Glenn Beck has lost his mind. For real this time. - Page 10

Watching Glenn Beck right now give an incredibly Orwellian explanation of Edward Bernays and how his methods of manipulating public perception connect to Obama (and George Soros, of course)... wow he just said the health care bill is a vehicle for behavioral modification.  The irony being that the methods he is describing are the very ones he is employing at that moment.  Bona fide double-think.  Insanity.

"Vehicle for behavioral modification"?

Sounds like fag talk. 

Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the CUNY Graduate Center, Frances Fox Piven, 78 years old, is under death threats from Beck's brainwashed, miseducated minions. She was the advisor/mentor to some of my colleagues. Does she deserve this? No, she does not. Fuck Beck, and fuck his followers. And on a personal note, Piven's office is one floor below mine. If anyone decides to attack her at her job, my life and those of other students are also in danger. Now its personal!

What a surprise.

But hey, until one of these fear-mongers is found over a dead body with a smoking gun in his hand, it's all good. Because 'freedom of expression' is antithetical to civility.

But... but... both sides do it!!!

Jacob's right, I distinctly remember the show where Olbermann told the audience to go set Orson Scott Card's house on fire.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacob Singer 

But... but... both sides do it!!!

You know something? Even in the rare case this is true it doesn't prove anything. It would only mean that both sides should stop.

Jacob is being sarcastic.

I just can't get over Beck is railing against a book Piven wrote 45 years ago!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diva 

Jacob is being sarcastic.

 

I just can't get over Beck is railing against a book Piven wrote 45 years ago!!!

It's a flashback to McCarthyism. Studied Marx or Weber in college thirty years ago? Well, your career is over!

Can you imagine if anything resembling the Moscow bombing were to occur in the US? This shit would intensify tenfold. As someone who is very likely going to be studying at the CUNY Graduate Center next year, I share your outrage Diva. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diva 

Jacob is being sarcastic.

I know.

Meanwhile, his show has lost a million viewers in the last year and is still going lower.

Even such a discriminating audience as his own is capable of realizing they're being bullshitted after the hundredth time. Who knew?

Those million patriots are probably rotting somewhere in one of Obama's gulags. Beck should investigate!

Shh! Don't alert them!

Just a couple of million awesome god fearing Americans gone and finally the EU/UN/Obama's Robotic Army can launch its attack on America with minimal resistance. We shall be dancing on the embers of their precious constitution soon, comrade.

But speak no more of it!

Glenn Beck just loves those Nazis, doesn't he?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/ns/msnbc_tv-hardball_with_chris_matthews/?ns=msnbc_tv-hardball_with_chris_matthews#41301293

Fox News is the sleaziest news channel on TV, but how they can allow this blatent waste of cells to continue with this nonsensical Nazi/Holocaust rhetotric is beyond my comprehension.

So apparently his new thing is how the revolution in Egypt is going to lead to a global Islamic caliphate or some shit, I don't even know anymore.

Love that "I'm not going to treat you like a moron" (proceeds to treat you like a moron)

Rumor is the New York Times is floating a story about Beck splitting with Fox News tomorrow.  Yay?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parker 

Rumor is the New York Times is floating a story about Beck splitting with Fox News tomorrow.  Yay?

Yeah but then he can just start the Glenn Beck Network (shudders)

then his network and Oprahs can do battle in the almighty cable tv THUNDERDOME!!!!

Apparently his ratings are in freefall, and you've got to figure that even the hardcore are starting to think this guy's a conspiracy nut. I think Fox was happy to have him when he was pulling in the massive ratings, but their ideological agenda is probably hurt too much by having a nutcase who isn't that popular on the payroll.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Prankster 

Apparently his ratings are in freefall, and you've got to figure that even the hardcore are starting to think this guy's a conspiracy nut. 

This sort of looks like people are starting to simply ignore him.  Which is a good thing.  Now, can we get Palin and Bachman on the "ignore" list, too?

Quote:

Originally Posted by teledork 

This sort of looks like people are starting to simply ignore him.  Which is a good thing.  Now, can we get Palin and Bachman on the "ignore" list, too?

 

I think we should ship Palin, Bachman and Beck out to the wilds of Alaska for a very special episode of Palins nature show - and feed them to bears.

Werner Herzog can direct.
 

From what I've read, Beck's ratings aren't so much in freefall as they are in a sort of middling state and advertisers getting a sudden and suspicious case of conscience isn't helping. An article over on Salon proposed a very simple and totally believable explanation for Beck's decling popularity: the Republicans won.

The Republicans took back a little power and all of the "outrage" settled back into apathy once there was the perception of a tangible effect; it was unsustainable. Once the frenzy died down, the flagellants that follow Beck about started getting a sort of funky aftertaste from that Kool-Aid he's been passing around. People are by and large comfortable with the inch you give them, because trying to take a mile requires too much fucking effort, I believe that may be the core of Beck's dwindling popularity.

