I GOT ANOTHER E-MAIL. IT WAS ABOUT MY "SAVAGE FETISH."
"Savage 'fetish--what's that? Was I amused, no. Was I irritated, no. I get a lot of e-mail, no biggie, part of the trade.
It did annoy me that this particular e-mailer said that I had a "fetish" with my various writings about Michael Savage, as if it were against the law here in the high and mighty progressive SF Bay Area to dare opine that Savage ruled the market, which he does; hell, he's the defacto king of the syndicated radio world. How do I know? Have you listened to the current tripe? Are you kidding, it's not even close, but we'll leave it now for the Bay Area.
Savage has always intrigued me as something of a broadcast raconteur; a virtual artist who paints a different tapestry each and every day. He can be irksome, slightly crazy, in a sort of entertaining way but he gets you. He invigorates you, he makes you listen and has you gushing, laughing, commiserating and in full messianic state of mind virtually the entirety of his program. That's a pretty damn-good template.
In far contrast, we have here in the Bay Area a bunch of self-serving, narcissistic, impish posers with a pimple of Savage's talent. That's not a knock necessarily; it's just the gosh-darn truth with a healthy piled-high scoop of reality.
Ronn Owens, the morning audio scribbler long ago checked out and left his KGO show to where it is today: a mishmash of predictable go-to minutiae that is supposedly still the mainstay among his dwindled listeners only Owens, who continues to sell mattresses and offer tired two-bit topics on a daily basis is now simply irrelevant. Those few sycophants who still listen--maybe it's they who have a real fetish. Owens, even in his twilight; even when he checked out a long time ago, could at least do a decent hour of political interviews and a cup full of novelty. Now, having arrived merely to get one last hurrah and a few paychecks is lost in the daily shuffle. He sounds bored, tired, uninspired, like he walked in from a deep sleep. Maybe the mattress affiliation is perfect symmetry--he's just damn tired and uninteresting; makes you want to go to sleep.
Then there's KQED's Michael Krasny over at "Forum." Krasny is celebrating his 20th anniversary. Good for Mike and I congratulated him. But even in spite of a loyal following and a consistently solid, if not spectacular program, Krasny still has the disadvantage of a largely confined, specialized demo. He gets great guests and does a quality program but given his lack of large, commercial appeal will never gather up a large quantitative following.
How ironic in the land of so-called tolerance and perceived, progressive worth do we have such a lack of tolerance , but wads of intellectual dishonesty. That's not an opinion, it's a fact. We like to think, here in the Bay Area, that we're special, that we're above the fray, above the tepid, screaming and yelling polarized climate--bullshit!; we're the biggest hypocrites around; we espouse openness and ask for, insist upon, freedom of thought and opinion even if we don't necessarily agree. Again, totally unmitigated BS to the tenth power.
Truth is this: we're nothing even remotely like which we love to brag and make ourselves out to be special and unique. Like what? Gimme me a break. Really, the only thing special; the only real consistency we can brag about, Bay Area, is our INCONSISTENCY and it is there where the dynamic of a Michael Savage stands out.
Savage, we're told--, don't listen to him, he's an sob. A crazy, bizarre, scary sob. You know what? You're right, which is precisely why I listen; why I've become a regular and decided to buy in; not because I necessarily buy into his politics, (which, for the most part, as I have pointed out many times is the least element of his show); Savage, craziness and all, is consistent. And his program, unlike the wussy sweet- nothings of the local radio glee clubs has a ton of genuine residue, command, performance and pathos. It's like a fine dinner and wine that you sit down to and enjoy even if you quietly worry about the extra carbs you probably didn't need in the middle of the nosh.
Savage is genuine too, for better or worse. He doesn't always come across as warm and fuzzy but at least he's not intellectually or personally dishonest. He doesn't pull you in like the local carps like Owens and portray one thing while doing the other. He is what he is to borrow a trendy phrase but its the truth.
Unlike an Owens, who wouldn't know a smidgen of realness if his life depended on it, Savage enlightens, he entertains, he can tell funny stories and mix in a tale or two about meatballs, Chinese food, his dog Teddy and crank out some good old theatre on the air. His foibles are well-known and at times, make you squirm but at least you know where he's coming from and can put up with it. The other posers, the phonies, the quasi-intellectuals who think their shit doesn't stink, are mere pretenders, morsels, sweet-nothings and they bore the shit out of me; all of us for that matter. Who said that?!! I did, sorry for a reality check.
I'm tired of pretending to apologize that I like Michael Savage. On. the. Air. I'm not going to gather bumper stickers and put his face on a bunch of t-shirts and say he's the messiah. I don't have the time and I'm not interested. He does a radio show, for god's sake, and outside of the third hour that is taped, (wrong), and the occasional ranting and raving; concentrating on diluted topics, I'm a fan. I'm a fan of anything, like Larry King, (of all people), that entertains me, makes me curious, makes me want to tune in; something that is predictably unpredictable.
A few weeks back, Savage was talking about human frailness. It was interesting. He stopped and coughed. He complained that the Indian food he consumed but an hour earlier, had made him uncomfortable. It was a classic. It proceeded to make me belly laugh. I don't know why, maybe it's an acquired taste but I laughed. Later in the hour, he spoke of the Berkeley liberals who eat only gluten-free pizza, praise to the messiah, Obama, and spread sprouts on their limited lawn, boo! As I do frequently, I stopped, I gathered it in, and shook my head with a bit of a squirm. I thought, "Yo, Mike did you have to say, "messiah?" How cruel. How terse. How inflaming ---how true too, dammit.
