RSS Feed for This PostCurrent Article

Someone Needs Help

By dcmediagirl on May 22, 2009 at 6:48 AM in Current Affairs

I’m not sure why some think that just because Olbermann or Maddow or entire networks make comments or cover events in ways that are objectionable that it then becomes OK to blindly defend and ignore the over-the-top grossness and bigotry of the likes of Rush Limbaugh. Since when did media consumption become a zero sum game?

The man has demonstrated, in his own words, that he has some, shall we say, issues. Consider this disgusting, disrespectful and demented excerpt from one of his radio shows:

Limbaugh even thinks anal rape is funny when it’s no joke. He’s played testimony from a rape trial just for laughs; here he is talking about a rape victim:

LIMBAUGH: Now she’s on the stand in our first video clip here trying to explain when this happened. I think she got raped or some such thing like that, and — and she’s trying to explain to the jury and the judge and all the lawyers, everybody in court, how it happens. And — well, just watch. It speaks for itself.

Unidentified Woman: He lifted my nightgown and he put his finger in my rectum …

Falls forward

Laughter

Unidentified Voice: … unintelligible

End of excerpt; laughter

LIMBAUGH: I’m so — I’m so — I’m trying not to laugh, as you can see …

I would hope that those of you who are proud to consider yourselves feminists, as I do, find this sort of thing repellant.

And for the life of me I can’t figure out why anyone finds this man “entertaining”. I don’t find the term “Feminazi” entertaining. Is it just “entertainment” when he referred to Chelsea Clinton as the White House dog? Or boasted that he had a sign on his office door that reads “Sexual harassment at this work station will not be reported. However…it will be graded!!!” (USA Weekend, 1/26/92)? Or trivialized poverty by saying “$14,400 for a family of four. That’s not so bad.” (Radio show, 11/9/93), after saying just a few months earlier “I know families that make $180,000 a year and they don’t consider themselves rich. Why, it costs them $20,000 a year to send their kids to school.” (Radio show, 8/3/93)?

To answer the question Russell Crowe shouted in Gladiator, “Are you not entertained?” My answer: Not at all.