Monday, June 13, 2011
http://www.activistpost.com/2011/06/10-most-influential-people-in.html
Many readers will expect to see Matt Drudge or Arianna Huffington on this list. Although they both indeed have leading Internet news websites that cover some fringe stories and report on systematic injustices more so than the mainstream media, they primarily aggregate mainline news. Therefore, they are excluded from our "alternative media" label.
The criteria we've chosen to base these rankings of the most influential alternative media figures are the following;
people that have the courage to seek the truth no matter where the information leads them;
those with the courage to question 9/11;
those who don't buy into the false left-right political paradigm;
those who are grounded in peace and liberty;
those with the communication skills and platform to affect real change.
Significantly, each of the people who made our list is clearly driven by unyielding passion. Despite some natural disagreements, they each provide a unique bridge to forbidden knowledge and they all deserve high praise for their efforts and commitment to inform the public. Sincerely, it is very encouraging to have so many talented voices leading the stampede for truth, liberty, justice, and peace.
With so many people doing great work in the real alternative media, we are sure that some deserving reporters will be left off the list. Although Activist Post has forged relationships with some of the people on this list, we've tried to remain as non-biased as possible in our observations. At the end, we've also included a list of those who deserve honorable mention for their tireless work and talent providing the truth.
10. Dr. Paul Craig Roberts: Paul Craig Roberts is one of the most respected columnists in the alternative media. His syndicated articles can be seen on many leading alternative news websites including Lew Rockwell, Infowars, Counterpunch, InformationClearingHouse and countless others. Roberts scores huge points in the credibility department having been the former head of policy at the Department of Treasury under Reagan, and the editor of the Wall Street Journal -- among a long list of other accolades. His research is impeccable and his vision of how the world really operates is second to none. He knows why and when the global chess pieces are moving, and has the incredible talent to communicate difficult concepts to the general public. He has written several books including The Tyranny of Good Intentions, and How the Economy was Lost. His many interviews can be seen on Russia Today and Prison Planet TV. Roberts is also a recent contributor to Gerald Celente's esteemed Trends Journal. There is no one better at reporting the reality of geo-political events and the workings of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve.
9. Gary Franchi: Franchi is a longtime researcher and liberty activist. His essays and reports have been published all over the Internet and in the book Songs of Freedom: Tales From the Revolution. He also the producer of several documentaries like Camp FEMA and Don't Tread on Me. Because of his tenacious work, he now has one of the best alternative media platforms on the Internet. His liberty social network, RTR.org (Restore the Republic) has over 32,000 members and is growing quickly. The quality of his Reality Report newscasts rival the multi-million dollar productions at any cable news outfit -- except he reports TRUTH news. Franchi does an excellent job aggregating the most important stories in the alternative news and presenting them in a concise and visually appealing newscast. We've found each of Franchi's recent Reality Reports to be must-see TV, and only expect this up-and-comer's influence to continue to grow.
8. Adam Kokesh: Kokesh is a former Iraq war veteran turned peace activist, a former Libertarian congressional candidate, and the current host of Russia Today's Adam Vs. The Man nightly cable TV show. He recently gained recognition when he was brutality arrested for silently dancing at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial with other activists. The video of the alarming arrest went absolutely viral and surely brought many new viewers to his TV show and to the truth movement. Kokesh is well-informed, well-spoken, committed to individual liberty and peace, and has the legitimacy of having served his country in combat. Kokesh recently received high praise from a fellow journalist who details his appeal here. Watch for Kokesh's influence to grow as more people become aware that a genuine truther has an entertaining and informative TV show. The establishment is in big trouble with the likes of Kokesh on the airwaves.
7. Stefan Molyneux: Stefan Molyneux may be perhaps the most eloquent "red pill" in the alternative media. A self-described philosopher, Molyneux has a strong knowledge of history and a core compass reading of freedom and non-violence. He hosts a popular radio broadcast on his FreedomainRadio; his Youtube uploads have been viewed over 6 million times on his channel alone, and his site claims over 25 million downloads making his ideas the "largest and most popular philosophical conversation in the world." His articles can be seen on mega-sites like Lew Rockwell and others; he has published several books on the philosophy of liberty and non-violence (many of which are offered FREE from his site) and how they apply in today's world, and he is a frequent guest on RT's Adam Vs. The Man and the Keiser Report. Despite his overwhelming knowledge of the corrupt system, Molyneux always remains optimistic in his presentation, which is quite refreshing among all the doom-and-gloom. Molyneux remains authentic in that he survives solely from donations and book sales --so please support his efforts. We expect Molyneux to end up as one of the most important voices of our time.