Now that I've become a part of the talk-radio crowd I have a lot more respect for Savage. Another thing, a major thing King told to me, specifically, is that the first thing in this business that you preach to yourself is to be yourself. Anything else is unproductive and bound to failure. For better or worse. I agree. For all my faults, I'm genuine. It's me; you get what you get, there's not an ounce of phoniness.
Savage is not for everybody and at times, even me but I'm carved in to the mix. My Jewish Mother is from Brooklyn and is a harsh critic. She doesn't laugh at anything. She hated ET and thought he looked a lot like Yoda. She thought the Wizard of Oz was too long. She doesn't like chicken soup.
But she laughs at Michael Savage.
Go figure.
*Follow me on Twitter
*E-Mail/Tips: Rich.Lieberman@Gmail.com
While I may not share the same point of view, I can understand your admiration for Mike Savage. He is a good storyteller, and knows how to distill complex topics into metaphors or proverbs that hold immediate familiarity to a large percentage of his listeners. For me, Mike's show has become The Dour Hour, where contrarians meet for their hot steaming bowls of Pessimist Stew.
ReplyDeleteAll that said, we hold onto our guilty pleasures without regard for those who judge us to be 'uncouth or overly pedestrian.
Other guilty pleasures include, what? Chocolate, Budwiser, Romance Novels, Hobbit Figurines, oh, and those Obsolete, Gas Guzzling Crown Victorias. I hear the Boyz in Blue miss those big boats. Watch and see the Crown Vics will be back in production soon, by popular demand.
Your mom may laugh at Savage, but most of us shake our heads.
ReplyDeleteReally Rich? Can you tell us what he says about Mexicans that are entertaining? About African Americans? In all the years you've hung "He's entertaining" on us..you have never once given us details. And I don't mean Mike at the Asian restaurant stories that also are tinged with racism.
ReplyDeleteMike as a social worker- tell us Rich what entertains you when he talks of his contempt for those he was paid to help?
Can you tell us of any anti semite hosts you enjoy...because they are "entertaining" ?
Hmmm...then why do YOU listen to him???
DeleteYeah. He says he loves to take walks on Sundays. He sees the churches and all the families, many of them Mexican. He talks about how family and God oriented most of the are.
DeleteHe talks about the time an African man walked into his father's store and the lesson he learned that day. Don't worry, I won't bore you with it.
When Dr. Michael Savage talks about his days as a social worker, he doesn't say a word about contempt for those he helped. He talks about contempt for the process. You didn't get it, apparently. Again, I won't bore you.
Which anti semite hosts do you listen to?
I find that deep down, some Liberals are worse than what they *imagine* Conservatives to be. Even in the rarrogance and naivete.
DeleteEx. 1.: Ronn Owens, KGO radio. He had the well-respected Dennis Richmond on before his retirement. His swan song. What story did Owens first tell? About hw he saw Richmond backstage in his underwear, and about how LARGE his PACKAGE was! On and on he went about the SIZE of his Member. Talk about negative stereotypes, poor taste, and possibly worse.
Ex.2.: Owens again. He often tells this joke: "Two Irishmen walk out of a bar... *it could happen.*"
How many tims has he told this joke? 10? 20?
Do you think he'd let a similar Jewish joke fly 20 times?
Ex. 3.: Karel, one weekend, was pretending to be a Republican, and he screamed, "There's a N****r in the White House! We have to get him out of there!!"
Trust me, I know lots of GOPers. And they despise Hillary Clinton as much as Obama, and they love Maggie Thatcher. It doesn't matter the skin tone or sex for 99% of em - its what their policies are. Intresting, many were privately OK with Bill Clinton as since he was busy with MinicaGate, he couldn't enact much. I he tacjed to the middle with Dick Morris. "Triangulation".
Ex. 4.: KGO radio. Liberal bastion. Look at their Xmas newsletter from the 80s or 90s. That place is as white as White Christmas.
Ex.5.: KTVU Chabnnel 2: Asiana Airlines names.
Ex. 6.: I went to Teneco or such, a partner organization to the Clinton Global Initiative. Big New York finance / consulting deal. 11 of their 12 top positions are white males, the 12th person - the HR Manager - is a white female! The larger group, Managing Parners and such, are overwhelmingly white. I think there wre 3 or 4 "people of color" out of 90 officials? In new York, a super diverse city?
Think about it.
11:46 the joke about the 2 Irishmen walking out of a bar, came from fellow KGO (and deceased) host Pete Wilson, after Pete died, other hosts would tell at times when remembering Pete or just tell the joke.
DeleteLieberman preaching tolerance, THAT'S FUNNY!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you didn't draw a direct comparison between the erudite and well educated Dr. Michael Krasny, who as you may know, has been a professor of Literature for many years at SF State, and that abomination of the airwaves, 'Michael Savage,' (it's not even his real name).
ReplyDeleteSavage says things just to shock people and to stir up a lot of noise and nonsense, and that's just what these idiot 'consultants' (who by the way, washed out as Program Directors), like for their radio stations.
Michael Krasny believes in taking a measured approach, asking intelligent questions, having well educated, well spoken and well traveled people on his show. Savage on the other hand, has, as have many of his ilk, sold out to the allure of attracting a majority of the pea-brained nit-wits, who don't have the mental capacity or the interest in observing complex issues in anything but black and white.
The sad truth is that while Krasny's show is popular, and MUCH more interesting and relevant, there are far too many intellectually lazy idiots in the U.S. who would rather listen for the quick thrill of Savage reaming some liberal on the air in a juvenile manner befitting a man who has made a mockery out broadcasting.
