Sunday, April 19, 2009

You're So Vain, You Probably Think This Column Is About You

It seems that self-proclaimed "radio talk show host" Pamela Furr felt that she was one of the targets of a recent column about what it takes to become a right wing pundit. She posted on her blog:

I've got much to say since I've been on hiatus, but this is a very interesting "column" from a local attorney here in Moore County, NC.

Those that know me realize that I had to respond. After all, this is what I do as a right winged, wingnut! LOL Here is my letter to the editor for the Pilot Newspaper in Southern Pines, NC.

Dear Editors:

My name is Pamela Furr and I guess I am one of those "right wing" radio talk show hosts that Mr. Rhodes fulminated about in his highly entertaining column last Sunday. OK, let's face it -- the column was wrongheaded and full of hyperbole. Call me a nut, though (and Mr. Rhodes already has, I guess, by inference) - but a full life and a profession spent interviewing politicians (yes, including Mr. Obama) have caused me to consider extreme wrongheadedness to be highly entertaining!

Imagine my surprise and delight while visiting my parents on Easter Sunday as I opened up my hometown paper to stumble upon some of the vilest tripe masked as satire I have read in quite some time (I have to think that somewhere in Dublin, seismologists are scratching their heads over the rhythmic spinning underneath Jonathon Swift's grave). Normally one does not encounter such vitriolic wit outside of rest stop bathroom walls. Bravo, Mr. Rhodes!!! Bravo!

I am not interested in matching Mr. Rhodes' feeble attempt at satire by going point-by-point (though this might be an excellent exercise for a conservative Poli Sci class, if such a body existed), but one thing especially tickled my funny bone:

Mr. Rhodes -- None of us "right wing nuts" has EVER said Obama was a bad speaker. That is, not as long as the teleprompter doesn't go on strike. I mean, have you ever heard such a chorus of uh's, um's and ah's in your life as when that screen goes blank?

Ronald Reagan could talk all day about substantive things without a cathode ray tube anywhere nearby. So could Bill Clinton. Well, Clinton could talk all day - how substantive his talks were, varied from day to day (or… cigar to cigar?).

And neither of these men had to fill time with a Special Olympics joke [to digress a bit - a SPECIAL OLYMICS JOKE???? Imagine a Republican making such a joke - he would have to commit honorable hari kari before the press let go of THAT story].

Sincerely,

Pamela Furr, right winged wingnut talk show host

This raises a number of questions, most notably "who the hell is Pamela Furr?" Fortunately, the Google is our friend, and it tells us that Ms. Furr was recently canned from her job at Hunstville Alabama's WVNN, so her claim to be a right wing radio talk show host is dubious at best. I suspect that her "visit to her hometown" is more akin to moving into her parents' basement. (A suspicion which she has since confirmed in her comments, BTW)

We don't really know why Ms. Furr lost her job. We don't know if it was for making racist or anti-catholic comments on the air, as she seems fond of doing on her blog. Since spelling isn't really crucial on the radio, it's probably not for her inability to spell simple things like "Olympics" or my name. I thought for a moment it might be for her utter failure at fact-checking, since another quick Google reveals that St. Ronnie did indeed use a teleprompter. Often. But then I thought, "no that can't be it, because since when do right wingers give a damn about fact-checking?"

So it remains a mystery. We here at Fresh Hell wish Ms. Furr good fortune in her future job searches. We would also seek to reassure her that no, the column was not directed at her, because until she decided to poke her head up and yap, I had no earthly idea who she was.

But thank you so much for proving the point of the column, which was that the right wing is totally obsessed with meaningless trivia like teleprompters. This is most likely because they have no ideas, no coherent plan, no solutions of their own, and as we've repeatedly seen, no principles other than IOKIYAR!

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is most likely because they have no ideas, no coherent plan, no solutions of their own, and as we've repeatedly seen, no principles other than IOKIYAR! A particularly tough argument to make considering the new president of your country seems to have been following in his predecessor's footsteps economically and regarding wiretapping.

He is making friends with former enemies and that may prove to be a good thing -- or not -- down the road, but if the GOP has no plan, etc, as you stated above, what is the Democratic plan?

Or has "change" been completely abandoned?

JD Rhoades said...

Wait, I though he was a dangerous radical socialist?

Y'all anonymous trolls need to get your story straight.

And the Democrats' plans for investment in infrastructure, education and energy independence have been explained so many times at this point that asking "what is the plan" indicates that you're either being disingenuous or are too stupid to comprehend them. Since you don't have the sack to identify yourself, it's hard to tell.