6. Max Keiser: Max Keiser is perhaps the fastest rising star in the alternative media. He is a literal boy genius having invented the virtual specialist technology / prediction markets, Hollywood Stock Exchange, Karmabanque, and PirateMyFilm. His economic and geo-political analysis has appeared on the BBC, in documentary movies, and on sites like Huffington Post and Zero Hedge. Traffic on his personal website, MaxKeiser.com, has nearly doubled since April according to Alexa. He is currently the host of the must-see Keiser Report on Russia Today in addition to several other projects. He is arguably the most powerful anti-bankster voice in the world, openly and relentlessly referring to them appropriately as "terrorists and rapists" and having helped drive silver purchases to new heights with his viral "Crash the Bankers" campaign. He is also emerging as a leading anti-austerity voice for global citizens, having visited and spoken to growing protest groups in Ireland, Egypt, and soon Greece. He has an uncanny ability to boil down complicated economic "problems" for easy consumption by the general public. In short, Max Keiser has deservedly become the most influential voice of the "Resistance" to bankster tyranny.
5. David Icke: David Icke is most appropriately called a researcher and presenter of knowledge. In addition to his voluminous writing of in-depth books, his main platform is his all-day stage performance that still leave audiences wanting more. These performances are regularly sold out in large venues across the planet. Significantly, he is the only presenter in the alternative media arena to consistently draw crowds in the thousands to hear him speak. His research goes "beyond the cutting edge" of the alternative news and his popular website has become a valuable news aggregator. Besides brilliantly dissecting the "5 sense reality", as he calls it, Icke also dives head first down the rabbit hole and provides historical evidence of some very bizarre and thought-provoking phenomena. In turn, this makes him one of the most courageous and interesting figures of our time. David Icke may be one of the most dangerous people to the establishment, because he has the ability to convince regular people of their immense power to affect positive change.
4. Jeff Rense: Jeff Rense has built a massive audience of those seeking the truth inside and outside of the Matrix. His website, Rense.com, has been by far the best news aggregator covering the Gulf oil disaster and the current Fukushima nuclear meltdown. His website is the 2101st most-viewed in the United States on Alexa -- a powerful ranking indeed. Agree with him or not, Rense deserves credit for venturing down the rabbit hole of reality which brings a unique perspective to alternative news. He is one of the only sources attempting to responsibly cover the metaphysical and extra-planetary nature of the Matrix. He is quietly building a strong radio presence with talented voices like Mike Rivero and Charlie McGrath being added to his network. Look for Rense's influence to continue to escalate as we have not heard the end of the Fukushima nuclear holocaust of the Northern Hemisphere which he's so brilliantly covering.
3. Lew Rockwell: Lew Rockwell is a liberty icon. Rockwell has immense credibility having served as Ron Paul's chief of staff and his presidential campaign manager, as a scholar of Austrian School of economics, and as the chairman of the Ludwig von Mises Institute. It's telling how powerful Rockwell's platform is when others on this list include being published at LewRockwell.com as a benchmark of their success. His website is visited by millions each month, his radio show contains high-brow intellectual discussions with other great minds, and his books The Left, The Right and The State and Speaking of Liberty are worth their weight in gold. As the 2012 presidential race approaches, look for Rockwell's loud megaphone to propel Ron Paul's message of peace, liberty and economic sanity to the masses. Rockwell brings much-needed legitimacy to controversial issues like ending the Fed, ending the wars, and bringing about a system of non-coercive Anarchy. He has indeed paved the way for many others, while also remaining a growing influence.
2. Mike Adams: Mike Adams, known as the "Health Ranger", is a consumer health advocate and independent journalist. Mike Adams is young, authentic, well-spoken, and a savvy businessman. He is the founder and editor of the very popular website NaturalNews.com (ranked 1,184 overall in the U.S.) and NaturalNews.TV. His articles have been republished all over the Internet, and his radio show and short films are viewed by millions. Through his unyielding passion, he has built a team of respected contributors to his flagship news site which offer some of the best natural health and freedom news on the Web. He never ceases to improve his platform for his expanding audience and knows how to monetize his business with products he genuinely believes in. The sky is the limit for the Health Ranger's influence in the alternative media.
1. Alex Jones: Love or hate his style, Alex Jones is the King of alternative news. His radio show reaches millions per day; his movies like Fall of the Republic and The Obama Deception have been seen by tens of millions the world over on Youtube and elsewhere; his website rankings for Infowars and PrisonPlanet are off the charts with many investigative articles frequently supported by Drudge, and many on his staff are nearly deserving of being in the top-10 in their own right. The quality of his production has improved every year and is easily the best in the alternative media. Jones gets the most informative expert guests who expose a wide variety of inconvenient truths. He is a pioneer in encouraging fans to make copies of his material and give them away for free to help awaken more minds. Anyone who follows Alex Jones knows that he is driven by intense passion for humanity and never stops working. It's hard to believe that Jones is still only in his thirties, given his 15 years of dedicated reporting.
There is one person that is not on this list, but should be a major footnote on all of the above media figures, as his work has pioneered much of what is discussed in today's alternative media: G. Edward Griffin. Griffin is widely considered one of the most brilliant researchers and writers of actual history. He exemplifies the notion of following the evidence no matter where it leads him. But he is so much more than that to the group above in terms of his philosophy of individual liberty and non-aggression. His book, The Creature From Jekyll Island is one of the most powerful indictments of the Federal Reserve and is still a bestseller. His many other books, websites at RealityZone.com and his foundation Freedom-Force.org, with movies like his recent documentary What in the World Are They Spraying are all ground-breaking in their own right. This is not meant to be a runner-up award, but more of a lifetime influence shout out to a true pioneer. We're all indebted to Griffin's hard work.
