Bias is everywhere in the Washington Post. In the Sports section Monday, a capsule of one-paragraph NFL game summaries concluded with Dallas drubbing Philadelphia, 38-17 on Sunday night. The Post broke out its satirical whack-Limbaugh stick:
This game was overshadowed a bit by Eagles Coach Andy Reid's family troubles. His two sons are in jail, and a raid of Reid's house turned up so many pills that a judge described it as a "drug emporium." As someone who has had his own high-profile problems with prescription drugs, Rush Limbaugh was asked to comment; he declared it a tragedy for Reid that Donovan McNabb was so overrated.
Meanwhile, in the New York Times, the big new contract for Glenn Beck is greeted by the headline "A Folksy Guy, In Recovery, Is About to Land Millons." Brian Stelter began:
On his daily radio talk show, Glenn Beck portrays himself as an average guy, a recovering alcoholic and a comedian who regularly injects humor into his conservative politics.
This week he can add another description: very wealthy.
The alcoholism never reemerges as a topic in Stelter's otherwise straightforward (or considering the big bucks, positive) piece. Throwing the "in recovery" line in seems front-loaded and superfluous. Isn't a recovering alcoholic forever "in recovery" -- if he hasn't fallen off the wagon? It's worth noting that Beck can be candid about his personal problems, which could be one way for a ego-loaded talk show host to show humility, or one way for a conservative host to seek mercy from a liberal newspaper. But the Times didn't need to hype it like that.
Stelter's story also contains uncredited Media Matters items on his gaffes so the story doesn't seem too positive.
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
I feel for Coach Reid.
November 5, 2007 - 08:31 ET by ricklailI feel for Coach Reid. I went through the same thing with one of my sons. They need to leave the man alone. He has done nothing. That judge that made the comment about the "drug emporuim" needs his ass kicked. He had no idea as to what went on in the Reid home. My son was very good at hiding his dope in our house. We never found it. It was only after his time in jail and rehab when he showed us where it was.
Right now there is nothing that Coach Reid can do. He can only see his sons for a couple hours a week. It is a shame when we get wrapped up in our work and forget about the things at home but it happens. A coach in the NFL spends a lot more time with his players than his family. That is just the nature of the business.
I could go on and on but I won't. What my son went through was hard on the whole family. I wish he never would have gotten involved with the shit but that is all behind us. He is again a productive part society. That is what matters most to me.
Southern by birth, Tarheel by the grace of God!
}}---> Coach Reid
November 5, 2007 - 08:39 ET by Cool ArrowAs I posted last night in Open Thread, It was stupid of the Sideline Tart (Andrea sompin'or'nother) to insinuate The NFLPA might be looking at this situation from a "double standard" viewpoint. This after admitting the thought was planted by Sideline Andrea herself.
She was just hoping there was a story angle just waiting to be created.
I don't follow football,
November 5, 2007 - 09:07 ET by motherbeltI don't follow football, but this sucks. What the heck is the point of bringing Rush Limbaugh into a game summary?
Oh, I get it. The writer fancies himself a "social commentator" to boot.
And if the NY Times included "in recovery" every time it was relevant, that would encompass about 90% of the people covered in their "movies" and "television" sections.
Double tiered mb
November 5, 2007 - 09:08 ET by Cool ArrowRemember Olberloons "falling off the roof" comments that were "not directed at Max Mcgee?
Well, you might notice these comments were made after a football game featuring (sort of) the object of Limbaugh's comments (Donovan McNabb), on Limbaugh's final appearance on Monday Night Football.
Remember Olberloons
November 5, 2007 - 11:09 ET by motherbeltRemember Olberloons "falling off the roof" comments that were "not directed at Max Mcgee?
And yes, I had forgotten about that. (Excuse me while I do a "logic dump." ) OK. I certainly believe Olbermann that he was referring to an "inside joke" from his college days, of which no one in his immediate vicinity, or in the listening audience, was aware. Doesn't everyone use "inside jokes" with people that have no clue?
}}---> Glenn Beck's Contract
November 5, 2007 - 09:12 ET by Cool ArrowI guess Olberloon will have some market figures handy the next time he goes in pitching for a raise, huh?
Hey, boss. Over at CNN, they're paying top Political analysts/satirists 10 Million a year. Reckon I could get some of that action?
Did he say that???
November 5, 2007 - 11:43 ET by mattm"Rush Limbaugh... declared it a tragedy for Reid that Donovan McNabb was so overrated."
Is Media Matters running the WaPo, too? This sounds like another "fake soldier" slander on the part of the MSM.
It sounds like a line from
November 5, 2007 - 15:36 ET by motherbeltIt sounds like a line from David Letterman's opening monologue.
So While I wouldn't cut them any slack, I think it was a joke. Not a funny one, but then liberal "humor" never is.
}}---> Bingo MB
November 5, 2007 - 17:40 ET by Cool ArrowAnd the more expensive the joke, the harder they laugh.
"Funny" is given even higher marks when the "humor" further enslaves those it liberates. This would be funny. . . if it wasn't so true.
2 Faced
November 6, 2007 - 01:23 ET by Jerry MackIt hasn't been that long ago when the msm was fawning over Pat. Kennedy and the Kennedy family for recognizing that he had a drug problem and went to rehab.