Anonymous said...

I was having a similar "conversation" with a conservative nutjob today myself.

Apparently, the idea is that Obama is a threat because he's going to come marching into the homes of John Q. Public (like they did to those poor, law-abiding citizens at Waco and Ruby Ridge, the scoundrels!), drag Mr. and Mrs. Dull Brown Bird into the streets and either wrongly jail them or shoot them, all because--get this--they go to church on Sunday.

Is it me, or is the hallmark of conservatives descending into an over-inflated opinion of self that is convinced their every move is a threat to the Obama administration?

They wish.

Fran said...

"I mean, have you ever heard such a chorus of uh's, um's and ah's in your life as when that screen goes blank?"

Did she ever listen to Dubya give an unscripted speech?

Please.

JD Rhoades said...

Fran: excellent point. But this a classic tactic for the unhinged conservatives: they attempt to attack an opponent's perceived strength by trying to project their own guy's weakness onto the opponent. In other words, they lie like dogs.

Anonymous said...

Lie like dogs? Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black? I read in your blog posting your ponderings about why Ms. Furr was "canned". You googled to find out? Is that how small-town attorney's do their homework? I'm disappointed in my own neighbors. If you would have further researched actual news stories, you would have discovered that Ms. Furr was laid off along with 5 of her other co-workers because of the lagging economy. You would have seen in actual news stories that Ms. Furr, her five other co-workers were laid off along with about 180 other employees of Cumulus Media. You would have also discovered her ratings were sky high and her reputation spotless.

And I would throw stones at her "spelling." You need quite a bit of correcting yourself.

I went to school with Ms. Furr and I'm glad to see her home however long it will be, whether she's living with her aging parents (across the street from one of our many golf courses..not too shabby for unemployment) or decides to make Southern Pines her permanent residence again.

-- Mandy
(I see your moderation is on. Let's see if you'll actually allow a response from one of Pamela's old friends to be seen)

JD Rhoades said...

So right-wing talk radio can't make it economically anymore in Huntsville, Alabama? Wow, you folks really have lost ground. That made my day, Mandy! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Stupid is as stupid does, Mr. Rhoades. You still haven’t answered the question put to you. Has the change been abandoned? Is your president a Bush-Light, so to speak, or someone who will bring change to Washington? So far, it seems, he hasn’t done much in the way of change.

Did you really use Google to character assassinate? Shame on you.

And Pamela, you go girl!

JD Rhoades said...

Stupid is as stupid does, Mr. Rhoades.

Quoting a character from a movie all about what a great and noble thing it is to be a half-wit doesn't help your credibility, anonymouse.

And the answer to your question is: no. Change hasn't been "abandoned" because some policies are being continued. Ask any teabagger.

And I can see how right wingers fear the Google..it doesn't filter out inconvenient facts.

Gerard Saylor said...

Rhoades is very good about posting all sorts of anonymous blather. He posted my anonymously written blather. He even posts signed blather, like Charlie Stella's.

Speaking of lying. I came to this site specifically to grouse about that lying turd Newt Gingrich. He was on the Today Show this morning spewing all kinds of crap. His nonsense really ticked me off.

Sarah Shaber said...

Give 'em hell and more hell, Dusty.

JD Rhoades said...

Thanks Gerald and Sarah. I'm always amused by the fact that people don't seem to realize that when they post something like "We'll see if you dare to print this" it makes them look like fools when I do.

Anonymous said...

What facts are you referring to? You didn't bring up any facts in your attempt to slant what happened to Pamela in Huntsville, AL. You posted a link to a blog of someone who obviously didn't like her show. Where are the facts of Corporate Downsizing with the company she worked for?

And let me also add; you stated "dubious" at best as to her "talk show host" title. Let me ask you, if you have no clients, does that mean you're no longer an attorney?

In your original column that Pamela called you on, you listed no facts. What right winged wing nut has stated that Obama wasn't a good speaker? And furthermore, where did Pamela state that Reagan DIDN'T use a teleprompter? Where is that fact? For an attorney, one who likes to talk about facts, you sure seem lack of many.

-- Mandy

We continue with this conversation, I may just have to sign up for an actual account. AND THAT'S A FACT

JD Rhoades said...

Ever notice that right wingers never have the courage to admit what they're actually saying?

Any right wingnut who makes a big deal over Obama using a teleprompter is implying he can't speak without one. One point of the teleprompter flap is to demean Obama's reputation as an inspiring speaker while ignoring the fact that their own heroes such as Reagan and Dubbya used the teleprompter as well.

