Juan Williams Fired from NPR

I don't want to be France. I think our country was better when it leaned "blue collar".

 

Oh, it's quite different.
They admit they're comedians. Has he? Ever?

 

Even then elitists ran things, all the way back to the founders.

 

Why does he have to ? The joke is on those who take him seriously. Seems like Stewart and Colbert are trying to be more like Rush based on their past few weeks. Stewart asked some pretty serious questions of Obama yesterday.

 

Rush isn't a comedian and he isn't "in character" the way Colbert is, but he is an entertainer.

Sure, he's a political guy, but he came up as a disc jockey and he's been fired enough times to know that you need to entertain people first.

Humor & satire have always been part of his program.

But, kmayhugh's post seems to indicate that the joke is on the audience who doesn't understand that Rush is playing them. I disagree with this. The audience is in on the joke.

I haven't always been able/available to listen to his show, but I've listened when I could for 20 years -- since he had a separate, local show on WABC in New York.

Rush is looking to drive folks like Chris Matthews crazy, not put one over on his audience.

 

Exactly Rush is poking a stick at the Chris Matthews crowd.

 

Anti-intellecutal is not synonymous with stupid.

 

Correct. It's closer to willfully ignorant.

 

It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.

 

My radio is dominated by three stations: AM sports talk (fox affiliate with more local shows), FM sports talk (ESPN affiliate with more national content) and NPR. I would bet that, except during weeks where I know the local team is making national headlines, I'm probably 60 percent NPR, 35 percent the other two and 5 percent music.

Frankly, I'm surprised more folks on here don't listen to NPR because the journalism is usually pretty solid. And the observation that it appeals to an affluent, educated listening audience is also true. In fact, when the local NPR solicits sponsorship on air, they note that their listener demographic is more educated and wealthier than any other radio demographic, so they are obviously appealing to high-end "advertisers" (sponsors).

 

You need to be born with the intellectual gene to understand NPR. Same gene required to understand New Yorker cartoons.

 

I don't understand the notion that one must be an elitist genius to be able to listen to NPR. All ones has to be is somebody who gives a s@#$ about the larger world. If you don't give a crap, then it's going to sound like giberish because you don't care, not because it's inaccessible or "elitist." And I don't think caring about the larger world around you is elitist.
If you do have a general curiosity about you, then much of it will not only seem accessible, but also interesting. Not universally so -- there are plenty of stories they do that have me switching to another station -- but in general, I think it's well done.

I'm particularly a fan of marketplace in the afternoons -- much better than the crappy business TV shows.

Frankly, I find general curiosity as an essential trait to being a good journalist. Maybe I'm a bit naive to think that other journalists would appreciate what they do.