{"id":1360,"date":"2009-10-18T14:50:26","date_gmt":"2009-10-18T21:50:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/?p=1360"},"modified":"2009-10-20T14:25:04","modified_gmt":"2009-10-20T21:25:04","slug":"rush-limbaughs-unintentional-admirers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/2009\/10\/18\/rush-limbaughs-unintentional-admirers\/","title":{"rendered":"Rush Limbaugh’s Unintentional Admirers"},"content":{"rendered":"
THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER: Australian writer Kent Parkstreet<\/a> reflects on the popularity of America’s number one right-wing radio personality.<\/h6>\n

Rush<\/h1>\n

By Kent Parkstreet<\/h5>\n

<\/p>\n

Whenever an Australian radio announcer says something inane, insensitive, illegal or just plain stupid media commentators compare him to Rush Limbaugh. From that distance Rush is seen as the gauge for the lowest standards in broadcasting.<\/p>\n

So I wake up on my first morning in America, obtain the degree in physics required to operate the hotel room ipod clock radio and for the first time I hear the great man’s morning show. I’m immediately reminded of a nature documentary baboon displaying his bulbous, brightly coloured arse to any who will pay attention. Just like when I see it on television I don’t find it attractive but can’t help but be amazed, enthralled and disturbed by it. I keep listening.<\/p>\n

I’m also reminded of a kidnapper cutting up headlines to rearrange the words to make them say whatever he wants as he selectively quotes from an impressive range of sources. He quotes himself regularly. A kidnapper holds the child of one wealthy man. Rush holds freedom of speech captive in his basement and molests it again and again, holding the Republican Party and elected governments to ransom with the threat of harm to their popularity.<\/p>\n

In the country that showed us that freedom isn’t just a word there are people who call themselves dittoheads. There is no doubt that in a free country it is a right to give up one’s own right to think to another human. I wonder if it is possible to set up Chinese style re education camps but in reverse, teaching the people to reject indoctrination instead of accepting it.<\/p>\n

As the show drawls on I am again reminded of a monkey, but this time the type that gets wound up so it will bang away on it’s little cymbals. I wonder who winds the key in his back? Is it the advertiser’s dollar?<\/p>\n

Normal, well adjusted loud mouthed idiots paint their faces in the colours of their team and take themselves to a sports stadium where they can happily shout for three hours. Rush Limbaugh has turned this joyous passtime into one of the highest paid jobs in the world. I grudgingly admire his genius.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER: Australian writer Kent Parkstreet reflects on the popularity of America’s number one right-wing radio personality. Rush By Kent Parkstreet Whenever an Australian radio announcer says something inane, insensitive, illegal or just plain stupid media commentators compare him to Rush Limbaugh. From that distance Rush is seen as the gauge for the lowest standards in broadcasting. So […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archive"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1754,"url":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/2010\/01\/08\/morning-shows-good-riddance\/","url_meta":{"origin":1360,"position":0},"title":"Morning Shows? Good riddance!","author":"Kent","date":"January 8, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Morning Shows Bite the Dust (finally\u2026) Story by Kent Manthie In this morning\u2019s San Diego Union~Tribune (1\/5) there was an interesting article that started on page A-1, below the fold. It told the (sad, sad) story of how some venerable old morning shows were getting the axe and in general\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "archive"","block_context":{"text":"archive","link":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/category\/archive\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":261,"url":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/2007\/03\/13\/tt-tucker-bum-rush-band-ad\/","url_meta":{"origin":1360,"position":1},"title":"TT Tucker – Bum Rush Band ad","author":"admin","date":"March 13, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "archive"","block_context":{"text":"archive","link":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/category\/archive\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1062,"url":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/2009\/07\/15\/if-all-goes-wrong-smashing-pumpkins-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":1360,"position":2},"title":"If All Goes Wrong, Smashing Pumpkins review","author":"admin","date":"July 15, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Smashing Pumpkins If All Goes Wrong Concert\/Interview DVD Coming Home Media Reviewed by Kent Manthie Way back when, in the early 90s, one of the biggest bands around was the Smashing Pumpkins. Not because they were publicity whores or that they sold themselves out to their A & R guy\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "music"","block_context":{"text":"music","link":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"smashingpumpkinspic","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/reviewermag.com\/kent\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/smashingpumpkinspic.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1892,"url":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/2010\/02\/03\/sky-dancin-with-marine-biologist\/","url_meta":{"origin":1360,"position":3},"title":"Sky Dancin’ With Marine Biologist","author":"Kent","date":"February 3, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"AntiQuark, Sky DancerHungry Eye Records Review by Kent Manthie The other day, someone turned me onto a relatively new band, AntiQuark, and their new CD, Sky Dancer, out now on Hungry Eye Records. AntiQuark is threaded by electronica, rock, pop and a kind of new-new wave style. Their first single,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "music"","block_context":{"text":"music","link":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/antiquark3-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":496,"url":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/2008\/08\/20\/steve-west-91x-dj-local-legend\/","url_meta":{"origin":1360,"position":4},"title":"Steve West, 91X dj, local legend","author":"admin","date":"August 20, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Steve West from 91X radio at Dramarama 8\/14\/08This video begins with John Easdale of Dramarama writing up a set list for his band just before going on stage. Steve West appears shortly afterwards and is interviewed. Steve West has been a radio personality at 91X radio station in San Diego\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "archive"","block_context":{"text":"archive","link":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/category\/archive\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3274,"url":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/2010\/11\/15\/local-radio-changes-underway\/","url_meta":{"origin":1360,"position":5},"title":"Local Radio: Changes Underway","author":"admin","date":"November 15, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Mookie\" will return...Recently Fired 91X DJ Mookie Already Planning A ComebackA first-person essay for Reviewer Magazine by Marc \"Mookie\" Kaczor [At right: Mookie at the mic. Photo from his Facebook. -Editor] Most of the old school radio veterans in San Diego are quick to tell stories of how the industry\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Lifestytle"","block_context":{"text":"Lifestytle","link":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/category\/lifestytle\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/mookie-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1360"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1360\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1375,"href":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1360\/revisions\/1375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reviewermag.com\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}