Rush loves to be hated; the NFL loves to be loved
Rush Limbaugh is absolutely right, at least about a few things. He’s angry, and he should be, at the way fabricated quotes attributed to him about race, slavery, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and related issues have been used against him by people who ought to know better, and who owe him an apology at the very least.
But Rush is not a victim of liberals. Liberals did not keep him out of the NFL ownership circle. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton didn’t do it either. The NFL owners did. Limbaugh himself did.
Of course, that’s not how Rush sees it. On his radio show yesterday, Limbaugh complained that he had been demonized by the left. That in itself was rich. Rush Limbaugh, complaining that liberals demonize people.
Limbaugh’s entire schtick is demonizing people, and he is very very good at it. He demonizes opponents more skillfully than Peyton Manning throws touchdown passes. In many cases, Limbaugh does it through a cruel, cutting humor that he wields ingeniously, but the net effect is the same. He turns living, breathing, complicated human beings into simple, caricaturized cartoon figures that his followers can then hate and revile.
And yes, Limbaugh has been demonized in return, and he usually revels in it. He invites it. He takes both great pleasure and great profit in seeing his sneering face become a dartboard for those on the left. Rush, complaining that liberals demonize people?
Rush Limbaugh? His entire schtick is demonizing people, and he is very very good at it. He demonizes opponents more skillfully than Peyton Manning throws touchdown passes. In many cases he does it through a cruel, cutting humor that he wields ingeniously.
And yes, Limbaugh has been demonized in turn, and he usually revels in it. He invites it. He takes both great pleasure and great profit in seeing his sneering face become a dartboard for those on the left.Rush, complaining that liberals demonize people?
Rush Limbaugh? His entire schtick is demonizing people, and he is very very good at it. He demonizes opponents more skillfully than Peyton Manning throws touchdown passes. In many cases he does it through a cruel, cutting humor that he wields ingeniously.
And yes, Limbaugh has been demonized in turn, and he usually revels in it. He invites it. He takes both great pleasure and great profit in seeing his sneering face become a dartboard for those on the left. His profession is to make large numbers of people hate him.
And there’s the rub, because the NFL is in business to make itself loved by large numbers of Americans. A business that needs to be loved is a poor partner for a man who needs to be hated. The NFL owners saw that pretty quickly, and as business people they made a business decision.
One final point: Limbaugh and his supporters now want to make him the victim in this, as if his right to free speech has somehow been compromised. Well, grow up. Speech has consequences, and that should not be news to any adult. You have every right to say terrible things to a spouse or friend or co-worker or boss. You also have every reason to think those statements will have consequences.
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315 comments Add your comment
Jimmy Carter
October 16th, 2009
8:59 am
Mid-October Snow Shocks NorthEast… (more proof of global warming)
USinUK
October 16th, 2009
8:59 am
um, jay … I think the blog gremlins have had their wicked way with your post … it seems a bit redundant in places …
Fly-On-The-Wall
October 16th, 2009
9:00 am
AMEN!
Mrs. Godzilla
October 16th, 2009
9:01 am
I sure hope the Miss America folks are watching……
USinUK
October 16th, 2009
9:01 am
once again (for the kids in the back of the class) …
weather /= climate.
Fly-On-The-Wall
October 16th, 2009
9:01 am
Jimmy – uh you call it Global Warming. The people with brains call it Global Climate Change. You need to get out of the 1980s.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: Am I A Racist Too, NFL?
October 16th, 2009
9:03 am
On his radio show yesterday, Limbaugh complained that he had been demonized by the left.
Rightfully complained.
As you even said, bookman, there was a concerted effort by the left wing media to falsely attribute quotes to Limbaugh that he did not make.
What is this but demonization?
And the NFL REACTED to this demonization by pressuring the group to drop Limbaugh.
He has grounds for a civil suit against the mob, complete with loss of profit damages and word has it he is moving in that direction. Good for him.
And now we move to the larger question, why does the NFL cater to the rich and close their doors to the poor?
Don’t want to talk about that, do you?
Jimmy Carter
October 16th, 2009
9:03 am
Hey everybody, look. Harry Reid CAN tell the truth
“Harry Reid Admits Health Care Bill Will Cost $2 Trillion…”
I wonder if President Opander will follow suit?
USinUK
October 16th, 2009
9:04 am
Mrs. G -
I just feel sorry for the contestants …
first of all, he’s just … so … icky.
secondly, HE (in all of his mass) is going to judge people on their appearance???
Fly-On-The-Wall
October 16th, 2009
9:04 am
That AMEN! was for Jay’s piece about Rush. How so quickly he plays the ‘victim’ when he then attacks others for supposedly doing the same. HYPOCRITE.
TnGelding
October 16th, 2009
9:04 am
It’s going to be hard for Rush to find a sympathetic ear among anyone but his dittoheads. But all the controversy will just create more of them.