Honorable Mention
Many in this group are deserving of far more praise than this format allows, but we'd be remiss not to mention the following names. Here are some of the rising stars and the unsung heroes of the alternative media in no particular order:
Shepard Ambellas, Alex Thomas: True investigative reporters who share their knowledge at TheIntelHub.com They are fearless journalists who utilize the full range of the Internet to release their intel.
Cassandra Anderson: Writer and editor for MorphCity.com, as well as G. Edward Griffin's news editor and research assistant. She is one of the leading experts on Agenda 21 and the globalist plan of collectivization.
James Corbett: Terrific analyst, researcher, writer, web TV presenter and founder of CorbettReport.com
Rady Ananda: Brilliant investigative journalist and editor for blogs Food Freedom and COTO Report whose work has been published across the Internet on all major alternative media news sites.
Doug Owen: Oracle Radio personality and producer and operator of BlacklistedNews.com
Global Research: Michel Chossudovsky, Andrew Gavin Marshall and staff brilliantly report on global events and have a fast-growing Internet presence.
Bob Tuskin: Terrific interviewer and fearless investigator who has worked extensively with The Intel Hub, and has his own radio show and website at BobTuskin.com
Bill Ryan: His website and forum at Project Avalon are terrific resources, as well as his interviews with alternative media personalities and government insiders.
George Noory: Huge Internet presence and the most-listened-to overnight radio show in America at Coast to Coast AM.
Alan Watt: Consummate researcher into the history of elite control, and frequent guest on the Alex Jones Show. His website and his own radio show can be found at Cutting Through The Matrix.
Jim Marrs: Author of many books on conspiracy truth, and one of the foremost experts on the JFK assassination. His work can be found at JimMarrs.com and has influenced many of the above.
Showing posts with label Matt Drudge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matt Drudge. Show all posts
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Drudge: 'I Do Not Love Sex With Men'
http://gawker.com/5200009/drudge-i-do-not-love-sex-with-men
Drudge: 'I Do Not Love Sex With Men'
By Ryan Tate
Mon Apr 6 2009
For years, internet publisher Matt Drudge has responded to questions about his reported homosexuality by obfuscating and dodging. It would appear he's still at it.
Witness his email interview with Chris Rovzar of New York, who elicited (GASP!) a reaction from the tight-lipped protoblogger to an item in Out that said the Drudge Report proprietor "happens to love Chaka Khan, The Young and the Restless, and sex with men" but is homophobic and anti-abortion-rights. Drudge:
"False. False. False. I do not love sex with men. My site is not anti-gay. I present both sides of the anti-choice-life issue... I liked Chaka in the eighties, and have not watched Young and the Restless in twenty years! But I do watch Judge Judy!"
The bit about not loving gay sex is a red herring: Drudge has never been said to particularly relish his homosexuality or embrace it; in fact his gay romantic/sexual side has been described (when alleged) as conflicted and awkward.
David Brock, the former right-wing writer, wrote in his memoir Blinded by the Right about a "scary" date in which Drudge, after bringing Brock flowers and navigating the Santa Monica gay strip "like a pro," stepped on a competing suitor's foot "really hard" (in Drudge's purported words) in a nightclub to scare him away from Brock. He also reproduced an overly blunt email in which Drudge wrote, "Laura [Ingraham] spreading stuff about you and me being fuck buddies. I should be so lucky."
Alec Baldwin stated that Drudge made an advance on him in an ABC Studios hallway, a proposition that had "kind of a creepy quality to it."
Given his purported bumbling of the matter, it's entirely conceivable that Matt Drudge has gay sex without "loving" it, at least on a level he can admit to himself, or furtive gay relationships that stop well short of that sort of intimacy.
For his part, Drudge has historically sought to blur the issue of his sexuality, tending to portray himself in ambiguous or asexual terms. He once said on his radio show, "There is no secret life here. It is found literally on the website, because this is all I've been doing." Drudge denied he was gay to the Miami New Times in 2001, even as he launched into a disquisition on (as the New Times put it) "the reigning DJ king of gay circuit parties" and summarized his nightlife thusly: "I go to straight bars, I go to gay bars." That clears that right up.
Drudge has offered more straightforward denials. He once told the Times of London "I'm not gay — I was nearly married a few years ago." But he refused to discuss his personal life further, leaving people looking for details to find stories dished out by the likes of Brock and Baldwin.
None of which is to say Drudge's statement to Rovzar isn't useful: At the very least it shows that the troubled kid treated "like shit" in high school is decidedly unhappy and uncomfortable being placed on a list of gay people, powerful though they may be. Drudge may traffic (quite well) in labels, but "gay" is one he just can't stand. At least not for himself.
