This NYT Article on Air America Is Brilliant

[Guest thebigjig]

Yes, because his humor is aiming at conservatives and bashing Bush... therefor, you would not find it funny

 

Oh, but that Dubyah and his weapons of mass destruction jokes! HI-LARIOUS!! *slaps knee*

It's sad when Franken's jokes have to be compared to Bush's bad jokes to make them look less bad.

 

Al's show is not funny or original. Heck, Jonah Goldberg's comment on the pleasure he feels at Franken's failures ("Frankenfreude") is funnier and more original than anything Al has done on his show.

 

Heck, he can't even mock Bill O'Reilly all that well --- and he's EASY to mock.

-=Mike

No, I was merely pointing out the fact that you stated that Bush's WMD "jokes" were indeed very funny, and that liberals who found them unfunny, proved that liberals had no sense of humor (although lets take into account that most of the funniest comedians today and in the past have been liberal)

 

The whole idea of liberals not being funny is funny in itself. I'm sorry, but when I see Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsefeld, just to name a few... they dont all strike me as men that would have a great sense of humor outside of vaudville jokes, and maybe dick and fart jokes, although they wouldn't admit it publicly

 

Face it... the conservative base appeals to fans of jeff foxworthy and bad action movies

[Guest MikeSC]

No, I was merely pointing out the fact that you stated that Bush's WMD "jokes" were indeed very funny

Care to post the quote of me saying they were "Very funny"?

and that liberals who found them unfunny, proved that liberals had no sense of humor (although lets take into account that most of the funniest comedians today and in the past have been liberal)

I do believe the libs were looking for a reason to be upset. I didn't call the jokes hilarious or very funny.

 

Presidents don't DO funny jokes.

The whole idea of liberals not being funny is funny in itself. I'm sorry, but when I see Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsefeld, just to name a few... they dont all strike me as men that would have a great sense of humor outside of vaudville jokes, and maybe dick and fart jokes, although they wouldn't admit it publicly

Glenn Beck OWNS all of Air America. Easily.

 

And those conservatives are funnier than John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Richard Ben-Veniste, etc.

Face it... the conservative base appeals to fans of jeff foxworthy and bad action movies

And the liberal base appeals to people who blew loads in their pants over "The English Patient".

-=Mike

[Guest thebigjig]

English Patient? No

 

Lost in Translation? Hell Yes

 

And okay okay, you didnt say "very" funny... pardon me for taking one word out of context. Perhaps you said it was amusing? Entertaining?

 

And Hillary Clinton is funny... unintentionally

 

Kerry definitely isn't... but while you didnt mention it, it must be mentioned that Al Gore on SNL was really funny stuff, surprising the hell out of practically everyone

[Guest MikeSC]

English Patient? No

 

Lost in Translation? Hell Yes

 

And okay okay, you didnt say "very" funny... pardon me for taking one word out of context. Perhaps you said it was amusing? Entertaining?

I don't remember calling it any of that, actually. Again, I could be wrong.

Kerry definitely isn't... but while you didnt mention it, it must be mentioned that Al Gore on SNL was really funny stuff, surprising the hell out of practically everyone

Too bad he couldn't shake off that rigor mortis on the campaign trail.

 

Nat'l Review Online >>>>>>> Air America

-=Mike

[Guest thebigjig]

agreed on the Gore/SNL thing... if he had shown HALF of that charisma, he would've won... or won more

[Guest MikeSC]

agreed on the Gore/SNL thing... if he had shown HALF of that charisma, he would've won... or won more

Well, hopefully this time, networks will actually give states to the winner.

-=Mike

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Nat'l Review Online >>>>>>> Air America

                -=Mike

As the Pearl Jam song goes, "this is not for you. Never was for you."

 

If you're conservative, you'll like Rush, Fox, and NRO. If you're liberal, you'll like something like Air America. I certainly don't like everything on Hot Air Amer, though. I listened to Garafolo's show once and never returned.

[Vyce 0]

Oh, but that Dubyah and his weapons of mass destruction jokes! HI-LARIOUS!! *slaps knee*

How dare you make lite of that.

 

As Mike has documented time and time again, those jokes - as well as the tax cuts - are responsible for the deaths of THOUSANDS.

