Friday, December 29, 2006
Talk Radio vs. The View: I recently found myself in the waiting room of an auto service center waiting for my car. The television was on ABC and The View came on. I've heard much about The View over the last several weeks so I took the opportunity to listen for myself. Over the years I've heard much about how intolerant and divisive so-called "right wing" talk radio is, but I have to be honest and tell you The View is every bit as offensive and hate-filled. The show that I watched was one gratuitous attack against conservatives after another. The panel was mean-spirited and intolerant of opposing opinions- in fact I saw very few opposing opinions offered. The View is, under our system, free to be what it wants to be. But I would offer the following observations to the producers:
1. The View will never "grow" their audience. The constant (and untruthful) attacks on conservatives and Republicans will cap the audience at the current viewership. There may be spikes when there is controversy, but the unrelenting hate coming from the panel will never capture new audience from the conservative or Republican ranks.
2. Rosie O'Donnell is an elitist. Worse, she's filled with anger and hate and appears bent on using The View as her own private platform to launch personal and political attacks.
3. For years I've heard the complaint that we're too divisive as a country and that it will take liberals to bring us back together as a nation. The View proves this to be incorrrect. The View is doing more to drive a permanent wedge between the citizens of the United States than any other media forum today.
4. For years I've also heard the complaint that liberals don't have a venue like "talk radio" to get their view out. Wrong. The View is every bit the equal to "right wing" talk radio and it's just as extreme and hate filled as any of the so-called right wing commentators.
Sign this as a viewer The View will never capture- I just don't have room in my life for that much hate and discontent.
1. The View will never "grow" their audience. The constant (and untruthful) attacks on conservatives and Republicans will cap the audience at the current viewership. There may be spikes when there is controversy, but the unrelenting hate coming from the panel will never capture new audience from the conservative or Republican ranks.
2. Rosie O'Donnell is an elitist. Worse, she's filled with anger and hate and appears bent on using The View as her own private platform to launch personal and political attacks.
3. For years I've heard the complaint that we're too divisive as a country and that it will take liberals to bring us back together as a nation. The View proves this to be incorrrect. The View is doing more to drive a permanent wedge between the citizens of the United States than any other media forum today.
4. For years I've also heard the complaint that liberals don't have a venue like "talk radio" to get their view out. Wrong. The View is every bit the equal to "right wing" talk radio and it's just as extreme and hate filled as any of the so-called right wing commentators.
Sign this as a viewer The View will never capture- I just don't have room in my life for that much hate and discontent.