Jimmy Carter
October 16th, 2009
9:04 am
Fly-On-The-Wall
October 16th, 2009
9:01 am
The “inconvenient truth” is that you can call a pig by many names, but that pig won’t fly.
SOUTHERN ATL
October 16th, 2009
9:05 am
This was a well thought out decision by the NFL…Why would he want to own a franchise that has a majority of one race (African American) that he has little or no respect for? Maybe he should just stick to his day job whereas he has millions of followers that are dedicated to his hateful rhetoric!!!
USinUK
October 16th, 2009
9:05 am
“loss of profit damages ”
um. what loss of profits??? from everything your side is crowing about, his ratings are UP … so, profits should be up, as well.
Jimmy Carter
October 16th, 2009
9:05 am
Fly-On-The-Wall
October 16th, 2009
9:01 am
By the way, I was out of the 80s. Got voted out in November 1980. Lost to Reagan. Landslide I believe.
Fly-On-The-Wall
October 16th, 2009
9:06 am
Whiner – HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, you made a funny. Rush is POOR! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. You just made my day. That someone could see Rush as part of America’s poor is just beyond words.
Normal
October 16th, 2009
9:06 am
I said this before, but I think it was ironic that Rush wanted to be an owner of the Rams. Of all the NFL teams, the Rams donated the most money to the Democratic Party and most Black Players said they would not play for him. Seems to me it was a no brainer decision for the owners. Poor Rush, aawwwww…
Normal
October 16th, 2009
9:07 am
Jimmy Carter
October 16th, 2009
9:05 am
Still don’t understand the difference between climate change and weather change, huh?
Peadawg
October 16th, 2009
9:08 am
We don’t someone like him owning(destroying) a NFL team.
Mrs. Godzilla
October 16th, 2009
9:08 am
“He has grounds for a civil suit against the mob”
where the heck is tort reform when ya’ need it!
tee hee hee
Jimmy Carter
October 16th, 2009
9:08 am
If “Rush loves to be hated” as you say, Jay, then he’ll love this blog. So many liberals who hate are on here. Can’t wait to read AmVet’s rants that are sure to come.
USinUK
October 16th, 2009
9:09 am
“Still don’t understand the difference between climate change and weather change, huh?”
not to mention, he’s never experienced New England weather …
Jimmy Carter
October 16th, 2009
9:09 am
Normal
October 16th, 2009
9:07 am
Yep. I sure do. What will you call it next year?
Bosch
October 16th, 2009
9:10 am
USinUK,
I thought I was having a stroke until I read your “blog gremlin” post. Thanks – I was about to retire to my swooning couch. Now, I’ll just drink more coffee.
Paul
October 16th, 2009
9:10 am
TnGelding
Oh, I don’t know about that. As Report/Whine put it, the NFL decision was based on a demonization based on false statements.
Did Rush demonize his opponents by fabricating quotes or actions about them? I don’t know. But if he didn’t, and his opponents did just that to him with the NFL consequences described, then that strikes me as a pretty big difference.
As Jay said, an apology is due. If Rush had done the same, would his opponents really expect him to apologize? No. But they themselves now act in the same unfortunate manner they ascribe to Rush. No apologies on the horizon.
Later, all -
I Report (-: You Whine )-: Am I A Racist Too, NFL?
October 16th, 2009
9:10 am
um. what loss of profits???
Whatever profit margin the Rams turn based on Limbaugh’s percentage of denied ownership, he can extract it directly from the pockets of the mainstream media mob.
And he will too.
He’s got freaking democrat CONGRESSMAN speaking out against his ownership on the floor of the People’s House, and you don’t think there is any unfair demonization?
Normal
October 16th, 2009
9:10 am
Maybe if Rush really wants to improve his image, he should take a stab at being on “Dancing With The Stars”. Just look what it did for Tom Delay.
USinUK
October 16th, 2009
9:11 am
Bosch –
you can attribute it to lack of coffee … imagine what it’s like here, where it’s 2 in the afternoon and I didn’t even hit the pub for lunch!
Jimmy Carter
October 16th, 2009
9:11 am
USinUK
October 16th, 2009
9:01 am
“weather, divided by, equals, climate”? Who needs to sit in the back of the class?
Rush(not Obama) is God
October 16th, 2009
9:12 am
Serena Williams threatens an Asian American woman: “I’m gonna shove this ball down your f@@king throat” at the US Open. Shouldn’t she be forced to cell her ownership of the Dolphins? Oh wait she’s black…..different rules
Swami Dave
October 16th, 2009
9:12 am
Let’s check the most recent history of the St. Louis Rams (since 2004)….
8-8, 6-10, 8-8, 3-13, 2-14…..and the current stellar 0-5.
