Monday NPR on point had a broadcast on the violent hateful language coming from Talk Radio and Right-wing TV shock jocks. It was called Angry America. You can listen to the podcast here: Angry America the basic premise is that the rhetoric from the right has gotten out of hand.
But the language lately on air has grown particularly fierce and apocalyptic: President Obama called a dictator and sympathizer with terrorists. His policies called socialist, Marxist, Bolshevik, dangerous. Americans called to rise up in revolt. All this while the economy tanks and gun sales surge.
Is this just the hurly-burly of American politics, or something else?
Listening to this lead me to a true and profound question. This is a question to ask all conservatives.
For 25 years I have listened to conservatives argue that Hollywood and Rap/Rock music on the radio and TV is a major cause or contributor to violence in our culture. Young people listening to it are damaged by the topics. The term is "cultural pollution".
My question is if this is true? If it is does talk radio have the same effect? Either you were wrong about radio and TV using violent and disrespectful language being detrimental to people, or you were lying (how do you like that "false choice" logical fallacy?).
So does violence on the radio and TV lead to real world violence or doesn't it?
If the argument is that on air violence begets real world violence when it comes from radio it seems that it must be applied equally. Explain how Movies, Radio, and TV can trigger people to do bad things, unless it's from a conservative? This just rings hollow.
If conservatives truly believe this is the case (radio influences culture) then they have an obligation to tone it down. Otherwise they need to retire this argument for all time. I don't of course expect them too, as hypocrisy is the mother's milk of modern conservatives, but I hope more people point this out to them!
See I remember watching this on TV.
GANGSTA RAP IS BAD!
See I remember watching this speech:
CULTURE WAR
Sorry to scare everyone. But back then conservatives were angry that Hollywood was broadcasting "anger, violence, and hate" into America's living rooms. I think the undertone was that Hollywood was anti-American. So now that big entertainment conglomerates are broadcasting right-wing hate, are they still anti-American?
What do we call it when the right-wing broad cast things like this?
IF HE WAS RAPPING NOT TALKING WOULD THIS BE WRONG?
Or pulls a stunt like this? Middle American values should be appalled.
MUSIC VIDEO VIOLENCE
WE never heard violent "talk" on TV back in the glorious 1950's so it's just another example of the coarsening of America! Maybe Michael Steel was on to something when he said Hip-Hop Republicans?
MICHEAL STEELE BRINGS IT!
Everyone should remember and enjoy the first 30 seconds of this video. Even those who don't enjoy rap! Maybe the person who can remix it to "Talk Radio Made Me Do It" could earn a Grammy!
So once again does the media, Hollywood, and radio incite violence or doesn't it? Should we take talk radio's talking head as "seriously" as the mainstream media takes Hollywood celebs when they "speak out" on an issue? They are both entertainers peddling in violence?