CNN reportedly considering talk show for Michael "Nation of Sissies" Smerconish
On January 14, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Philadelphia-based radio personality Michael Smerconish "is putting together a talk-show pilot for CNN." The Inquirer noted that Smerconish "is a frequent guest on CNN, as well as NBC" and that "[a] CNN rep says the network asks for many pilots and generally does not comment on them." In addition to hosting his own radio talk show, Smerconish has been a guest host for MSNBC's Scarborough Country and Westwood One's The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly, during which he has made several inflammatory comments about Muslims, immigrants, and women:
- On the June 20, 2006, edition of Scarborough Country, Smerconish trivialized reports of detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq as "naked pyramid pictures" and at the Pentagon detention facility at Guantánamo Bay as "play[ing] Christina Aguilera music a bit too loud."
- On the April 10, 2006, edition of Scarborough Country, Smerconish suggested that "maybe law enforcement ought to step in" at pro-immigration demonstrations and consider "gathering ... up" illegal immigrants. Smerconish wondered why there was "zero discussion" of "gathering them up" at the demonstrations, when "[a]ll I keep hearing is how would we ever find them?" He then suggested that law enforcement officials are being hypocritical by refusing to "gather[] ... up" illegal immigrants because they would "step in and do something about" a rally of "pot smokers," who "wanted decriminalization" of marijuana, or "scofflaws" with unpaid parking tickets.
- On the April 4, 2006, broadcast of the Factor, Smerconish claimed that political correctness has made the United States "a nation of sissies," and that "sissification" and "limp-wristedness" are "compromising our ability to win the war on terror." (He later blamed "the sissification of America" for the sentencing of Al Qaeda conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui to life in prison instead of death for his role in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.)
- On the November 23, 2005, broadcast of the Factor, Smerconish called public prayer by Muslim men at a sporting event "wrong," adding that they were playing "a game" to remind the audience of terrorist attacks. He also asserted that educating women means "they're not going to be around to instill these lessons in their kids."
Additionally, while hosting MSNBC News Live on August 10, 2006, Smerconish asked former 9-11 commissioner and former Rep. Timothy Roemer (D-IN) if the foiling of an alleged terrorist plot by "individuals of Pakistani descent" against airliners taking off from Britain would "cause the administration and the Department of Homeland Security to say, 'We're at war with radical Islam and that fact should be taken into account when we're trying to protect our borders and our airports.' " He added: "I guess that I am referring ... to that dreaded 'p' word: 'profiling.' " Smerconish also asked MSNBC political analyst Pat Buchanan: "[I]f it turns out that these [purported terrorists] are elements of radical Islam, do you think Americans will finally have the stomach for profiling terrorists?"
You go where the ratings are. They're getting beaten up by Fox News every night and MSNBC is gaining by using the talking head model. Why do you think they hired Nancy Grace and Glenn Beck?...to test it out. Problem is that most ppl who want to watch news analysis are conservative, so you cater to that audience. Ideology has no bearing here, if everyone wanted to see someone talking about how to make out with a dog that's what they'll put on tv if it brings in the $$$.
But you wouldn't see MMFA complain if they hired David Brock to have his own show. In fact I'm sure that's why he's been sucking up to olbermann, because he'd love to be hired as an msnbc analyst.
This is silly. Lots of things have been pulled off the air because they offended one or another part of the viewing audience. Remember when CBS wanted to broadcast an insufficiently-hagiographic miniseries about the Reagans?
Also, "news analysis?" Is that what they call hate speech nowadays? Just curious.
running scare campaigns to have a network back down is a whole other bag of chips and is pretty much what mmfa is trying to do with this posting, scare cnn into not hiring smerconish like they unsuccessfully tried to do with beck.
and you have it backwards, 'hate speech' is what liberals are calling news analysis these days in order to dismiss and silence anything they disagree with or deem as not politically correct.
MSNBC tried the Foxiziation of thier network years ago, when they fired Phil Donahue and then hired Michael Savage. He lasted only a few weeks until he told a caller to "get AIDS and die."
