Posted on 03/21/2012 7:24:12 AM PDT by pabianice
The financial model that fueled Rush Limbaugh’s radio show seems to have disintegrated in recent weeks, with at least 100 advertisers reportedly abandoning his radio program.
For more than two decades, “The Rush Limbaugh Show” has promoted his brand of misogyny, racism and general intolerance to an audience of more than 15 million people on as many as 600 radio stations. He has accused actor Michael J. Fox of “exaggerating the effects” of Parkinson’s disease; called the National Organization for Women “nags” who “are a bunch of whores to liberalism”; and just last week referred to a Washington Post reporter as a synonym for a female dog.
Limbaugh’s recent attack on Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke was as irresponsible as it was abhorrent. His words were not simply a glancing blow or an accidental slip of the tongue. They encompassed three days of his program, more than six full hours.
While Rush, already under duress from advertisers, apologized for calling Fluke a “prostitute” and a “slut,” his diatribe went further. To this date, he has shown no contrition for saying Fluke wanted “taxpayers to pay her to have sex” or that she should post sex “videos online so we can all watch.”
Unlike his attacks on NOW or Fox, Fluke is a private citizen. Her only sin was to attempt to discharge her right to petition her government. While Rush’s attacks on public figures, most notably women, have been offensive, to levy these attacks against someone without any public means of defense is bullying.
At Media Matters for America, we have monitored “The Rush Limbaugh Show” every day since our founding in 2004. There is no example we can recall in which Limbaugh, or any other media figure, levied attacks of the tone and duration of those leveled against Fluke.
It is for that reason that Media Matters, along with numerous other groups, have begun to educate advertisers about the damage their financial support of Limbaugh’s program can do to their brands.
There is a myth that advertiser actions, like those now targeted at Limbaugh, impinge on his constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech. The truth is just the opposite: They are a demonstration of the power of the First Amendment.
We are not a government entity attempting to stifle Limbaugh’s speech. Instead, we are using our right of free assembly to join together and raise our voices against Limbaugh. We are, in fact, engaging in the marketplace of ideas, one in which people, examining all of the facts, can choose whether it is in their financial interest to support hate radio.
We are confident, seeing the reaction over the previous two weeks, that sponsors will take their dollars elsewhere.
It’s ironic that Limbaugh would accuse others of trying to silence him, when his own actions were designed to prevent them from speaking out. What Limbaugh clearly hoped to accomplish in his more than six hours of attacks on Fluke was to exact a price for her willingness to speak her mind on a controversial issue, to send a message to other women that if they speak out, they too will be attacked.
Twenty years ago, in one of my most regrettable episodes in the conservative media, I used similar words to attack Anita Hill, calling her “a little bit nutty and a little bit slutty.” Reading those words today, I cannot comprehend the level of disrespect toward women I presented. Beyond the sexism, there was the clear message sent to women: Stand up and you will be attacked.
Unfortunately, it is a message the right has sent over and over — and not just to women. Five years ago, Limbaugh assaulted then-12-year-old Graeme Frost, whose crime was delivering a Democratic radio address laying out the case that the Children’s Health Insurance Program saved his life.
The right savaged his family members, digging through their personal finances and publicly humiliating them for the crime of speaking out.
Our democracy is dependent on a vigorous public square where left and right openly debate the issues of the day. For 20 years, Limbaugh’s program has not added to this debate. By attacking public figures in the most hateful terms and working to silence brave citizens who speak up, he has, instead, diminished it.
David Brock is the founder of Media Matters for America and the author of the new book “The Fox Effect.”
According to Rush that 100 is across all 600 radio stations which have more than 18,000 advertisers between them. Not even a drop in the bucket and those 100 have already been replaced.
Evidently, “Politico” really wants a mention on Limbaugh’s show. I hope he resists.
Oh the humidity! Rush just gained new listeners.
Don’t know if it’s my computer, but there isn’t a place to leave comments.
Don’t know if it’s my computer, but there isn’t a place to leave comments at the Politico site. Or is that because they don’t have the server space to hold all the responses?
Our democracy is dependent on a vigorous public square where left and right openly debate the issues of the day. For 20 years, Limbaugh’s program has not added to this debate. By attacking public figures in the most hateful terms and working to silence brave citizens who speak up, he has, instead, diminished it.
We are NOT a democracy. We are a republic. And some issues are beyond debate, and fall within the area of unchangables that any legitimate form of government must honor. The purpose of government is to punish wrongdoers, NOT to provide medical care, etc. That is the rock our constitutional republic is built upon. Liberal dems and their willing RINO accomplices have been chipping away at this for decades, if not centuries.
For 20's years Limbaugh's program has been a single voice, "crying in the wilderness" of liberal monopoly on broadcast airwaves. "Limbaugh IS equal time." Before Limbaugh there was no debate. We were spoon fed the fare those in control allowed us.
The hypocritical left can't stand it when Limbaugh "to make a point" mimics their techniques against them. They scream like stuck pigs.
And the likes of poor Graeme Frost and Sandra Fluke were hardly innocent citizens standing around minding their own business. When you’re used as a liberal prop, prepare to have your sob story questioned.
I’ve never stated this before because it sounds silly but after this Rush flap, I think there is merit in the thought that Brock doesn’t care about facts. I think he is operating under the assumption that if you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes fact. Lord knows he has enough support among his left wing peers.
I’ve never stated this before because it sounds silly but after this Rush flap, I think there is merit in the thought that Brock or his peers don’t care about facts. I think they operate under the assumption that if you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes fact.
The problem they face with Rush is an angry Right refusing to back away and remain silent.
Simple projection by brooks. He is not looking at limbaugh...but himself.
Funny....but I’ve listened to Rush for years and years now....and I have never heard most of those “hundred” or so sponsors advertising on Rush’s show.
Oh well....nothing new here with the leftie lies.
Just another steaming pile of leftist manure.
When I was growing up and being raised a staunch Boston Jewish Liberal, I began to question that cult's assumptions. In return I was always personally attacked. Never a real counter-argument. Liberals/Marxists know they can never win an argument on fact. That we have allowed them to run rampant with personal attacks instead since 1964 is our shame.
Omoslem’s court jester chimes in.
Between gerbils, Brock finds time to slam Limbaugh on behalf of Nazi-collaborator Soros and the Fourth Reich.
I realize most gay men don’t use gerbils, but Brock just looks like he goes a’gerbling.
A recent article about Brock’s psycho ex-boyfriend mentioned Brock’s $8,000.00 Louis Vuitton suit bag.
Obama never spends more than $7,500 on his suit bags, thus proving there’s no Brock-Omoslem collusion on slamming Rush.
More arm waving from the left. Like the guys holding the oversized arrows on street corners.
I was hoping to see numbers, like percent of sponsors, percent decline in revenue, drop in listenership.
What we got was words, babble, and wishful thinking.
In other words, lefty speak.
Thank you for your input, Gay-vid. Now, back to the bathhouse.
"...and working to silence brave citizens who speak up..."
Yeah, racist. Just ask Ken Hutcherson, the pastor that married Rush and Katherine. Ken is not only a very devoted man of God, he is also African American.
It’s the same with homophobic: Rush is so homophobic he had Elton John play at his wedding reception.
It’s the same with his hatred and disrespect of women. Just ask any liberal female. They can’t tell you what a feminazi is but they (along with some of my former college profs) sure know he hates women. Any further questions, just ask Margaret Thatcher or Sara Palin or Mary Maitlin who used to host Rush’s show when he was absent.
Brock’s sexual orientation is not the issue. Making fun of it just lowers us to the level of the Left’s personal attack strategy. We can do better.
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