Is The MSM Starting To Take Glenn Beck Seriously?

by Glynnis MacNicol | 11:09 am, January 18th, 2010

» 30 comments

It appears the mainstream media is slowly catching up to the Glenn Beck phenomenon. This past September Time put him on the cover, last month Barbara Walters included him in her most fascinating people of 2009, today the Wall St. Journal’s online op-ed editor James Taranto has pubbed a longish interview with him. Seems like Beck may not merely be a (fascinating) side show much longer.

And for good reason; Beck’s 5pm Fox show routinely clocks the highest ratings on the network next to Bill O’Reilly. At five o’clock. If ratings are the coin of the realm than Beck is close to being king and that alone warrants some serious exploration, which didn’t necessarily happen in this interview, though interesting nonetheless. According to Beck “our footprint in a month”—the number of people he reaches in all media—”is about 30 million.” That’s a lot of people tuning in to hear about what Beck refers to as “the guy who debunked conspiracy theory.”

“There are limits to debasement of this country, aren’t there? I mean, it’s one thing to believe that our politicians are capable of being Bernie Madoff. It’s another to think that they are willing to kill 3,000 Americans. Once you cross that line, you’re in a whole new territory…I believe the conspiracies, quote-unquote, that are happening now are happening all out in the open. All you have to do is track their actions. Their actions speak louder than their words. It’s easy to throw out, ‘Well, he’s a conspiracy theorist.’ Why do you say that? ‘Well, because they say they’re not doing that.’ But their actions show that they are.

Also, apparently he takes his lead from Immanuel Kant:

Now I’ve made a vow to myself—it actually comes from Immanuel Kant, the philosopher: ‘There are many things that I believe that I shall never say. But I shall never say the things that I do not believe.’ . . . The minute I violate that, I’m back to the old drunk Glenn.

As for the Howard Beale comparisons Beck welcomes them but only to a certain extent.

The part of Howard Beale that I liken myself to is the moment when he was in the raincoat, where he figures everything out, and he’s like, ‘Whoa, whoa, wait a minute! Why the hell aren’t you up at the window shouting outside?’” Mr. Beck adds, “What the media wants to make me is the Howard Beale at the end, the crazy showman that’s doing anything for money. That I don’t liken myself to.”

As for his competition? Well I’m not sure anyone would include Charlie Rose in that group for reasons having little to do with ratings (though I once suggested the two would make for a very interesting interview), regardless Beck doesn’t seem too phased.

“You name the conservative that can do a full hour—a full hour—on Woodrow Wilson and the roots of modern liberalism—for an hour—and have high ratings with it. . . . I had like three really big eggheads on the show, and people watched it. Now, you could be Charlie Rose all you want, but nobody’s watching Charlie Rose.”

Actually a lot of people watch Charlie Rose, including myself (he may be the last bastion of the long interview), but, alas, point taken. Read the full interview here.

Barbara Walters, Charlie Rose, fox news, Glenn Beck, Howard Beale, James Taranto, Lonesome Rhodes, PBS, Time, Time magazine, WSJ

personwhomakescomments

LOL @ Glenn Beck comparing himself to Charlie Rose…..amazing how delusional this guy can be sometimes.
Fidoohki

Who has more viewers and listeners? nuff said.
personwhomakescomments

Do YOU know what Charlie Rose’s ratings are? Because I sure as hell don’t…
timzank

The similarity between Charlie Rose and Glenn Beck are: They both interview politicians and people of interest.
The difference is: Beck does his interviews in front of millions of people, Charlie does his in front of his staff and a few thousand NPR elites.
Zakk

Here’s a funny little story about the ratings juggernaut Charile Rose.

“Charlie Rose Show ratings unchanged when network accidentally airs footage of empty set.”

http://www.derfmagazine.com/news/business/206.html
Zakk

Please realize, it’s a joke site.
Ted

Fidoohki – the error you make is thinking that there is always a correlation between quality and popularity. Shoot, nude mud wrestling with pigs would draw more viewers than GB. Now, maybe you think that has something to do with quality, I don’t know, or maybe it’s the chicken little routine that draws viewers, I’m just sayin.
http://www.facebook.com/people/David-Harper/1523747111 David Harper

The MSM takes him seriously at their own risk because Beck is a mental loon with no education or reasoning skills. Just because 2 million people watch him doesn’t mean he knows what he is talking about.
Ted

Thats true, DH, but it does mean that at least 2 million people are easily entertained.
m

Glenn Beck sickens me. He’s despicable.

I’m an optimist, I really believe in the good of humanity – that human beings are fundamentally good people. And that as a race – we progressively become better and improve ourselves throughout the centuries.

