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Home Front: Culture Wars
Bad Ideas - Hydrogen Zeppelin, Maginot Line, Liberal Talk Radio
2004-03-30
Conservatives, plug your ears: Liberal talk radio is finally here.
More like cover my mouth, to stifle the laughter.
Al Franken and a host of gasbag liberals garrulous progressives ease onto the airwaves tomorrow morning on America Left, broadcasting live from 6 a.m. to midnight on weekdays via XM Satellite Radio and three AM radio stations — in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Come on now, nothing in Boston or San Francisco? Demographically speaking, these two cities are no brainers, and tu3031 and I could use a few laughs during the commute.
Mr. Franken will debut at noon with "The O’Franken Factor," a three-hour daily show airing opposite conservative host Rush Limbaugh, who has 20 million listeners. Mr. Franken once wrote a book titled "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot" and has named his show as a parody of "The O’Reilly Factor," hosted by Bill O’Reilly of Fox News.
And somehow we’re supposed to take Franken seriously when the majority of his schtick consists of juvenile name calling and thoughtless / witless mocking of conservatives? Yeah, that’ll bring in the ad revenue.
Ummm... The O'Franken Factor makes me think of 7-foot tall guys with bolts in their necks, lurching about the countryside. Mel Brooks is dead, isn't he? Too bad. He could do a remake, call it Young O'Franken Factor...
Mr. Franken, who has scuffled with conservatives for years, is primed for a fight.
Hey, you gonna box Rich Lowry or what?
"Hrowf! Hrowf! Lemme at 'im! I'll murderlize 'im!"
"My first priority is to get sued by a right-wing jerk in order to generate interest in my new show," Mr. Franken said in a statement earlier this year.
This will burn out faster than the Graf Zeppelin. No debate or exchange of ideas, no attempt to persuade. Yell, scream, call names and sue. This is childish behaviour to the extreme.
The daylong lineup also includes comedian (?) (comedienne?) Janeane Garofalo, an outspoken critic of the Iraq war; environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; and Alan Colmes, co-host of Fox News Channel’s "Hannity & Colmes."
At least Colmes commands some respect, since he, you know, actually has relevant experience.
XM Radio offers the new shows a built-in potential audience of 3 million.
Key word - potential. Actual use may vary!
For a $10 monthly charge, the company offers 120 digital music, talk and entertainment channels for home, car or computer. "America Left" — produced by New York-based Air America Radio — joins an XM stable that already includes talk-radio fare from Fox News, CNN and ABC, among others.
America Left, and changed the channel after 5 minutes.
"We’re excited to provide a national audience to progressive superstar Al Franken and his spirited cohorts at Air America. Challenging our listeners and giving them the best and broadest choices possible is our daily mission," Hugo Panero, XM’s District-based president, said yesterday.
Did he say that with a straight face?
Don't interrupt. He's reading a mission statement...
But XM is not necessarily a liberal bastion. They already feature 79 talk-radio hosts of every political stripe — including Fox News’ Mr. O’Reilly, ABC’s Sean Hannity and independents Matt Drudge, Michael Savage and Laura Ingraham.
Laura's the cute one...
Air America has its own political agenda in store, however.
No, really?
"There is a great underserved market of Americans who want to hear compelling and funny talk voices expressing viewpoints long absent from the radio airwaves," said Mark Walsh, president of Progress Media, the parent company of Air America.
Mr. Walsh, have you bothered to figure out why these viewpoints have been long absent from the radio airwaves?
I listened to Mort Sahl's show one time, far, far in the past. Briefly. I'm recalling why the libs crashed out of talk radio...
He added, "Air America on XM will go a long way to correcting this imbalance at a particularly opportune time." That opportune time, of course, is an election year that has become a showcase for political sniping in the news media.
Wotta coincidence...
As Hollywood actors-turned-pundits, Mr. Franken and Miss Garofalo have criticized the Bush administration, the war in Iraq and conservative ideology in no uncertain terms.
Not always coherently or persuasively, but, yes, the criticism has been noted.
Now they're wondering why nobody likes them and they can't find work that doesn't involve wearing hair nets...
"I’m interested in doing what I can to affect this election. I’m thinking about what’s the best use of my energies. I hope this is it," Mr. Franken told the Associated Press in January when he announced his intention to become a radio personality.
"I hope this is it". Doesn’t sound like a well thought out plan, judging from that sentiment. Did Karl Rove pay for this?
Posted by:Raj

#2  With Big Al Franken as your cleanup hitter and Janeane "Scarred Up Knees" Garofalo on deck, I predict a long, long, long season for this team. They could be out of it by the All Star break.
And, Raj buddy, I got all the laughs I need without these idiots.
Posted by: tu3031   2004-03-30 11:36:45 PM  

#1  Ultimately whether this is a good idea or not will depend on just how they do in the market place. I may disagree with what they have to say but I and we all should defend their right to say it.
Posted by: Cheddarhead   2004-03-30 10:49:57 PM  

00:00