Drudge: 'I Do Not Love Sex With Men'
By Ryan Tate
Mon Apr 6 2009
For years, internet publisher Matt Drudge has responded to questions about his reported homosexuality by obfuscating and dodging. It would appear he's still at it.
Witness his email interview with Chris Rovzar of New York, who elicited (GASP!) a reaction from the tight-lipped protoblogger to an item in Out that said the Drudge Report proprietor "happens to love Chaka Khan, The Young and the Restless, and sex with men" but is homophobic and anti-abortion-rights. Drudge:
"False. False. False. I do not love sex with men. My site is not anti-gay. I present both sides of the anti-choice-life issue... I liked Chaka in the eighties, and have not watched Young and the Restless in twenty years! But I do watch Judge Judy!"
The bit about not loving gay sex is a red herring: Drudge has never been said to particularly relish his homosexuality or embrace it; in fact his gay romantic/sexual side has been described (when alleged) as conflicted and awkward.
David Brock, the former right-wing writer, wrote in his memoir Blinded by the Right about a "scary" date in which Drudge, after bringing Brock flowers and navigating the Santa Monica gay strip "like a pro," stepped on a competing suitor's foot "really hard" (in Drudge's purported words) in a nightclub to scare him away from Brock. He also reproduced an overly blunt email in which Drudge wrote, "Laura [Ingraham] spreading stuff about you and me being fuck buddies. I should be so lucky."
Alec Baldwin stated that Drudge made an advance on him in an ABC Studios hallway, a proposition that had "kind of a creepy quality to it."
Given his purported bumbling of the matter, it's entirely conceivable that Matt Drudge has gay sex without "loving" it, at least on a level he can admit to himself, or furtive gay relationships that stop well short of that sort of intimacy.
For his part, Drudge has historically sought to blur the issue of his sexuality, tending to portray himself in ambiguous or asexual terms. He once said on his radio show, "There is no secret life here. It is found literally on the website, because this is all I've been doing." Drudge denied he was gay to the Miami New Times in 2001, even as he launched into a disquisition on (as the New Times put it) "the reigning DJ king of gay circuit parties" and summarized his nightlife thusly: "I go to straight bars, I go to gay bars." That clears that right up.
Drudge has offered more straightforward denials. He once told the Times of London "I'm not gay — I was nearly married a few years ago." But he refused to discuss his personal life further, leaving people looking for details to find stories dished out by the likes of Brock and Baldwin.
None of which is to say Drudge's statement to Rovzar isn't useful: At the very least it shows that the troubled kid treated "like shit" in high school is decidedly unhappy and uncomfortable being placed on a list of gay people, powerful though they may be. Drudge may traffic (quite well) in labels, but "gay" is one he just can't stand. At least not for himself.
Monday, September 15, 2008
And so is Matt Drudge...
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/female_fans_out_for_season_withFemale Fans Out For Season With Tom Brady's Knee Injury
September 11, 2008 Onion Sports
FOXBOROUGH, MA — More than 90 percent of female football fans were lost for the season on Sunday when New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady suffered a left knee injury that will require extensive treatment. The Patriots announced Monday that Brady, the 2007 NFL Most Valuable Player and arguably the NFL's most handsome man, will be placed on injured reserve, where despite being no less attractive than before his injury, he will only be partially visible for the rest of the 2008-2009 season.
Bill Belichick held a press conference Tuesday confirming that Brady will have surgery, ending his 128-game combined starting-and-high-visibility streak, the third longest for a quarterback and the longest ever for a quarterback heartthrob.
Brady left Sunday's game against Kansas City after suffering an ugly anterior cruciate ligament tear in his incredibly handsome left knee after being hit by merely average-looking Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard.
"We feel badly for the nation's women about the injury," Belichick said. "And for Tom, of course. You hate to see anyone with that kind of masculine yet boyish appeal go down. No one has worked harder or done more for this team's female fan base than Tom has, and we expect him to set his rugged, chiseled jaw, keep his twinkling blue eyes on the prize, and be ready to get back on the field and in front of the cameras by next year."
Matt Cassel, who analysts say looked "consistent and confident" while guiding New England to its 20th straight regular-season win after Brady was hurt and "okay but not remarkable" in jeans and a polo shirt after the game, will start Sunday at the New York Jets, although there are doubts Cassel can win as many games and women as Brady.
"Well, as far as my role on this team goes, I'm not trying to be Tom Brady. I'm just trying to be Matt," Cassel said when subbing for Brady on his regular weekly radio show. "I mean, I have to just be myself, or else the ladies will sense I'm faking it, and in the end, that'll make it worse. I just hope there's one special fan group out there for me."
Cassel has been a second fiddle his entire football career, even in college at Southern California, where he was backup and wingman to lovable tousle-headed manchild Matt Leinart.
But football and demographics analysts agree that Brady's injury surely changes the rugged, weatherbeaten complexion of the entire NFL, where the Patriots, winners of three Super Bowls since 2001 with Brady as their quarterback and spokesmodel, were the strong female-fan favorite. However, Belichick denied the team reached out to any other more experienced or handsome quarterbacks.