People such as Michael Savage as well as other bloviating egotistical know it alls like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, are big reasons why so many lazy Americans are clueless as to what's really going on in the world. And I think corporate America likes it that way, so unfortunately, we're going to hear more Michael Savage-types in the future on the radio . Too Bad!
Zzzz...
DeleteWere you boring before you became a Krasny fan or did he inspire the habit?
You're making Rich's point about snooty libs 1:24. Mr. Savage is actually Dr. Weiner, a point you made sure to include while you framed of Krasney's pedigree. Also, you're blinded by your biases. If you weren't biased, you could rationally and quite easily connect the dots on why Savage enjoys success while Krasney flounders...without coupling the rush/hannity baggage to savage.
You put your pants on one leg at a time, just like the unenlightened rest of us. Get over yourself.
Very well put, 1:24. I've only listened to Savage a handful of times--and each time, I had to change the station. I just can't stand him--he doesn't entertain me for a minute. He makes my skin crawl.
DeleteKrasny, on the other hand, has a highly entertaining show, and if memory serves, KQED radio is doing quite well in the ratings. I enjoy a lot of NPR programming. I don't think that makes me a "hypocrite." If folks would listen to NPR instead of trashing it as "liberal biased media," they would find a great deal of balanced, fair, and in-depth reporting.
I have searched the airwaves in vain to find one--just ONE--radio host "on the right" who could inform me without screeching asininities over and over. I searched in vain! I long for the days of William F. Buckley and intelligent discourse.
Discussing Savage and Krasny in the same piece is just....weird. Like comparing Sponge Bob to Shakespeare.
I like Krasney. I listened to him on KGO, and once or twice on KQED. But he didn't seem to force a point, he seems more an academic.
DeleteEx.: They were talking about the rising costs of college, and rising costs of educators. I called up, got on, and said this: "OK, you have a top candidate for a Chemistry spot, and you offer $90,000, but SUNY-Buffalo offers $98,000. I tell the candidate, 'If you want to live in Buffalo with 5 months of snow, we wish you good luck. But if you want to teach at sunny UCLA or Santa Cruz, we'd love to have you at $90,000 per year and a UC pension.' I'm not gonna offer $105,000 to outrank SUNY-Buffalo, b/c I don't need to. I'll hire candidiate number 2."
They all laughed, but were unable to intelligently respond. So much for the "intellectuals".
I use to listen to Savage when he was on 4 to 7 p.m. not the whole show, but enough, then at 7 pm. Gene Burns would come KGO, after listening to Gene "issues" of the day, the way he explained his positions, even if I disagreed with him, was so masterful, so was his handling of callers. I couldn't help compare Savage to Gene, Savage ALWAYS came up short, the more I listened to Gene the more I realized what a hateful, small minded man Savage is. He is intelligent, he can tell a story, but that is about it. He yells he screams, he too full of himself, you could disagree with Gene and I did several times, but you always respected him. Same with John Rothmann. Gene was class, John Rothman is class. Savage is not. I like class.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, 1:46!
Delete'Savage', Michael Weiner's chosen name is most appropriate. Every description for the word 'Savage' suits Weiner to a T! Malicious, Cruel, Sadistic, Hellish and Heartless.
Savage and his always hateful and incendiary Spiel makes me cry. I cry for all the misinformed American's across our great nation who fill their heads with Wiener's convoluted hysteria and negativity on a daily basis.
Obviously some big-wigs are rewarding Weiner to provoke and foment malice, herd mentality and tumult against our sitting President and Democrats in general.
Karma shall return to Michael Weiner in due time. No one can send out that much repugnance/disharmony/acrimony and NOT find it returning to themselves in some way...some day.
Rich, I think you appreciate the Weiner-Schmooze...but this dangerous Radio Man is taken very seriously, far too seriously by many weak minded people.
I loved Gene, and miss him. But he, too, had his faults. I called him every blue moon.
DeleteHe suffered fools gladly, and would spend 8 or 10 minutes with a buffoon who was non-sensical, illogical, and bombastic. And we the listeners learned nothing from that call.
He also had all of these high-priced food places which most normal joes will ever be able to afford, and we learned during his illness that there were a lot of "perks" and kickbacks that his "food talk" afforded him & his posse. Hey, maybe that's the business, but I'd also like to hear about a good cheap burger place (Red's Java House?), cheap eats in the Tenderloin (Tu Lan?), etc. I would turn the channel when it came to truffels and such, over and over again.
> He can be irksome, slightly crazy, in a sort of entertaining way but he gets you.
ReplyDelete> He invigorates you, he makes you listen and has you gushing, laughing,
> commiserating and in full messianic state of mind virtually the entirety of
> his program.
No, that's what he does to *you,* Rich. For the rest of us who don't need psychiatric meds, he's just a bigoted, highly unintelligent, stuck-on-himself narcissist.
That you listen to.
DeleteThat's why he got a great piece here too in the NYorker, why? http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/08/03/090803fa_fact_sanneh
DeleteThere is an enormous difference between the New Yorker article and Lieberman.
DeleteThe New Yorker is an objective piece that describes Savage and his populartity. Lieberman says THAT HE LIKES SAVAGE.
Surprising that Lieberman can't tell the difference but then again he constantly blurs the line between news reporting and editorial comment.
Are we supposed to be surprised that Lieberman's mother is also misguided?
ReplyDeleteA lifelong Democrat that voted for Truman, Kennedy, Carter, Clinton, and Obama, yeah, Mom was a regular GOPer.
DeleteI wasn't commenting on her voting record.
