In the December 2009 issue of Playboy, Thomas Frank "takes down" the Fox News Channel host by analyzing the conservative movement and how Beck rose to prominence. Frank, with an obvious need to meet a high-word count in mind, attempts to dismantles Beck by attacking his Christmas book, "The Christmas Sweater" and his other books, his admiration for Thomas Paine, his fear the U.S. Constitution is being trampled upon and his activist efforts to curb this intrusion by combating socialism, communism and other ideologies that could be deemed un-American.
Beck Response on his Nov. 12 program below
However - the most stunning part of this Playboy expose into Glenn Beck was the way the magazine attempted to depict the "counterculture" right led by Beck. The centerfold photo is a man knelt before a Bible on a table draped in a Confederate flag. The walls are adorned with the Georgia and Gadsden flag, the Obama joker poster and various certificates indicating membership in a variety of right-wing groups. Two firearms, a can of beer, photos of Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck and a pair of combat boots make up some of the other items in the room.
On his Nov. 12 radio program, Beck responded to the Playboy article, calling it sloppy journalism and indicative of the attitude toward the right.
"That's the audience," Beck said. "If you listen to me or you're a part of the rise of the right - that is who you are. Now, this is one of the worst I haven't even read it, but Stu has. This is the sloppy journalism that is happening at the lowest level, the lowest rung of journalism, Playboy magazine, to the highest level of journalism, the Washington Post, New York Times. It is so sloppy, and anybody who has ever even listened to me, if you've listened to me throughout the years, you know that I've called for George Bush's impeachment, I called for investigation into the scandals that were happening with the Republican Party, I told you that the I told you that the game that George Bush was playing with interest rates and these easy mortgages back in 2000 - I think 2003 or 2004."
"I said don't do it, it's a game, it's going to destroy us," Beck continued. "I told you that the economy was coming unglued. I told you there was some kind of trans-nationalist thing going on with George Bush at the border. I mean, I've been very consistent on all of this stuff, but they don't even look at any of that. In fact, the claims that I make about socialist Marxism, et cetera, et cetera, communist, I've only charged that there was one communist in the White House, in the administration, one. I have not made a claim that there's more - only one."
Beck was referring to Van Jones, the former so-called White House "green jobs czar." Beck also noted the hypocrisy in the way Playboy attacked him, but are reluctant to do so with other media personalities.
"So here's the really interesting thing," Beck said. "You know which side. You just ask your friends. You just ask your friends. What is the message that Glenn Beck is saying? What are the facts that Glenn Beck is saying? Or what are the facts that you are now saying to people? What are the facts? Don't make fun of because all that's happening, if you notice, Saturday Night Live, Jon Stewart, Playboy, South Park, all this week coming full guns a blazing on me. All they are doing is making fun of my mannerisms."
"That's all they're doing," Beck continued. "None of them will actually address any of the facts. If they can distract you with mannerisms, if they can ridicule me and make me into a joke without ever addressing any of the actual facts that I bring to the table, well, then they win. Don't allow them to do this to you. Make sure you stay on the facts. And when they go, Glenn Beck, he's probably a big fat Bozo. But let me ask you this: If there were a communist that were appointed by the president and he knew he was a communist, would that be a problem?"
This isn't the first time Playboy magazine, with its dwindling circulation, has attempted to disparage conservatives. Earlier this year, Megan McCardle of The Atlantic reported Playboy had alleged the Tea Party phenomenon was an AstroTurf plot and that long-time CNBC CME group reporter Rick Santelli was a plant, before pulling the story. They had also posted a story on their Web site, before pulling it as well, with some strong misogynistic language denigrating conservative women earlier this year.
