Why are there so many wingnuts on TV? - Democratic Underground

WillyBrandt

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Mon May-24-04 09:38 PM
Original message

Why are there so many wingnuts on TV?

Why the hell is that the case?! Jeez!

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Sirveri

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Mon May-24-04 09:38 PM
Response to Original message

1. Because they get good ratings?

Or possibly because they're good at towing the line.

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ibegurpard

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Mon May-24-04 09:40 PM
Response to Original message

2. Because the Telecommunications Act of 1995

cleared the way for major corporations to buy up tons of media outlets. They will put on the air points of view that they think will not harm their bottom line, ratings be damned.

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Warpy

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Mon May-24-04 10:05 PM
Response to Reply #2

10. That's part of the story

The other part of the story is that right wing stink tanks, flush with money from Scaife and others, have been grooming talking heads for the past 30 years and shopping them around as experts to all the news shows. Want somebody who knows about foreign policy? Hey, we've got a guy right here. Economy? That guy over there. All their experts have degrees in the appropriate fields from brand name universities and careful coaching in the right wing party line.

Seed money from Soros is long overdue. Let's hope we can use it as wisely on the left as they did on the right.

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Speck Tater

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Mon May-24-04 09:43 PM
Response to Original message

3. Because they are like shoot-em-up adventure movies...

Edited on Mon May-24-04 09:43 PM by fiziwig

loud, flashy, action packed, and exciting to the audience. Even people who hate them watch them because they are exciting.

Personally I can't stand them, but it's just another brand of reality TV. Most networks will show whatever attracts a crowd, whether left-wing or right-wing. All they really care about is ratings, and at the moment the left-wingers are too damn boring to stir up an audience. They are all cowed and tamed and afraid to speak up. Damn shame.

Once the left-wingers snap out of their coma and start exciting audiences again they'll be on top of the rating charts and filling the airwaves.

(edit spelling)

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Tom Kitten

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Mon May-24-04 10:01 PM
Response to Reply #3

7. kinda like why people like horror or crime movies?

Most often the villians are more interesting than the heroes...Who cares about the old peace love dove mantra when identifying with cool evil personae is so much more fun? And relevant, getting to the top means being a cutthroat nowadays, at least as far as our mass media is concerned!

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onehandle

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Mon May-24-04 09:45 PM
Response to Original message

4. Easy $ nt

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UTUSN

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Mon May-24-04 09:46 PM
Response to Original message

5. Why Are There So Many Wingnuts? n/t

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AlCzervik

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Mon May-24-04 10:03 PM
Response to Reply #5

9. because it's alot easier

and doesnt require any independent thinking to be a rightwing barking head. it takes alot more brains and balls to be a democrat these days or an independent for that matter.

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Southsideirish

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Mon May-24-04 09:52 PM
Response to Original message

6. They're all over radio, too. (nt)

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Soopercali

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Mon May-24-04 10:02 PM
Response to Original message

8. Read the new David Brock book...

"The Republican Noise Machine." He spells out how the right wing bullied and intimidated its way into the national media and pushed the liberals out.

Very thorough and well documented.

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leesa

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Mon May-24-04 10:09 PM
Response to Original message

11. Because Reagan deregulated the FCC allowing rich right wing neocons to

purchase all the media outlets. They own all of the conventional media in the US.

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Career Prole

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Mon May-24-04 10:21 PM
Response to Original message

12. I hear ya! After bush's speech CNN' Paula Zahn had

Mitch McConnell (he of the vacuous, wide-eyed blinky Steve Forbes look) and Joe Lieberman (he of the tremulous voice and Jiminy Cricket upper lip) give their opinions of bush's "vision".
It was like damned tag-team cheerleaders...it was disgustin'!
Aren't they supposed to include a Democratic viewpoint as well?

Note to the Shrubbery speechwriters:
I realize you have to use the word "vision" in your bossman's speeches because if you use "hallucination" he'll mangle it, but please...for the sake of accuracy go with the phonetic spelling on the teleprompter so the American people get a clear read on what that guy really sees out there.

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