DeleteThe point is that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Based on the damaged fruit she's produced Mom may have excessive bark and way too much sap.
You're a schmuck --but you knew that already.
DeleteSomeone posts a clever comment and Lieberman calls him a schmuck.
DeletePity, Rich is so limited.
Savage makes numerous asides and jokes that can whizz by, but I figure there is something to them.
DeleteOff and on he jokes about the "the Communists at Columbia", which I figured was part jab, but had more to it. Then I was reading about WWII... and how the Communists who were fleeing Germany and France... were sought out by departments ... at Columbia!
You don't get that from Hannity or Mattress man. You get it from Savage and Rush.
Liberal Hosts are some of the most Batshit crazy assholes on the planet. I guess we all have an Opinion.
ReplyDeleteRich,
ReplyDeleteYou get it... Michael Savage's appeal is his SINCERITY and TRUTHFULLNESS in describing LIFE as most of us see, but few can be honest about it with themselves.
Feeble minds just can't take it! Sheep..
Savage is REAL and AUTHENTIC. Too bad the 'tolerant' Left has clamped down on such thoughts. May I remind every winers on this board that Communists aka (National Socialists -Nazis) were always not allowing the freedom of speech and ownership of guns for the citizens they controlled....
Why is not liking Savage "not allowing freedom of speech?" How the hell do you make that leap of judgement?
Delete@4:27 -- You're wrong about Nazis and gun control. The toughest aspects of gun control law during the Nazi regime were laws passed in 1919 (when Germany was under the Allies thumb and Hitler was just another WWI vet struggling to exist). Hitler changed these laws in 1938 and greatly liberalized gun ownership.
DeleteJust one more example of the bastardized WWII history that's become "common knowledge."
@4:27 Communists=Nazis? Really? Also I call Godwin. You lose.
DeleteI have no objection to Savage being on the radio, or other bigots as well. I just like a balance. However, entertaining Savage can be at times, when I use to listen to him years ago, he said some unforgettable things. A few comes to mind, he didn't/doesn't think Martine Luther King was a great man, who deserves special recognition, on 9/11 the same day 9/11 happened he got on the radio ranting and raving, that he didn't see any Hispanic fire fighters, he might have lumped African American's in with Hispanics, however that kind of did it for me, on a day when we all should come together and for the most part we did, he had to throw race into it. Of course looking at the many pictures from that day, and also the TV coverage, it is apparent that there were firefighters of every color and race and they were ALL heroes. How disgusting to degenerate any firefighter that went to the WTC on that tragic day. I'm a forgiving person, but that kind of rhetoric is uncalled for. As long as I'm mentioning Savages shortcomings Rich, I remember him calling Jim Eason an old man in a pyjamas, really how vindictive and mean. I never agreed with Jim Eason about much, at least the few times I remember listening to him, but that is no reason to try to ridicule him. I think the more I remember the mean spirit rants of Savage the less urge I feel to listen to him again, no matter what stories he might tell and how entertaining. Long of short of it is he is just too negative for me, I like someone that is a more optimistic. Also as I wrote in an earlier blog, Savage has no class, and I like class.
DeleteThe allied victors passed the most strenuous anti-gun laws, disarming German citizens, after winning WWI, for reasons that are obvious. Go read some history instead of listening to nutso radio.
Delete11:03 PM, funny, I didn't see any Latino firefighters on 9/11. And while I am conservative, I have seen how the NYFD is amazingly WHITE... just like many of Bill Clinton's buddies and associates. But I digress. The non-diversity of the NYFD shocked me. Does the honesty bother you?
DeleteThere is no such thing as a Latino race. Latinos can be white, black, Asian and Native American. How do you know that all of the white-looking firefighters were in fact non-hispanic? Is it possible that some of the firefighters you thought were Italian, for example, were actually light-skinned Puerto Ricans?
DeleteMy quick Google search shows that the NTFD is over 90% white male. In New York City.
DeleteMaybe NY has done a better job of fighting the PC / affirmative action mandates that have radically changed many fire departments, some of which was good, soem not.
Here in SF, we had a young girl run over by a female firefighter (who the press won't name), a SFO fire chief who may have bungled the operation (also female), a Fire Chief who seems to pat her own back (female), and a fire captain who missed the live girl, who may have been African American. These are the kids of facts Savahe doesn't ignor.
1:12 perhaps you didn't see latino's firefigthers on 9/11, and since NFD has many fire fighters of Italian descent, so perhaps it is hard to judge from pictures. However, if you read the list of names of fire fighters killed on 9/11 you will see many last names refer to a diversity. However, Savage points when he ranted on 9/11 was on that NYFD didn't hire any latino's. His point was that they were not on the forefront, he all but said out loud, they were cowards. That is what upset me more than anything.
DeleteTo be this hateful on 9/11 just few hours after the towers was hit, it about as low as you can get. If you worship Savage, too bad for you. He is mean spirited and has NO CLASS. PERIOD.
Hey Drive By Opinion...give me some examples of 'liberal hosts who are some of the most, to use your limited vocabulary and vile expression: "some of the most Batshit crazy assholes on the planet." There aren't any, because there are VERY few liberal talk show hosts on radio, period. Corporate America, which is now in control of 90 percent of our media outlets, doesn't want liberal talk show hosts, it prefers consrvative ones. Most of them are loud, bloviating, know it alls such as Limbaugh, smarmy and smug nerds like Hannity, or 'crazy assholes' (to use your crass expression), such as Savage. And by the way, Michael Krasny beats the other conservative talk shows in the bay area in the ratings, but that's no surprise as we thrive in a politically liberal region.
