REVIEW: Bernard Goldberg's book about 100 people screwing up America

[LynneSin]

Ok, first and foremost I didn't buy this book, hell I didn't even borrow it from a local library. To be honest, I was at Border's bookstore and thought it would be interesting just to see who Goldberg thinks is screwing up this country. And let's face it - it's a fricking list with some commentary for almost all of the names on the list and to be honest I would have to say about 25-30 of the names he picked were 'filler names' because he really couldn't come up with 100 names.

First, Goldberg has the usual liberal suspects on the list and yes, here's the big spoiler (close the thread now if you don't want the surprise given away) but #1 is Michael Moore. To be honest, by the time he got to #1 on his list (he counts backwards), I think he got tired of writing because all he did was put Moore's picture in the book.

Ok, as for the rest of the book. There were plenty of names of folks I didn't recognize and to be honest I really didn't want to spend a whole lot of time figuring it out either. And then he has alot of 'filler names' on the list because like I said - he really couldn't come up with 100 names so he puts someone like Courtney Love on the list and his only comment was 'Ho'. Ok, I know that Love had a profoundly negative affect on Kurt Cobain, lead singer of the groundbreaking grunge band Nirvana but unless Goldberg happens to have been a major Nirvana fan I'm not sure how Courtney Love is screwing up America. And the simple justification of 'Ho' pretty much says that Goldberg doesn't really have a good reason either.

But the real shocker of the book is a few neo-cons made this list which is a shocker because lets face it - the only people buying this book is neo-cons so why would Goldberg want to piss off his main market? But Goldberg places it safe with his choices. Obviously he puts a neo-con radio talk show blowhard but does he go after one of the Idiotic Axis of Hot Air (OxyRush, Hannity or O'LiesAlot)? No, because he knows if he messes with these guys his career as a neo-con shrill is over with so he goes after Michael Savage. Savage could have been a contender but his TV show was so fricking radical and offensive that even MSNBC had to drop him. So in all reality Goldberg isn't going to lose too many readers since no one really buys Savages crap anymore. Goldberg also goes after the evangelists but again plays it safe. Crossing the likes of Robertson or Falwell would put the best of neo-con shrills in the bargain bin at Wal-mart so Goldberg goes after Jimmy Swaggart. Swaggart was disgraced decades ago with his extra-marital affair so he is the obvious safe choice.

In a nutshell Goldberg's books is about as well-thoughtout as this post. Random crap put together from poorly researched information with a few amusing antedotes to maybe appeal to the unlikely reader. It took me about 5 minutes to peruse this entire book which is about 4min 45 seconds longer then what any person really needs to spend.

[LeftyDarthBrodie]

1. I flipped through the book at Borders a while back

and was entertained by this idiocy. I read Goldberg's Bias for a class in college and couldn't believe people took him seriously (that was before I became an expert in the insanity of right wingers). Just looking at the cover I knew Goldberg would get hours and hours of coverage from O'Reilly and have been amused by the interviews I have seen between the two.

The list hits all the usual targets with nothing new or interesting added. I was surprised by the lack of Hillary (unless I just missed her and/or Bill). The inclusion of Jimmy Carter was beyond ridiculous.

I've read some things on FR about a supposed feud between "Savage" Weiner and Rush, Hannity and O'Reilly so I wasn't surprised by his inclusion and the exclusion of the other three. "Savage" Weiner actually says what right wingers think about gays, muslims and all other minorities and that was Bernies case against him.

His inclusion of Swaggart was an easy target and Roy Moore's inclusion was interesting and his explanation of the Daily Show was laughable. He still managed to turn around and make a case for liberal "judicial activism" while talking about the Ayatollah Roy Moore.

This book is devoid of any substantive arguments, as any right wing attack on our "decadent" culture is, as Goldberg's first big hit was. He is clearly raking in the big bucks with these poorly written screeds and is using the right's beloved free market to take their money. So Bernie, thanks for taking their money, for providing some good laughs, for proving how vacuous this type of argument is and for proving once and for all that you are one bitter, bitter man (he put Dan Rather on his list.)

[LynneSin]

4. I forgot about Roy Moore. Ken Lay and that guy from Tyco were on there.

And I was disgusted by Jimmy Carter being on that list. Here's a man who spends his time building homes for the poor and bringing democracy to Third World Nations and somehow he's screwing up the country because he made a comment about the Florida elections.

:eyes:

[LeftyDarthBrodie]

7. Did you see The Daily Show bit

where they had video of President Carter building homes with a #6 in the corner of the screen? That was a shining example of the idiocy of this list.

Very few people will openly admit to admiring Ken Lay or the other white collar criminals on the list so they were also easy targets for Bernie to try to prove his balance.

[LynneSin]

8. I missed it - I don't watch much TV

But I heard about it on DU and thought "That was fucking brilliant"

[LeftyDarthBrodie]

9. Oh

They have some clips on The Daily Show website, I'm not sure if this one is up though.

[SpiralHawk]

2. "...about as well thought out as this post..."

Nah, no way. You are Totally head and shoulders above him.

[LynneSin]

5. aw shucks thanks

:bounce:

[Nevernose]

3. 100 chicks I'd like To Boink

Anyone remeber "Throw Momma From the Train?" God I'd love to have the full script in front of me.

[Quetzal]

6. Hehe

I saw him on John Stewart the other week and he looked scared in the hotseat.

Goldberg continued to reiterate his favorability of Stewart when Stewart was grilling him hard on the content within his book. It is as if he was saying "Why are you challenging me so hard on my book? I am your friend - I even wrote positively about you in my book" Of course Jon was having none of his shit and kept on ripping away.

[truthwatch]

10. Reviews on Blog

I've written a pair of reviews for my blog at truthwatchnow.blogspot.com, and if anyone wants a similar different but a different take, I'd say read it (but then, I wrote it!). I also went to Barnes and Noble and wrote down all 100 people and the supposed reasons for admittance, as well as the "types" of people who are Screwing Up America, so if anyone's interested in a particular number or person, feel free to ask.