Why does Randi feel the need to bash.....

[Buddyblazon]

Al Franken so much? I find her show amusing...I really like it. But Franken was the one who got me to AAR. And I presume that his name attached to the project gave it a substantial amount of early needed momentum.

I've seen her live. She bashed Al. At least once a show (I listen everyday), she bashes Al.

I like Al. And she's really pissing me off with this. I feel like calling in and saying, "you're on the same team". But I know I would just get screamed down.

I could care less about who else she wants to bitch about. But I just think it's not very classy that she's bashing a guy whose name ended up getting her more notoriety.

[helderheid]

1. I've never heard her bash Al

[Buddyblazon]

4. What?!?!?!

I hear her bash him all the time. She can't stand him. She like's Franny. Everytime she talks to her, she makes something to the point of, "must be tough being married to that media whore.".

I can positively assure you that I am not wrong on this. Have heard her bash him literally hundreds of times.

Now.....it may be for ratings. But she bashes him all the time.

[Tim4319]

9. I've never heard her slam Al!

I do remember her saying nice things about him on air. I do remember one show when she was saying how much respect she had for him. But, I've never heard her talk bad about him.

[Buddyblazon]

10. Tim4319....

No relation to her producer...Tim?

I am not lying Tim. I promise you that she does.

[Tim4319]

22. No relation! Although I would love to receive his paycheck!

I will keep my ears open during Randi's show.

[charlyvi]

2. I agree.

Whether you like Franken or not, and I do, his name brought many listeners to AAR--and Randi. I saw a movie about AAR and she was borderline trashing him then, too. I think she resented the publicity Al was getting.

[Epiphany4z]

3. Fraken called into her show

Just this week she said she would take a bullet for him...I think she likes him I have never heard her bash him.

[Buddyblazon]

6. Take a bullet for him?

Whoa...now that I have NEVER heard her say. Nor anything like that.

I believe you. But after hearing her bash him all the time...and hearing her bash him several times when I saw her live, up close at a meetup....I'm just shocked to hear her say she would take a bullet for him.

[Epiphany4z]

11. I can't recall

the direct quote but I think she meant in the butt you know serious but silly...anyway it was pretty clear she pulling for him. Maybe she doesn't always agree with him but I don't count that as bashing.

I will say that I do not hear the show eveyday..so maybe I missed something.

[Inland]

5. All radio people take jabs at each other.

I don't think she bashes him as points out that he's not a radio professional. To some extent, she's right--but bottom line, she's saying it to entertain herself, not me, and she might as well skip it.

[Indykatie]

7. Our Own Worst Enemy Sometimes

I know what you mean. I feel the same about some of the Dem bashing that goes on. We need to be free to criticize but the blanket bashing of some of our own doesn't serve us well in my opinion. I have turned around a few Repug Hillary bashers but I don't understand when any Dem says that they won't support her if she is our nominee in 08. I'm supporting whoever the nominee is. Well that's my rant and I rarely rant. Boy it felt good!

[Indykatie]

8. Our Own Worst Enemy Sometimes

I know what you mean. I feel the same about some of the Dem bashing that goes on. We need to be free to criticize but the blanket bashing of some of our own doesn't serve us well in my opinion. I have turned around a few Repug Hillary bashers but I don't understand when any Dem says that they won't support her if she is our nominee in 08. I'm supporting whoever the nominee is. Well that's my rant and I rarely rant. Boy it felt good!

[Cleita]

12. She pokes at him in fun.

I have heard her say what wonderful people Al and Frannie are at other times. I think she and Malloy, like many DU'ers here, think Al is too moderate in his views so she pokes fun at him for it but I don't find she is insulting to him, like she is with RW news people like Hannity and O'Reilly.

[Buddyblazon]

14. I'll admit that I may not have gotten her humor....

but I am a cynic...and I have a cynical sense of humor. I generally GET another cynics sense of humor. Just saying, I found it in no way humorous. Especially after she started her talk with a Franken bash when I saw her here. The whole crowd was struck quiet for that brief moment.

