So I watched Glen Beck for the first time tonight... (George Bush, conservatives)
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Beck is a decent guy but he's controversial partly because of his antics.
He does a comedy tour too and he's a little quirky.
If you're a lefty you will no doubt dislike him.
If you lean to the right and hold more conservative viewpoints and values you'll probably find comfort and applaud his passions although you may not agree with his antics.
Personally I think he needs to watch his step.
Congress (especially Pelosi) would LOVE to pass the fairness doctrine just to get HIM and Rush off the air.
I usually stay away from political themes in CDF. However, there are aspects of Glenn Beck people either don't know or don't like to remember.
He made himself into the commentator and learner that he is, after being an alcoholic and losing his first family. HE LEARNED LESSONS MANY DO NOT. Listen how he speaks about his kids (or second wife). He has accepted responsibility for his personal failures.
Read about him from various sources. The trips and benefits he does in areas that keep his philanthropy private endear him to many. Ensuring a house is built for a family that had the needs from severe disabilities from a genetic disease, but not the funds. He doesn't forget. He goes back and back to help more.
I don't want to debate politics. I have learned that knowing more about a man's personal life, whether or not he takes responsibility for his personal/professional life and how he seeks to improve life for others influences whether I try to listen to his points or not.
BTW - Glenn Beck started in Radio. Looks didn't matter, but thinking did with the crew who recruited him. I suspect his tennis shoes are more comfortable (or perhaps something medical). Point is, he doesn't spend mega bucks on shoes that are mostly hidden under a desk. How many commentators, let alone "journalists," leave their desks and walk to a teaching board?
Keith O. also use to be in radio, I wonder why he didn't stay in sports. I understand Dan Patrick a lot better now too, and why he is NOW a happier man.
I didn't even know Glenn Beck existed until someone I met online asked me if I'd ever heard him on CNN when he was on CNN. He only joined Fox in 2009. Now, I know more about the man and the personal path.
One question to ask yourself is why is his paperback book, released around Christmas, where it is in the NY Times list, when he tells people to read it and then give it to someone else to read? I don't claim to have the answer, I only know some of the data about the hand-me-down and around book.
I encourage you to read more about him from various sources. I wasn't aware, until very recently, about some advertisers wishing to have their commercials placed during different times on Fox, given his remarks on a different Fox show. He's lived through worse. He understands what is most important. That is not all his advertisers as someone earlier suggested, nor did those advertisers leave Fox.
However, look at his ratings and those of his competition. What happens if no commercials mean more time for Beck to host more guests and ask questions? Watch closely the next two weeks until after the 9/12 project. I'm not involved, but have a dear friend here at CDF who is. I don't know what will happen, but I do believe he has a strong moral feeling about what he is doing (and that is not a Colbert-like act). He has a bit of Colbert goofiness at the beginning, but when he says he feels things or believes things, he's telling you how he honestly feels or believes.
Along with being a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, he also has ADD which isn't medicated to the best of my knowledge, given his fear of becoming an addict again. Does he do some quirky things - yip. Can he biologically control them, I don't think all of them he can.
He'll be ok, he's picked himself up from nothing and created a format that many fear, many laugh at and others enjoy and learn from. How can he not be a success?
Good luck learning more about Glenn Beck.
MSR
I have enough "learned my lesson" stories among my friends and family so I'm really not interested in a strangers trials and tribulations. Regardless of what he did or how he did it, he doesn't have anything to offer me so there is no reason for me to ever think about him. And since I can't stand watching him there is not reason for me to do that either.
He is like many recovering alcoholics..they suddenly find something to crusade about.
You are right about his show being like a "spoof" show but unfortunately some take him seriously and follow him.
The crying all the time got me reaching for my sick bag.
I have learned that knowing more about a man's personal life, whether or not he takes responsibility for his personal/professional life and how he seeks to improve life for others influences whether I try to listen to his points or not.
What an odd measure of the value of a person's stances on political/social/economic issues.
So, where does actual knowledge of the topics of discussion come into play on your scale regarding whether or not to listen to a person? How about truthfulness, regarding the debated topics and issues of dicussion? Do they not matter as much as a person's ability to take responsibility for his former alcoholism?
And I'm not sure what to think. I've been reading so much about him and how people blame him for things so I figured I'd give him a look-see.
I have to ask...is he for real? I mean it does look like a spoof, or like someone trying really hard to ACT like he's spoofing, but this is supposed to be serious? He makes funny noises, does silly voices, makes faces and mugs to the camera, does skits, etc.
I've seen Comedy Centrals shows (The Daily Show, Colbert Report) and I KNOW those are joke shows that touch on real issues, is Glen Beck's show satirical?
He's like a guy with tourette's doing an impersonation of Krusty the Clown...
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