Fox Geezer Syndrome

[babylonsister]

Remarkable; consider the source...David Frum's blog. :wow:

Fox Geezer Syndrome
January 31st, 2011

snip//

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been keeping track of a trend among friends around my age (late thirties to mid-forties). Eight of us (so far) share something in common besides our conservatism: a deep frustration over how our parents have become impossible to take on the subject of politics. Without fail, it turns out that our folks have all been sitting at home watching Fox News Channel all day – especially Glenn Beck’s program.

Used to be I would call my mom and get updated on news from the neighborhood, her garden, the grandchildren, hometown gossip, and so forth. I’ve always been interested in politics, but never had the occasion to talk about them with her. She just doesn’t care.

Or didn’t. I don’t know when it happened, exactly, but she began peppering our conversation with red-hot remarks about President Obama. I would try to engage her, but unless I shared her particular judgment, and her outrage, she apparently thought that I was a dupe or a RINO. Finally I asked my father privately why Mom, who as far as I know never before had a political thought, was so worked up about Obama all the time.

“She’s been like that ever since she started watching Glenn Beck,” Dad said.

A few months later, she roped him into watching Beck, which had the same effect. Even though we’re all conservatives, I found myself having to steer our phone conversations away from politics and current events. It wasn’t that I disagreed with their opinions – though I often did – but rather that I found the vehemence with which they expressed those opinions to be so off-putting.

Then I flew out for a visit, and observed that their television was on all day long, even if no one was watching it. What channel was playing? Fox. Spending a few days in the company of the channel – especially Glenn Beck — it all became clear to me. If Fox was the window through which I saw the wider world, for hours every day, I’d be perpetually pissed off too.

more...

http://www.frumforum.com/fox-geezer-syndrome

[dennis4868]

1. I hate it when....

people compare Olbermann with Beck....they both get emotional but one is insane and has serious mental issues who never uses the facts and the other is sane using the facts....STOP COMPARING OLBERMANN TO BECK.....there are obvious differences .......you can see by watching just 15 minutes of each of the shows.

[bluethruandthru]

2. My conservative co-workers would always talk about how Keith was

crazy and always ranting and raving. I told them that yes, Keith does get a little emotional sometimes...but at least he tells the truth. Beck, Hannity, Limbaugh and the others just flat out lie.

We all expect commentators to slant their presentations to the right or left depending on what side of the spectrum they're on...but what should NEVER be acceptable - by either side - is out-and-out lies.

[barbiegeek]

13. Wanna know how to really piss them off

Tell them your parents/family has money. Tell them how much you want an inheritance tax break to buy a Mercedes & pay off you house. That usually shuts them up.

[tanyev]

3. Here's a hilarious thigh-slapper a couple paragraphs down:

One of the great advantages of a conservative disposition is a suspicion of emotions, and emotionalism.

[babylonsister]

4. What the hell does that even mean??

Honestly; conservatives are more serious because they don't let emotions cloud their judgment? They apparently don't let curiosity or a desire for facts cloud their judgment either.

[tanyev]

6. Yeah, haven't you noticed all those serious intellectuals who adore Sarah Palin?

[emulatorloo]

10. "The dumbest decisions I’ve ever made, about politics and everything else, were executed while I was

"The dumbest decisions I’ve ever made, about politics and everything else, were executed while I was worked up about something, and trusted my emotional response."

This is more the Frum approach, but as we know those types of conservatives don't have much say in the GOP any more.

[chollybocker]

17. How does he explain the blubbery weepiness of John Boehner, then?

[tanyev]

18. No need. Nobody will ever question him on the assertion.

:banghead:

[treestar]

5. Some older white people may not be able to handle a black President

Not ALL of them, mind you, and some may be genuine conservatives.

But there's got to be those in the geezer crowd who remember the Jim Crow era and have a gut feeling whites are superior, even if they intellectually know not to make that claim. Glenn gives them excuses to indulge in that without having to say so. Thus Glenn can brainwash them with anything he wants to.

[JoePhilly]

8. The "Happy Days" generation ... many of whom are caught up in

a nostalgic fog wishing for a time long ago where everyone went to church on Wednesday night and Sunday morning, teens never had sex, and the poor and minorities lived across the tracks and kept to themselves.

They see progress as an evil. And they were terrified of the Commies.

[JitterbugPerfume]

12. I remember the 1950s

and that world exists only in their clouded minds, except for the poor living on the other side of the tracks and blacks were "invisible". Of course commies were the devil incarnate and you didn't have to be very far to the left to be considered one!

