Home › Forums › Open Discussion › who are the leftist shock jocks?
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March 8, 2009 at 7:31 pm #659817
c@lbobMemberGee, Patrick, does that mean that mere mortals who listen to talk radio can’t talk about it?
Interesting.
Are you going to set up similar requirements for reading a blog? ;^)
March 8, 2009 at 7:40 pm #659818
JiggersMemberPatrick.. People who call in to a show makes up a very small percentage of the actual audience that tunes in. You don’t need to have or take calls to be very successful. I used to be a radio host and still do a music variety show here in Seattle part–time. I have always loved doing radio whether it paid me or not. The main goal fo the host is to make money by drawing a high rating so it can sell advertising $$$$. Tom Leykis had 4 plus million tune into him each week and who knows how much Stern drew in when he was on free radio before he bolted to pay radio.
March 8, 2009 at 8:08 pm #659819
JoBParticipantNewResident…
i slipped several posts to reply to yours.
and found that someone had already said what i wanted to say…
what i started was an inquiry which happened to follow the total destruction of what was beginning to be an interesting discussion before it was trashed and deleted.
you may manage to inflame passions here by refusing to take the question seriously… but that was never the intent of this thread.
Now.. i am going back to read and see what i has become.
March 8, 2009 at 8:09 pm #659820
JoBParticipantMorgan…
should we just figure that anyone left of the far conservative right is offensive to you?
March 8, 2009 at 8:09 pm #659821
AnonymousInactiveI’m sorry I didn’t read that book yet, Patrick. But I just wanted to add that, although not on radio, Michael Moore is a pretty big (and loud) personality for the left.
Maybe the liberal counterpart of Limbaugh??
March 8, 2009 at 8:29 pm #659822
JoBParticipantPatrick has a point.. the job of a radio talk show host is to make the phones ring so that the program becomes a discussion… thereby raising ratings.
the more interesting or compelling the discussion.. the larger the ratings.
some radio hosts have found that they can easily achieve those results by creating controversy and antagonizing any listener who phones in with a dissenting view.
which has given rise to an exceedingly combative radio and television talk show environment…
As a result.. much of America has begun to think that any dissenting view is combative…
so we have mild mannered Rachel Maddow listed as a shock jock by one of the forum members because she challenges political rhetoric.
I am saddened to learn that there are talk show hosts with liberal leanings who are using combative techniques to successfully build audiences… especially now.
I was sure that Limbaugh style tactics had invaded the liberal landscape because i saw it used extensively against Hillary… but I really didn’t know if it had taken root…
and i think i still don’t know. so far the examples raised still pale against Limbaugh.
all you have to do is wiki each of them and look for the controversies that surround them. Randi Rhodes was fired for behavior that is commonplace for Rush Limbaugh…
it’s obvious to me that we need to relearn how to have non-combative discussion again… and to value listening to content instead of inflaming emotional controversy.
it’s part of the whole conversation of appearances versus substance… or rhetoric versus substance.
It’s just not possible to work together towards common goals if we are all us and them and therefore not respectful of one another’s opinions.
March 8, 2009 at 8:40 pm #659823
JoBParticipantNewResident
i honestly don’t know where to put Micheal Moore in this context.
he’s not exactly a radio talk show host though he is definately a political commentator.
and wiki reports more than a little controversy around him…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Moore_controversies
though most of them allude to taping staged incidents to prove a point rather than the type of abuse leveled at individuals by Limbaugh…
but he certainly does believe that the end justifies the means…
and he can be very combative and offensive.
If pressed.. i would say that Micheal More goes exposes corruption in organizations where Limbaugh abuses individuals and inflames passion to aid corruption in organizations…
but i would be easily called on that comment and i am not sure i could adequately defend it on either side…
I confess i don’t watch Michael More’s movies because his style makes me very uncomfortable..
but i do appreciate the focus he brings to his topics…
none of this is easily sorted, is it?
March 8, 2009 at 9:07 pm #659824
MorganMemberJoB, they are not offensive. In fact, I listen/watch them all the time to get the other perspective. Very entertaining, and often accurate.
The people that scare me are the ones who pretend to be unbiased but have an agenda (Katie, Rather, NPR). People like KO, Maddow and Rush at least admit they are biased.
March 8, 2009 at 9:30 pm #659825
charlabobParticipantThere’s a difference between “shock jocks” and talk show hosts. One problem I have with this thread is that we seem to have lumped them together.
I’d say Stern and Imus are shock jocks (and I’m sure there are lesser lights.) And the rest are “talk shows.” Malloy’s “talk show consists of “he talk you listen.” As far as I can tell, he never takes calls. He just rants for three hours.
Michael Moore is a movie director and producer — he’s more of a guest than a host. When the discussion of him as the leftist Rush first came up, he held a press conference to explain that the difference is most people agree with him, even if they don’t like his “style.”
