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Air America

shuamort

Pundit-licious
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Now, it’s pretty rare that I listen to talk radio. I end up trying to talk back to it. Last night, I ran some errands and had dinner with a friend. On the way out, we listened to the President’s press conference, we got some stuff done, bought, and eaten, and then headed home. A little flipping around the dial and we came across “Air America”, the left wing talk radio station.

What a big steaming pile.

To be fair, we only listened to it for about 30 minutes. But the arguments against the President, Dobson, and Frist that the radio host was proposing were, to put it nicely, ignorant. Facts were glaringly missing and it seemed to be striving more for shock value than any type of intelligible discourse. I heard the term “ChristoNazis” not only applied to the republicans many times, but actually spelled out just in case we were misunderstanding it.

I’m curious as to who would listen to this and if maybe I just turned into a bad show. Has anybody else listened to Air America?
 
I mis-spoke when I called it an ad, I didnt know what it was supposed to be exactly. This is the liberals sick idea of a “comedy bit”. Then to try to cover public opinion about it, they flooded the vote on an informal Fox opinion poll.

AIR AMERICA RADIO INVESTIGATED AFTER BUSH 'GUNSHOTS'

The red-hot rhetoric over Social Security on liberal talkradio network AIR AMERICA has caught the attention of the Secret Service, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

Government officials are reviewing a skit which aired on the network Monday evening -- a skit featuring an apparent gunshot warning to the president!

The announcer: "A spoiled child is telling us our Social Security isn't safe anymore, so he is going to fix it for us. Well, here's your answer, you ungrateful whelp: [audio sound of 4 gunshots being fired.] Just try it, you little bastard. [audio of gun being cocked]."

The audio production at the center of the controversy aired during opening minutes of The Randi Rhodes Show.
-snip-
AIR AMERICA President of Programming and co-COO Jon Sinton said in a release: "We regret that a produced comedy bit that was in bad taste slipped through our normal vetting process. We do acknowledge that it was an internal error and internal discipline will be enforced."

Rhodes apologized for the skit on Wednesday. "It was a bit,? Rhodes said. ?It was bad. I apologize a thousand times."
Source
 
shuamort said:
Now, it’s pretty rare that I listen to talk radio. I end up trying to talk back to it. Last night, I ran some errands and had dinner with a friend. On the way out, we listened to the President’s press conference, we got some stuff done, bought, and eaten, and then headed home. A little flipping around the dial and we came across “Air America”, the left wing talk radio station.

What a big steaming pile.

To be fair, we only listened to it for about 30 minutes. But the arguments against the President, Dobson, and Frist that the radio host was proposing were, to put it nicely, ignorant. Facts were glaringly missing and it seemed to be striving more for shock value than any type of intelligible discourse. I heard the term “ChristoNazis” not only applied to the republicans many times, but actually spelled out just in case we were misunderstanding it.

I’m curious as to who would listen to this and if maybe I just turned into a bad show. Has anybody else listened to Air America?

Yeah, I’ve listened to them. If you’re liberal you’ll love them, if you’re not you’ll hate them. They do exactly what Rush, Hannity and Fox News does. Only they do it in the opposite direction. Anything that makes the President look and sound bad ends up on the air. And stats or facts that don’t make him look bad it doesn’t end up on the air. Same thing the right wing conservative media did with Clinton. They do exactly what Fox does for converatives. They tell their listeners exactly what they want to hear. It isn't news.
 
Squawker said:
I mis-spoke when I called it an ad, I didnt know what it was supposed to be exactly. This is the liberals sick idea of a “comedy bit”. Then to try to cover public opinion about it, they flooded the vote on an informal Fox opinion poll.


Source

Rhodes is caustic, no doubt about it. I like the "slipped through our normal vetting process"- funny. Almost as believable as when Fox accidental put fake BS quotes of Kerry out on their web site. Yep! all one big accident, sorry.
 
I like the "slipped through our normal vetting process"- funny. Almost as believable as when Fox accidental put fake BS quotes of Kerry out on their web site. Yep! all one big accident, sorry.
I wouldn't call the two the same, one incites violence, the kerry mis-quotes were just making fun. Does everything have to be turned into Fox bashing?
 
Squawker said:
I wouldn't call the two the same, one incites violence, the kerry mis-quotes were just making fun. Does everything have to be turned into Fox bashing?

You're right there not on the same level. Of course those on the left will argue that the sound of a gun cocking isn't the same as telling some one to kill any one. And the bit, which I went and listened to, was most certainly done as a bit. It was done ala "Saturday Night Live." But I certainly think it was in poor taste and wrong. But I heard things just as bad or worse on the right wing radio when Clinton was in office. Doesn't make it right.

When Fox "accidentally" does "funny" things like that it makes it fairly easy to bash away.