Although losing Brady's strong arm and sculpted face will not be easy for the Patriots, the impact of his loss is expected to be felt around the NFL, where Brady has been the leading performer both on and off the field for the last several seasons. League commissioner Roger Goodell called an emergency owner's meeting Monday in which attendees discussed measures designed to compensate for Brady's loss, such as giving poise and diction lessons to Peyton or Eli Manning, getting Brett Favre a new wardrobe and a decent haircut, or teaching Ben Affleck how to play football.
Unfortunately for the NFL, Brady's loss seems to have affected more than just the Patriots and women. Many Boston-area fans of both genders, claiming that the team isn't worth watching without Brady, have concentrated their attention on the waning and somewhat disheveled Red Sox season or the attractive upcoming Celtics' NBA title defense. The sports media has likewise gone into shock, with columnist Bill Simmons saying he will no longer watch football this season, Sports Illustrated canceling large Brady-themed sections of this years' upcoming swimsuit issue, and NBC Football Night In America analyst Cris Collinsworth bursting into tears and collapsing into Peter King's arms upon receiving the news.
"No one else in football has Brady's unique talents—the physical gifts of build, height, arms, cheekbones, piercingly sultry field vision, the combination of arm strength and accuracy with a sense of tenderness, the combination of smirk and pout—along with the intangibles and the ability to look good in everything," said Tom Chiarella, who scouted and evaluated Brady for the September issue of Esquire. "It's impossible to estimate the impact of his loss, but it will almost certainly mean the loss of most female fans, many Boston-area fans, fair-weather fans, and the majority of mainstream media fans. The NFL is really looking at a worst-case scenario here, one that it never wanted to happen: A football season that's only watched by actual football fans."
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
What Howard Kurtz means by "media scrutiny"
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/03/03/kurtz/index.html
What Howard Kurtz means by "media scrutiny"
The media critic for CNN and the Washington Post demands more scrutiny of Obama and then lists the most scurrilous right-wing attacks as "issues" needing more attention.
Glenn Greenwald
Mar. 03, 2008
CNN and Washington Post "media critic" Howard Kurtz -- who is a right-wing blogger disguised as a journalist -- has been beating the same drum for weeks and weeks now: the press hasn't been passing along right-wing attacks on Barack Obama with the viciousness and zeal that generally typifies press behavior. Kurtz devotes yet another column today to this theme, and here are some of the examples of anti-Obama "criticism" which Kurtz cites as ones that that the press has unfairly downplayed:
In his Times column, Bill Kristol picked up on Obama's comment in October that he views wearing a flag pin as a substitute for true patriotism. "Obama's unnecessary and imprudent statement impugns the sincerity or intelligence of those vulgar sorts who still choose to wear a flag pin," Kristol declared.
Erick Erickson, editor of the blog RedState, wrote that voters should be wary of "the liberal anti-gun former cokehead whose feminist wife hates America" . . . .
There was also little pickup when the Politico reported that a decade ago Obama visited Bernardine Dohrn and William Ayers, the 1960s radicals whose Weather Underground group was involved in two dozen bombings. . . . Similarly, there was scant media mention of Louis Farrakhan's support for Obama until Tim Russert challenged the senator to repudiate that support at last week's MSNBC debate.
So according to Kurtz, the media has given "scant attention" to the Obama/Farrakhan matter even though Obama has never had anything to do with Farrakhan, and "little pickup" to the fact that Obama met once (ten years ago) with two Chicago law professors who were Weather Underground members 40 years ago. But the most beloved media figure in decades, John McCain, this week openly embraces one of the most extreme haters in the country, says how "honored" and "proud" he is to have his endorsement, and that still hasn't made Howie Kurtz's column.
It's absolutely true that Barack Obama, like any presidential candidate, ought to be subjected to rigorous media scrutiny. And it's not unreasonable to suggest that because Obama has thus far been the opponent of the media's most despised figure -- Hillary Clinton -- his policies, positions and legislative record have received less scrutiny than they ought to.
But as he made abundantly clear, scrutiny over substantive issues is not what Howard Kurtz is talking about. Those are the last things he's interested in. When vapid media figures like Kurtz complain that Barack Obama hasn't received the necessary "scrutiny," what they mean is that the real fun hasn't started yet -- they haven't been spewing all of the standard, entertaining, petty, personality-based smears from the right-wing sewers.
Mike Dukakis is an effete loser; Al Gore is a pompous, lying bore; John Kerry is an awkward, flip-flopping weakling; and Barack Obama is an America-hating, Terrorist-loving, angry radical racist coke-head. When Kurtz says he wants more "media scrutiny" of Obama, what he's really saying -- as today's column proves conclusively -- is: when are we going to start propagating the right-wing personality smears in earnest? What are we waiting for?
As Paul Krugman said today, quoting Bob Somerby: "Mr. Obama will be 'Dukakised': 'treated as an alien, unsettling presence." The same thing would happen to Hillary or any other Democratic candidate. It does in every national election. Kurtz and his colleagues are deeply impatient for this to begin. That's what they do best, what they love most.