 

How DARE you make fun of that tragedy. What's next, got any good 9/11 jokes you want to share with us?

[Guest MikeSC]

Oh, but that Dubyah and his weapons of mass destruction jokes! HI-LARIOUS!! *slaps knee*

How dare you make lite of that.

 

As Mike has documented time and time again, those jokes - as well as the tax cuts - are responsible for the deaths of THOUSANDS.

 

How DARE you make fun of that tragedy. What's next, got any good 9/11 jokes you want to share with us?

At this point, they've killed millions --- and gave my newborn kitty a nasty cold.

-=Mike

[Guest MikeSC]

Nat'l Review Online >>>>>>> Air America

                -=Mike

As the Pearl Jam song goes, "this is not for you. Never was for you."

 

If you're conservative, you'll like Rush, Fox, and NRO. If you're liberal, you'll like something like Air America. I certainly don't like everything on Hot Air Amer, though. I listened to Garafolo's show once and never returned.

Thing is, I can appreciate a Democratic show. I liked Al's books (well, when he avoided just viciously attacking people --- when he was trying to make points, he could actually be quite funny).

 

But, as radio hosts have said since this whole thing got announced, "People have this ridiculous assumption that doing radio is EASY." It takes a gift to do good, humorous radio. Phil Henry is a Democrat (a conservative one, to be sure --- but he regularly bashes Bush for his gay marriage stance) who does a rather funny show.

 

Franken may be a funny writer --- but he's a piss poor radio guy.

 

Janeane just flat-out sucks at everything.

-=Mike

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

The whole idea of liberals not being funny is funny in itself. I'm sorry, but when I see Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsefeld, just to name a few... they dont all strike me as men that would have a great sense of humor outside of vaudville jokes, and maybe dick and fart jokes, although they wouldn't admit it publicly

 

Face it... the conservative base appeals to fans of jeff foxworthy and bad action movies

 

Wow, that's not stereotyping or anything. This is why I love reading threads like these.

 

I would say I think Alan Colmes has a great sense of humor, but he's not a liberal so he doesn't count.

 

And to change the subject a bit, I thought Gene Hackman's role as some conservative politican was great in "The Birdcage." I think I was the only one in the theater who laughed out loud in the year 1995(?) when Nathan Lane went on some great abortion conspiracy and Hackman leaned in and quipped, "That's just what Rush Limbaugh said."

 

Oh, wait. They made fun of Rush. Bad Gene Hackman. Bad...

[Guest MikeSC]

ANOTHER UPDATE:

Air America Radio Chairman Resigns

 

1 hour, 8 minutes ago 

 

By SETH SUTEL, AP Business Writer

 

NEW YORK - The chairman and vice chairman of Air America Radio have resigned, dealing the latest setback to the fledgling liberal radio network headlined by comedian and author Al Franken.

 

The departures of Evan Cohen and his investment partner Rex Sorensen came just one week after the company said that co-founder Mark Walsh had stepped down as CEO to take a smaller role at the company. Last week the company also said it had forced out David Logan as head of programming.

 

Cohen declined to discuss the reasons for his departure Friday but confirmed that he was stepping down both as chairman and as a member of the company's board. News of the departures, which occurred Thursday, was first reported in the Chicago Tribune.

 

Cohen also said Sorensen was leaving the company's board. He declined to say what he and Sorensen planned to do with their stakes in the venture. Jon Sinton, president of the company, did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

 

The continued management turmoil marked the latest growing pains for Air America Radio, which launched on March 31 with a slate of left-leaning political satire and current affairs commentary.

 

Just two weeks after the network went on the air, a dispute with a business partner led to the network's signal being pulled from stations in Chicago and Los Angeles. The signal was later restored in Chicago, but the company said it was looking for a new business partner there.

 

In addition to Franken's show, which is dubbed "The O'Franken Factor" in a jab at Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, the network also carries shows hosted by Janeane Garofalo (news), Florida radio personality Randi Rhodes and Lizz Winstead, a co-creator of "The Daily Show."

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=...eup_3&printer=1

 

So, it's time for an official death watch. Anybody give 'em longer than a month?