For example, his movie, Sicko, unabashedly promotes single payer health care. Latest polls (of many flavors) show 70 % of the people favor SP health care and they don’t seem to be falling for the “ooooh — socialist — bad!” meme.
Listen to AM Radio 1090, progressive talk–they have some Air America hosts and some other — you can get an idea of the range.
One difference between the left and right talkers is that more folks on the left have people with other points of view and actually listen to them. That annoys the H— out of me, but the bob seems to think it’s useful so I point it out. :-)
Oh, yeah — more righties: Jeff Gannon (the gay hustler who managed to get press credentials from someone in Bush’s White House) and Joe the non-plumber both had or will have talk shows — gotta’ take advantage of those 15 minutes of infamy.
More folks on the left: David Binder and Stephanie Miller — DB takes calls and listens — he’s disgustingly fair and balanced. Stephanie takes calls and uses them as a foil for her comedy/ridicule.
Schultz used to be a right wing talker — he switched sometime in the 90’s — I’m not sure why. He was actually at Obama’s first press conference — sitting next to Helen Thomas; didn’t get to ask a question but the fact that he was there inflamed the right — until they were reminded of Jeff Gannon.
March 8, 2009 at 9:33 pm #659826
AdamOnAlkiParticipantPersonally, I like to have my intelligence insulted. It can be a pretty great feeling. Being able to witness paid professionals spout blatant inaccuracies and point out their bias’ makes me feel better about the person that I am, as well as reminding me of who I do not want to become.
That is why I watch Fox News Channel.
March 9, 2009 at 12:16 am #659827
MorganMemberMarch 9, 2009 at 2:29 am #659828
HMC RichParticipantMichael Savage and Mark Levin are close to being “Shock Jocks” in the political perspective. They raise their voices and are rude. Is it an act? Who knows but they are not Stern or Leykis.
If you want to get yelled at, call Savage and Levin.
I used to listen to Mike Webb but he has departed (Sad Story) and Erin (can’t remember her last name) on KIRO about 3 years ago. They brought vastly different views to me compared to Hannity, Rush etc, but were not shock jocks either.
About 10 years ago Art Bell was the lunatic and I loved him. Y2K OH NO!!!! Now, he (his repeats) and George Nouri almost seem normal. They were never shock jocks, but fun to listen to for nonpolitical “alternative theories”.
March 9, 2009 at 2:44 am #659829
PatrickKeymasterMarch 9, 2009 at 3:41 am #659830
JoBParticipantIt may surprise you all to learn that i do listen to talk radio and i watch some talk shows…
but certainly not those whose only goal is combative discourse.
I am into the exchange of opinions… as in two people alternately talking and listening and proving they are listening by actually answering the question asked.
my favorite is still Bill Moyers.. now THAT is a talk show and a talk show host.
Morgan.. watch LINK TV.. that is the equivalent of FOX news .. all liberal all of the time.
You will be amazed at what you hear there that you never heard on the mainstream stuff you call liberal.
oh… and they are unabashedly liberal… no pretense at all.
Adam on Alki… I don’t think i am among those who enjoy “having my intelligence insulted”.
My lack of interest has nothing to do with the concept of being insulted. for me, it’s not the swearing. i have been known to curse vehemently when making a point. It’s not the even really the lack of decency.. and by that i mean respect for others… although that does make me very uncomfortable.
i think they just bore me. i don’t watch most of the daytime talk shows for the same reason…
maybe it’s a generational thing.. i don’t know. Friends and family members that i truly admire watch the most useless things and seem to enjoy them.
March 9, 2009 at 9:57 pm #659831
cheyenneMemberI quit watching cable news during the Bush campaign. For years the talking heads had been getting annoyingly rude, to the point where it was unbearable to watch. Like fingernails on a chalkboard, teeth on a fork.
Then we got Dish Network, and I found I could watch Democracy Now (news)on TV instead of just listening on NPR. What a difference! FSTV (free speech tv) also shows documentaries and talk shows, speeches and more. All fabulous. Nobody could be ignorant for long, watching this stuff.
March 9, 2009 at 11:21 pm #659832
JoBParticipantcheyenne…
isn’t free speech tv wonderful! I really enjoy both Amy Goodman’s and Laura Flanders’s programs… and some of the documentaries really make you examine what you thought you knew.
i can’t recommend them enough..
though so far… not a single republican i have referred to them for a dose of liberal reality has taken me up on the challenge…
they would have to re-examine their concept of centerist and mainstream broadcasting if they did.
Our exceptions to the no broadcast tv news (???) are John Stewart.. he makes me laugh while i think… Bill Moyers.. he just makes me think and lets his well informed guests talk… and Rachel Maddow… i think she asks challenging questions but doesn’t follow up far enough to get challenging answers…
bright spots in otherwise offensive and/or boring news broadcasts…
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