On a weekly basis, Kurtz -- who, due to his deeply conflicted joint positions at both CNN and the Post, has significant influence on how political journalists behave -- makes his method for "media criticisms" clear. He scours the right-wing blogs, religiously consults Drudge, and listens to right-wing talk radio. He writes down all of the scurrilous filth he picks up there and copies it into his column (hence, his prominent, respectful featuring of Red State Erickson's "cokehead" commentary today). His most frequently cited sources are Bill Kristol, Michelle Malkin, and various far-right bloggers. And then he angrily demands to know why the media isn't passing along all the attacks and manufactured scandals he heard from Rush Limbaugh and Michelle Malkin. That's Kurtz's formula for "media criticism."
And that's exactly what makes Kurtz such a representative figure for the industry he "criticizes." That, more than anything else, is the formula for how the political press functions. The right-wing noise machine churns out petty, vindictive, substance-free personality-attacks and the media feeds off of it, uncritically passes it along. Kurtz is confused, upset, and angry because he feels that his colleagues have been a little slow to do that with Obama, but now, he hopes, it's all starting. Here's the evidence he hopefully touts:
During a campaign stop in Ohio last week, ABC's Jake Tapper asked Barack Obama about what he called "an attempt by conservatives and Republicans to paint you as unpatriotic."
Tapper's litany: "That you didn't put your hand over your heart during the national anthem, that you no longer wear an American flag on your lapel pin, that you met with some former members of the Weather Underground, and now they are questioning your wife's comments when she said she hasn't been proud of the U.S. until just recently."
Obama dismissed the criticism as "nonsense." But did the exchange mark the end of a long period in which the media have gone easy on the man who could all but clinch the Democratic nomination in tomorrow's primaries? Are the media going to change the environment that prompted Kristen Wiig, playing a CNN anchor on "Saturday Night Live," to declare that she and her colleagues "are in the tank for Obama"?
That is what Kurtz is holding up as an example of what we need more of. The only type of "media scrutiny" our establishment press is capable of and interested in when it comes to Democratic candidates is: "Hey Barack, Rush Limbaugh says you hate America and Matt Drudge showed that you hate the flag and The Politico says you love Terrorists. Do you?" Howard Kurtz has spent weeks stomping his feet, demanding to know why there isn't more of this. Today, he optimistically suggests that these increasingly coordinated media/right-wing attacks mean -- finally -- that the media is doing its job when it comes to Obama.
What Howard Kurtz means by "media scrutiny"
The media critic for CNN and the Washington Post demands more scrutiny of Obama and then lists the most scurrilous right-wing attacks as "issues" needing more attention.
Glenn Greenwald
Mar. 03, 2008
CNN and Washington Post "media critic" Howard Kurtz -- who is a right-wing blogger disguised as a journalist -- has been beating the same drum for weeks and weeks now: the press hasn't been passing along right-wing attacks on Barack Obama with the viciousness and zeal that generally typifies press behavior. Kurtz devotes yet another column today to this theme, and here are some of the examples of anti-Obama "criticism" which Kurtz cites as ones that that the press has unfairly downplayed:
In his Times column, Bill Kristol picked up on Obama's comment in October that he views wearing a flag pin as a substitute for true patriotism. "Obama's unnecessary and imprudent statement impugns the sincerity or intelligence of those vulgar sorts who still choose to wear a flag pin," Kristol declared.
Erick Erickson, editor of the blog RedState, wrote that voters should be wary of "the liberal anti-gun former cokehead whose feminist wife hates America" . . . .
There was also little pickup when the Politico reported that a decade ago Obama visited Bernardine Dohrn and William Ayers, the 1960s radicals whose Weather Underground group was involved in two dozen bombings. . . . Similarly, there was scant media mention of Louis Farrakhan's support for Obama until Tim Russert challenged the senator to repudiate that support at last week's MSNBC debate.
So according to Kurtz, the media has given "scant attention" to the Obama/Farrakhan matter even though Obama has never had anything to do with Farrakhan, and "little pickup" to the fact that Obama met once (ten years ago) with two Chicago law professors who were Weather Underground members 40 years ago. But the most beloved media figure in decades, John McCain, this week openly embraces one of the most extreme haters in the country, says how "honored" and "proud" he is to have his endorsement, and that still hasn't made Howie Kurtz's column.
It's absolutely true that Barack Obama, like any presidential candidate, ought to be subjected to rigorous media scrutiny. And it's not unreasonable to suggest that because Obama has thus far been the opponent of the media's most despised figure -- Hillary Clinton -- his policies, positions and legislative record have received less scrutiny than they ought to.
But as he made abundantly clear, scrutiny over substantive issues is not what Howard Kurtz is talking about. Those are the last things he's interested in. When vapid media figures like Kurtz complain that Barack Obama hasn't received the necessary "scrutiny," what they mean is that the real fun hasn't started yet -- they haven't been spewing all of the standard, entertaining, petty, personality-based smears from the right-wing sewers.