I think this shows exactly how far the political discourse has gone.
 
But I heard things just as bad or worse on the right wing radio when Clinton was in office. Doesn't make it right.

When Fox "accidentally" does "funny" things like that it makes it fairly easy to bash away.

I think this shows exactly how far the political discourse has gone.
I have listened to a lot of right wing radio, and I never heard any host advocate violence against Clinton or anyone else. I heard a few gross jokes about his cigar "humidor". The political discourse went down the toilet with Clinton, when his supporters tried to make it look like some right wing conspiracy.
 
Squawker said:
I have listened to a lot of right wing radio, and I never heard any host advocate violence against Clinton or anyone else. I heard a few gross jokes about his cigar "humidor". The political discourse went down the toilet with Clinton, when his supporters tried to make it look like some right wing conspiracy.

I heard Hannity say "too bad Clinton wasn't aborted" and I heard Rush say "it's a wonder no one's shot this sleeze bag." So I guess it's all in what you call "advocate violence."
 
The fact is that polarization of the parties has led the ignorant masses to believe that their brand of reality is the absolute truth. Fox is entertainment as is the radio stations that broadcast Rush etc. No different than WLIB. I have listened to Air America on a number of occasions and Franken and Randy Rhodes, while aggressively liberal are very well researched. The reality is that "facts" can be viewed from a variety of vantage points... one mans truth is anothers controversy... Air America serves a great public service as does Rush and the right wing boys... providing diametrically opposed view points that stimulate discussion and debate. DEMOCRACY DEMANDS DEBATE!
 
Contrarian said:
The fact is that polarization of the parties has led the ignorant masses to believe that their brand of reality is the absolute truth. Fox is entertainment as is the radio stations that broadcast Rush etc. No different than WLIB. I have listened to Air America on a number of occasions and Franken and Randy Rhodes, while aggressively liberal are very well researched. The reality is that "facts" can be viewed from a variety of vantage points... one mans truth is anothers controversy... Air America serves a great public service as does Rush and the right wing boys... providing diametrically opposed view points that stimulate discussion and debate. DEMOCRACY DEMANDS DEBATE!

I don't know. When we get to the point where the two sides just despise each other so much, it just doesn't seem healthy to me. And I think the talking heads on both sides are guilty of furthering the discourse.
 
When dogma replaces reason, there is no choice but polarization. Hopefully sense will return and reason will prevail. Until we extinguish the trend toward theocracy, where the ignorant masses follow blindly the rants of those who exploit individual beliefs of the religious... we have no hope for intelligent discussion. People are very easy to manipulate and to follow nonsense
 
Contrarian said:
People are very easy to manipulate and to follow nonsense
I agree. Hey, that reminds me, did you see the South Park episode when all the parents turned Aethiest?
 
Squawker said:
I mis-spoke when I called it an ad, I didnt know what it was supposed to be exactly. This is the liberals sick idea of a “comedy bit”. Then to try to cover public opinion about it, they flooded the vote on an informal Fox opinion poll.


Source
I do not understand your point? They made a mistake, allowed something on the air that they should not have, then all involved made a public on air apology.

Your point is what, exactly? Liberal radio is not allowed to be wrong or in bad taste? That domain is only reserved for conservative radio?
 
Pacridge said:
Yeah, I’ve listened to them. If you’re liberal you’ll love them, if you’re not you’ll hate them. They do exactly what Rush, Hannity and Fox News does. Only they do it in the opposite direction. Anything that makes the President look and sound bad ends up on the air. And stats or facts that don’t make him look bad it doesn’t end up on the air. Same thing the right wing conservative media did with Clinton. They do exactly what Fox does for converatives. They tell their listeners exactly what they want to hear. It isn't news.
Well said! It's fun to read how conservatives are horrified by Air America!

:rofl
 
sebastiansdreams said:
I agree. Hey, that reminds me, did you see the South Park episode when all the parents turned Aethiest?
It was very funny. How about the one where Jesus kills Iraqis with AK47s after they capture and torture Santa?

Or the one where it's revealed that Heaven is only open to Mormons?

Or the one where David Blain outdoes Jesus in the miracle department?
 
sebastiansdreams said:
I agree. Hey, that reminds me, did you see the South Park episode when all the parents turned Aethiest?

No I missed that one, but did you see the one where the Protestants and Catholics got to the Pearly Gates only to find out that the Mormons were the "Chosen" ones... and everyone else was sent to Hell with Sadaam Hussein! or what about the one that showed the RC Chruch castigating a Priest who refused to molest kids... and they went to the Vatican to pull out the mandate from the early council (I assume Nicea) directing all PRiests to molest kids... great stuff

These guys are geniuses..
 
great stuff

These guys are geniuses..
Interesting, what the left finds amusing and brilliant. :roll:
 
Squawker said:
Interesting, what the left finds amusing and brilliant. :roll:

What would you guys do without your label machine? I am not on the left, nor am I on the right. There are some issues I consider in one fashion and others in another. It's called free and independent thought... you should try it some time.

