Sunday, October 18, 2009

Thirteen Years In The Penguin Box


There is virtually no problem in American politics that does not trace its origins to the fact that the frontal lobes of the Land of the Free have spent the last 13 years being bludgeoned by Rupert Murdoch's Fox New.

Snipped from Newsweek:
The O’Garbage Factor
Fox News isn't just bad. It's un-American.

by Jacob Weisberg

...
Any news organization that took its responsibilities seriously would take pains to cover presidential criticism fairly. It would regard doing so as itself a test of integrity. At Fox, by contrast, complaints of unfairness prompt only hoots of derision and demands for "evidence" that, when presented, is brushed off and ignored.

There is no need to get bogged down in this phony debate, which itself constitutes an abuse of the fair-mindedness of the rest of the media. One glance at Fox's Web site or five minutes' random viewing of the channel at any hour of the day demonstrates its all-pervasive slant. The lefty documentary Outfoxed spent a lot of time mustering evidence that Fox managers order reporters to take the Republican side. But after 13 years under Roger Ailes, Fox employees skew news right as instinctively as fish swim.

Rather than in any way maturing, Fox has in recent months become more boisterous and demagogic. Fox sponsored as much as it covered the anti-Obama "tea parties" this summer. Its "fact checking" about the president's health-care proposal is provided by Karl Rove. And weepy Glenn Beck has begun to exhibit a Strangelovean concern about government invading our bloodstream by vaccinating people for swine flu. With this misinformation campaign, Fox stands to become the first network to actively try to kill its viewers.
...
Of course, within minutes the the flying monkeys began to descend...
"For eight years [the mainstream media] pounded un-"fairly" on Bush..."

"FoxNews is far and away better than any of the evening news programs for objectivity and fairness..."

"Fox is SO mild compared to Matthews or Olbermann, just to name two of the many hate-mongers at CNN and MSNBC."

"Weisberg authored ;The Complete Bushisms' and 'The Bush Tragedy' ;and co-authored a book with Robert Rubin. He is also a contributing writer for the N.Y. Times. What would would you expect?"

"...you come across as a simpering sexist unable to grant that a woman (or it a conservative) has a bona fide doctoral degree. For the record, Dr. Crowley most certainly does (as do I), and this kind of slur has no place here."

"Your complaint with FOX makes no sense to me. It is far more balanced than Newsweek, The Washingtonn Post, NY Times, any of the broadcast networks, CNN, or MSDNC."

"...Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck are more successful than you. Get over yourself already."

"So Fox is the only major news outlet slanted right, big deal. They are outnumbered by the organizations slanted left by a large margin."

"It seems pretty damn funny coming from newsweek, one of THE most left leaning publications around."

"...hope it makes you feel better about the two hours of your life you spent righting this piece. Those are two hours you'll never get back. So sad."

"...the article is garbage."

"At least Fox is trying to look past the smoke and mirrors. Keith Olbermann and Rachel Madder say a whole lot worse about the right..."

"This is how your friends nazis and commis operate. Hugo and Obama have similar aim - to eliminate all opposition stations."

"...all famous racists were Democrats"

"Proof? Look at the ratings."
I must confess, the one about "famous racists" is my favorite: a textbook example of how the pillars of the Right's ideological temple all depend on the smug certainty that everyone is even more pig-ignorant of history than they are.

There are no good arguments left in favor of trying to reason with the swine dregs left at the base the Conservative movement. They have had their heads buried so deep up Murdoch's, Ailes'
baron
and Limbaugh's collective asses that irreversible moral hypoxia has set in.

They are a cultural deadloss and their beliefs are a pestilence, and until the plague rats of the Right
toolz
are directly confronted, quarantined and driven into the sea, there will be no end to the havoc they wreak on our civilization.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wingnut drivers. Priceless.

btw--Before they were called nut drivers, they were called spintites. Works both ways.

Anonymous said...

Roger Ailes as the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen? I beg to differ. The Baron had better taste.

knowdoubt said...

It is all so good (as in true), but the really important part is,

"...are directly confronted, quarantined and driven into the sea, there will be no end to the havoc they wreak on our civilization."

that deserves repeating, over and over.

libhom said...

This is why people should boycott all of Murdoch's media properties, not just Faux News. People need to stop feeding the beast.

Cirze said...

Knowdoubt, you beat me to it!

Must be said over and over everyday until we get some relief from that evil curse.

And thanks to libhome too! I've stopped - full stop.

People need to stop feeding the beast.

S

Phil said...

Thanks for reinforcing my decision to throw my fucking television out the front door several months ago.
I sleep so much better at night now.

Michael Hart said...

Thanks, Dglass; this problem cannot get enough attention.

If only there had been a little more going on in those frontal lobes before Fux Noiz fucked with them...

Angel Of Mercy said...

Effulgent and superbly outraged as usual, Dr. Glass. You kill me and you know it.

I also found a piece very much along the same lines at Talking Points Memo. It starts a trifle slow, but builds up a righteous head of steam by the end. It's called Some Worrisome Speculation About he Future of the GOP. Go read.

And be afraid. Be very afraid...

mac said...

I watch FOX and Friends for a few minutes while I'm getting ready for work. Don't ask. It gets the adrenalin flowing or something. The Blonde and the two Dimbo's were having a discussion on why Hillary's polling numbers were so high. They came to the conclusion that her numbers were high because she's been out of the country so much.

Now I need a TV and a new morning ritual.

Cirze said...

P.S.

Is that Derek Jacobi behind Meredith?

I'd forgotten how terrific this TV show was.

Thanks again,

S

Yes, I'm showing this to my colleagues.

Kathy said...

Fox's crime is not that they are hostile to the White House, but that they are so friendly as to actually be considered a PART of the Repug party.

The Press (Media) and our gov't should always be antagonistic towards each other. The Press should be suspicious and critical of Gov't, the gov't fearful of the Press.

But Fox is just one of the Repug's many tentacles, not to be confused with testicles.

watchdog said...

Those comments were telling, I too would agree that many well-known racists were Democrats.......who later all became Republicans when they realized that conservative Republicans were politically in line with their own beliefs.
As to the other dumbass claiming that Olbermann and "Madder"(!!!!)say way more hateful things.....prove it, I will gather a list of all the evil and hateful things said by Billo and Becky and we can compare them to all the hateful things Olbermann and "Madder" have said.
I think that little competition is in my favor however.

AArdvarker said...

I agree. FOX is completely unamerican.
The right thinks White House went after them to: (1.)fire up a liberal base disillusioned with Obama by attacking the hated Fox; (2.) Try to keep a critical news outlet off-balance; (3.)Raise doubts about future Fox stories.

As if anyone other than the fundies believes FOX or takes them seriously.

Great images.