpin'" and Deval Patrick's win back in my home state. So I was able to shrug off most of the odious vitriol coming from Limbaugh way. What really got to me, however (and BrooklynD, let me know if you got a little of this too), was the comments from listeners. Not only were they in agreement, as BrooklynD mentioned, but they profusely thanked the guy. "What would we do without you." "You make me proud to be an American." To agree with Rush, well I can't really fault some people for that (cause that's basically the only source of news for many), but to praise with such lofty remarks is sub-human. Politics aside, Rush and O'Reilly where their hypocrisy on their sleeves. It's their attitude and rhetorical bullying that revolt me. We could agree on every issue and they still would strike me as bad for this country and our political dialogue. I could keep going, but O'Reilly about to come on, so I'm gonna get out the ball-gag and self-flaggelate in front of the tv.

The safety word is "Impeachment".

BostonDissentator said...

I want to know what's so different and awful about Newark Liberty International Airport.

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Best Wishes

Bill