ReplyDeleteI have yet to hear a conservative explain to me why being a 'liberal' is such as bad thing. 'Liberal' means open-minded, accepting, and willing to accept change. And don't forget, 'liberals' such as Kennedy and LBJ pushed for Civil Rights, liberals were against the war in Vietnam, and liberals have been at the forefront of cleaning up our environment, and supporting the middle class.
I ask again...why are those such bad things? What have conservatives given us but a bunch of noise and nonsense, and idiots such as George W. Bush, who took a short eight years to turn a record surplus into a record deficit, do everything he could to try and undo landmark environmental legislation, nominate right wingers such as John Roberts (Citizens' United ruling) to the Supreme Court, and pursue a reckless war that wasted thousands of lives, billions of dollars and millions of middle east moderates who turned again us. Yeah, the conservatives have really done a good job! Right!
I can't speak for Drive by opinion but...
DeleteAt the risk of letting the facts get in the way of your varnished truth: Kennedy was a crooked pervert. LBJ pushed the war chips all in on Vietnam (though concocted under Ike). Truman dropped 2 nukes and had the agency orchestrate the Iranian coup. Nearly unanimous approval by both houses to invade Afghanistan and divided dem support for Iraq. Feinstien defends the nsa and votes to strengthen gun regs while she herself carries a nice little 357 despite a security team and affluent surroundings.
I could blast your social or environmental arguments as well but rich won't allow it. Listen to Savage, he'll do it and better than I can.
The left is no better than the right and the moderates can only choose between the 2. At least you get to win some of the time. I can't say the same.
Bottom line, radio is a business, not a cause and not a movement. They sell what people are buying. You must be hard to shop for.
A much higher percentage of Republicans in the senate voted for the Civil Rights Act than Democrats. In fact, Kennedy and Johnson both opposed Republican attempts at passing Civil rights legislation in the 50's.Johnson passing the Civil Rights Act was strictly political as well. He was quoted as saying "I'll have these Niggers voting Democratic for the next 200 years"...Yea, you libs have a lot to be proud about. And Vietnam? give me a break.
DeleteMostly old folks listen to AM radio now and they skew Republican. And Johnson also said that he knew he had lost the south for the Dems for the next 50 years when he pushed for the Voting Rights Act. I've never seen your elegant quote before 8:19. Citation please. Genuinely curious.
DeleteRandi"Whack Job" Rhodes
DeleteRay " The Racist" Taliaferro
Stephanie "Conspiring against America since 1951" Miller
or any other host who kisses Nancy Pelosis ass
Just to name a few
He said it in Ronald Kessler's book "Inside The White House"....And Savage is number 1 online so he has plenty of young listeners including myself, I'm 22. Savage is the wisest truth teller of our time. Here's a link just in case you aren't able to Google.
Deletehttp://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/40889
8:19 " A much higher percentage of Republicans in the senate voted for the Civil Rights Act than Democrats."
DeleteTrue. But back then Republicans still cared abut America more than their corporate handlers.
I'm not the original poster, but I'll answer "batshit crazy" liberal talk show hosts.
Delete1. Bernie Ward
2. Karel
3. Shawn Nix (mainly unqualified AA hire)
4. Ray Taliaferro (just half crazy)
5. Kristine Craft - she was defending an 8-year-old girl / pilot flying across America to break a record, who died in said persuits
Savage needs to stop talking about himself and his achievements. How great he knows he is. How smart.
ReplyDeleteI've listened to him for 14 years going on 15, and his success has made him big-headed. He never used to extol his virtues to such a degree.
I hardly listen any more, and when I do, it's a repeat of how great is Michael Savage.
That said, your column is spot-on overall. And, despite my criticisms, I agree with you that he has enough of the old Savage to make local hosts look impotent, esp. the screamers on KGO.
Funny, I stopped listening to him 14-15 years ago *because* he was going on about how great he was, he's written ten thousand books (all of them self-published), etc. Don't know what rock you were under.
DeleteMost "academic books" sre self-congratulatory, and sell few copies... outside of the students who are required to buy them by the author / professor.
DeleteI'd like to meet your Mom. Sounds like she's one-of-a-kind. Treasure her.
ReplyDeleteI first heard Savage on a July Sunday in 1994 on KGO while driving home from Vegas. The recorded intro was enticing "The Savage Nation contains adult content, psychology nudity" and I listened to all three hours and thought that this guy has something. But like Howard Stern, after a while you hear the same thoughts and rants that make you turn the channel.
ReplyDeleteHe may still be entertaining, but you have to wade through repetitive blather to reach any payoff. Not appointment radio, check in radio.
Mr. Lieberman hit one nail on the head: the Bay Area is a virtual grow house of liberal delusions. For instance, they not only embrace diversity, they worship it. They speak of it, celebrate it, even vote for it, all at the same time paying big, big money to avoid living with it, shopping around it, or having their children experience it at school.
ReplyDeleteWhere are all the liberals choosing to take advantage of the cheap rents/home prices in Bay View, East Palo Alto, and Oakland? Why is it that private schools are so in demand? Did I miss something? Has it become tough to get into public schools, or is their popularity (even Catholic ones, at that) just another indicator of what Bay Area parents really think about unbridled diversity?
Why is it that the malls failing fast are those in the most truly diverse areas? Don't liberals enjoy multiculturalism when shopping? Apparently not, given the popularity of places like Stanford Shopping Center and Santana Row, where diversity consists of two predominate colors: white and yellow.