If a system leans too far in either direction, it is by definition "imbalanced". That seems to be a fair description of those who are only capable of leaning "to the right"?

By the way, in an effort to explain to you something you obviously didn't grasp... Sebastian was trying to use South Park as an indicator of how people can be led to believe anything including Atheism... my counter was to show him that the "show" uses satire and humor (have you ever heard of them before??) to bemuse any topic, including making fun at fundamental values... you should watch it some time... you might even laugh
 
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Squawker said:
Interesting, what the left finds amusing and brilliant. :roll:
So now anything that someone who disagrees with you on any issue thinks is funny that you haven't seen is maligned as leftist?

What's next Mr. Fair & Balanced?

Have you even watched South Park? If you haven't, how can you comment on it all?
 
Contrarian said:
No I missed that one, but did you see the one where the Protestants and Catholics got to the Pearly Gates only to find out that the Mormons were the "Chosen" ones... and everyone else was sent to Hell with Sadaam Hussein! or what about the one that showed the RC Chruch castigating a Priest who refused to molest kids... and they went to the Vatican to pull out the mandate from the early council (I assume Nicea) directing all PRiests to molest kids... great stuff

These guys are geniuses..
I agree, satire at its best.
 
Champ said:
I do not understand your point? They made a mistake, allowed something on the air that they should not have, then all involved made a public on air apology.

Your point is what, exactly? Liberal radio is not allowed to be wrong or in bad taste? That domain is only reserved for conservative radio?
I was interested to see how the left would react to the critisism. As predicted, "so what, the right does it too, and let's change the subject".
 
Squawker said:
Champ said:
I was interested to see how the left would react to the critisism. As predicted, "so what, the right does it too, and let's change the subject".
Sorry to say man, but they do. There are no ifs ands or buts about it. It wasn't criticism you offered but...malarky, lol.
 
Squawker said:
Champ said:
I was interested to see how the left would react to the critisism. As predicted, "so what, the right does it too, and let's change the subject".
Again, I ask, what is your point other than to stick out your chest and gloat? IS that what your intentions are?

That's one incident, do you really want me to start listing the hundreds of incidences of bad taste and retractions made by right wing radio? Haven't we been down that road before?

Guess what? It will happen again. Air America will be politically incorrect. Duh! How shocking! I realize it is not more shocking than Rush doing drugs, O'Reilly having phone sex, Hanratty being caught in countless lies, Coulter being committed to a loony bin, etc. You're right if you mean in comparison to the right wing maggots this Air America faux pas is funny, because it was.

The big difference, which you will never admit because you're incapable of ever admitting that the righties can be wrongies is that this particular skit was clearly known to be a comedy bit, it was not meant to be anything else. It was received poorly because it was felt that it was in bad taste, not that it was devious, a lie, or purposely meant to mislead and misdirect like all those radical right wing radio sycophants.

I wonder how you would react if there was a left wing version of Ann Coulter or Bill O'Reilly? You know, big mouth liars. Let's hope that the left never lowers itself to that level. It's one thing to be prejudiced to one's ideology, it's quite another to be a no hole's barred liar like the right wing radio freaks....

I"m certain that you'll find a way to rationalize the right wing liars. Or better yet, you'll try to defend them as truth tellers? I would love to see you try... :sick:

BTW - You've done a GREAT job with the smilies! I really enjoy them, please find us more!
 
BTW - You've done a GREAT job with the smilies! I really enjoy them, please find us more!
I may never get another word of praise from the Champ, so I will take it and run. :mrgreen:
 
Contrarian said:
If a system leans too far in either direction, it is by definition "imbalanced". That seems to be a fair description of those who are only capable of leaning "to the right"?

By the way, in an effort to explain to you something you obviously didn't grasp... Sebastian was trying to use South Park as an indicator of how people can be led to believe anything including Atheism... my counter was to show him that the "show" uses satire and humor (have you ever heard of them before?) to bemuse any topic, including making fun at fundamental values... you should watch it some time... you might even laugh
You see, the thing I love about South Park is that is is completely indiscriminatory on who it satirizes. In the same episode, the one I was discussing, the show poked fun at the trendiness of aetheism as well as commenting on the sexual abuse of boys by Catholic Priests. Satire is one of the best ways in the world to keep in check your beliefs. Sometimes, if someone stops and realizes the absurdity of the argument presented, then they wake up to the world around them. While I on rare occasion dissagree with the point that is derived from the satire, I can still appreciate the humor of it.
 
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