Rush Limbaugh thinks hungry children should "dumpster dive" for their dinner

[Eric T Cheng]

From Crooks & Liars (http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/rush-limbaugh-thinks-hungry-children-should):


I think, you know what we're going to do here, we're going to start a feature on this program: "Where to find food." For young demographics, where to find food. Now that school is out, where to find food. We can have a daily feature on this. And this will take us all the way through the summer. Where to find food. And, of course, the first will be: "Try your house." It's a thing called the refrigerator. You probably already know about it. Try looking there. There are also things in what's called the kitchen of your house called cupboards. And in those cupboards, most likely you're going to find Ding-Dongs, Twinkies, Lays ridgy potato chips, all kinds of dips and maybe a can of corn that you don't want, but it will be there. If that doesn't work, try a Happy Meal at McDonald's. You know where McDonald's is. There's the Dollar Menu at McDonald's and if they don't have Chicken McNuggets, dial 911 and ask for Obama.

There's another place if none of these options work to find food; there's always the neighborhood dumpster. Now, you might find competition with homeless people there, but there are videos that have been produced to show you how to healthfully dine and how to dumpster dive and survive until school kicks back up in August. Can you imagine the benefit we would provide people?

[Lum]

The voice of the Republican party.

Bonus points for a vaguely obscurely racist Obama/fried chicken "joke".

[Skipper]

Sad, yet not that out of character for the guy. Who even listens to his program? What kinds of numbers are we talking about here?

[Pogo]

He's just gotten worse and worse, presumably to keep saying sensationalist shit just to keep the ratings up. I listened to him back in high school during the Clinton years and we was halfway reasonable in his ideologies back then, suggesting actual conservative solutions to problems.

The greater half of the past decade, though...

[Raife]

It's tough when Glenn Beck keeps raising (lowering?) the bar.

[olaf]

Sad, yet not that out of character for the guy. Who even listens to his program? What kinds of numbers are we talking about here?

lol? He is on in like every radio market in the US.

[tiohn]

He's just gotten worse and worse, presumably to keep saying sensationalist shit just to keep the ratings up. I listened to him back in high school during the Clinton years and we was halfway reasonable in his ideologies back then, suggesting actual conservative solutions to problems.

The greater half of the past decade, though...

I just want to save this for future generations.

http://www.groovy-layouts.com/Images/Fun/thumbs/Crazy.gif

[maxle]

Sad, yet not that out of character for the guy. Who even listens to his program? What kinds of numbers are we talking about here?

We're talking $400 million dollar contract.

[MatthewF]

Bloated asshole who probably scarfs down $200+ of food a day thinks starving kids should go find food in dumpsters. The guy's a sack of shit.

[rhinohelix]

Not that anyone commenting so far cares about the actual context of the quote but it was taken from a section where Rush was talking about a study that determined that boys 13-17 eat more. IIRC, he noted that this was obvious and we didn't need a study to tell us this. He goes on a riff about a study, etc. about how to find food, and gets more and more absurd until he ends up with the dumpster comments, which is actually a callback to a previous news story about some groups making videos teaching the homeless to how to pick good food out of dumpsters (not a joke). The 911 comments make reference to another previous news story where a woman called 911 to complain about something and wanted Obama to take care of it, or some such.

Rush has gotten so used to people taking snippets of his show out of context that he will label something "the media tweak of the day", expecting it to be mis-reported in exactly this fashion. Supposedly the last numbers I heard where that 25 million-plus people listened to at least one hour a week of his radio show, and its on like 600+ AM stations.

Don't let the full context stop the name-calling and hating, though. Now back to your predetermined stereotypes and fat jokes.

[MatthewF]

Oh, right, thanks for reminding us that he's really a voice of reason and is not, in fact, a vile and bloated asshole.

[Brettmcd]

Oh, right, thanks for reminding us that he's really a voice of reason and is not, in fact, a vile and bloated asshole.


Gee you are reading far more into that then he actually wrote there. Is it so horrible and offensive to you that someone dares to put in the full context of a quote so you have the full story? As it seems that does offend you I will remember that the next time someone you support gets taken out of context.

