Quote: “The problem with the Fairness Doctrine is not that it insures balance, there’s nothing wrong with balance, it’s that it insures less political conversation. In other words, if people knew they had to balance a very successful broadcast of the Michael Medved show with some new liberal show that might or might not succeed, that makes my show a much less attractive investment ”
Quote: “The left-leaning thinking that dominates the movie business follows a common liberal instinct to deny the spiritual dimension to every problem, thereby profoundly compounding the difficulties. ”
Quote: “Only criminals did not evacuate….” re. the poor, old and ill who could not leave New Orleans during Katrina.
Quote: “I mean, part of the problem with liberalism is that it denies the existence of evil. If there’s a serial rapist, or child molester, of killer, we have to understand that it is because of his bad childhood.”
Quote: “A quick glance at the American left reveals a movement in the midst of a nervous breakdown, displaying behavior that goes beyond inconsistency into the realm of bipolar moods and multiple personality disorders. ”
Medved is notable as the best-known socially conservative film critic. He’s a good example of how people can grow up to go horribly wrong. While attending Yale he was a Democrat and opposed the Vietnam War. He worked on Senator Robert Kennedy’s presidential campaign and was a witness to his assassination. Sometime during his stint with Congressman Ron Dellums of Berkeley, California, Medved “flipped,” and subsequently cemented his move into Conservatism by working for the presidential campaign of Ronald Reagan.
He worked as a movie critic for CNN and the New York Post, and for twelve years was the co-host of Sneak Previews, a nationally televised weekly movie review show on PBS public television. He is on the board of contributors to USA Today and occasionally does op-ed pieces for the Wall Street Journal. Most of the time his Conservative viewpoint gets the better of him, compelling him apparently to be obsessed with the way religion is portrayed by mainstream Hollywood. This often manifests itself in regard to movies he deems “family friendly.”
Another favorite topic in regard to movies is what he characterizes as inappropriate entertainment for or about children. This incluces The Simpsons, Beavis and Butt-head, and South Park. He’s described the Disney movies Pocahontas as being “dark and politically correct preaching about persecution of Native Americans”, and Mulan as well as Bugs Bunny for promoting “the liberating impact of cross-dressing”.
There’s a reason I took such lengths to describe Mr. Medved, instead of just lambasting him for being the Conservative shill he truly is. On first, second or even third pass, Michael Medved appears to be entirely reasonable. It takes some time and repeated listenings to realize how far out there he truly is. You’ll find yourself often thinking; “Did he say what I think he said?”
His facade as a mild-mannered Conservative Jew quickly crumbles once you start paying attention. He’s as mean-spirited and full of hatred of his enemies as any Conservative personality. For example, he has a fondness for giving pejorative names to political candidates he disagrees with (e.g., labeling U.S. Democratic Presidential Candidates Wes Clark “Weaselly” Clark, John Edwards as John “Shyster,” etc.). Medved justifies this based on a long tradition in United States politics of such name-calling. He also hates third parties, which he also labels with facietious nicknames (e.g., calling the Libertarian Party “Losertarians,” the Constitution Party the “Constipation Party,” the Green Party the “Spleen Party,” and referring to all third parties generally as “turd parties.”
Don’t let the benign smile fool you. Michael Medved is every bit the shark that Bill O’Reilly is. The difference is that Medved works in a more insidious fashion. He seems like a rather nice guy. It’s only in spending some time with him that one realizes that there are scary things running around inside of his skull.
Required Reading
– Wikipedia: Michael Medved bio
– Right-Wing Watch: Michael Medved
Reference
– The Michael Medved Show