I grew up a white minority amidst the black and brown flavors of diversity. I grew to love some of my neighbors but also grew up to revile the consequences of what I saw as the widespread acceptance of ignorance, mediocrity, and incivility (a perspective I shared with the best of my black and brown neighbors). I worked my way to better neighborhoods and got my kids in safe schools, only to realize that my real life experiences had led me to make choices indistinguishable from those made by my progressive, compassionate, and phony new neighbors.
But at the end of the day I am once again different than my neighbors, for I know and accept what I think, why I think it, and why I do what I do -- and that makes me a minority in these parts.
Im a immigrant from Mexico. ...... and I fell in love with Savage after a racist Mexican friend of mine tuned me to him. He called him the biggest racist in the world. A few dats later we both could not get enough of him. Now we agree with about 99% of what he says. The 1% is we don't want the border closed. Hahaha
ReplyDeleteThere go your wages!! ... you're just hurting yourself. Studies actually show that Mexican-American citizens do want to border closed, they know an open border hurts them the most. (i.e., will drive wages down.)
DeleteI always wondered why Michael Savage's accent was so appealing; it reminded me of "home". Turns out we went to the same high school back in New York. He sounds so familiar he could have been one of the guys hanging out on the stoop.... I no longer have the accent myself but I certainly get drawn in when I hear it.
ReplyDelete> She thought the Wizard of Oz was too long.
ReplyDeleteShe's right.
People who cast aspersions on Mike are either jealous, lying, or haven't really heard him.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest threat to Mike's SF Bay enemies are their own twisted, biased, and often racist, bigoted media sources. For example the radical hippie station KPFA in Berkeley pretends to be a friendly, warm and fuzzy "alternative" station, but the covert and overtly racist and bigoted content that slips past, or gets a pass by the do-gooder liberals would get any commercial broadcast talent fired on the spot.
If you've lived in the area for any amount of time, especially if you are a native, it's no surprise to learn the white elite progressives pretend to love minorities in public, on air and in front of video cameras. It's a different story when they retreat to their rich, gated, lilly white urb' and sub-urb communities where a minority guest is someone who does their house or yard work. Minorities, they actually hate your guts and the only reason they even bother to pretend to like you is, they feel guilty at their success and your lack; to gain favor with their friends or the public; or to gain financially as is the case with the endless nonprofit org's.
Mike won't mention names on air, so here some other "conservative"? hosts who hated Savage, and his success, who now either part timers, weekend warriors, or on the ash heap of broadcast history, along with their Savage-esque pet names, the reason for their demise and current local:
• Tom Cam "The Cheauffeur". reportedly blew up on air and (allegedly) never showed up again. reportedly went back to driving airport shuttles.
• Geoff Metcalf "Gun Nut" Savage always said 2 things are show killers: guns & abortion. nobody knows
• Jim Eason "The Jazz Man" The guy hated Mike so much, he did an entire show of "I coined the phrase..." to mock Mike's claim to Compassionate Conservative which Mike copyrighted for his book and pointed out Bush Jr. used. He was later so enraged that management cut him from 3 to 2 hours to give Mike another hour he flat out quit. The Blonde mentioned next took over his slot.
• Barbara Simpson "The Bimbo in the Bunker" The gruff voiced blonde ex-TV "Teleprompter Reader" as Mike describes them, must have had a major blow up with Mike in the basement of 900 Front St. at some point.
She wasn't as overt as others attacking Mike and his success, but was a bit more covert allowing listeners to call in and do the attacking, and unlike Savage who simply never allowed anyone to speak of other hosts bad or good, either said nothing or agreed. She was later was chucked to weekend-warrior.
• Melanie Morgan "The Boss's Wife" Seemingly pleasant morning show host who I never heard bad mouth other station talent. Got fired with her hubby
• Jack Swanson KGO/KSFO Operations Manager Talked great about Mike when he was on his way up, but in the end reportedly got "the hatchet job", as Mike would put it.
• Mickey "The Mouse" Luckoff, ABC/Disney owned KGO/KSFO's GM & "President" apparently liked MikeThe local press reported he got angry at new ownership and quit.
Both Jack & Mickey championed Michael Savage when it benefitted the station and its ratings, but when it came time to negotiate a new contract didn't want to pay to play in the big leagues. Savage was quickly snatched up by TRN where he was nationally syndicated and went as high as #4.
KSFO ratings and ad revenue plummeted after Mike left as he was reportedly the #1 show in that drive time slot, beating even non talk formats according to the Arbitron ratings he quoted.
Since Mike left TRN and signed with Cumulus, and ABC had earlier sold off radio, including KSFO, to Cumulus, now Mike is back (syndicated) on KSFO where he started.
We are not jealous - we are just tired of his racist crap. The same crap spewed out for the minions -- the same people that listen to Limbaugh and Hannity - the uneducated class.
DeleteWhere there is smoke there is fire. I have heard from many sources including Bernie Ward and Christine Kraft that in person of the air Rush Limbaugh is a very polite and nice gentleman. I have heard from fellow conservatives and many others that Savage is a pain to get along with. Must of us have a professional façade so to speak, or a public façade and a "at home façade", apparently Savage does not. Frankly when there are so many people who you don't get along with, who's fault is that? Are you not being real or authentic, just because you are polite and nice to people in public even when you don't feel like it? We all need to be a little bit phony and put on a façade in public, or in front of the boss, or customers now and then, to make life easier and more pleasant for others as well as ourselves. Don't we? I don't think that is a lesson Savage has learned, or rather is willing to do, hence he pays for it, since very few people who come in contact with him actually like him.