Mike Dukakis is an effete loser; Al Gore is a pompous, lying bore; John Kerry is an awkward, flip-flopping weakling; and Barack Obama is an America-hating, Terrorist-loving, angry radical racist coke-head. When Kurtz says he wants more "media scrutiny" of Obama, what he's really saying -- as today's column proves conclusively -- is: when are we going to start propagating the right-wing personality smears in earnest? What are we waiting for?
As Paul Krugman said today, quoting Bob Somerby: "Mr. Obama will be 'Dukakised': 'treated as an alien, unsettling presence." The same thing would happen to Hillary or any other Democratic candidate. It does in every national election. Kurtz and his colleagues are deeply impatient for this to begin. That's what they do best, what they love most.
On a weekly basis, Kurtz -- who, due to his deeply conflicted joint positions at both CNN and the Post, has significant influence on how political journalists behave -- makes his method for "media criticisms" clear. He scours the right-wing blogs, religiously consults Drudge, and listens to right-wing talk radio. He writes down all of the scurrilous filth he picks up there and copies it into his column (hence, his prominent, respectful featuring of Red State Erickson's "cokehead" commentary today). His most frequently cited sources are Bill Kristol, Michelle Malkin, and various far-right bloggers. And then he angrily demands to know why the media isn't passing along all the attacks and manufactured scandals he heard from Rush Limbaugh and Michelle Malkin. That's Kurtz's formula for "media criticism."
And that's exactly what makes Kurtz such a representative figure for the industry he "criticizes." That, more than anything else, is the formula for how the political press functions. The right-wing noise machine churns out petty, vindictive, substance-free personality-attacks and the media feeds off of it, uncritically passes it along. Kurtz is confused, upset, and angry because he feels that his colleagues have been a little slow to do that with Obama, but now, he hopes, it's all starting. Here's the evidence he hopefully touts:
During a campaign stop in Ohio last week, ABC's Jake Tapper asked Barack Obama about what he called "an attempt by conservatives and Republicans to paint you as unpatriotic."
Tapper's litany: "That you didn't put your hand over your heart during the national anthem, that you no longer wear an American flag on your lapel pin, that you met with some former members of the Weather Underground, and now they are questioning your wife's comments when she said she hasn't been proud of the U.S. until just recently."
Obama dismissed the criticism as "nonsense." But did the exchange mark the end of a long period in which the media have gone easy on the man who could all but clinch the Democratic nomination in tomorrow's primaries? Are the media going to change the environment that prompted Kristen Wiig, playing a CNN anchor on "Saturday Night Live," to declare that she and her colleagues "are in the tank for Obama"?
That is what Kurtz is holding up as an example of what we need more of. The only type of "media scrutiny" our establishment press is capable of and interested in when it comes to Democratic candidates is: "Hey Barack, Rush Limbaugh says you hate America and Matt Drudge showed that you hate the flag and The Politico says you love Terrorists. Do you?" Howard Kurtz has spent weeks stomping his feet, demanding to know why there isn't more of this. Today, he optimistically suggests that these increasingly coordinated media/right-wing attacks mean -- finally -- that the media is doing its job when it comes to Obama.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
MATT DRUDGE IS GAY FOR TOM BRADY!!!
XXXXX KONFORMIST REPORT XXXXX SUN FEB 03 20088 XXXXX
EXCLUSIVE FROM THE KONFORMIST!!!
MUST CREDIT ROBERT STERLING & THE KONFORMIST!!!
MATT DRUDGE IS GAY FOR TOM BRADY!!!
If there were any questions before this season started if Tom Brady was truly a great quarterback or merely a good one on a great team, he pretty much silenced them. Finally given weapons at receiver (most notably Randy Moss, the best receiver in football over the past decade) that Peyton Manning long has had as his personal luxury, he had what would have to be the best season in NFL history by any quarterback, throwing for a record 50 touchdowns vs. only eight interceptions, leading the Patriots to an unprecedented 16-0 regular season. (The undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins only played a 14-game regular season.) He followed that up by completing 26 of 28 passes (a NFL record 92.9% completion percentage for a game) with 3 TDs in the AFC semifinals. And though he threw 3 interceptions in the AFC Championship game, he is the heavy favorite to win his 4th Super Bowl today against the New York Giants, which would tie him with Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana (AKA "The Greatest Quarterback of All-Time") for most Super Bowl wins ever by a QB. And its only his eighth season.
Okay, so I give Mr. Brady the deserved respect he's earned this season and his career, whether he wins today or not. One thing that has long puzzled me, though, is why Terrific Tom has long been so heavily featured on The Drudge Report. Granted, Brady is an incredible QB, and this has been an amazing season for both him and the Patriots. Still, even before this year, Brady has been heavily featured on the Drudge Report. This is odd because, well, Mr. Drudge has never seemed to be a sports-loving kind of guy. Indeed, aside from right-wing politics and White House blowjobs, the subjects that Drudge long has fixated on are Barbara Streisand, Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell, not to mention dishing out other Hollywood celebrity gossip.
