And as long as I was thinking about John Hawkins, figured I would check in with his namesake, who's been kind enough to not grace me with his presence lately.
I can only hope this trend will continue.
Why, you may ask?
Because he writes things like You Think You Had A Bad Week? Rush Had It Worse:
In this case, I thought that while what Rush said wasn't racist in the least, I could certainly see how it could irritate people. Although it's not exactly the same thing, it reminded me of back in the eighties when Isiah Thomas said, "If (Larry) Bird was black, he'd be just another good guy". Although Thomas apologized and Bird didn't seem to take any offense, it still grinded on my nerves back then and I can see how other people might feel the same way.In any case, although I wouldn't have said what Rush did there, I don't think it was an offense that merited a resignation -- especially since ESPN's ratings were way up because of Rush.
Atrios has been getting crazy with the Stupid Rush Quotes lately, and there's much, much more at Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting's Rush Limbaugh page, including this little blast from the past, Limbaugh: A Color Man Who Has A Problem With Color?
As a young broadcaster in the 1970s, Limbaugh once told a black caller: "Take that bone out of your nose and call me back." A decade ago, after becoming nationally syndicated, he mused on the air: "Have you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?"In 1992, on his now-defunct TV show, Limbaugh expressed his ire when Spike Lee urged that black schoolchildren get off from school to see his film Malcolm X: "Spike, if you're going to do that, let's complete the education experience. You should tell them that they should loot the theater, and then blow it up on their way out."
In a similar vein, here is Limbaugh's mocking take on the NAACP, a group with a ninety-year commitment to nonviolence: "The NAACP should have riot rehearsal. They should get a liquor store and practice robberies."
Yes, the offense wasn't his most recent little outburst. The offense is that someone with his track record was on ESPN in the first place.
Didn't read the comments at RWN, or check any of the trackback links.
No need to deliberately provoke a berserker rage, after all.
Update: Apropos of nothing, Glenn Reynolds writes:
And, no, I don't have an opinion on the Limbaugh drug scandal. I just hope that criticism of Limbaugh isn't motivated by prejudice against people with disabilities. . . .
I will charitably assume that he's joking.
Meaning my initial reaction to this was, "You have got to be fucking kidding."
"berserker rage"
just knew you would fess up to being part viking sooner or later, brother. next thing you know you'll tell me you like pickled herring on wasa crackers and washing it down with honey mead...
in any case i am going to enjoy the mental image of you hewing your enemies with a sword, for the rest of the day. tack så mycket!
Speaking of Rush and his drug problems, I put together a timeline which shows how his hearing problems related to his drug addiction: Rush Limbaugh Hearing Loss Timeline
Thanks for that timeline, Kynn...reading the comments (yes, I did) to that post made me think the children of those right wingers are probably all on crack and their parents will never ever know it. I mean, how co-dependent can you get? I don't even BELIEVE in co-dependency, but listen to them, I'll paraphrase:
His ear problems started BEFORE he JUST HAPPENED to start a converstaion WITH HIS MAID about the possibility of her having some pain killers on hand. Therefore, he couldn't have possibly gone deaf because of his addiction.
Um, ok. Maybe I'm wrong, but Rush does not really seem like the type to TALK to his "hired help" - much less innocently hitting them up for illegal drugs. I love how there's not even a one of them that even CONSIDERED that Rush was addicted before the maid even came into the picture. Idiots.
Fucking idiots.
I'm not even going to approach the whole "He will get off easy because it's JUST painkillers and a first offense" thing. I was pleased that someone pointed out the racism in drug laws and whatnot.
GrrrRRRRrrr.
Hey I would start off this rant with "You People" but you can't say that any more because "you people" now only seems to mean you minorities instead of "you who think like so".
I find Mr. Aaron more than open minded but most of the commentators here are less inclined to be so open minded. So I say to all others who have stars on their bellies or not the following.
Do “YOU” just believe anything without question that fits your mind set? Do know what OxyContin is? Do you have any idea of what someone is like that is addicted to that drug? I don't think so. Put that drug in Google and check out what people typically act like when they are on that drug, much less addicted to it. If Rush were on that S#$% he couldn't make a Cheech and Chong movie much less a National show every day.
Please talk to you friends who are toxicologist or something if you don't care to look it up. I am sure some of you have even had experiences with that drug with someone close that had chronic pain of some type. When you finally build up a tolerance to it you are so far gone that you can not function in a position like Rush is in.
I find you all very entertaining and I know that you are all great human beings. That is why I wish you peace and knowledge.
Kevin,
If you want to figure out the difference between complimenting someone and 'finding them entertaining,' I suggest you go look up the old discussion regarding the J*e B*xer commercial.
As to Limbaugh and drugs: one is also 'so gone' as to be worthless, at leas intermittently, when using smack, on cocaine, on any number of drugs that various media figures have been hooked on in the past. Smack and Oxycontin actually ahve a lot in common, as narcotics go. And yet other addicts have, even in the midst of thier addiction, done good work -- in many cases bcause there were seventeen profesisonals who were paid to help them get their shit together for two hours at a time. I hve no idea whether Mr. Limabugh abused Oxycontin, and frankly I don't care. (In my opinion, it might almost excuse some of the bullshit he's said if he were so gone on drugs that he could not understand the meaning of his own rhetoric.) However, speculation along those lines, all things considered, does not make anyone ignorant.
I very kindly thank you for your wish that I should personally get some peace and knowledge. I try to spend every day struggling in that direction. I sincerely hope that you are doing the same.
SO DOES OXYCONTIN CAUSE HEARING LOSS OR NOT? DR. HAS ME ON THIS MED.