Our daily Celebrate Love series is meant to help our readers end the day on a high note. And while that usually means Asian b-boy toddlers, it can also mean reenergizing victories, like this one: last night, Glenn Beck broadcast his final show on Fox News.
Beck’s not really gone, and Fox News isn’t fixed, of course — Beck’s got a weird Oprah-style channel to himself now, and Color of Change is already pushing for action against Fox Business racebaiter Eric Bolling. But! A victory is a victory.
Media Matters rounded up what they’ll "miss" about the show, then threw a well-earned party. (I say well-earned because, damn, I could not be paid enough to watch Glenn Beck every day.) At Salon, Alex Pareene reminds us that the really dangerous people at FNC are the objective-sounding anchors, like Megyn Kelly. Baratunde Thurston livetweeted the final show, and writes:
I don’t agree with the man. I’ve seen him try and partially succeed to destroy the life of a friend. But there are lessons to learn from his strategy. Beck talks up to his audiences. He broke many rules of television, selling complicated ideas in long form. He got people away from their televisions and into the streets, and now he’s setting up his own platform with digital and physical monetization which will free him even more to realize his dreams.
I only wish his dreams, like "Mercury One," were more along the lines of a rocket ship and less about half-plagiarized conspiracy theories seeking to explain why "they" want to take "your America" away.
And there’s the rub: Glenn Beck could be doing some great things for justice with his talent and resources. And maybe, someday, we’ll have the chance to make space for him in the movement. It’s worth revisiting Van Jones’ words, following his departure from the White House in the wake of a Beck-fronted smear campaign: "I see you, and I love you. I love you and you cannot do anything about it."
And if you like a little snark with your love… here’s an old Youtube favorite, Rebellious Pixels’ "Right Wing Radio Duck." Beck’s response to the video was, of course, to ponder whether video remix artists were receiving federal funding.
Happy Independence Day Weekend, America!