- I despise Rush Limbaugh. Every couple of weeks I catch a whiff of his filth and it makes me sick. The fact that he commands so much sway over conservatives is a disgrace.
- He apologized for what he said. It's over. It doesn't matter if it was sincere or not, it's over. I've heard many other similar comments from Limbaugh that didn't catch fire, and thus didn't demand an apology. Anyone that is genuinely shocked over this hasn't been paying attention.
- Intimidating sponsors into leaving is perfectly legal, but bad form. If you claim to support free speech, then confront Limbaugh's message but don't try to manipulate the system into silencing him.
- This is not news anymore. News outlets should move on.
- I don't believe that the "liberal media" invented this controversy, but their addiction to sensational news blew it out of proportion. That's happening more and more. In controversies of all kinds, but especially to fringe right-wingers.
- I don't really care whether Rush suffers as a result. I hope he does suffer, actually. He sucks. I don't want to make loony right wingers feel secure and happy, I just don't like the general idea of unconventional ideas being mocked and skewered for the sake of ratings. It's a moral hazard, it encourages mainstream orthodoxy and homogenous patterns of thought.
- Kirk Cameron is being called a hate monger on the interwebs because he responded, as any other evangelical would, to a question on homosexuality from Piers Morgan by saying that it's wrong. I, along with many Americans, find that statement to be backwards and wrong. It doesn't make him a hatemonger, though. That's ridiculous.
- I feel that after the Tea-Party led backlash, the pendulum is beginning to swing back to center. Opportunistic liberals, as well as weak-minded individuals who can't help going with the flow (like me) are trying to use the momentum to score some points against the religious/social right. That's a bad idea. It's just sowing the seeds of backlash for the next cycle. The viewpoint that "wins" is the one that holds the middle, by being moderate, temperate and fair in it's outlook. Scoring points against Rush Limbaugh and Kirk Cameron doesn't result in real progress. It makes you feel better, while making your side look unfair, intemperate and mean.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Rush Controversy: Enough
Quick points.
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Sing it brother.
ReplyDeleteWe are in 100 percent agreement. Rush has said shit like this for years....it's maddening to pretend it matters now.
Also, the headline on Cameron was liberal media work on a level I've never seen. I saw the headline "Kirk Cameron finally weighs in on how Gays will destroy civilization" and I clicked it.
I was hoping for something hilarious, like if he said "All that butt sex is going to be so loud and rythmic it will attract God's alien army of angels to come kill us for allowing the gays to bone."
But as you noted, he said nothing that most Christian groups don't already believe.
He said
"“I believe marriage was defined by God. Marriage is almost as old as dirt, and it was defined in the Garden between Adam and Eve. One man, one woman for life till death do you part. So I would never attempt to try to redefine marriage. And I don’t think anyone else should either. So do I support the idea of gay marriage? No, I don’t.”
and
"I think that it's...unnatural. It's detrimental and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization."
So while yes he used the words destructive to society, but it's not a crazy viewpoint. At the very least, it's not one that deserves the scorn it's getting.
It's not that. Were it a serious discussion about Christian viewpoints towards homosexuals, I would support it.
ReplyDeleteBecause I do think that those views are crazy and worthy of scorn. I think there's a strong theocratic element in them that should be understood by everyone. People don't understand how widespread it is.
But the Kirk Cameron thing wasn't a serious discussion. It was about getting him to utter a soundbyte that would incite outrage. It was out of proportion, and ill intentioned and it does no good for anyone.
It wasn't, for lack of a better word, righteous. It was wrongteous.
And I felt bad for him. Cameron's an idiot, but what else could he say? Mocking him is like shooting fish in a barrel. Just look at how few people showed up to his birthday party, for Christs sake:
http://www.avclub.com/articles/kirk-cameron-had-a-righteous-birthday-party,63441/
More on Cameron.
ReplyDeleteA large part of this is how I felt, when reading about it. Like, but pathologically.
If a Catholic Bishop were on the show and said the same thing, there would be no controversy. Michelle Bachman and Rick Santorum have said basically the exact same thing in front of cameras and in townhalls all over the country. Those circumstances, not controversial.
Ex-80's Sitcom star? Controversial.
The guy is so pathetic. He's been laboring in straight-to-video hell for at least the last 15 years. His life is the kind of out-of-mainstream-creepy celebrity that no matter how much money he has, I wouldn't trade places with him. His history, his mission, his career is so pathetic as to be almost endearing.
And here he comes with his new "documentary". It's another straight-to-video abortion, and he's soooo happy to show it off. The fruit of his labors. He's like a 4 year old with a crappy macaroni drawing. Oblivious to how little value it, or he, really possesses.
So he pokes his head out from the hole he's been in for the last two decades, and what does he see? Piers Morgan and Twitter are already waiting for him with the shotgun poised inches from his face. They've probably been staked out there for hours. BOOM. No hesitation. Both barrels - the make a gaping hole in his face the size of a grapefruit.
Guys, come on. What the fuck is wrong with you? Do you feel proud of that? Do you feel LIKE A MAN?!
Thanks for posting on my blog. I have decided to remove your comment for one reason and one reason only: I think that Sola is completely crazed, and I don't want to be associated with him or his blog in any way. I have removed my comments from his blog, and I will never read him again. It is plain foolish, and a waste of time, to engage nuts like him. I don't know why the church is full of so many crazies, but it is. At any rate, it is a good opportunity for me to practice the command of praying for those who get under my skin. Best of luck to you. I will check your blog out in the future.
ReplyDeleteI admire your will-power. I agree with your policy, but I have to admit that your follow-through is far superior to my own.
DeleteOf course you're always welcome here. It's a generally lively exchange. We're (myself and my two regular commenters) are always on the lookout for new perspectives. Especially christian.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteRush is like the kid who got his hand caught in the cookie jar. It doesn't matter how many cookies he managed to take beforehand, he still deserves to get spanked.
ReplyDeleteAs for Cameron, while the media might be blowing what he said out of proportion, his words are still backwards and rely on false presumptions. His comments influence people negatively and e deserves to be chastised.
Meh, I can't really think of anything to add.
Except he's not really being spanked. Not in the sense that he's being justly punished, based on his actual crimes.
ReplyDeleteIf the mainstream really had an epiphany about Rush has been doing for the last 20 years, and decided, "enough is enough" that'd be awesome. But what we're seeing is a hysterical fit over some naughty words.
I endorse confronting backwards, unethical or just ugly ideology. It must be confronted, clearly and decisively. But this is more like exploiting than confronting. News outlets are exploiting a sensational story, and liberals are exploiting the uproar to lean on sponsors. And some sponsors are folding anyway (which I've got no beef with).
If someone that I respect issued a statement that was incredibly ugly and insensitive, I would expect him to be confronted for it. Rightly so. But I would not expect or accept his being silenced by opponents. That's not kosher. It's not illegal but, in spirit, it's contrary to the ideals of free speech.