-=Mike

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I think it's all a conspiracy. Why, people have been begging for liberal talk radio for how long now?...

[Guest MikeSC]

I think it's all a conspiracy. Why, people have been begging for liberal talk radio for how long now?...

I guess that "Liu-ser" is just causing trouble now.

-=Mike

[Jobber of the Week 0]

I don't understand it. There hasn't been enough time for the ratings to be compiled, so it can't be that nobody is listening and everyone is just saying "Fuck it."

 

Everyone on their boards is asking Franken (who's been on for the past three hours) for comments and so far he hasn't said anything. It may make more sense why he timed his thoughts about running for Senate right now, though.

 

But hell, it's not the first time.

[Guest MikeSC]

I don't understand it. There hasn't been enough time for the ratings to be compiled, so it can't be that nobody is listening and everyone is just saying "Fuck it."

 

Everyone on their boards is asking Franken (who's been on for the past three hours) for comments and so far he hasn't said anything. It may make more sense why he timed his thoughts about running for Senate right now, though.

 

But hell, it's not the first time.

I guess they have some rough numbers and, shockingly enough, they aren't good.

 

As a lot of us here mentioned before this started --- if there was a demand for liberal talk radio, there'd be national shows for it by now.

 

No amount of pimping by NBC is going to make this boondoggle a hit.

-=Mike

[Jobber of the Week 0]

I guess they have some rough numbers and, shockingly enough, they aren't good.

 

As a lot of us here mentioned before this started --- if there was a demand for liberal talk radio, there'd be national shows for it by now.

Wait a minute, I thought that in neocon world almost all mass media is essentially a liberal talk show?

 

Anyway, they have enough money to run for a few years with no profits at all.

[Styles 0]

I must admit I'm suprised they've reached such critical stage so quickly. So this leaves them on, what 2 stations now? Why do I just imagine Al Franken, Garafollo, and the rest just sitting in a dark room speaking into a paper cup with a string, with a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling and a janitor sweeping up in the background....

[Guest MikeSC]

I guess they have some rough numbers and, shockingly enough, they aren't good.

 

As a lot of us here mentioned before this started --- if there was a demand for liberal talk radio, there'd be national shows for it by now.

Wait a minute, I thought that in neocon world almost all mass media is essentially a liberal talk show?

 

Anyway, they have enough money to run for a few years with no profits at all.

Apparently, they have overstated their ability to maintain a money pit. But, hey, I'm sure companies doing well completely overhaul management after less than 2 months. Seems like a common practice.

 

And the mainstream media IS a liberal talk show. That's why liberal talk radio never works --- you can see the same crap ON THE NIGHTLY NEWS EVERY NIGHT.

 

Conservative talk radio presents the OTHER side.

[Guest MikeSC]

I thought this was amusing:

Liberal radio is airing bad jokes and worst taste

 

The United States "is on the slippery slope to theocratic fascism." "The Catholic Church has been secretly encouraging oral sex for years."

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld "ought to be tortured." President Bush should be taken out and shot.

 

Those are a few nutso nuggets from the hosts of Air America Radio, which calls itself the new liberal voice. The fledgling network is carried in New York on WLIB, 1190 AM. With the Iraq torture scandal everywhere, I tuned in, expecting to hear sober policy analysis mixed with glee over President Bush's political pickle.

 

Instead, I got 10 hours of rancid venom directed at the President, Rumsfeld, Rush Limbaugh, the Catholic Church and anyone else the hosts felt like slamming. If you're a card-carrying lib who likes crude sex jokes and a cartoonish echo chamber, Air America is for you.

 

Take one host's linking the talk of "pulling out" the troops with the claim that "that's what the Catholic Church says about premarital sex." Ha, ha.

 

The network aims to give Dems a media organization to counter Limbaugh and others on the right who dominate talk radio. (What, National Public Radio and The New York Times aren't enough?)

 

The signing of comedian and best-selling author Al Franken gave Air America a liberal drawing card. But if his three-hour show on Monday was typical, he could sink the ship instead of saving it.

 

Two attempts at humor were offensive. In his "oy, oy show," set to Israeli music, a sidekick reads news reports - in this case, the murder of the Russian-backed president of Chechnya. Franken's role is to pipe up with a lighthearted "oy, oy, oy." Yep, nothing tickles the ribs like assassination.

