He Left Me Laughing

1988 in Sacramento, where his career took off (WSJ)"His
on-air presence in Sacramento was a lot more comedic."

I started listening to Rush Limbaugh fairly late in his career, not so much for his political views but for the entertainment.

During the George W. Bush Administration late-night comedy, including Saturday Night Live, became tiresome, vicious, and single-note, bashing the President and his supporters at every turn. Indeed, some bits were funny, but going after Republicans and their families personally while ignoring the foibles of Democrats was a sea-change from the light-hearted, even-handed joshing of Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, and the younger David Letterman.

Those were the 21st century rules of comedy, I supposed, and when different politicians took over they would become the objects of mockery. However, when the Democrats swept Washington in 2008, powerless Republicans like Trent Lott and Sarah Palin continued to be the targets of scorn. Comedians refused to pick the Democrats' low-hanging fruit, such as President Obama's verbal miscues when he was off Teleprompter and Vice-President Biden's provable history of creepy behavior.

So I turned to Rush Limbaugh. His political commentary was interspersed with comic bits that you couldn't hear anywhere else; the refusal of the entertainment and media industries to "speak truth to power" when their guys were in charge only made him more popular.

Rush Limbaugh has been recognized by supporters and detractors alike as the founding father of conservative talk-radio. He spoke insightfully about politics, but it was his skill as an entertainer that made him unique. R.I.P.

We Couldn't Escape the Heat

How to chase away mountain lions: [bold added]

10 of 12 mountain lions subjected to audio recordings of broadcasters like Rush Limbaugh and Rachel Maddow abandoned kills and fled immediately, regardless of the political slant of the commentary.

(It's not your politics that are off-putting. It's "politics.")

I do listen to Rush and watch Rachel, but only once or twice a week. They're both smart--Rush is funnier--and good at riling their audiences. For my own emotional health I only take them in small doses.

Vista point, with a view of the East Bay, has an 800-ft.
elevation and is about two miles in from the parking lot.

Mountain lion signs were posted along the trail, but we were reassured by the presence of deer and squirrels (or maybe they were reassured by us, who are much slower prey).

It had been two years since we had hiked in the foothills; our poor conditioning and the 100-degree heat made the going slow. After 2½ hours we had had enough.

Using a radio app, I was prepared to blast Rush Limbaugh at an attacking mountain lion. Thank goodness it wasn't necessary.

Rush to Judgment

I enjoy listening to Rush Limbaugh. I also enjoy listening to Bill Maher. Though they're at opposite ends of the political spectrum (disclosure: my politics are closer to Limbaugh than Maher), both often come up with insights that never occurred to me.

Rush Limbaugh and Bill Maher are interesting, witty, and very rude, even offensive. They are comic entertainers.

Our culture has long treated comedy as a circumscribed area--much like smoking lounges or red light districts--where people can make the most politically incorrect--racist, sexist, ageist, and any other "ist" one can think of--statements and not be sanctioned. We need safety valves for the juvenile feelings that all of us keep hidden. These outlets have historically been open to everyone, despite efforts to shut them down by one side or the other.

That said, Rush Limbaugh should not have made personally pejorative remarks about Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke. Ms. Fluke had argued before a Democratic Congressional gathering that contraceptive services be provided free to women students, including those who attend Catholic institutions. There are strong First Amendment arguments, as well as arguments about the proper role of government, against her position.

Instead Rush Limbaugh took her statement that "contraception can cost a woman over $3,000 during law school" and riffed on Ms. Fluke's sex life. After the understandable outcry, he apologized.

But an apology is not good enough for his detractors. They're going after his advertisers. They're petitioning the FCC to remove him from the air. Now there's a counter-petition to remove Bill Maher from HBO. (Over the years there have been many efforts to silence Bill Maher; "Bill Maher petition" has over three million Google hits.)

IMHO, we should keep them both on the air. They stimulate the national dialogue, and if they cross the line, their own causes will be hurt much worse than their victims. © 2012 Stephen Yuen