[barbiegeek]

14. You forgot when it was legal to beat your wife-it was a family matter not a crime

[JoePhilly]

15. Ahhh ... good times .... good times ....

[Enthusiast]

25. Poor and minorities knew their place.

:sarcasm:

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

7. Chris Hedges spent 20 years a s a foreign correspondent covering conflicts around the globe.

He compares Faux to some of the hate broadcasting media he encountered during his travels in these conflict zones. These people are dangerous and as overly dramatic as it sounds I think they are a threat to the country.

[fugop]

9. Absolutely on the nose

I'm a liberal. I loved Keith's show. But I had to stop watching it every night because yes, it did get me all riled up. He was spot on with so much ( as opposed to crazy Beck), but the more I watched, the angrier I would get. I personally do better reading info. I can be angry without getting crazy angry. And I notice I feel more peaceful if I read information rather than hearing it delivered to me with the great passion Keith had on his show. I'd still DVR him, but my blood pressure does better if I don't watch politics on tv.

And this story could be about my dad and my in-laws. Even my mom, who votes Dem, spouts off certain things that I know came from Fox (since Dad is tuned to it all the time). Last week she talked about how it's sad that Obama is so unpopular now. I pointed out his approval is still up near or sometimes even over 50 percent, and she was shocked. If all you watch is Fox (and if you're surrounded by Fox watchers in Texas), it's hard to maintain perspective.

And my mother-in-law, who has always been sensible and a moderate Republican, has gone crazy since Fox took over the house. My husband and I get so frustrated at the stuff that comes out so yes, we veer away from politics completely now. It's sad. I can't decide if I hate Fox more for all the lies they spew or if I hate Fox for managing to turn people into raving Glen Beck zombies.

[ladym55]

20. And they are afraid and angry constantly

Although my mother died before the rise of Glenn Beck, she was a Fox News junkie in her later years. Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly were her guides to life. She was always angry and always afraid. It affected her relationships with others and messed up the quality of her life. She was ALWAYS angry with progressive me, and hated that I married a "liberal, ivory-towered professor." Suddenly being educated was evil.

I learned to despise all things Fox because it can damage even a reasonable person's ability to think logically about issues.

[onpatrol98]

22. true....

I had to back up from the pundit heads...all of them, even Keith O, for exactly the same reason. Now, my television is off quite a bit. The house is so peaceful. And, I'm not nearly as angry anymore. A lot of it was that darn television. But, it's nice to have simply walked away. Some of those people fight and bicker on TV, but they're buddies when the show goes off, and you don't get to see that part. They give us the red meat and wave it...but then they go back to their fancy neighborhoods, easy living, AND actually LIVE their lives. Now, I turn off the idiot box a lot more and live my own life, with a lot less hate. Truth be told, that's just what it was. I had turned into a hateful democrat. Good riddance to too much media. It feels good to be happier again.

[XanaDUer]

11. I prefer the name

"Fox Geezer Derangement Syndrome".

[annabanana]

16. Yeah.. And he's shocked, . . SHOCKED I TELLS YA!!!

The spectacular cluelessness of a segment of the "conservative" punditocracy is staggering.

[GoCubsGo]

19. It lead to Kelsey Grammer's divorce

His soon-to-be ex-wife said he was too busy watching Fox News to cuddle or have sex with her:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/31/camille-grammer-on-joy-be_n_816663.html

[slay]

24. I heard the Howard Stern interview with her was classic

Camille Grammer - The Howard Stern Show 1-12-2011 Part 1 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CrEaTt5rO0&playnext=1&list=PL79DF13B65AC7F64F

*Warning - since Howard is on satellite radio now he is uncensored - no so called "bad words" will be bleeped.*

[SayitAintSo]

21. That is so on the mark....

My dad, my brother and a few of my retired conservative friends are afflicted with... FOX GEEZER SYNDROME.... He perfectly describes my experience with these guys....perpetually angry over Obama...incredible.

[saras]

23. Well, duh!

Why do you think that Fox News exists? There's easier, less controversial ways to make money, if all they wanted was money.

And for that matter, why do you think there's no psychology or psychiatry except sheeple drugs available to people, even those with plentiful money, since the Reagan era?

[Jennicut]

26. Sounds like my parents...and they are only 63. I literally cannot talk to them about

any issue without that Glenn Beck crap getting in the way.