“At AOL one of our core values is that we act with integrity,” said Maureen Sullivan, an AOL spokeswoman who confirmed the decision. “We have monitored the unfolding events and have determined that Mr. Limbaugh’s comments are not in line with our values. As a result we have made the decision to suspend advertising on The Rush Limbaugh Radio show.” – Rush Limbaugh, AOL Part Ways
Limbaugh mugshot from 2006
Rush Limbaugh began his show today by explaining to his audience why he issued an apology on Saturday to Sandra Fluke. But not before he cracked wise about “Two if By Tea”, his own product, and whether he should pull his own advertising from his radio show.
“I’m sorry to see them go. They have done very well… ” – Rush Limbaugh on advertisers bailing from his radio show
From there, the first thirty minutes reiterated his apology to Sandra Fluke. He didn’t quote himself and cite what he had said about her, refusing to use the words “slut” and “prostitute” again.
What is missing, even with advertisers bailing, is that radio stations will not drop him. He remains the biggest ticket on talk radio, a medium dying out with newer generations, while new media takes over.
As self-serving ramblings go, Rush Limbaugh’s “apology” hit it out of the radio booth. It was 192 words, with the apology coming at around word 180. Considering Limbaugh’s the leader of the Republican pack, his predicament perfectly paints their problems this year.
“[House Speaker John] Boehner comes out and says Rush’s language was inappropriate. Using the salad fork for your entrée, that’s inappropriate. Not this stuff,” Will said. “And it was depressing because what it indicates is that the Republican leaders are afraid of Rush Limbaugh. They want to bomb Iran, but they’re afraid of Rush Limbaugh.” – ABC News
It mimics the Chris Matthews model, which he had to unload during the 2008 season, which I cite in my book, when Matthews led the cable yakker smears against Hillary: it starts with talking about yourself and the tough daily grind of how difficult it is to keep what you really think in check.
If these guys weren’t hopelessly backward in their thinking toward women it wouldn’t be so difficult.
Rush Limbaugh has given Media Matters and others reason to ramp up the efforts to cause him public pain, even if his financial model is solidly built to last as long as Limbaugh deigns.
However, even after his outlandish behavior over the years, going well back into the ’90s when he accused the Clintons of everything, including murder, the moment hit a collective nerve in this country.
Limbaugh’s “slut” belch met a moment that already had galvanized women. From Susan G. Komen’s right-wing attack on Planned Parenthood, Bob McDonnell’s transvaginal probe catastrophe, and the contraceptive issue collision that was led by males Bill O’Reilly, who also took Limbaugh’s side, E.J. Dionne, Mark Shields, Joe Scarborough and Chris Matthews, women reacted.
It’s been a very bad week for Rush Limbaugh, the worst since he got his mugshot taken and was facing a possible indictment over drug charges, way back in 2006.
Can anyone get Bill Maher to shut his filthy mouth, now? will women galvanize against him? And why haven’t they? I have railed against his filthy mouth on various media outlets.
Maher likely gets a pass because he’s a comedian, first of all.
Unlike Rush Limbaugh, he’s also on a PAY cable network, not public and Armed Forces radio.
It’s a huge distinction, coupled with the fact that no Democratic candidate, the DNC or anything close to Rush’s reach pays any attention to Maher at all, let alone parrots his talking points.
Taylor you are correct in that Maher might get a pass because he is a “comedian” but count me as one who believes you shouldn’t be able to hide behind so-called humor while you are hurling verbal grenades at public figures. I have been in too many situations where husbands verbally dis their wives and then claim they were “only kidding” and the targets of the stinging attacks get attacked yet again for not being able to take a joke or having no sense of humor. This type of abuse is the most sinister of all because the claim is that it is all meant in “good fun” and that those who level these attacks are merely innocent and poor victims of people who just can’t take a joke. Never mind that those who aren’t laughing are the butt of vicious insults. It’s a joke. Don’t you get it? HA-HA!!!! NOT!!!
Nope. I am not buying it, Maher hosts guests and tries to have serious discussion on the issues with jokes infused. But his attacks on both Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin were simply viciousness thinly disguised as jokes. Maher may get a pass from some, but not from me. There is nothing funny about calling any woman a “C”, I don’t care who she is or what he claims his role is. It is not humor. It is bashing. He is a bitter little man who looks like he always has a stick up his butt.
Jon Stewart manages to pull off terrific parodies of everybody but he doesn’t typically engage gutter-level, out-and-out attack name-calling that Maher and Rush do. The worst thing I remember is that he called Robert Novak a douche bag, which is metaphor that amuses me.
I always wonder what is so bad about a douche bag that it gets compared to some of these individuals. So let me be the first to apologize to all the real douche bags out there if anyone compares them to Rush Limbaugh.
Oh boy! another “ya but” argument. Limbaugh has been spewing this filth for years, and has proven over and over again what a sexist, racist, piece of filth he is. There is no comparison between a comedian and a spokesman for the right wing republicans and tea baggers who supposably has 2 million listeners on AM radio.
I must admit it was a nice try, but your argument fails and falls on deaf ears.
Limbaugh deserves the beating he’s taking. That’s all I’ll say on that matter.
Regarding Chris Matthews, E.J.Dionne, O’Reilly, Scarorough et al who totally blew the contraceptive issue, my thoughts are that they need to get out of the bubble also. That had to be some sort of inside DC game where only the politicians were troubled by the issue and by the reaction of the Catholic Bishops. Quite honestly they all came off hypocritical and somewhat dense on the issue.
I know, Matthews, Dionne, and O’Reilly are Catholic, and they may have been the only Catholics in the USA ( besides Peggy Noonon-nun wannabe-btw-who annoited her as a sage on all all things moral in this country) who were actually giving credence to the Catholic bishops on the contraceptive issue. I’m Catholic, most of my relatives are Catholic,and I have many friends who are Catholic. I can’t think of one of them who even remotely pay attention to the bishops on the contraceptive issue. More to the point all of us who have kids, male or female Pray to God that they practice safe sex and use birth control contraceptives ( of any kind, condoms, the pill, IUD anything is better than nothing but we all hope that condoms are used because of STD’s and HIV/Aids)
I don’t know what or who Matthews, Dionne or even O’Reilly were doing trying to somehow say that Catholics are conflicted/confused/concerened about Church doctrine about birth control. Trust me no catholic I know is any of those. We all favor birth control. there is no conflict. We all believe the same thing -ignore the bishops and church, they have no clue about what they are talking about in the real world. On this matter, we’ll take our chances at judgement day.
Perhaps if it offered something besides religious indoctrination, bombast, and the same narrow selection of music it has played for the last twenty years, it might be healthier.
Frankly as it sits and festers today I say good riddance when it is reduced even more to a Gerry Springer level of absurdity or disappears.