The main point of the teleprompter flap, of course, is to drag the discussion down into a debate over meaningless trivia. This is why you failed in the last election. This pretty much sums up how that's working for ya since:1.) He only reads good cuz of his teleprompter- FAIL.
2.) He is a socialist- FAIL.
3.) The markets are tanking thousands of points every day because he is President- FAIL.
4.) He blames American for everything- FAIL.
5.) He is polarizing- FAIL.
Obama won the election, in large part, because after every one of you people's idiotic attacks ("AYERS! WRIGHT! ORANGE JUICE!") he'd calmly bring the subject back to what people were really worried about: the economy, energy, and the war.

You people are never coming back to power until you learn to concentrate on serious issues in a serious manner and stop doing silly shit like putting teabags on your hats.

Gerard Saylor said...

Such a horrible waste of tea.

Anonymous said...

J.D. You didn't answer one of my questions. WHERE ARE YOUR FACTS? LOL Me thinks he doth protest too much trying to distract exactly how he accuses others of doing.

Be very careful. The Democrats have been in control since 2006, a fact you have grossly ignored. The Democrats have had plenty of time to "fix" what is what you say is wrong with America. Instead things have gotten much much worse with the economy; and our men and women are nowhere near ready to come home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

You're the one obsessed with the teleprompter; you're the one obsessed with handshakes; and you're the obsessed with the other guy not offering solutions of your own.

-- Mandy

JD Rhoades said...

Another standard wingnut tactic:

(1) Ask a question.
(2) Get an answer you don't like.
(3) Claim your question was never answered.

There is no honesty whatsoever in these people.

Anonymous said...

JD you are a joke. You would never get away with this in a court of law; your certainly not getting away with it in the court of public opinion, and I'm sorry Mr. wanna-be author and blogger who wants attention, but using the typical Democratic talking points don't cut it either. Put on your reading glasses, scroll above, and answer my questions. Otherwise, this is an excercise in futility. (which you seem to be the hometown master at. Wish I had known this a long time ago)

-- Mandy

JD Rhoades said...

It appears that in Mandy, we have what is known as an "endurance troll," one who apparently thinks that as long as she can keep posting, sputtering insults, projecting her own inadequacies onto others, and asking the same questions over and over no matter how many times they're answered, she's still in the game. And when everyone finally gets tired of banging their heads against the impenetrable brick wall of Mandy's ignorance and wanders off, she can sit there in a pile of the poo she's flung and claim victory.

Mandy, I've answered your question about who's called Obama a poor speaker...everyone who raises the stupid teleprompter issue. And while I know you fear the Google like a primitive tribeswoman fears the great shiny birds that fly over her jungle, a simple search on "Obama poor speaker" provides the answer: quite a lot of people.

Now go ahead: claim I haven't answered you. Then listen to the crickets chirp and the distant sound of other readers laughing at you.

Anonymous said...

I guess I do stand corrected.. you listed "a lot of them" from a google search, but never actually checked out the pages in the search. That's shoddy reporting. Google lists a lot of right wing bloggers who are apparantly just like you JD who like to let off a little steam by pointing a finger. I guess I'm going back to Pamela's original post quoting your column about how to be one of the "big dogs." These little bloggers aren't in the same category or league. Nice try, though.

Here's a thought, do some research and actually read some of the results from Google. You might find that not everything on the internet is fact.

Shoddy. Very shoddy.

JD Rhoades said...

So now you move the goalposts from "what right wing nut has said Obama's a poor speaker" to "what 'big dogs'"? (Whatever that means).

Again, there is no honesty in these people.

Anonymous said...

Just because you don't like the answer, doesn't mean I moved the goal posts. I'M REFERRING TO YOUR ORIGINAL ARTICLE Pamela referred to. This is funny. Truly funny. I'll let you get the last word since that's what makes you tick. Don't forget to throw in a token insult.

JD Rhoades said...

Endurance troll endures.

Rabid Fox said...

This may be one blog in a sea of many, but I find this back-and-forth more entertaining than anything offered by that old time-waster, "Crossfire."

Some of the anti-Obama stuff is just pure gold. :)

Pamela Furr said...

THIS HAS BEEN EXTREMELY FUN TO READ!! Thank you! Just wanted to make sure you guys were aware that I will be on Charlotte's News/Talk 1110 WBT on Thursday from 9pm - midnight ET if you want to hear more of the "Obama hatin'" (your words, not mine) www.wbt.com