Nowadays, MSNBC's biggest ratings "star," who continues to increase his ratings, is Keith Olbermann.
And name just ONCE he's used "hate speech." Just once. You can't? Thought so.
Hate speech is the demonization of anyone the speaker doesn't agree with. O'Reilly: "Secular Progressives." Hannity: "The Liberals." Beck: Likewise.
It involves exaggerating comments made, taking comments WAYYYY out of context, and outright fabricating them.
Now get back to Free Republic where you came from.
HAH, you consider the hiring of a left winger like donahue as an example msnbc foxidizing itself but that isn't the case with olbermann? You seem to be the one who is full of it.
if that is your definition of HATE speech then olbermann does it all the time by demonizing oreilly and bringing up his mackris case. Yes we all have a good laugh but in reality we will never know if the charges were bogus or not, yet olbermann talks about it as if it were a fact that he did it. THAT is slanderous hate speech. Olbermann also called rita cosby an idiot, a personal attack if there ever was one. He also lifts quotes from mmfa who admits to having a liberal agenda and often takes things out of context themselves.
Go back to starbucks
"HAH, you consider the hiring of a left winger like donahue as an example msnbc foxidizing itself but that isn't the case with olbermann? You seem to be the one who is full of it. "
MSNBC fired Donahue. Try getting it right next time, not just right-wing.
"if that is your definition of HATE speech then olbermann does it all the time by demonizing oreilly and bringing up his mackris case. Yes we all have a good laugh but in reality we will never know if the charges were bogus or not, yet olbermann talks about it as if it were a fact that he did it. THAT is slanderous hate speech. Olbermann also called rita cosby an idiot, a personal attack if there ever was one. He also lifts quotes from mmfa who admits to having a liberal agenda and often takes things out of context themselves. "
Mackris case? What the heck is that?
As to O'Reilly, that grandstanding, blathering jerk deserves to be nailed. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" -O'Reilly
As to MM taking things "out of context," show me. You can't? Just as I figured.
"Now go away, or I will taunt you yet again."
Hmm. Sounds familiar...
Oh yeah, you just described most of the right-wing "clean up the media" groups, like Brent Bozell's Parent Television Council, or those annoying Dove Foundation people who won't stop calling.
If these talk show hosts are not saying anything too racist or violent, they wouldn't have to worry about groups going to their advertisers at all.
After all, the only thing being used against this right-wing talk shows are their own words.
By the way, there are long lists of major advertisers who won't advertise on Air America or liberal radio shows.
Glenn Beck? Sean Hannity? These guys are mouthpieces for the Republican party...they wouldn't know real news if it jumped out of their butts and ate their nutsacks.
How about some real news analysis? How about a real journalist who isn't afraid to call Bush and Cheney for their endless lies? How about a journalist who has the courage to point out that Iraq has NOTHING to do with the "War on Terror", despite the GOP talking points to the contrary?
itd be fun to watch actually, the conservative tv-show market is getting saturated. how about ellis hennigan? can we all agree he has a fun personality and would be interesting to watch?
>>"'hate speech' is what liberals are calling news analysis these days"
What "news analysis" is being called "hate speech"? And what "liberal" is saying it?
If you're going to say Melaine Morgan or someone similar, like Michael Savage, they do not do "news analysis", much as right-wingers would like to pretend.
by valentinian and archae????
You have yet to offer even a single example of a "liberal" claiming that "news analysis" is "hate speech".
>>"But you wouldn't see MMFA complain if they hired David Brock to have his own show.
But you'd see right-wingers SCREAMING to the heavens about a David Brock Show.
Funny how you claim (without evidence) "most people who watch news analysis shows are conservative", yet conservatives like you can't stop whining about being victimized by the "liberal media".
that oreilly's audience is split down the middle like he claims (without evidence), or do you agree with my common sense claim that hannity's and oreilly's shows are fueled by a right wing audience who wants to hear right wing views? I really don't need anymore evidence then the fact that their shows do so well and the fact that cnn is trying to copy them by hiring glenn, which they WOULDN'T do if there wasn't a large enough right wing audience who WANTED these types of shows.
give david brock his own show, id like to see him (or you) explain how he was once a cheerleader for the right in the 90s and all of the sudden became a hardcore liberal when it seemed to be in his 'business' interest. That's one thing you don't seem to understand, people like brock and oreilly really don't care as much as they claim to, they just want to make $$$.