[MatthewF]

Sigh, just give it up already, Brett "P&R slackjaw" mcd. I bet you feel really proud of yourself for defending rhino's honor. My god, how dare I call Rush a vile, bloated asshole! Note that I said nothing about rhino putting the quote into context, it was the last sentence about hating and name-calling and all that crap that got to me. Rush is:

a) Fat.
b) An asshole.

Are we covered? Good.

[rhinohelix]

Sigh, just give it up already, Brett "P&R slackjaw" mcd. I bet you feel really proud of yourself for defending rhino's honor. My god, how dare I call Rush a vile, bloated asshole! Note that I said nothing about rhino putting the quote into context, it was the last sentence about hating and name-calling and all that crap that got to me. Rush is:

a) Fat.
b) An asshole.

Are we covered? Good.

Actually, he has gone on another diet and lost another 80+ pounds, so not so a) anymore.

[Anti-Bunny]

He's just gotten worse and worse
No, it's not gotten worse. There are just more people on the left monitoring him for any phrase that can be used. And thanks to the internet, it's easy to get a stupid joke reported as hate speech out onto the internet echo chamber.

In any case, he was always this bad... ALSO, PALIN!

[Joe M.]

Rush apologist brigade, reporting in.

[bago]

Not that anyone commenting so far cares about the actual context of the quote but it was taken from a section where Rush was talking about a study that determined that boys 13-17 eat more. IIRC, he noted that this was obvious and we didn't need a study to tell us this. He goes on a riff about a study, etc. about how to find food, and gets more and more absurd until he ends up with the dumpster comments, which is actually a callback to a previous news story about some groups making videos teaching the homeless to how to pick good food out of dumpsters (not a joke). The 911 comments make reference to another previous news story where a woman called 911 to complain about something and wanted Obama to take care of it, or some such.

Rush has gotten so used to people taking snippets of his show out of context that he will label something "the media tweak of the day", expecting it to be mis-reported in exactly this fashion. Supposedly the last numbers I heard where that 25 million-plus people listened to at least one hour a week of his radio show, and its on like 600+ AM stations.

Don't let the full context stop the name-calling and hating, though. Now back to your predetermined stereotypes and fat jokes.

Just an entertainer...

Tell me again, what were his thoughts on the "Chicago-style shakedown (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/right-now/2010/06/limbaugh_defends_bartons_shake.html)" BP deal?


How closely do they reflect reality (http://franks.house.gov/press_releases/467)?

Now I wonder how 25 million people a day could get ideas that divorced from reality. I mean, he's only an entertainer.

[Crispus]

Rush apologist brigade, reporting in.

Some just believe it's not fair to rake people over the coals for words taken out of context, regardless of who the speaker was. If you don't fight fair, you lose credibility.

[Kebooo]

Even if Rush said something like "mix blue and yellow to get green", he'd find a way to be an asshole about it. That's what rubs people the wrong way, and why the context or point rarely matters - he's still obnoxious almost all the time. And that's probably why he has a lot of fans, so he's not going to stop.

Although in this case, it really does seem like much about nothing, given rhino's post.

[Pogo]

IIRC, he noted that this was obvious and we didn't need a study to tell us this.

Either you provide the full context or you stop attempting to recall things correctly and then slamming everyone else for taking things out of context.


As it seems that does offend you I will remember that the next time someone you support gets taken out of context.

I doubt you're going to remember it. And what are you going to do when it happens? Say something witty? Call his man an asshole?

[Two Sheds]

Even in context, ignoring all the self-referential in-joking, he still said hungry children should try searching their kitchen cabinets for ding-dongs and potato chips, order off the dollar menu at McDonalds, and go dumpster-diving instead of relying on school lunches.
________
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[Chuck]

When he dies of cancer, I will laugh.

[Anti-Bunny]

Even in context, ignoring all the self-referential in-joking, he still said hungry children should try searching their kitchen cabinets for ding-dongs and potato chips, order off the dollar menu at McDonalds, and go dumpster-diving instead of relying on school lunches.
As far as I can tell, that was the self-referential in-joking.

[W Wiley]

Asshole, has a show for assholes, news at eleven. You don't have to be an asshole to be a Republican it just always works out that way.

[ckessel]

You don't have to be an asshole to be a Republican it just always works out that way.

A case of correlation vs. causation? :)

[Andrew Mayer]

As far as I can tell, that was the self-referential in-joking.