Some would argue its politics: many of Drudge breathless posts about Brady have mentioned the possibility that he is privately a Republican. The problem with this explanation is, even if it is true, that would hardly make him unique. NFL quarterbacks are, for the most part, rich white jocks, a group of people that certainly lean to the right. Meanwhile, look at some of the names of great quarterbacks over the Drudge era: John Elway, Brett Favre, Kurt Warner (who certainly is an open right-wing poster boy) and Peyton Manning. None have received anywhere the amount of coverage on Drudge that Brady has, even before this season.
On closer examination, the Drudge posts on Brady being a closet Republican seem to be some sort of wish fulfillment. They resemble in style what a post by me would look like if I reported rumors that Jessica Alba has a weakness for underpaid conspiracy theorists in their late thirties. (Though Cash "The Luckiest Man on the Planet" Warren doesn't quite fit the bill.)
Which leads to another explanation: a decade ago, The Konformist became the first place to report the rampant West Hollywood rumors that Matt Drudge was gay. (The article was cleverly titled "Matt Drudge Is a Homo!!!" Boy, am I clever or what?) The rumors, though still not admitted as true by Drudge to pacify his reactionary audience, have since been confirmed by multiple sources, most notably David Brock in his book Blinded by the Right. That said, isn't the best explanation for the Drudge obsession with Brady nothing more than a homosexual celebrity crush?
Can Matt Drudge be blamed for being unable to resist the charms that have swept Gisele Bundchen off her feet? No, of course not. So our advice to Drudge: come out of the closet and interview Tommy in a wedding gown. After all, he's still looking for a permanent Mrs. Brady...
EXCLUSIVE FROM THE KONFORMIST!!!
MUST CREDIT ROBERT STERLING & THE KONFORMIST!!!
MATT DRUDGE IS GAY FOR TOM BRADY!!!
If there were any questions before this season started if Tom Brady was truly a great quarterback or merely a good one on a great team, he pretty much silenced them. Finally given weapons at receiver (most notably Randy Moss, the best receiver in football over the past decade) that Peyton Manning long has had as his personal luxury, he had what would have to be the best season in NFL history by any quarterback, throwing for a record 50 touchdowns vs. only eight interceptions, leading the Patriots to an unprecedented 16-0 regular season. (The undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins only played a 14-game regular season.) He followed that up by completing 26 of 28 passes (a NFL record 92.9% completion percentage for a game) with 3 TDs in the AFC semifinals. And though he threw 3 interceptions in the AFC Championship game, he is the heavy favorite to win his 4th Super Bowl today against the New York Giants, which would tie him with Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana (AKA "The Greatest Quarterback of All-Time") for most Super Bowl wins ever by a QB. And its only his eighth season.
Okay, so I give Mr. Brady the deserved respect he's earned this season and his career, whether he wins today or not. One thing that has long puzzled me, though, is why Terrific Tom has long been so heavily featured on The Drudge Report. Granted, Brady is an incredible QB, and this has been an amazing season for both him and the Patriots. Still, even before this year, Brady has been heavily featured on the Drudge Report. This is odd because, well, Mr. Drudge has never seemed to be a sports-loving kind of guy. Indeed, aside from right-wing politics and White House blowjobs, the subjects that Drudge long has fixated on are Barbara Streisand, Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell, not to mention dishing out other Hollywood celebrity gossip.
Some would argue its politics: many of Drudge breathless posts about Brady have mentioned the possibility that he is privately a Republican. The problem with this explanation is, even if it is true, that would hardly make him unique. NFL quarterbacks are, for the most part, rich white jocks, a group of people that certainly lean to the right. Meanwhile, look at some of the names of great quarterbacks over the Drudge era: John Elway, Brett Favre, Kurt Warner (who certainly is an open right-wing poster boy) and Peyton Manning. None have received anywhere the amount of coverage on Drudge that Brady has, even before this season.
On closer examination, the Drudge posts on Brady being a closet Republican seem to be some sort of wish fulfillment. They resemble in style what a post by me would look like if I reported rumors that Jessica Alba has a weakness for underpaid conspiracy theorists in their late thirties. (Though Cash "The Luckiest Man on the Planet" Warren doesn't quite fit the bill.)
Which leads to another explanation: a decade ago, The Konformist became the first place to report the rampant West Hollywood rumors that Matt Drudge was gay. (The article was cleverly titled "Matt Drudge Is a Homo!!!" Boy, am I clever or what?) The rumors, though still not admitted as true by Drudge to pacify his reactionary audience, have since been confirmed by multiple sources, most notably David Brock in his book Blinded by the Right. That said, isn't the best explanation for the Drudge obsession with Brady nothing more than a homosexual celebrity crush?
Can Matt Drudge be blamed for being unable to resist the charms that have swept Gisele Bundchen off her feet? No, of course not. So our advice to Drudge: come out of the closet and interview Tommy in a wedding gown. After all, he's still looking for a permanent Mrs. Brady...
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