...had the highest rated show on MSNBC when he got fired. "Business decisions" are not all about ratings, they are about advertisers, and what corporations think is going to p!ss people off.
As a liberal I perfectly understand that people often do not believe in what the say or do, but do so to make money (take some religions for example, please take them). But as a liberal I hang on the hope that people would actually care what their words or actions do or at least own up to some responsibility (which appears completely devoid of the Far Right at this point).
You are making claims without facts to back them up---a common right-wing trait.
There's a two-word phrase that is apt for what you are depositing here, but the site filter won't permit me to say it.
As an officer of the Tuscola County chapter of NORML I have never been interfered with by law enforcement at the many marijuana demonstrations that I have attended.
The Foxiszation of CNN is proceeding according to plan.
well thats what you get for not watching cnn and then complaining when they do something to boost ratings. ill watch smerconish before i watch boring anderson cooper or wolf "in sheeps clothing" blitzer
I watch ABC news at 5:30, and Keith Olbermann on MSNBC.
so what do you care if cnn changes their model? you werent watching to begin with. at least we know now that more ppl from mmfa will be watching if they hire smerconish, see its a guaranteed ratings booster.
to see another News Network turn into a propaganda tool for the Bush liars.
then give it to them? personally i am conservative and i LOVE watching fox news because it has entertainment value, i love hearing oreilly sound off. but i get my news online and take everything he says with a grain of salt because i know he is a right wing mouthpiece and he often twists things or makes excuses for the RNC. what IS sad is that people are too stupid or preoccupied to notice, or they are too blind and simply dont want to see the truth. but, its still good television if you know your facts ahead of time.
I'm willing to bet that most people that watch FOX News do not watch it for "entertainment value". Besides isn't that what most people say in order to make themselves not to look like shills.
I've watched FOX News occassionaly and there is no entertainment value to be found. So, that's why I've deprogrammed it out of all the televisions in my house and CNN for the record. I guess one man's junk yard is another man's paradise.
...when our public discourse is debased. If demonizing Muslims is considered just part of the reasonable range of debate, it drags the center further and further to the right.
The coarsening of public debate is one of the reasons that torture, for instance, is "just something we do." So yeah, I care. I care a lot.
here is a link to an undercover british mosque op where muslims talk about how they want to kill gays, women are 1/2 of men, and all non muslims are liars.
[link to littlegreenfootballs.com]
If a radical mullah was going to be hired by CNN to spout anti-gay, anti-women hatred, I would oppose that as well.
What is your point?
it is reasonable to "demonize" muslims when theyve already demonized themselves. and what i mean is that, from this video, no one is really exaggerating the danger that BOTH conservatives and liberals and gays and face from radical muslims. so talking about how dangerous muslims are shouldnt be considering demonizing them when they are already demons and brainwash their own in order to allow the perpetuation of their middle ages mentality
Didn't think so.
Got anything else besides the usual GOP talking points, that last November the US rejected?
Again, didn't think so.
It would be reasonable for Muslims and Arabs to think the US is trying to kill them all and commit genocide against them because Ann Coulter said we should kill their leaders invade their countries and convert them to Christianity and that we shold drop daisy cutters at random throughtout the middle east or Micheal, totally insane, Savage saying we ought to kill one hudred millionMuslims. I dont care what some nutball says it isnt an indictement against an entire religion or people.
it's gibbering nonsense.
LGF has zero credibility.
They have yet to even ADMIT that they were dead wrong about that cop, Jamil Hussien, in Iraq who reported on an atrocity.
Not to mention tons of other BS they spread around. Just look for LGF at Crooks & Liars, and ConWebWatch.
But our resident right-winger has been brainwashed by the BS spreaders like O'Reilly and Hannity at Fox (har har) "news," and right-wing crapola blogs like "Lock 'em all up" Michelle Malkin and LGF.