 

Franken also imitated a priest giving Communion, saying "Body of Christ" when an imagined pedophile priest was in line but "not for you" when pro-choice politicians came up.

 

The church was a day-long obsession, as was Limbaugh. He is an "awful man," "a pig" and "a Nazi."

 

Color me confused. If Franken & Co. hate the pill-popping Limbaugh so much, why imitate his tarpit tone? Sounds like Limbaugh has simply driven them nuts.

 

Missing was the tension that comes from honest debate. Only Franken had guests voicing even slight distance from the party line, which is that John Kerry is perfect except he should attack Bush more.

 

The queen of venom, Randi Rhodes, followed Franken in the host slot. Her imitation of a cracker military type telling a soldier to "insert this fluorescent light bulb into that man's buttocks" was revolting. She compared U.S. prisons in Iraq to the "Nazi gulag" and said, "The day I say thank you to Rumsfeld is the same day I'll say thank you to the 12 people who raped me."

 

Rock bottom came when she compared Bush and his family to the Corleones in the "Godfather" saga. "Like Fredo, somebody ought to take him out fishing and phuw," she said, imitating the sound of gunfire.

 

During a day of torture by radio, I heard ads for Hewlett-Packard, Greyhound and, especially, General Motors. I asked GM why it appeared in such shows.

 

Ryndee Carney, GM's manager of marketing communications, said the ads were wrongly picked up from an earlier deal with WLIB. She said the station was ordered to "cease and desist" yesterday, and added: "GM will not advertise on any Air America affiliates."

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/col/story/...1p-166266c.html

 

Wow, so offensive they're losing sponsors now. He he he he.

 

Nice to see that the "voice of the left" is so in touch with reality. Heck, I knew people who said they were just like Rush --- except they weren't mean.

-=Mike

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Take one host's linking the talk of "pulling out" the troops with the claim that "that's what the Catholic Church says about premarital sex." Ha, ha.

 

Now I LOVE me a good Catholic Church joke, but that was just retarded...

[Guest MikeSC]

Take one host's linking the talk of "pulling out" the troops with the claim that "that's what the Catholic Church says about premarital sex." Ha, ha.

 

Now I LOVE me a good Catholic Church joke, but that was just retarded...

Any bets on it being Liz Winstead's show?

 

It's no coincidence that the Daily Show became funny when she left.

-=Mike

[Guest MikeSC]

It's sinking quick

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Air America has shut its sales offices in Los Angeles and Chicago and is recasting its business plan, the network's president said on Wednesday as troubles beset the liberal talk show network.

 

With Air America not broadcasting in those two cities after a financial dispute in April, network president Jon Sinton said, "There's not much sense in having sales offices in cities where you don't control a station."

 

About 15 to 20 people were laid off in the closing of the sales offices, the latest sign of problems for Air America, launched on March 31 as a liberal alternative to the country's predominantly conservative talk show culture led by right-wing icons like Rush Limbaugh.

 

Since it started, Chairman Evan Cohen, Vice Chairman Rex Sorensen and Head of Programing David Logan have left while co-founder Mark Walsh has stepped down as chief executive to take a smaller role in the organization.

 

Sinton said Air America was in "high-level affiliate discussions in Chicago and Los Angeles" and other cities.

 

Sinton said the company had moved away from its original business model, which was to lease and totally control the radio stations in which its programing ran.

 

Rather, Sinton said Air America has found success with traditional affiliate relationships, under which it provides about 20 hours of programing per day in many cases in exchange for the ability to sell a certain number of minutes per hour of advertising.

 

"The business model has changed with our on-air success. The fact that we are moving the needle so quickly with affiliates has surprised us and negated the need for us to control our own stations," Sinton said.

 

After its launch, a dispute with business partner Multicultural Radio Broadcasting led to its programing being yanked from the air in Chicago and Los Angeles.

 

Air America, which is said to have more than $30 million in financing, is operating in about nine markets, and on satellite radio and the Internet. Its Web site said that 15 more stations will be coming in May.

