Liberals Turn to Entertainment to Batter the "House of Bush"

[kskiska]

Liberals turn to entertainment to batter the 'House of Bush'
Stage shows, music, books being used to reach voters

Loathing President Bush is an art form in Berkeley, a disgust so pointed that 3,500 people recently gave a standing ovation to a trio of best- selling Bush-bashing authors -- comedian Al Franken, economist Paul Krugman and ex-Nixon strategist Kevin Phillips -- before they uttered a word onstage.

Unbeknownst to most in the sold-out Berkeley Community Theater audience, they were beta-testing a show that East Coast promoters are developing into a national barnstorming tour. The promoters were impressed; dates in New York and New Haven, Conn., are expected to be announced in the next week on what's being billed as the "Rolling Thunder" tour.

Bookers in Los Angeles and Chicago are gauging the reception of the unorthodox concept -- three disparate authors, fronted by three different publishers, united only by their common pounding of the leader of the free world -- before scheduling local versions.

While political commentary wrapped in entertainment harkens back at least to the 1950s and such comics as Mort Sahl, the concept has largely been hibernating until recently, dismissed as box-office death for those to the left of Rush Limbaugh. That attitude began to change last fall, when best- sellers by Franken and filmmaker Michael Moore uncovered an appetite for Bush- bashing entertainment.

more…
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/01/25/MNGBF4CVRG21.DTL

[Maeve]

1. Note the term "Bush-bashing"

Somehow I don't remember the term "Clinton-bashing" being used nearly so much. I think there is an attempt to brush aside "bashers" so their criticisms aren't taken seriously.

[schultzee]

6. We should accused them of Bush blindness

[Bandit]

15. No it was Clinton Fatigue we were confronted with.

No such thing as Clinton Bashing. :shrug: Bush Fatigue is beginning to set in though and it will be hard to dismiss it as being only about radical left-wingers.

[RandomKoolzip]

2. Of course, all their ideas can be reduced to "Bush-bashing," right?

God, I hate media whores like the author of this article. If you can parse this article and not come to the conclusion that the press has a conservative bias, then there's nothing I can do to to illuminate it.....


The fourth estate is officially dead. This author makes the ideas and humor and criticisms and words of these writers seem frivilous and mean-spirited. What a tangled web the whores weave....

[bvar22]

3. F**k Em.

Let's help make BUSH BASHING the popular, cool thing to do!!

STOP bush*
BEFORE HE KILLS AGAIN!!!

[saigon68]

4. SORRY HE AND HIS HENCHMEN KILL EVERY DAY

But then again they are only "Rag-Heads" </Sarcasm>







(My apology for the racial epithet--sometimes it's the only way to get the point across)

[Elidor]

5. "Rolling Thunder Tour" is Jim Hightower's bit

The article doesn't mention any affiliation with Hightower. I'm looking forward to seeing this, but they need an original name.

[0rganism]

7. Just cos the article doesn't mention Hightower doesn't mean he isn't there

Looks like a rather shoddy piece of ill-researched reporting, rather than ripping off one of the Living Legends of populist activism.

[Democat]

8. What a horribly written article! Total bash on the left by the "media"

The headline should read, "Media underhandedly bashes all who don't worship Bush!"

[peacetalksforall]

9. Bush bashing - an honorable pursuit...

why didn't he give us honor and integrity in the White House so he didn't have to be bashed? Why didn't he do anything honorable that he promised - liars set themselves up. Dirty tricks - a steady stream of them - with a degree of repulsion that deserves unstopping bashing as has been going on since the theft of our votes.

[JoFerret]

10. Unfortunate language aside

...there is undoubtedly a deep well of antipathy to the Bush MisAdministration. These people will not be changing their minds; will be offering support to ABB; and will be voting and mobilizing voters. It may not be a majority but Bush antipathy runs deeeeep amongst those who followed the stolen election and every evil BFEE move since. Galvanized into action this is a powerful group.

[sendero]

11. I think the time will come...

... when the "media" decides it can get more viewership and $$$ by 'bashing' rather than 'whitewashing' Bush*. Of course, at that point Bush* is toast.

I know a lot of folks thing this stuff is controlled from the top down, but I don't think so. Fox gets viewers by giving them a palatable message. People have enough stress in their lives without listening to all that "negative stuff".

But at a certain point, people realize that not only is that "negative stuff" by and large true, but that it is effing up their lives.

Maybe I'm kidding myself, but I don't think so :)

[BeFree]

12. "Whitewashing Bush*"

Could easily morph into *bushwashing, eh?

Then DC would morph into *bushwashington.

[0007]

18. Your right on!

[xxqqqzme]

13. it should B billed as

Rolling Thunder Truth Tour!

[SoCalDem]

14. What would they EXPECT us to do..

Of course I take issue with the "Bush-Bash" epithet.. When we are shut out of the mass media, do they expect us to just shut up and go away???

The "other side" has summarily taken over radio,tv talk, newspapers,magazines...mostly via cannibalization of the head offices. It's easy to track the demise..

Small towns used to have several newspapers, morning and afternoon editions..

even small towns had several competing radio stations..

television stations were diverse and locvally owned (except for some major markets)

even cable stations started out with many competitors.. The networks were independent and diverse too..

Now, everything belongs to a few rich white guys, who "just happen to be very conservative", so is it any wonder that their ventures posit THEIR thinking..

The A&E has turned into just plain "E"...

CNN has morphed into "FlyboyBush" every weekend, several times.. and the "Smile-o-vision" newsperson.. It's a laugh-fest..no hard news to be had, unless it's of a democrat..

Discovery has been turned into several "specialty discoverys", and often on weekends, 3 or 4 of them delve into Biblical Revelations:eyes:

TLC is not exactly the learning channel anymore.. It's a lot of old series reruns..

There is such a high hill t climb, it does my heart good to know that we are fighting back, even if there is no way we can ever really "win"..

If a dem ever does get back into power and does not manage to bring back the fairness doctrine, I will lose all hope

[yellowcanine]

16. Harry Truman would say,

"I tell the truth and they think it is Bush bashing."

Give em hell Kerry! (or Dean)

[tigereye]

17. if he weren't such a terrible president

there wouldn't be any need for bashing. Bash away, I say.

[bobthedrummer]

19. That's entertainment!

n/t