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big_dog

(4,144 posts)
Sat Dec 20, 2014, 04:31 PM Dec 2014

'And So It Begins': 90-Year-Old Glenn Beck Points to Bundy Standoff as 'Turning Point' In US History

Right Wing Watch http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/and-so-it-begins-90-year-old-glenn-beck-delivers-dire-message-future reports that Glenn Beck dedicated his program last night to an end-of-the-year recap in which a 90-year-old bearded Glenn Beck, apparently living in the bunker of one of his dystopian visions and looking a lot like Grand Maester Pycelle, "recorded a dire message from the future about how 2014 was the year in which the whole world fell apart." Beck doesn't just don a costume—he acts with his beard, people.



Living alone in an abandoned building with only a few tiny candles and a small fire for light and heat, future Beck somehow managed to scrounge up some batteries and video cameras with which to record his message. And even though the world in 2054 is apparently short on food and fuel and energy and everything else, future Beck still somehow managed to obtain stockpiles of footage from news programs that aired forty years earlier and even had the capacity to edit those clips into his dire message about how everything from Ebola, to ISIS, to the Federal Reserve all brought about the complete collapse of capitalism and society starting in 2014. And what caused the world to fall apart? What was the inciting incident around which society collapsed and chaos reigned? Why, the Cliven Bundy ranch standoff. Neat. But the joy is really in the telling of the tale, in Beck's dedication to character, setting, mood and histrionics. Humanity's greatest achievement is a soldier getting married to his sweetheart; its greatest tragedy is the missing Malaysian Airlines flight. Will Wilkinson transcribed his epic speech, which is worth reading word for word:

'Forty years ago, 2014, your history books claim, that was the year of the dawn of progressivism! The dawn of a new beginning! The end of capitalism! I’ll tell you know that it was that. That this new era of equality, and diversity and tolerance … I beg to differ with your history book! Forget your books! I was there! I saw it! I remember 2014, I remember four words that came to me… There was a clash of the “evil” tea partiers. There was a clash on a ranch in the middle of the country. A man said he had a right to his own land. It was at that time that I heard, and I’ll never forget it in my prayers, four words: “And. So. It. Begins.” Over and over again I saw it, over and over again I heard it. I was like Nebuchadnezzar without Daniel… Sorry. You probably don’t even know what that means. Right. I’m not crazy. I was naive, but I was not crazy.'

Aside from the fact that Beck uses clips of himself as evidence of this coming apocalypse, the best is the bit about Nebuchadnezzar. Beck clearly didn't have time to fit in just how godless America has become in this wasteland future, but he had to make sure he got this across. His agonized line reading literally made me giggle with glee. As Wilkinson put it:
The bewhiskered ghost of Glenn Beck future apologizes for his biblical reference because … why? Because the Bureau of Land Management was not brutally overthrown, and so the Bible has become illegal? Who knows! Who cares! This is art, people. Beck’s historical-reenactor-from-the-dystopian-future scenery-chewing raises the bar for avant garde thespians everywhere. We look forward to the day Beck finally drops his act and reveals that he is a huge Bright Eyes fan that contributes to Planned Parenthood, so that we can give him the Nebuchadnezzar Lifetime Achievement Award In Acting. http://gothamist.com/2014/12/20/video_glenn_beck_is_the_new_stephen.php


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'And So It Begins': 90-Year-Old Glenn Beck Points to Bundy Standoff as 'Turning Point' In US History (Original Post) big_dog Dec 2014 OP
Yep. Right up there with introduction hats with antlers at XMAS. Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2014 #1
Why are you watching that giant ball of dick-cheese? True Blue Door Dec 2014 #2
Oh my, what a fuckin' nutcase. Quantess Dec 2014 #3
Gothamist calls him the new Stephen Colbert big_dog Dec 2014 #4
Eeeh... he's no Stephen Colbert, that's for sure. Quantess Dec 2014 #5
Beck is a classic carnival operator underpants Dec 2014 #12
Wow. This is a whole HappyMe Dec 2014 #6
Oy. And he looks like this guy hifiguy Dec 2014 #7
In the words of Paul Simon, "Still crazy after all these years". Capt.Rocky300 Dec 2014 #8
The man is demented Prophet 451 Dec 2014 #9
Yep. A nice long vacation in the place hifiguy Dec 2014 #13
Hey Doc, my brother thinks he's a chicken... jberryhill Dec 2014 #15
I knew Max Headroom. Max Headroom was my friend. Brickbat Dec 2014 #10
Also, I thought his "Man in the Moon" thing was crazier. Brickbat Dec 2014 #11
A victim of his own hate and paranoia. JaneyVee Dec 2014 #14

True Blue Door

(2,969 posts)
2. Why are you watching that giant ball of dick-cheese?
Sat Dec 20, 2014, 04:34 PM
Dec 2014

He's a crumb-riddled beard and an "End Is Near" sandwich board away from screeching Bible verses on a street corner.

Quantess

(27,630 posts)
3. Oh my, what a fuckin' nutcase.
Sat Dec 20, 2014, 04:36 PM
Dec 2014

I can't wait to watch this when I can turn on audio. He's such a bloated windbag.

Quantess

(27,630 posts)
5. Eeeh... he's no Stephen Colbert, that's for sure.
Sat Dec 20, 2014, 04:46 PM
Dec 2014

Stephen Colbert is quick witted and is successful at making the viewers understand.

I have (unfortunately) seen Glenn Beck enough times to know he just spouts rabid jibberish much of the time. I don't get him at all, but I sort of like it when he goes into full-blown-psycho mode.

underpants

(182,769 posts)
12. Beck is a classic carnival operator
Sat Dec 20, 2014, 05:34 PM
Dec 2014

$13/month for his TV station (he gave it away for free as a teaser). He has 3 million monthly subscribers (they are out there).

= $39 Million per month in revenue.

Prophet 451

(9,796 posts)
9. The man is demented
Sat Dec 20, 2014, 05:26 PM
Dec 2014

I'm now of the opinion that Beck is legitimately and seriously mentally ill. He should be in a nice quiet ward somewhere where they'll force him to take his meds. But his grandiosity prevent him realizing that he's unwell and his family and staff rely too much on the gravy train his out-of-control diatribes bring in. In essence, they're pushing an unmedicated schizophrenic out in front of the cameras so the public can laugh and point as he soils himself and screams at clouds.

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