FOX News cancels The Glen Beck Show....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/06/glenn-beck-to-transition-_n_845573.html

Is "Transition Off" diplomatic for cancelled?   Like when you hear the President has accepted a Cabinet member's resignation?

Frankly I find the idea of him working behind the scenes, producing shows, pretty frightening.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JuddL 

Frankly I find the idea of him working behind the scenes, producing shows, pretty frightening.

I agree. It seems like they realize people aren't buying it as much so they need to put forth his crazy without the baggage of it being "Glenn Beck's Crazy."

My guess is that FOX News wants to tone down the crazy leading up to the 2012 election and I have some real doubts that we'll see anything from the production company on FOX News.   It really seems like a cancellation of the show without alienating the fans.   At least that's my read of the situation.

An older story about what Beck is considering doing next;

http://www.deadline.com/2011/03/glenn-beck-inc-flirted-with-cartoon-now-ponders-cable-channel-whats-next/#more-116359

So he was looking at a cartoon and even maybe buying a cable channel.

What I find amazing is that people actually pay to see him on a webcast. How many subscribers could that be, and how much do they charge? 

Oh man, I had a big smile on my face at the beginning of that HufPo article that faded into a frown before the first paragraph was done. Fucking hell why won't he die.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dynamotv 

My guess is that FOX News wants to tone down the crazy leading up to the 2012 election and I have some real doubts that we'll see anything from the production company on FOX News.   It really seems like a cancellation of the show without alienating the fans.   At least that's my read of the situation.

Absolutely.  "Transitioning off-air" is the most hilarious euphemism for "canned show" I've heard in a while.  Of course they're not going to just kick him to the curb, that would be admitting too much for both parties.  He "transitions off air", maybe Fox and his production company gamely work on something together for a while which we maybe see or maybe don't, and then some time next year he "moves on".

Man, you guys are sure ruining my excitement that the Glenn Beck show has been cancelled. This should be a time of celebration.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Count Floyd 

Absolutely.  "Transitioning off-air" is the most hilarious euphemism for "canned show" I've heard in a while.  Of course they're not going to just kick him to the curb, that would be admitting too much for both parties.  He "transitions off air", maybe Fox and his production company gamely work on something together for a while which we maybe see or maybe don't, and then some time next year he "moves on".

Yeah I don't think people on here need to worry.   Beck's ratings are what's called "empty calories" and if you see his sponsors, they are the fringe of the fringe.   For instance, work at home commercials and gold investment schemes.   The major players won't touch his show because who wants to be associated with some conspiracy theorist doing insanely detailed webs of corruption on a chalk board?   Yeah the show is high rated but is it making any money?    I would be very surprised if any of the future shows make it to air.   They will probably be in perpetual pre-production until Beck's audience moves on.   It's all about making sure Beck's loyal army has no hurt feelings or anger towards FOX News and nothing else.   In other words, his show is cancelled!

I think there's some truth to that but I've read there's been a real effort behind the scenes to show Beck the door because he was bringing down the FOX brand.   I mean Hannity and O'Reilly aren't exactly what you'd call down the middle or even high class but at least their shows aren't glorified Cable Access shows which at least in spirit, Glen Beck's totally is.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dranbon 

I've seen so many gleeful responses today ("Glenn Beck's been canned!" "Finally, Beck is out of a job!") Sadly, it isn't so. I think this is exactly what he wants, being some sort of omni-present God-on-high that occasionally comes to the Fox studios to spout his nonsense and receive praise. His show might be ending but Beck is going to be around for a long, long time. Sigh.

That may be his goal, but if what we're reading in this thread and elsewhere is true, that's a pipe dream of his. Fox is being gracious for the sake of profits and ratings, not because I seriously think they intend to give him the keys to the kingdom.

I'd love it if he started his own netlet. Nothing but concentrated crazy, 24/7.

Laurence O'Donell explains the whole thing with Beck perfectly (and raises points you all have brought up);

http://thelastword.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/04/06/6421839-glenn-beck-and-fox-news-break-up

I love how he makes the point that it's not a good idea for advertisers to spend money on a show that claims the world is going to end soon.

Maybe he'll have some sort of Sunday evening fireside chat program where he can tell us that Obama is actually a robot powered by Al Qaeda while wearing a smoking jacket and sipping cocoa.

Was the last straw Beck crossing "The Donald"?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/05/lawrence-odonnell-glenn-beck-trump_n_844917.html

That's my new theory.

I think O'Donnell hit it on the head: Beck wasn't pulling in the advertising revenue commensurate with his ratings.

Though it's interesting Ailes has come out and basically said Beck's schtick had run its course.

Since it's increasingly unlikely that we'll get some ultra-fringers to wax this lunatic on air and give our all-too real national satire some Chayefskian closure, I'm reduced to hoping Beck pulls a GG Allin, frags himself on stage and takes a few of his zealots with him.