The NFL and the St. Louis Rams specifically should be thanking Rush. His involvement has actually made the worst team in arguably the worst conference a topic of some discussion and attention! With the 1st round playoff loss by the Cardinals, having some topic of discussion surrounding the Rams that was not focused on the sorry state of the franchise & the pitifully-achieving team might have have been a blessing.
-SD
AmVet
October 16th, 2009
9:12 am
Say what you will about the many ills of Major League Baseball.
At least they would NEVER consider using the hateful voices of the most Unfunny “Comedian” on the Planet, Dennis Miller or the Excellence in Bullsh_tting Manteats in Black.
WTF are those Not For Long goofs thinking??????????????
They really have to pander to the right-wing cavemen who watch that crap religiously and non-stop as it is?
Haven’t most NFL games become insufferable enough already without throwing the lunatic fringe into the mix?
IMHO, college football is INFINITELY better. So, what does that say about the pro product?
No wonder I’m beginning to find UEFA, FA Cup and the World Cup preferable…
electrician
October 16th, 2009
9:13 am
no one seems to be able to supply much proof of what he has said in the past that is so objectionable.why dont you bring to light,so it can be judged on its own merits. not saying that this is not there..just prove it.,problem might be that the NFL is 70 % black and are just not going to tolerate an arrogant conservative in their midst,
Finn McCool
October 16th, 2009
9:13 am
Well, what do you expect. Rush isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.
jconservative
October 16th, 2009
9:14 am
“And now we move to the larger question, why does the NFL cater to the rich and close their doors to the poor?”
Because the rich will pay more money for the product than the poor.
True of virtually every business in America, with some notable & successful exceptions.
Bosch
October 16th, 2009
9:14 am
Isn’t it up to the Commissioner and the other NFL owners? Rush wants to make this political, when it’s his free market that’s bit him (ewww).
“You have every right to say terrible things to a spouse or friend or co-worker or boss. You also have every reason to think those statements will have consequences.”
AMEN and a TESTIFY!
Jimmy Carter
October 16th, 2009
9:14 am
AmVet
October 16th, 2009
9:12 am
Two words about MLB – Marge Schott
USinUK
October 16th, 2009
9:16 am
sorry, whiner – the NFL is an independent – and, dare I say it, CAPITALIST body. they made their decision based on the bottom line of what’s good for the franchise.
and rush ain’t it.
AmVet
October 16th, 2009
9:16 am
“He’s got freaking democrat CONGRESSMAN speaking out…”
Oh give up that self-righteous, paranoid nonsense on behalf of your favorite loon. Please.
Those quasi-criminals stick their noses into everything.
Baseball and steroids. College Football and the Bowl Championship Series. Tennis stars and suspensions. The NBA and gawd-knows what.
Taxpayer
October 16th, 2009
9:16 am
I’m seeing double, no, triple… .Elizabeth, this could be the big one. Rush’s feelings have been hurt. He didn’t get picked by either team to play ball. What will he invest all that hard-earned money in now. How will he exact his long sought after revenge against that club that ousted him. Where is HIS justice. Oh, The pain.
USinUK
October 16th, 2009
9:16 am
“Two words about MLB – Marge Schott”
yeah. and we all remember how well THAT turned out.
Normal
October 16th, 2009
9:17 am
If Rush does persue his option, I bet he will do more harm to his career and just taking it and moving on. Whiny doesn’t do ones “tough guy’s” reputation any good…just sayin’
Turd Ferguson
October 16th, 2009
9:17 am
NFL…who cares. Rush could make much greater contributions. Perhaps starting his own professional Lawn Darts Leagues. The NLDL and the ALDL. Body armor not included.
http://jarts-lawndarts.com/
Mrs. Godzilla
October 16th, 2009
9:17 am
reagan 43,903,230 carter 35,480,115 Reagan won by 8,423,115
LANDSLIDE!
Obama 66,882,230 McCain 58,343,671 Obama won by 8,538,559
LANDSLIDE!
Zedd
October 16th, 2009
9:18 am
Geesh Jay, it took you until almost 9:00 to get this crap posted! Guess you couldn’t pass up the chance to demonize Rush too huh? Demonization exists on all sides of the political spectrum, it’s how the game is played now days.
Jimmy Carter
October 16th, 2009
9:18 am
USinUK
October 16th, 2009
9:16 am
We agree on something. She’s was rotten to the core.
Normal
October 16th, 2009
9:18 am
Uh Jay? What’s to moderate? Just askin’?
USinUK
October 16th, 2009
9:18 am
Jimmy –
““weather, divided by, equals, climate”? Who needs to sit in the back of the class?”
darlin, that would be you. that means weather DOES NOT EQUAL climate.
USinUK
October 16th, 2009
9:19 am
Jimmy –
“We agree on something. She’s was rotten to the core.”
seriously vile.
electrician
October 16th, 2009
9:19 am
AmVET…dead on about college football,my favorite.