 

"We're always looking for new financing, but the investors we have are committed and we would we like to raise more money," said Sinton, who said that certain people on the board with long-term radio experience have recently taken over key decision-making roles in a departure from the past.

 

Serious errors in business judgment account for Air America's problems, rather than its slate of programing, say various radio industry insiders.

 

"It makes you wonder why everybody is leaving the company," said Michael Harrison, editor for Talkers, a magazine about Talk Shows.

 

"I think the concept of liberal radio is great, but they went about it wrong. They first insisted that stations take an entire line-up. The odds of getting enough stations to take a whole line-up are so impossible."

http://www.reuters.com/printerFriendlyPopu...storyID=5125267

[Styles 0]

But, but...I thought people were begging for a liberal radio alternative!?

[Jobber of the Week 0]

And the mainstream media IS a liberal talk show. That's why liberal talk radio never works --- you can see the same crap ON THE NIGHTLY NEWS EVERY NIGHT.

 

Conservative talk radio presents the OTHER side.

LOL. You seriously don't know what you're talking about.

 

That said, hey, it'll either sink or swim. If it sinks, the good hosts will be picked up by somebody else, hopefully. It might be that it's managed by incompetant fools, and not necessarily your idea that there's absolutely nobody out there who's liberal and owns a radio and lives in one of the AAR-covered areas.

[Guest Crazy Dan]

I actually really can't stand a radio station being way too conservative, or liberal for my tastes.

 

And I have given Hannity a try, and I honestly don't really like his humor, or how he thinks he is the most hilarious person on the planet. That and I trully believe that this man will believe and defend anything Bush will do or say. Even if (example) Bush claimed cats were from Mars, and Vulcans existed, Hannity would defend those remarks till he was blue in the face. And if anyone tried to point out any absurdity of them, he would play the"Un-American" card. That and I hate the over-patriotic country music he uses to open each segment.

 

Michael Savage is a little too wacko for my tastes. He bitches about SF for example, yet he is raising his kids there? Anyone who knows SF knows that it is a very liberal city, and a Republican has about as much chance getting elected Mayor as a Democrat carrying a Southern State(besides home state, and even Gore disproved that theory). And I really don't like his anti-gay positions and after seeing what he looks like, I have a hard time taking a man who kinda looks like a troll all that serious. Not that I disagree with all he says, but I can stand listening to him for about five minutes before changing the channel.

 

I do like O'Rielly's radio show the best out of all the Conservative radio channels. He at least makes me laugh every now and then, and I do agree with many of the points he does make, but I just get tired with his sheep listners agreeing with everything he says, and when someone disagrees, they get branded a pinhead. But props for him thinking Animal House as one of the funniest movies of all time.

 

And Finally we have Rush. All I can say is this, for all this talk about how all drug users should be locked up, boy it sucks to be caught be a hippocrite. Not that I am happy he got caught or had an addiction to pain pills, but Rush is just too obnxious for my tastes. We get it, Conservatives are good, Liberals are bad and destroying the land. And Clinton is to be blamed for everything, even his pain pill addiction, well I made that one up, but you get the idea.

 

No, I just stay with my Sports Radio. In the Bay Area, there are some real good radio personalities, Like Rod Brooks and the Razor and Mr T, who make laugh and talk about what I really like, which is sports. That and Tom Tolber (Mr. T) is a laugh riot especially when he points out absurdity of things. And they talk about reality TV, which always makes me laugh.

[Guest MikeSC]

And the mainstream media IS a liberal talk show. That's why liberal talk radio never works --- you can see the same crap ON THE NIGHTLY NEWS EVERY NIGHT.

 

Conservative talk radio presents the OTHER side.

LOL. You seriously don't know what you're talking about.

 

That said, hey, it'll either sink or swim. If it sinks, the good hosts will be picked up by somebody else, hopefully. It might be that it's managed by incompetant fools, and not necessarily your idea that there's absolutely nobody out there who's liberal and owns a radio and lives in one of the AAR-covered areas.

JOTW, there is nothing liberal talk radio does that hasn't been rampant on network news for years.

 

There is a reason why conservatives BASICALLY INVENTED the format and why liberals have never penetrated it. It's not station managers who are partisans.