I get it. No matter how much shit he spews you just keeping telling people that they haven't quoted enough to get the "context" yet.

[Musashi]

As a counter-proposal, I suggest he try dumpster diving for some prescription meds.

[Andrew Mayer]

Joe Barton apologized to BP executives on behalf of himself, the American people, for the shakedown. ... The United States government may as well be a branch of organized crime the way that it is being conducted and the way it’s doing business, and the way it’s looking out for itself and no one else. ... Organized crime. It’s the closest thing I can think to analogize what’s happening here. And even these guys that are being shaken down, they’re paying protection money, and it isn’t enough. It isn’t enough.

It's funny that people believe think the goal is to shock the liberals when the far more obvious intention is to desensitize the audience to an extremist agenda.

From the response we've seen here, that part of it seems to be working just fine.

[Anti-Bunny]

I get it. No matter how much shit he spews you just keeping telling people that they haven't quoted enough to get the "context" yet.
No, not at all. I hate the douchebag, but this is weak.

[Andrew Mayer]

No, not at all. I hate the douchebag, but this is weak.

No matter how you slice it, his intention is to try and dehumanize poor children in the minds of his audience. How is that defensible in any context?

[Anti-Bunny]

No matter how you slice it, his intention is to try and dehumanize poor children in the minds of his audience. How is that defensible in any context?
It was a total throwaway oneliner in a.. what.. four hour radio program? You're going to hear some off-color jokes given enough conservative ramblings. There's enough ammunition with his actual for real views on the issues that this bullshit just comes off as petty.

[Andrew Mayer]

It was a total throwaway oneliner in a.. what.. four hour radio program? You're going to hear some off-color jokes given enough conservative ramblings. There's enough ammunition with his actual for real views on the issues that this bullshit just comes off as petty.

Well, that and mocking the President's daughter (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDE4_Q35_m8&feature=player_embedded#!) on the same day...

Just so we're clear that there's no level of attack and sleeze to which Rush won't sink to at this point...

The obvious goal here is create an audience that is desensitized and angry at whatever "other" is a threat to the narrative. Pointing it out is important, because this isn't a by-product, it's part of the package.

[Anti-Bunny]

The obvious goal here is create an audience that is desensitized and angry at whatever "other" is a threat to the narrative. Pointing it out is important, because this isn't a by-product, it's part of the package.
It's part of the package of talk radio. Howard Stern would say much worse about Obama's daughter, and he's not exactly conservative. Rush isn't orchestrating a conspiracy to anger the populous with off-color jokes.. The asshole just thinks he is funny.

[mrmolecule88]

It's part of the package of talk radio. Howard Stern would say much worse about Obama's daughter, and he's not exactly conservative. Rush isn't orchestrating a conspiracy to anger the populous with off-color jokes.. The asshole just thinks he is funny.

This is the same asshole that millions of people listen to. At some point it stops being "he's just an idiot" and becomes "He's an idiot that millions of people listen to and agree with." You can't handwave that away.

[Andrew Mayer]

It's part of the package of talk radio. Howard Stern would say much worse about Obama's daughter, and he's not exactly conservative. Rush isn't orchestrating a conspiracy to anger the populous with off-color jokes.. The asshole just thinks he is funny.

Of course he is. That's why there aren't any politicians apologizing to Howard Stern.

Limbaugh's show is propaganda through and through. There isn't a single aspect of what he does that doesn't have an agenda behind it.

Calling it humor is an excuse and acts as cover to allow for exactly the kind of argument you're making now. But it's never the reason. Limbaugh didn't bring up the subject so he could make a joke about kids. He was actively attacking something for political reasons. If anything, he'd probably rather that nobody paid attention to the "larger context".

Contrast that with The Daily Show. Initially humor was the entire reason for that show. Political punditry and 24 hour news were trees full of low-hanging fruit. That has slowly changed because Stewart can no longer pretend he isn't part of the political dialog. But he was dragged into it because his targets kept taking him seriously, and also because they (correctly) view his ability to reveal their duplicity as a threat to their agenda.

[Raife]

When you hear people you know spouting the same crap Rush says on his program, yeah. Nobody actually believes Howard Stern is an authority on anything.