DeleteThe truth is that all of the folks you mention are decent folks. Savage cost KSFO/KGO two sexual harassment lawsuits that were settled out of court. He sued TNR, was fired from his TV show and goes through producers on a bi-weekly basis. He is an unwell human being with some diagnosable mental health issues. Like many bi-polar, narcissists he can be charming or fast on his feet intellectually. However, that also comes with paranoia, grand visions of his self worth and the projection of his own darkness on other people. In the end you have to decide if those sorts of things count. As a liberal I enjoyed Keith Olbermann's rants, but the more I learned about his character, the less willing I was to listen or support him. Character matters, even in the world of entertainment and especially when the person is put in a position to influence others.
DeleteHow did Swanson get his gig? Is he Jewish?
DeleteNote: I am stating the obvious... KGO hired a number of 'new' hosts, and fill ins... and there was a predominant composition to both. Gil Gross, Dr. Laura, John Rothman, ... Marty Nemko was given a shot, even Rich Walcoff, a sports guy, was given a shot! ... the older, big-haired weekend TV ad slinger was given a shot as a talk show host, which really baffled me...
BTW, SavageNartion is spot on: why do so many of these libs live in uber-white Marin? Why not Oakland or Richmond?
Years ago, when Great Britain banned Michael Savage entry into their country, Barbara Simpson wrote a column for WND.com defending him. If she had a blow-up with him, then it must have not been so major for her to publicly stick up for him.
DeleteI sense a little anti Semitism here, John Rothmann was on week-end over night for years, I often managed to wake up awake when he was on, so I would get most of his show, he is Jewish, but he is also a presidential historian, and well versed in the politics of the past and present, since Gene Burns passed away, I can't think of anyone who has the intellectual know how other than John, that comes close to Gene's. He got hired because Bernie Ward was convicted and sentenced to 7 years in jail. Gill Gross got hired because Pete Wilson, who was not Jewish, died suddenly, I don't know who else was in the running for Pete's slot, I liked and still do like Bill Press, but don't know if he was considered for Pete's slot, or if he was even available, as he usually is in DC. Gil back then was quite good, today on 910 not so much, frankly he stinks. Dr. Laura was very popular, and I remember an interview with Jack Swanson (I think on the Ronn Owens program) saying that she really did not fit in with KGO's format, but at the time she was the 3rd most popular host in the country and as such she should be on KGO. Who exactly is the big haired week-end TV host? I'm not sure who you are referring to. To get back to your original point, I don't think Jack Swanson was Jewish, if there were a number of Jewish hosts on KGO it is fair to assume there were on, not because they were Jewish, but because they were popular (Dr. Laura) or above others as an intelligent and superb host (John Rothmann) or available for the time slot and good enough to be on KGO (Gil Gross). Marty Nemko is the predominantly expert on job, resume etc. in the Bay Area, he happens to be Jewish. Jesus, in 2013 this has to be pointed out, how disgusting and discouraging. No, I'm not Jewish, I'm a Dane and very proud that during second world war, the Danes managed to save most of our Jewish from the Nazi's (this is before I was born, since I was born in Jan. 1945), but I thought in the US everyone is suppose to be judged on the character, talent etc. etc. How sad it is on the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I have a dream speech" this has to be pointed out.
DeleteAnon 10:14 Dane - thanks for your post. For the record, my favorite hosts are predominantly Jewish - Ron, Dr. Dean, Len Tillen, and Savage... when I could find him.
DeleteAnd I understand why this is partly true - the oral traditions, and tradition of edcation in the Jewish culture. I get that.
But when you have 5 or 6 spots come open, and most of them go to older, white, male Jewish hosts ... where is the "diversity" in that? I think the Godtalk guy was even replaced by a Rabbi! hahaha And then to the GUESTS... Ron Owens, in particular, has a bevy of Jewish American guets... many I like, some seem old, tired, and outdated.
But when you have a nation that is only 2% Jewish, and 70% of your new talk show hosts are Jewish, something is going on.
Just as when I go into a hi-tech company in the South Bay and there are 140 people there, ALL from India... that is not "diversity", fair, fair hiring practices, or maybe even legal. That is mathematically IMPOSSIBLE.
To 8:19 I believe Barbara Simpson defended Savage on the principle, whether she like him or not is besides the point. I remember when Michael Savage was local on KSFO a caller to Barbara's show said something along the lines your friend Michael Savage, and Barbara's answer said it all, she very firmly said he is not a friend of mine, and it was obvious she did/does not like him. I disagree with most of Barbara's opinions, but I believe she is a principle person.
DeleteNo 9:55, we are not lying, we have heard him, we are not jealous, WE HAVE DECIDED WE JUST DON'T LIKE HIM.
DeleteWhy is it so hard for some people to understand that some people can have a different point of view, different taste, without being misinformed, ignorant, not intelligent etc. Some people have different taste and points of view, because they see the issues differently. Deal with it.
To 10:09 I'm the dane, no god talk did not go to a rabbi, it went to Brent Walkers or Walker a religious instructor at I believe Foothill College (not sure if it is the right college) Rabbi Lapin has been on KSFO for years, use to have a week-end daytime show, now he has a 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. sunday morning talk show. As for your ratio of the Jewish population and talk show host, I guess it just go to show Jews are good communicators. I don't want a host being it man, women (I'm female) whatever doing it talk show host that is talented. For awhile KGO had no female hosts, only Christine Kraft as a fill in, now they have Pat Thurston who is very, very good, don't agree with her on everything, but she has a good show, they also have Maureen Langdon who I often agree with, but she is very, very bad, so I don't listen. As for the ratio in the tech world I have no insight into that, I believe it has to do with economics, rather than race. Would I rather see companies hire US citizen than someone from overseas, yes. However, I have no way of knowing how many of these tech worker are citizen's and how many of them are here on a work visa.