 

The leadership is unquestionably idiotic --- but that they can't get a single good station shows the lack of audience the "network" has.

And I have given Hannity a try, and I honestly don't really like his humor, or how he thinks he is the most hilarious person on the planet. That and I trully believe that this man will believe and defend anything Bush will do or say. Even if (example) Bush claimed cats were from Mars, and Vulcans existed, Hannity would defend those remarks till he was blue in the face. And if anyone tried to point out any absurdity of them, he would play the"Un-American" card. That and I hate the over-patriotic country music he uses to open each segment.

He likes country legitimately, so I don't care what he plays. However, he was definitely NOT supportive of Bush's immigration initiative, or signing the campaign finance bill, or the Medicare bill.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

The leadership is unquestionably idiotic --- but that they can't get a single good station shows the lack of audience the "network" has.

No, listen: They've been open, what, a month? Now, it could be that their boss is an idiot, it doesn't mean that there's nobody out there for it. I mean, there's other liberal talk show hosts on the air that aren't part of some big openly-partisan talk network that are doing just fine. I've even talked to some hosts and their ratings, for their region, are excellent.

 

Why do you insist that there's nobody who is liberal and owns a radio, and wants to hear someone they agree with? Why can't you agree that AAR is simply making mistakes? Because I've seen figures that disagree with what you've been posting regarding liberal talk as a whole.

[Guest MikeSC]

The leadership is unquestionably idiotic --- but that they can't get a single good station shows the lack of audience the "network" has.

No, listen: They've been open, what, a month? Now, it could be that their boss is an idiot, it doesn't mean that there's nobody out there for it. I mean, there's other liberal talk show hosts on the air that aren't part of some big openly-partisan talk network that are doing just fine. I've even talked to some hosts and their ratings, for their region, are excellent.

 

Why do you insist that there's nobody who is liberal and owns a radio, and wants to hear someone they agree with? Why can't you agree that AAR is simply making mistakes? Because I've seen figures that disagree with what you've been posting regarding liberal talk as a whole.

Because, JOTW, they've tried for about 10 years now to get a "liberal radio" show on the air --- and they ALL tank. Air America delved into meanness that Michael Savage couldn't hope to match. And what stories in the press get ignored that they can mention? Conservative radio had TONS of those early on --- Rush got his obscenely huge audience for a reason.

 

Air America had every advantage that they could have --- NBC all but kneeled down and blew the owners on-air.

 

And it tanked. Quickly. It's been an unmitigated disaster --- because there aren't any compelling liberal radio hosts OUT there who could garner a nat'l audience and, again, liberals have TONS of outlets for their message. They don't LACK a large number of outlets for their message.

 

What do conservatives have that APPROACHES Hollywood? What conservative paper APPROACHES the level of "prestige" as the NY Times (even AFTER their massive scandal)? Does FSN make up for the slant of NBC, CBS, and ABC --- who have considerably bigger audiences?

-=Mike

[Jobber of the Week 0]

And it tanked. Quickly. It's been an unmitigated disaster

Oh sure. It's a mess, but I find it an entertaining mess, that's all.

 

What do conservatives have that APPROACHES Hollywood?

 

Gee, I really don't know. I was thinking hard about it and everything, but I guess there really have been no conservative entertainers out there.

 

(Hint: Despite reports to the contrary, nobody under 40 cares about Barbara Streisand anymore. Nobody under 25 really cares about Alec Baldwin either. While not everyone mentioned above necessarily has name value to that audience either, to say that most people would give a rat's ass about Barb's politics and lets that sway them is kind of a shocker. Nor do I think every country artist out there is conservative, but a big majority of them are for sure.)

 

Now all you need is a Michael Moore to make movies filled with half-truths while calling Kerry a traitor or deserter or whatever. Thankfully, your side is armed with a large variety of windbags that appear on TV a lot thanks to the large number of think-tanks you run (which probably produce more politically active conservative minds than the college system produces politically active liberal minds, before you bring that up.)

 

What conservative paper APPROACHES the level of "prestige" as the NY Times (even AFTER their massive scandal)?

 

http://online.wsj.com/home

 

That was easy.

 

Does FSN make up for the slant of NBC, CBS, and ABC

 

That exists only in your head, pal.