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07/21/2003 Archived Entry: "Tell Frank Rich to give us a call."
Tell Frank Rich to give us a call.
So Frank Rich takes his turn beating the dead horse that is known as 'Liberals aren't funny enough for talk radio.'
How can Democrats be so ineffectual in the media in which they would seem to have a home-court cultural advantage? The talk-show playing field is littered with liberal casualties: Mario Cuomo, Alan Dershowitz, Phil Donahue. Why waste money on more broadcasting flops? The conventional wisdom has it that liberals will never make it in this arena because they are humorless, their positions are too complicated to explain, and some powerful media companies (whether Mr. Murdoch's News Corporation or the radio giant Clear Channel) want to put up roadblocks.
Tell ya what, Frankie. Let me and my bud from Cali on the radio, and the butt-kicking will have only begun. Not funny, my black ass.
Replies: somebody speaks up.
I think Frank Rich states his thesis brilliantly: the Right has completely out-flanked the Left in broadcast media. Even our most illustrious star, Jon Stewart, has airtime for, what, 22 minutes four times a week.
The appeal of the Right is not humor, it is their pandering to base human instincts. Fear and Hatred of The Other works like a charm everytime. Complex analyses are abandoned in favor of a Black & White view of the world. It's Us vs Them and God is on Our side.
Just goes to show you that your grandmother was right: ignorance is bliss.
Posted by Metropolitan99 @ 07/22/2003 11:03 AM NY