DeleteWhat Savage has and can pull out of his hat at any time is intelligent humor. Even if it is delivered in a cranky fashion sometimes, which I believe is by design.
ReplyDeleteThat drives you angry, liberal sourpusses up the wall, doesn't it?
Also, he spares no one from his rants and is one of the biggest critics of hypocrites on either side - pointing out often the intellectual dishonesty of Liberal Jews, Republican turncoats and such.
Well written by Mr. Lieberman.
What drives people nuts is that Savage appeals to a low intelligence level. His rants sound like some cranky old guy who is bitter about the way things have changed in this country, yet he insists on blaming all the wrong people; liberals, minorities, environmentalists, and people are not out to amass as many material items as possible in their lives.
ReplyDeleteSavage can be amusing to listen to for about ten minutes, and then you realize that this guy can't really be serious half the time when he's talking, because he says some of the most outrageously lame things anyone has ever stated on the radio.
The fact that people listen to this loud-mouthed jerk-off is evidence that there are a lot of lazy people out there who don't know how to think creatively for themselves, and would rather have issues trivialized and presented in black and white by some self-styled 'expert' like Savage. By believing what this deluded egotistical know-it-all has all the answers, they save themselves the trouble of straining their own grey matter while they pig out in front of their TV sets watching reality or gossip shows while chugging beers or eating cheetos or some other junk food. No wonder this country is going to the dogs!
Every blue moon I listen to Rush, and the guy is packed with information. Yes, conservative. Yes, bombastic. But he's 3 hours of politics, but he is 3 levels above Sean Hannity.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes Michael Savage such an interesting host is that he does not shy away from discussing controversial social issues. The other conservative hosts are too afraid to touch those topics, focusing instead on things like the debt crisis...zzz...tax reform...zzz...entitlement reform...zzz...oil fracking...zzz.... I mean, what's more interesting: marijuana horror stories or oil fracking?
ReplyDeleteHe spends a lot of time promoting himself and way too much time knocking other conservatives. He is a showman and a self promoter. I now quickly change the station when he is on
ReplyDelete"Spends a lot of time promoting himself, and way too much time knocking other conservatives." Kinda reminds me of Limbaugh, Coulter, O'Reilly, Ingraham, and Dennis Miller!
DeleteScott Brown was a guest host on O'Reilly's program last Friday, and the subject of conservative in-fighting was addressed yet again. Clearly, righties have become their own worst enemies!
Many people like me with same sex attraction listen to Michael Savage because they know that he plainly '' makes sense '' and that Michael Savage plays a fair game of cards with all types and sorts of people . Unfortunately a large portion of the gay community doesn't play a fair game of cards and as a result we are all weaker and more vulnerable as a nation . The enemies of america are surrounding americans and we need to ALL fight together despite personal differences . I am a proud american and I would fight to defend the rights of Michael Savage and all his listeners . I find it very difficult to '' make sense '' of all the Michael Savage haters . Their arguments / attacks appear to me and to a vast number of people with same sex attraction as unfair and '' senseless '' ......They play an unfair card game and thus as americans we are all weaker in defending our country ....
ReplyDelete"I thought in the US everyone is suppose to be judged on the character...How sad it is on the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I have a dream speech" this has to be pointed out."
ReplyDeleteWhat's sad is that you invoked the Nazi era to make your case. There are plenty of current examples in the U.S. of people being judged by skin color, religion or ethnicity that could've illustrated your point rather than falling back on overused World War II references. It gets old.
Really, what world are you (10:14) living in. In big business, people are primarily judged on personal contacts, race and sex (white male a major double negative) and talent and competence are secondary factors. If you are white/male with no personal sponsors, you are screwed for advancement. If you are black or female (or even both!) you will be moved up as long as you don't foam at the mouth when you talk.
DeleteI don't live in the corporate world, other than I work for a national department store chain, and I don't know what your comment has to do with my blog about Jewish talk show hosts. However as far as I can tell most upper level managers are white, in the retail business, where I work now, many are women. Of course if you go into a situation believing your are screwed because of your color or sex, you are already handicapping yourself. I use to be in the insurance business (sales)in sales, if you can sell, no one cares what color, age and sex you are. I'm over 65 many women my age, feel they get discriminated against because of their age, I have never felt that, because when I apply for a job, I expect people to hire or not hire me based on my job experience, my personality and how well suited I am for the job. Also is it well known that white males often have the advantage of personal contacts from schools and club. If you don't have those contacts perhaps you should join a club and make some contacts. However, I have the feeling you'll rather play the victim.
DeleteGood stuff! Way to put the poseurs in their place.
ReplyDeleteI did not invoke the Nazi era to make my case. I just mentioned that I was not Jewish, but rather Danish and I was proud of the fact that very few Danish Jews was sent to concentration camps, because we(my country men, I was born Jan. 45) manage in the dark of night to smuggle most of the them across the water to neutral Sweden. I did not mentioned the holocaust, you either didn't read my blog carefully, or you are overreacting.
ReplyDelete@10:51
ReplyDeleteDoth project too much.
A big reason why the Left hates Savage so much is that he is not PC, but he can back up what he says eloquently, via academic studies, or real life. Dr. Ben Crson, who spoke "truth to power" to President Barack Obama, has done the same thing, but more politely - yet just as pointed.
ReplyDelete