But…Beck does a really good job at trying to destroy all of that.
swatpup102

Hey m, as you obviously are a “progressive,” we’ll give this one a try. If you think we as humans always progress and our government needs to progress with us, giving social backstops and programs to help our every need, then I challenge you to tell me how any place of our constitution allows any of these programs. Since it doesn’t, why not have amendments to it and do it the right way? Oh yeah, because the majority of the people don’t want it. When you can’t do it the right way, the back door is the only way progressives know, and they’ve been using it since 1901.
BJL411

Glenn Beck is a fringe lunatic and those who actually listen to him are the same, that said, here is some interesting news.

Breaking today:

Glenn Beck Producer Leaves Fox News For MSNBC

A producer on Glenn Beck’s 5PM Fox News show has left the network — for rival MSNBC.

TVNewser reports that Fox News veteran Gresham Streigel — who’s worked on programs lke The Crier Report”, “Your World with Neil Cavuto,” and “Fox & Friends before landing at “Glenn Beck” — left the network weeks ago after pushback from Beck’s team.

Streigel now produces for David Shuster on MSNBC and “will eventually settle in to overseeing two dayside hours,” the website reports.

Streigel’s move is yet another sign of the fluidity of TV producers despite the polarity of TV hosts; Joy Behar’s HLN show is staffed primarily by former producers of Glenn Beck’s show on that network, for instance.

HuffPo
m

>then I challenge you to tell me how any place of our constitution allows any of these programs

That’s the point. Where in the Constitution did it say that black people had the right to vote? Where in the Constitution did it say that women had the right to vote? These are things we added because what was written wasn’t perfect. The Constitution is an awesome and an absolutely great document, but keep in mind that the Constitutional objective for America is towards a more perfect union. Its goal is for America to become a better country through progression. This has included social security, public education, public projects and infrastructure, regulation of private industry – and it also includes universal health care.

If you strip the Constitution of all its amendments and introduce it just exactly as it was written over 200 years ago, that country wouldn’tve been considered democratic or free by modern standards. Why? Because society progresses. Back then, by measure, America was considered free. But not by modern measure. This is because we as humanity improve ourselves constantly through revaluation.
m

In addition, just because something isn’t written in the Constitution doesn’t mean that it’s not the governments objective or area. The Constitution is primarily written with the language of what it can not do. It’s a negative document. Why is why so much language includes or starts with “Shall not…” (contrast this with many other country constitutions which have guaranteed rights instead). This means there’s nothing saying that the government can’t set up pension funds, or fund public projects for infrastructure, or regulate big business, or establish universal health care.
timzank

Ted, M, davidHarper, etal. Allow me to thank you guys on behalf of ALL of us that make up the unwashed masses doomed to a miserable and desperately uninformed life. Our preferences in punditry will no doubt press us ever closer to our misguided gun-clinging non arugula eating spiral into intellectual wasteland. If only we had been fortunate enough to have been able to spend more time with people like you, we’d undoubtedly (like you) prefer NPR and the smell of our own flatulence.

Though I’ll never reach the pinnacle of your intellectualism, I do hope one day, like you, I’ll at least get called a “sanctimonious prick” or maybe even one day climb “Mount Holier Than Thou” and experience sweet sweet air of supremacy!

One can only dream..
http://lnsmitheeblog.blogspot.com LNSmithee

As a daily Beck viewer, it amuses me greatly the way most of criticism of him almost always boils down to ad hominems. He’s “a mental loon with no education or reasoning skills.” He “sickens me. He’s despicable.” And you leave it at that, as if the reasons were self-explanatory.

Did you ever consider that the reason why his influence continues to grow is because the reasons you provide to dismiss him aren’t easily discerned? Do you think that maybe people require more to agree he ought to be ignored than just gathering a choir to sing “He’s crazy”?
Ted

Hey timzank – You’re a sanctimonious prick; I hope your happy. On another note, you are entirely welcome and you smell.
http://lnsmitheeblog.blogspot.com LNSmithee

BTW, Glynnis, we are now coming up on the one-month anniversary of your reckless lie about Glenn Beck alleging he “once asserted that the government was putting sterilants in the drinking water to control population.” Beck NEVER said it, not even once. I proved he didn’t using your preferred source (PolitiFact.com), and you continue to leave that untruth uncorrected day after day.

