Sometimes Thoughts Come Creeping like the ones that inspired today’s post…-
I’m a huge fan of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press: the ability to speak our minds and to report the news without fear of reprisal goes a long way to make our country great. I love being able to blog about whatever I feel and being able to freely publish it without fear of reprisal (other than the occasional response from a random Crazy who happens to read my blog). Still, there are a few people I really wish would just shut up and go away. I’m going to confine my commentary to Public Personae (so I can keep my skin in tact rather than risk the wrath of family and friends). Since I’m an equal opportunity “hater” I’ll be naming names on both the Left AND Right.
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Here we go (in no particular order . . .)
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RUSH LIMBAUGH: he’s the undisputed King of Talk Radio with massive influence over the far Right. He’s also fundamentally dishonest who doesn’t play fair. His “debates” with callers to his show are pre-screened so Rush always comes out ahead. He’s not above “shading” the story to his advantage (or flat-out omitting pertinent information) just to make his points. Of course, his audience completely buys it and faithfully parrots it back. That just makes me sad…
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JESSIE JACKSON: no matter how outrageous the good “Reverend’s” comments may be, he seems to be covered in Teflon ™ so he can come back and comment again later (where he will no doubt stick his foot in his mouth yet again). The latest flap is particularly outrageous “saying he wants to “cut off {{Barach Obama‘s}} balls” (because he disagrees with some comments Obama made regarding blacks taking responsibility for their own situations). This guy is a Minister for God’s sake! He should be held to a higher standard than the average Talking Head and he’s been in the public eye long enough to know better so I simply don’t buy his apology.
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TOM CRUISE: OK, this is an old story but it still annoys me. The actor came out strongly against all things Psychiatric and anti-psychotic drugs in an interview with Matt Lauer (on the Today show). Yes, there are abuses of psychiatry and anti-psychotic drugs but when an Cruise claims to have read and understood the literature on the theory and science behind these he’s just nuts! I’ve SEEN the literature (and I have something of a background in the field) and the stuff may as well have been written in Greek for all I got out of it. Yeah, Cruise might have READ the literature but to claim he actually comprehends it??? (He may have read extracts provided by his buddies in Scientology but that's hardly the same thing.) Come on dude! Shut up and stick to acting.
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ROSIE O’DONNELL: I’m a “Rosie” fan. I liked her Daytime Talk show and I liked her hosting stint on The View. I admired the fact that she was willing to go out there and address issues that weren’t getting a lot of “face time” (on television at least). Still, she had a tendency to subscribe to theories that were just plain wacky! She had a chance to really make a difference but decided to take the train to Crazyville and turn herself into a laughingstock. I’m sorry for that because I felt she was doing a fine thing. Now I wish she’d just STOP! Rosie is doing more harm than good to the Liberal cause.
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DR. DREW PINSKI: twenty years ago Doctor Drew got his first taste of fame as the resident Psychologist on Love Lines (on radio station KLOS before it made the jump to MTV). He was dispensing good and useful information about sex and relationship issues to young people who could really benefit. Sadly, this wasn’t a big enough platform for Doctor Drew: he felt the need to get involved with Celebrity Rehab on VH-1. (Worse, he feels the need to comment on the psychological state of other celebs without really knowing anything of their history.) This isn’t a good thing: Doctor Drew needs to step off.
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LAURA SCHLESSINGER: Doctor Laura has a hugely popular radio show where she will “preach, teach and nag” her listeners into her own highly conservative standards. She has set herself up as a relationship expert even though her PhD is in BIOLOGY. (Yes, this fact is noted on her radio show but the information is hardly featured.) In the end, “Doctor Laura” is no more qualified to give relationship advice than I am. Not cool.
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PHIL McGRAW: bagging on Doctor Phil has become a hugely popular sport (in Los Angeles at least) so I may as well join the party. His common-sense approach go relationships and “good ole boy” attitude started out as a refreshing change but somehow he’s managed to turn himself into a self-righteous and pompous windbag who seems to be obsessed with shameless self-promotion. Doctor Phil has made many questionable career decisions of late. Frankly, the guy is a hypocrite. The endless promotion of his causes and family is also starting to wear a bit thin--especially considering some of the things he and his family has done. I won’t be sorry when Doctor Phil finally rides off into the sunset--and that can’t happen soon enough for me!
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ANNE COULTER: the far Right’s Pit Bull in a Miniskirt seems to be able to make the most hateful characterizations and her audience keeps growing. (Guess she knows how to appeal to her audience.) Still, I find myself wishing somebody would find something on Anne Coulter that would shut her up once and for all. (Of course Rush Limbaugh’s drug addiction didn’t even slow him down so this may be a vain hope.)
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PAT ROBERTSON: Jesus wouldn’t wear a Rolex on his Television show (thank you Ray Stevens for creating the concept so I could steal it here): in fact I don’t think Jesus would even have a television show--much less involve himself in politics. The “things of Caesar” and the “things of God” are completely separate and the two never should meet. So--go Reverend Robertson and take the rest of the Televangelists with you!
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Picking Number Ten proved to be problematic. There’s just so many possible candidates to choose from! Self-described “Regular Guy Bill O’Reily (who just happens to be Harvard educated and makes enough to support TEN regular guys): his "No Spin Zone" is the ultimate in spin, Paris Hilton and her ilk (and you should know why!), Alec Baldwin (who needs to keep his private business private), Christy Brinkley and her soon-to-be ex-husband Peter Cook (but maybe we‘ve heard the last of these two now that the divorce trial has come to an end), Elizabeth Hasselbeck (the dumbest host on television), Donald Trump (because nobody cares any more), David and Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham (who bring new meaning to the term overexposed) and Heather Mills. (Take the money and run. We’re over you!) Personally, I’d be happy to see any or all of these people take a hike and never come back.
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