Please. I would take an insane asylum more seriously. Try something with at least a HINT of credibility at least in the same universe as credible
its actually a youtube video piece that a UK tv station did undercover. i couldve linked directly to youtube but i chose not to because littlegreenmen had all 3 parts on the page for you to see.
jeez.
So what.
Name just ONE news network that wants to hire any of these wack jobs.
Aaron Klein at WorldNetDaily claims 3 of his "sources" for his stories, is he a "liberal?"
And this time, try using something BESIDES the usual right-wing BS.
The best you can say about Smerconish is that he makes O'Reilly sound like a consummate professional.
I was just thinking that "Nation of Sissies" pretty accurately describes Mike's target demographic.
This is a link to Fred Phelps:
[link to www.youtube.com]
He goes to the funerals of dead soldiers and says that they deserved to die, that god has punished them. He says that America deserved 9/11 and has called for the killing of gay people and all non-believers. What does this say about Christians in general? NOTHING! He’s a nut job & there are nut jobs in every religion. What we shouldn’t do is create situations where people will give his crazy ideas the time of day, like we have in the Mid East for the last five, six decades. If you want a list of dictators we’ve put in power or supported, many to this day and with ties to terror groups, let me know. I have ‘em waitin. By your logic though, moderate Muslim countries would be justified in bombing the US. We have people like Fred Phelps right?
Or how about this: [link to www.consortiumnews.com]
It's an article about some Cuban terrorists, responsible for killing a plane full of innocent people, living in Florida thanks to the right wing. The victims were our "enemies", Cubans, so obviously there's a different set of morals (the bible calls people like you a hypocrite). Using the right wing's logic (any country that "harbors terrorists" should be bombed by the countries they've committed the acts against, "pre-emptive" war), Cuba would be justified in bombing Miami right? How about the idea that we, the US, can bomb any country that poses a threat to us. So I guess you would say that Iran was justified in killing thousands of innocent people in NY, right? We certainly pose a threat to Iran. Where does this stupid logic end?
The world is a complex place. It requires an open mind, an education (formal or by educating yourself) and a lot of thinking to make sense of it. If you’re not willing to do that, if want to make up your mind before you receive facts or logic, then you’re part of the problem.
The media has one job: to educate the public. Educate them about the world, what is going on in government, educate about issues that matter to them like healthcare, the economy, etc.
What do you learn about the world when you watch Beck and people like him? For instance, we pay at least twice as much per capita on healthcare in the US than everyone else in the industrialized world. Has Beck's program told you why? Offered alternatives? "Free trade", the official economic policy of our government, has had many negative side effects. Has Beck ever honestly addressed those side effects? Explained them? Given alternatives? No on all. Like most right wingers, he has his mind made up before he gets his facts and bends reality to meet his pre-determined position. He’s not had an open mind and let logic and facts determine how he'll think about an issue. Beck isn't part of the media, he's essentially part of the PR department for corporate America and he has many elite liberals and conservatives there with him. Wake the hell up.
"So I guess you would say that Iran was justified in killing thousands of innocent people in NY, right?"
Not was, is.
Smerconish has a right to his opinion and, if he can hold an audience, his job. He also has as much right to use the word 'sissy' as does Harvey Fierstein, author of 'The Sissy Duckling'. And don't claim I'm a homophobe--- I'm Gay.
It's not censorship by pointing out the crazy things that he's said. It's not censorship to call on the networks to not air this stuff. Nobody is telling him NOT to say these things, we're telling his employers to not give him a bully pulpit with which to attack people, and misinform that public. If he wants to get his message out there, and doesn't have a TV show to do it, he can always be like the millions of other people out there and write some sort of blog. It's not stifling his free speech, and it's not about censorship, it's about informing the American public correctly, and maybe also informing people that indeed, you can't believe everything that he says.
I had never heard of this Smerconish guy before here. This guy sounds like he knows exactly what is going on. I'm glad there are websites like this one to point me in the direction of people who think outside the box, and say the things that everybody wants to. Thanks media matters!