It’s hilarious that you can just lie about Beck like that and pretend HE’S the one that shouldn’t be taken seriously.
timzank

Thanks Ted! I appreciate your quick response in validating my analysis. Have you always thought you were better than everyone else or did this develop more recently?
Ted

Hey Glynnis – HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!! I hope you are doing something fun!
Ted

timzank- Thank you for the quick response! No, my better than you attitude developed about the sane time you developed your astounding imagination. But thanks for asking!
Fidoohki

Ted says:
January 18, 2010 at 1:14 pm

I didn’t say anything about quality. A lot of ‘quality’ series never made it past the first year.
In a perfect world, quality would account for something and sometimes in real life it does but
popularity is a bigger driver. It may not be fair but it is reality.
http://lnsmitheeblog.blogspot.com LNSmithee

I direct everyone to Ted’s response at 3:56 pm. I reminded Glynnocchio she hasn’t corrected a blatantly false statement about Beck nearly a month ago. Does it matter to Ted that Glynnis isn’t telling the truth? Apparently not.
Ted

LN – Thanks for that direction, Once again thats TED’S RESPONSE AT 3:56 PM. Thanks man.
TfT

The question I have LNSmithee is not does it matter to Ted, but why doesn’t it matter to Dan??? It’s his board afterall, isn’t it?
http://www.facebook.com/people/David-Harper/1523747111 David Harper

I guess I have to spell it out for Tim and LN. Beck comes from a family rife with mental illness, so my prognosis of mental illness is probably right on. I will bet dollars to donuts, he is on some anti depressant. Now I don’t fault him for that but I am not going to listen and follow someone who has mental illness. Secondly, he only has a high school education and dropped out of the only college course he ever attempted. Third, he follows some nut named Skousen who has conveniently written down his paranoid Mormon rants in a book that Beck has written the foreword too, The 500 Year Leap. If that is your leader, all power to you. I will take a Harvard educated law professor with a keen intellect over Beck the idiot, any day.
Ted

TfT – Great question…why doesn’t it matter to Dan? DAMMIT DAN, WHY DOESN’T IT MATTER?!!
http://lnsmitheeblog.blogspot.com LNSmithee

David Harper wrote:

Beck comes from a family rife with mental illness, so my prognosis of mental illness is probably right on.

Oh, I see … the apple never falls far from the tree, Dr. Harper? You’re doomed to walk in the footsteps of your parents? OK, fine. Then Barack Hussein Obama Jr. will be revealed to be an atheist, a socialist, an alcoholic, a bigamist and a philanderer, just like his father.

That’s my … uh, Dr. Smithee’s prognosis. Yeah, that’s the ticket! I have a white coat, so you know I’m a real doctor.

I will bet dollars to donuts, he is on some anti depressant. Now I don’t fault him for that but I am not going to listen and follow someone who has mental illness.

Uh huh. So if someone who might be on antidepressants told you that, for example, if you were hiring an accountant for your corporation it might not be a good idea to choose someone who admits that he can’t navigate TurboTax and underpaid his taxes by thousands, you would say, “You’re mentally ill, so I’m going to do just the opposite of what you tell me!” and hire the guy.

But you wouldn’t fault him for making the suggestion.

Secondly, he only has a high school education and dropped out of the only college course he ever attempted.

Which means … something. Right? I mean, nobody who hasn’t gotten a college degree can have any common sense, right?

Third, he follows some nut named Skousen who has conveniently written down his paranoid Mormon rants in a book that Beck has written the foreword too, The 500 Year Leap.

And right on time, here come the ad homs. Skousen is a “nut” who made “paranoid rants.” Why is Skousen a “nut?” What are the “paranoid Mormon rants,” Dr. Harper? And what do his religious beliefs have to do with what Beck says? Are you ready to judge Obama’s religious beliefs the same way you have Beck’s?

You don’t feel the need to explain why Beck’s embracing of the book mitigates what he’s accurately related to the nation about BHO’s failed policies (foreign and domestic) and the radical ideological bent of his advisors. Well, unlike you, Beck explicitly explains his reasons for doubting Obama.

If that is your leader, all power to you. I will take a Harvard educated law professor with a keen intellect over Beck the idiot, any day.

“Keen intellect?” Care to tell me how that “keen intellect” has made itself manifest in the past twelve months? And don’t worry, Beck is not aiming to be our leader. He’s just hoping people will do their due diligence before bowing down to Obama’s holy Harvard sheepskin through which America will be “fundamentally transformed”.
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@Ted

There is nude wrestling with pigs, you can find it on the internet. It does not get higher ratings than GB.
Sunnyr

I am a hard core fan of Glenn Beck. He takes on the hard stuff and speaks truth to power. It makes the Liberals bat-crap crazy! He is doing the job that the main stream bozo’s should be doing, investigating the corruption and radical activities of this administration. Keep up the good work, Glenn. Your fan base is growing on a daily basis. And we ALL vote.