The World According To ChrisGraham.com: The TV character Glenn Beck
I’ve made it a personal point not to let Glenn Beck get me too far off target on any particular day, my thinking being that the guy is neither a danger, nor does he have the screw loose that many outside the hardcore Tea Party set assume is the case with him.
No, Glenn Beck is, to me, a TV character, played by a comedy writer who happens to also be named Glenn Beck, but getting mad at the TV character Glenn Beck makes about as much sense as getting mad at, say, the TV character Al Bundy.
I bring up Al Bundy, from the ’80s and ’90s off-color classic “Married With Children,” because, well, for starters, there’s the obvious Fox connection, but more to the point, because like Al Bundy, Glenn Beck doesn’t need to worry about little things like being consistent or even making basic sense.
Link to column on TheWorldAccordingToChrisGraham.com.
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The obvious difference is that Al Bundy was recognized by most people for what he was – a character in a comedy series. Beck, although almost as laughable as Bundy, is viewed by at least a considerable portion of the Fox “News” viewing public as an authoritative figure, and is actively involved in attempting to influence the politics of this country. His lies and distortions play to the sentiments of right-wing leaning individuals, and help to inflame political emotions. His presence at events such as Liberty University’s 2010 graduation ceremonies and this past weekend’s event in Washington D.C. unfortunately lend credibility to his “comedic act.”
My attempt here is to make people recognize Glenn Beck for what he is – a character in a comedy series.
His reach is actually less than that of “Married With Children,” even 20 years after that show’s heyday.
Those who argue with him miss that point. The guy needs to constantly draw attention to himself, and he does so by asserting ridiculous things that no sane person could ever believe to be true and in the process igniting contrived controversies that he hopes will add to his bottom line.
And don’t sleep on that one, either. None of what the guy does is about trying to change the direction of this country or have impact on any single policy issue. It’s about selling stuff with his name on it.
Keep feeding the beast, and it will only get more bloated.