[leesa]

13. Interesting. I listen to her regularily and I have never heard her bash

him.

[Buddyblazon]

16. Funny. I listen to her regularly and I've heard it happen many times.

[earthside]

15. Randi is a Real Progressive ...

... Franken is mostly a Democrat. That's the difference between the two and that's what you may take for 'bashing'.

Randi has talked about how she could have had a show bankrolled by the Democratic Party establishment, but she didn't want to feel obligated to the party line. Franken, on the other hand is pretty much a down the line Democrat. Randi will criticize Democrats that voted for the war or the bankruptcy bill or Gonzales, etc. Franken soft pedals his criticism.

I like Franken better as an entertainment political talk show host than Randi, but as a political leader? I'm afraid if he were in the U.S. Senate he'd be in the Biden, Clinton, Lieberman camp.

If Randi were in the U.S. Senate? Wow. She'd be a vocal, active voice for liberals and progressives -- more like Paul Wellstone.

[thereismore]

17. It bothers me too. I heard her say

that Al has a conflict of interest when he has a political show and at the same time he is running for office. Other times, she does not name him by his name but remarks that some people (wink wink) are getting paid much more for a crappy (my word) show.

[Buddyblazon]

19. Wow....check it out.....

I'm NOT the only one whose heard this. For a second I thought I was going crazy.

Thinks for the affirmation. ;)

[davidwparker]

18. She put alot of effort into getting AAR of the ground and in the beginning

Al was getting a lot of the fanfare. That's what I concluding from the HBO documentary.

She seems to bash him when there is a deep subject and Al inserts jokes.

[Buddyblazon]

20. Maybe that's why I like Al....

because I do the same thing.

[MurrayDelph]

21. I could be wrong...

but I think the "media whore" she bashes on the show so
often is Ed Schulz, whose show runs opposite hers in those areas
that run hers live.

[Buddyblazon]

23. We get them both here in Denver.

Him from 1-4. Than her last hour live, followed by the first three hours pre-recorded earlier in the day.

[think4yourself]

24. Heard it too

Yeah I've heard it too. I think she does it because he is too moderate. She has the best show on AAR and I am a true fan. You are not going crazy, I've heard it too. It's very subtle and she doesn't mention names, so keep your ears open, you'll hear it too!

[Buddyblazon]

27. I like and listen to them all....

I get a different physiological response to all of them.

Al...makes me happy. He makes me laugh at how fucked up our situation is.

Ed...makes me so "duh". Makes me realize how a lot of people that could go either way feel. And that's an important and valid thing to realize.

Randi...gets me in my manic state. Go between laughter and acute anger and back again.

Sam...has the exact type of sense of humor I like. So I feel like I'm hanging out with one of my buddies.

Mike...makes me feel like a pissed off madman. Like I want to grab a torch and farming utensil and march in a mob in Washington. Makes me want to put a knuckle sandwich right in the grill of some bully.




In the end, I really like all of them. I'm just leery of this turning out like many of or other ventures...a circular firing squad. But at this point I think most would agree that AAR is here and here to stay.

[rocktivity]

25. "Bash" is too strong a word

Randi has raised questions about his friendship with Watergate burglar G. Gordon Liddy, and if it's a conflict of interest for him to remain on AAR when he's officially contemplating running for office. But I think those are legitimate questions, not "bashing."

:headbang:
rocknation

[zalinda]

26. She has on occasion mentioned the fact

that SHE has radio experience and he doesn't. The fact that Al is promoted more than she is, and that he is on Sundance doesn't help her ego. For the most part she is kidding, but there is a little jealousy that peeks through.

zalinda

[caledesi]

34. That's it Z! nt

[tridim]

28. It's just ribbing, not bashing

Randi just wants Franken's time slot (which is deserved IMO), as long as she keeps the comments good natured I'm not too worried.

