KP Media Watch (8/15/2010): The Fascination w/Glenn Beck
Let me begin by noting how I'm fascinated with Glenn Beck. He is smart, innovative, telegenic and charismatic. He has also tapped into a sense of despair and anxiety that is prevalent in America today. His good sense of timing has yielded him a financial windfall to the tune of $ 32 Million a Year.
The "Beck" brand is becoming quite forceful. Just his online presence is estimated to be yielding $ 4 Million a year. He seems to truly believe that he is now on the path to "save America" . For instance, he is using his bully pulpit at Fox News to have a campaign to rewrite history. I nearly fell off my chair when he lambasted FDR and Woodrow Wilson as one of the worst Presidents ever. He absolutely hates the word "Progressive". His ideas about going back to the roots of the country are quite startling to say the least. Yet, he is allowed to get away with it because he fashions himself to be an Entertainer.
During his latest tirade, he talked about how great Calvin Coolidge was. The history I have read notes how it was "Silent Cal" and his laissez Faire view of Governing basically began the seed of the Great Depression. I would suggest that Silent Cal's reign and George W. Bush's reign had the same characteristics because the very same hands-off approach led to the many disasters we face today.
What I found especially comical was how objected to the word of the Great Depression. He pushed the fiction of calling it the Depression. Mr. Beck needs to be reminded and should talk to those who lived through that era. People did not have much and FDR brought them hope. He also needs to be reminded that people on main street are truly suffering and have little hope.
As he continues his "show", he will continue to rack in the millions. It is a classic business school case study which I hope someone will pursue. I plan to throughout the ensuing days and weeks.
Mike Pouraryan