[Kebooo]

I think it's more "he's an obnoxious, rude asshole, and so are millions and millions of people". People, men especially (who happen to be more conservative on average), like that kind of nonsense - confrontation, putting people down, and just outright being a jerk. Rush is just catering to an audience that wants it. I'm surprised there isn't an angry liberal version yet (that I know of).

[Andrew Mayer]

'm surprised there isn't an angry liberal version yet (that I know of).

It's a much easier to pull off the "angry asshole" shtick when you're trying to sell an agenda in spite of the facts. When you're selling the facts in spite of the agenda you need to have more gravitas and be able to communicate. Which is why Maddow isn't Limbaugh.

There also isn't much of a leftist ideology to sell in the US beyond the conspiracies being made up by the right.

[Pogo]

It's part of the package of talk radio. Howard Stern would say much worse about Obama's daughter, and he's not exactly conservative. Rush isn't orchestrating a conspiracy to anger the populous with off-color jokes.. The asshole just thinks he is funny.

You're becoming full of it. Rush most certainly believes what he's saying when he's "joking." He can just come back later and say "that was a joke" if it's convenient for him to do so.

[ShivaX]

I'm surprised there isn't an angry liberal version yet (that I know of).
Olbermann is pretty close.

[alexlitel]

You're becoming full of it. Rush most certainly believes what he's saying when he's "joking." He can just come back later and say "that was a joke" if it's convenient for him to do so.I thought we already concluded (http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?t=51900) that Rush is quite insincere.

[Andrew Mayer]

Olbermann is pretty close.

I almost brought up Olbermann in my last post.

But where's the equivalence in terms of who obviously profits from his agenda? Show me the talking points that he's acting as the well-head for.

If anything I think Olbermann is angry, and feels justified in mocking these guys on their own terms. But where's the racism equivalence to a "Barack the Magic Negro"?

[Brian Rucker]

He's just gotten worse and worse, presumably to keep saying sensationalist shit just to keep the ratings up. I listened to him back in high school during the Clinton years and we was halfway reasonable in his ideologies back then, suggesting actual conservative solutions to problems.

The greater half of the past decade, though...

I have some slightly different memories of Rush during those years. But rather than me going on about it, let's hear from a sitting U.S. Senator.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/rushlimb.htm

[Wallapuctus]

Howard Stern would say much worse about Obama's daughter, and he's not exactly conservative.

No he wouldn't. I listen to Stern at work every morning, all 4 hours, and he wouldn't.

Stern is a comedian. Limbaugh is a hateful douche. There's a difference.

[Flowers]

Yeah, Anti-Bunny is thinking of Opie and Anthony.

[Anti-Bunny]

No he wouldn't. I listen to Stern at work every morning, all 4 hours, and he wouldn't.

Stern is a comedian. Limbaugh is a hateful douche. There's a difference.
No, of course not. He'll get Gilbert Gottfried on to do it.

[Brian Seiler]

No, of course not. He'll get Gilbert Gottfried on to do it.

Even in that scenario - hell, even in the worst case scenario where Stern is mouthing off Imus-style - there's a significant difference between those comedians and Rush Limbaugh - they don't try to represent themselves as authoritative voices about anything. Limbaugh screwed that up for himself at the point that he started a daily televised talk show and showed up on the weekend news shows as an advocate.

That said, I'm not sure why everybody is bending themselves in circles to be outraged about this when there's a bunch of other stuff that you could be just as outraged about that he's said or done that's a lot less work. We have two explanations for these statements - one is that there is a lot of context that wasn't originally captured for the offensive statements and the other is that he is, in fact, a Bond villain. One of those things is more likely than the other. Unless and until he has his comically named sidekick ambush an officer of the law with a bladed hat, I'm prepared to extend to him the benefit of the doubt on matters like this. Not thinking that he's the creeping soul of evil incarnate doesn't mean that I agree with him about anything - it just means that I don't think a whole lot of people are as wrong as I would have to presume him to be to take these comments seriously in the face of a more reasonable explanation.

[Adam Eayrs]

He's been on the air for decades. I think you have enough data to draw a definitive conclusion about his motives beyond "benefit of the doubt for now". I say he's a very gifted entertainer, and the people who are stupid enough to be moved by his "politics" were irredeemable anyways.