I find I can no longer take some websites seriously. In particular, when doing a search for reviews on last night’s premier of the Glenn Beck program, almost all of the google news articles were from one source: The humorless saps at Media matters.
Looking at this article in particular, it’s nothing at all he’s ever tried to hide. He used to be an alcoholic. He was a jerk. He’s since found a new religion and straightened up his act. It’s even part of his self-deprecating schtick he’s been doing on the radio for ages. They’re only now picking up on it now that he’s a TV host?
Looking at the rest of their posts on Glenn, almost all of them are taking a humor sketch and taking it far too seriously, or taking things so far out of context that it’s insane. They even claim that they don’t by pointing at the humor sketches. Glenn Beck is first and foremost a comedian. He talks some news but almost always in such a way to poke fun at it.
I specifically did a search on their site for Carlos Mencia and South Park, two of the least politically correct comedians and comedy shows around. No relevant hits on either. You could find hundreds of things to make them and their creators look as bad as they have tried to make Beck, but they’ve not tried. Why? Probably because they consider him a “conservative talk show host” and thus want to attack him. As for other pseudo-comedy news and opinion shows, they have one blip on Jon Stewart, but it is presented with no comments or criticisms. Certainly not impartial enough to even be a factor if they’re so directional in their criticisms.
Speaking of the show, My review is somewhat mixed. Most of it was funny, but he certainly came across as trying a bit too hard to attract an audience. Many of the cuts and transitions seemed a bit unpolished. I’m sure these things will clean up as he and his staff get a bit more confidence with the medium. The camera work was fascinating and unusual on a show like this. It seems to take some of the good bits of the radio show and add more to it, and they even took one of the occasional guests to his radio show and put them in the show. (The Token Liberal, who is also the guy who does many of the celebrity voices on his radio show like Michael Jackson, John Kerry, and Teresa Heinz-Kerry.) It should attract a younger audience to CNNHN, and maybe they’ll even stick around for the hard news afterward.
It certainly has a slot on my DVR now. I hope it lasts long enough to become a hit.