Good to see Vennochi framing Howie Carr as the lout that he is in today’s Globe:
His critiques go far beyond differences over ideology. His commentary is often rude and personal and he takes adolescent delight in mocking physical characteristics. His unflinching meanness undercuts an admirable willingness to take on the powerbrokers.
As I said in the past, Carr debases our public airwaves with his rancid discourse.
She neatly packages both Carr and Finneran:
Carr at WTKK. Finneran at WRKO. The listener could switch from a host who thinks politicians can do no good to a host who thinks they can do no bad. Devils on parade at WTKK, saints at WRKO.
Please share widely!
…One, as far as I can tell, Carr on air is playing a character that is designed to try to maximize his ratings. I don’t believe for a minute that he believes much of what comes out of his mouth while on air. That means being the “mean, poor me” character that characterizes right-wing talk radio. That doesn’t work so well for lefty talk radio. (Except possibly for Pacifica, there isn’t much hard left-wing talk radio.)
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Two, I’m not entirely sure why Carr was going against Finneran. Finneran was on a different time slot on the same station. But I’ll point out that Carr expressed glee in the fact that the Globe fired Mike Barnicle a few years ago. Of course, Barnicle seems to have gone on to bigger and better things. Carr’s syndication, which at one point seemed to have extended to Iowa, seems to have become more–how shall I put it gently?–limited.
these two useless bags of flesh even have jobs. It’s a sad commentary on where radio is at.
I can’t stand Carr but to me Finneran has been a pleasant surprise.
…I will not claim that I always agree with him. Also, Finneran really bought into the culture I call “the tax meannies” – since Finneran was able to pull himself up, rising from doing janitorial work in the State House with a father who beat him, why can’t everyone else?
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Myself, I subscribe to the position that it is the job of a civilized culture to care for its weak, and for the stronger to protect the weaker.
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I am not a practitioner of either social Darwinism, or social eugenics, but I believe some of the fiscal conservatives are, or have a philosophy close to social Darwinism. At times, it almost seems to me that there are folk, and at times Finneran, who wish the so-called underclasses could not procreate and would somehow fade away…not that the rest of us have any duty to care for the poor, the cognitively limited, the broken or differently winged.
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As for Howie Carr – well, does either the word “histrionic” or the word “narcissistic” seem to anyone to apply? At least to the very public persona.
I was more referring to his radio work, but the more I listen to him, the more I see points of agreement (maybe 60%).
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Two points
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1. I generally agree with your statement on the “weaker” but would amend a couple of things. I’m not interested in protecting those that are just plain lazy (albeit a small proportion) and we should not just protect but also work to correct the inequities that in part causes them to be weaker – education, health care and safety. My amendments may be implicit in what you are calling protection.
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2. I don’t always agree with him but for me that is not necessary to listen. I use to listen to Rush – he made me want to be a better Dem…
Some categories:
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1. Cognitively limied.
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2. Legal orphans [taken from their parents, but never adopted, wards of the state].
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3. Chronically ill, such as mysethenia gravis, epilepsy, etc.
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4. Genetically disadvantaged, such as lupus, multiple schlerosis, etc.
…while I am fond of Col. Hunt and enjoy his occasional forays, Todd Fineburg’s snoozefest just goes to show how talented Howie actually is. Todd has Sandy, Police Blotter Friday, Happy, ALL the acoutrements of Howie’s show – and he’s so dull I find myself switching to WBZ to listen to zombie repetition of traffic and weather.
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Mistah Speakah rocks – but he’s too cerebral for early morning. He should be on afternoon or early evening.
…if you want real right-wing wackiness.
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Hunt? I used to roll on the floor laughing at his discourses. Fortunately, we discovered Internet streaming.
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One question: has Finneran improved since his disastrous substitute performances for Brudnoy on WBZ? His only claim to fame then was as a soporific.
Jay Severin and Micahael Graham do far more damage to you “cause” than either of these two as they both appeal to and have the capacity to draw out the younger working demographic. TKK is solid right wing anyway.
…WABC syndicates Don “I’m An Ass” In the Morning (as they certainly will) it is highly likely that WTKK will withdraw its offer to Carr.
His replacement, is worse than Carr. He’s more neo-con without the anti-establishment piece, and less charm. He’s far meaner too.
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I was listening to a piece where Feinberg stated that “weapons of mass destruction” was just the way that Bush “sold” the Iraq invasion to the public and the UN, and that the real reason for invading was so we could secure the oil there.
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He also said that we shouldn’t have gone into Afghanistan, we should have gone right to Iraq because Afghanistan has no oil.
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I almost veered off the road when I heard a NeoCon actually admit all that in public.
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So much for “getting Osama”, I guess.
Was he another of the former “Top 40” radio disk jockeys who migrated over to talk radio when “Top 40” radio bit the dust? There were more than a few of them who did in the late ’80s and early ’90s, and, as David Horowitz (who flipped from the far left to the far right in the mid-1970s) showed, throwing red meat to the far right audience was highly lucrative (beats working).
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Rusty Lamebrain (that’s Rush Limbaugh) was one of the pioneers on the radio. And his only claim to fame was that he was a failed sportscaster.
Here’s a bio of Feinberg –
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http://talkradio101….
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Tufts graduate, international trader – nah, just another brainless neo-con.
Todd worked as a disc jockey, news director and beautiful music announcer before spending two years as a helicopter traffic reporter in Boston.
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Huh?
… before you add the snark. He didn’t ask what was more important. He just asked if that was him.
And Feinburg’s bio indicated that he had been a long time talk show host and news director instead. Trust Raj to spot the mote in another’s eye…
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…I was belittling Ms. Porc’s apparent idea that Feinberg should be respected because of his background. A horse manure degree (polisci) regardless of the institution that granted it (sorry, guys, but I’ve taken polisci courses). A guy who worked for two years in his family business as a salesman (that’s the international chemical trading). A guy who thereafter worked as a DJ, “news director” (whatever that means), a “beautiful music announcer” (shades of Wink Martindale–who actually does beautiful music quite well), and a helicopter traffic announcer.
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Then a restaurateur. Shades of Julia Child. Child was entertaining, but I wouldn’t be interested in her opinions on political subjects. Except, maybe regarding France.
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I’ve heard Feinberg. He’s operating in DJ mode.
Porcupine’s friend Brian Maloney of Save WRKO and Radio Equalizer is reporting that a ‘humiliated’ Howie Carr will soon return to WRKO.
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Just in time for the station Christmas Party with Mistah Speakah!
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Personal note – over the weekend, Porcupine attended a political event at which Col. Dave Hunt, Howie’s sidekick, was the main speaker. Despite repeated questioning, Col. Hunt mrely maintained that a solution was just days away – and looked rather grim when he said it. Of course, he DOES look a little grim anyway…