Twice this week, Bill O'Reilly referred to Glenn Beck as “every man sitting on a bar stool.”
As anyone who's ever worked for a while as a bartender can attest, bartenders meet a lot of different people. Most of them good people.
But amidst all the good people, there's always one guy at the end of the bar.
Sometimes he's loud. Sometimes he's obnoxious. Sometimes he just talks to himself.
But he's always alone. And he's always the center of his own world.
Such is Glenn Beck.
After O'Reilly used the line* on Jon Stewart during a rare Stewart appearance on the Factor, Stewart asked the obvious: “Every man's got a show?”
Indeed, Beck has his own Fox News show, his own nationally syndicated radio show and a $3 million book deal.
Just like every man.
Throw in the revenues from his website and ticket sales at his speaking events and Business Insider estimated he was set to make $18 million in 2009.
Just like every man.
Beck has been on the radio since he was 15, first as a DJ and later as a talk show host.
Just like every man.
But what about what Beck actually says?
Would every man accuse the president of the United States of having a “deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture”?
No, but one man did.
More importantly, would every man use the almost unparalleled access to multiple media outlets -- perhaps only Oprah tops him - to smear and personally attack those with whom he disagrees, traffic in ridiculous conspiracy theories, and instill fears in millions of Americans?
No, but one man does.
Glenn Beck is not every man. He is just one man -- who, like O'Reilly, knows that the “every man” myth sells.
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*O'Reilly's attempts to portray Beck as “every man” warrant a look back at David Cross' absolute annihilation of similar attempts to portray George 'Dubya' Bush as “every man”:
'I'm a straight shooter, man. I'm a Washington outsider. I'm such a Washington outsider and just like you because I'm sure all y'all had the same kind of upbringing just like me. You know where your daddy was head of the CIA, and then ambassador to China, and then vice president for eight years and then president of the United States for four years. Yeah I'm just like you, I'm a good old boy from Midland, Texas!'