Now Malloy on the other hand, he's not shy about pointing out how non-progressive Franken has become. It's similar to his opinion of Clinton, whom he refers to as "The best Republican president ever".

[PBass]

29. I've heard her make comments

Not bashing but she makes little "digs" sometimes. She used to do it a lot before they got their new studios... she complained about the studio and hinted that Franken had better accomodations. (he has a separate studio because he shoots a TV show too).

She also griped that he gets the best guests... it's usually couched in the terms of "certain people" or that type of thing.

It sounds petty. One thing I've personally learned is that you shouldn't complain about your boss or work situation to outsiders or in public. It can look bad. She shouldn't stoop to doing it.

[caledesi]

35. I love Randi bec she is so fact-based. I have learned so much

from her. But yes,there is definitely jealousy concerning Al Franken. The "digs" never stop.

[newyawker99]

36. Hi PBass!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Ivan Sputnik]

30. I think she likes Al

but doesn't particularly like his show's format or the fact that he's not a radio pro. It probably bugs her that he's the highest paid AAR host by far (I assume) and that he gets most of the attention from the media whenever they mention AAR -- as if it was the Al Franken Network. That bothers the other hosts, too, but she's more vocal about it. She doesn't usually criticize Al/Al's show by name (you sorta have to read between the lines), which may be why a lot of people don't realize it when she's zinging him.

[bunny planet]

31. I used to think she was joking, Brooklyn style, but lately I think they've

had a falling out, although he never mentions her. I think she is annoyed that he is going to run for office, not that she minds that per say, but that his running keeps him from doing his job as a radio host properly. He's too timid about loudly denouncing Republicans and too timid about the election fraud (which is why I stopped listening to him regularly btw) and that really pisses her off. Most of the time though she just says the truth, that she and Malloy are the only radio jocks on the station, everybody else came from some other branch of the entertainment industry and does not have radio experience and it often showed, at least in the beginning, and sometimes still does. She is also disgusted that Al calls G. Gordon Liddy a friend and has him on the show and speaks well of him, she thinks he's a criminal and so do I. I don't understand Franken's friendship with him either. I think Randi is very insecure, she has mentioned lots of times that she resented Franken being the one credited with starting AAR, he leant his name and fame to the project no doubt, but Randi rolled up her sleeves and got the project off the ground in the thankless behind the scenes ways. She generally disses the management too. She is flawed person, aren't we all, I still think she's great at what she does (ok, not so hot with some phonecalls and talks over interviewees too much sometime), and her passion is needed and appreciated.

[Marr]

32. She seemed to be bashing Jeneane Garofalo the other night.

She commented that Garofalo 'is doing great work... on the West Wing". Seemed like an insult to me.

Randi Rhodes seems to bash anyone on that station who gets attention. I admit that I don't generally listen to her show because, in all honesty- she seems to be enamored with the sound of her own voice.

[never cry wolf]

33. IMHO

I love Randi, she is spot on and has all her facts in order but she does have some vanity, not necessarily unfounded but she does let it show. She worked her way up from nothing into some pretty significant positions in radio, she is a radio pro. She also worked her butt off to get a progressive network going and she takes alot of pride in that all, as well she should. But AAR hired and hyped Al and Jeanine to jump start the station because they had national name recognition. In her mind, she and Malloy are the long time radio pros and Al and Jeanine got all the pub (and alot of the money) for doing something they had never done before solely for their name.

I can see where she is coming from, she def knows the radio biz and has been very succseeful in it. She achieves her dream and rookies take the spotlight. I also see where AAR is coming from because as successful as Randi was in her local markets, 99% of the country had never heard of her but many knew Al and Jeanine.

I begrudge neither, normal human reactions, IMHO.

[in_cog_ni_to]

37. I listen to Randi almost every day, if I can, and

I can honestly say I don't recall her bashing Al Franken. What exactly did she say?