Klik på en miniature for at gå til Google Books
Indlæser... Tears of a Clown: Glenn Beck and the Tea Bagging of America (2010)af Dana Milbank
Ingen Indlæser...
Bliv medlem af LibraryThing for at finde ud af, om du vil kunne lide denne bog. Der er ingen diskussionstråde på Snak om denne bog. ingen anmeldelser | tilføj en anmeldelse
Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank takes a look at the unsettling rise of silly Fox News host Glenn Beck. The wildly popular broadcaster, with three million daily viewers, perfectly captures the vitriol of our time and the fact-free state of our political culture. The secret to his success is his willingness to traffic in the fringe conspiracies and Internet hearsay that others wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole: death panels, government health insurance for dogs, FEMA concentration camps, an Obama security force like Hitler's SS. But Beck, who is, according to a recent Gallup poll, admired by more Americans than the Pope, has nothing in his background that identifies him as an ideologue, giving rise to the speculation that his right-wing shtick is just that--the act of a brilliant showman, known for both his over-the-top daily outrages and for weeping on the air.--From publisher description. No library descriptions found. |
Current DiscussionsIngenPopulære omslag
Google Books — Indlæser... GenrerMelvil Decimal System (DDC)320.52092Social sciences Political Science Political Science Political ideologies Conservatism Biography And History BiographyLC-klassificeringVurderingGennemsnit:
Er det dig?Bliv LibraryThing-forfatter. |
Author Dana Milbank is a syndicated columnist with the Washington Post who has written three other books on US politics. His book on Beck shows us the man behind the façade – the self-professed “rodeo clown” who has found a way to enrich himself with hypocritical demagoguery. As it turns out, Beck smears menthol ointment under his eyes so that he can weep fake tears on camera. Through Milbank’s account, we see that the violent talk, the hysterical rants are all for show, for once the camera is off, Beck is back to his collected, smirking self. On camera, Beck presents himself as a regular “schmo”, a “serf” (not a landowner) who “lives in a subdivision,” a regular guy just like his viewers. But Beck has an annual income of 32 million and each night, is driven in his chauffeured limousine to his 5 million dollar mansion located in the wealthiest community in the nation. What's more, he profits directly by urging his followers to prepare for economic collapse by investing in the gold company that pays part of his salary and that sponsors his show. Beck even lies about his own mother for political gain (he sobs on camera that she committed suicide when he was only 13, whereas public records show she died in a boating accident when he was 15).
Milbank’s book is entertaining and lighthearted. He largely lets Beck speak for himself, and shows glimpses behind the scenes of this strange character. As for reasons for Beck's success, Milbank notes that Beck caters to an older, white audience, and they find in Beck someone who gives voice to their fears about the future. Milbank’s book offers as complete an account as his subject deserves. Since its publication, Beck has been dropped from the Fox News network as too extreme even for them. However, short of a final self- destruction, he seems unlikely to disappear from the scene anytime soon. Now that's something to cry about. :-) ( )