Glenn Beck: Difference between revisions
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== Political views == |
== Political views == |
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Beck has called himself a conservative with libertarian leanings.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.amconmag.com/postright/2009/09/22/things-sean-hannity-would-never-say/|title=Things Sean Hannity Would Never Say|last=Hunter|first=Jack|date=September 22nd, 2009 |work=[[The American Conservative]]|accessdate=February 20, 2010}}</ref> Among his core values Beck lists personal responsibility, private charity, the [[right to life]], [[freedom of religion]], [[limited government]], and family as the cornerstone of society. Beck also believes in low [[national debt]], and has said "A conservative believes that debt creates unhealthy relationships. Everyone, from the government on down, should live within their means and strive for financial independence."<ref name="cnnbeck">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/25/beck.conservatives/index.html | title=Commentary: Obama no, McCain maybe | publisher=CNN | last=Beck | first=Glenn | accessdate=2009-09-10}}</ref> |
Beck has called himself a conservative with libertarian leanings.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.amconmag.com/postright/2009/09/22/things-sean-hannity-would-never-say/|title=Things Sean Hannity Would Never Say|last=Hunter|first=Jack|date=September 22nd, 2009 |work=[[The American Conservative]]|accessdate=February 20, 2010}}</ref> Among his core values Beck lists personal responsibility, private charity, the [[right to life]], [[freedom of religion]], [[limited government]], and family as the cornerstone of society. Beck also believes in low [[national debt]], the elimination of government insurance including Medicare and Medigap and has said "A conservative believes that debt creates unhealthy relationships. Everyone, from the government on down, should live within their means and strive for financial independence."<ref name="cnnbeck">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/25/beck.conservatives/index.html | title=Commentary: Obama no, McCain maybe | publisher=CNN | last=Beck | first=Glenn | accessdate=2009-09-10}}</ref> |
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Beck supports individual gun ownership rights and is against [[gun control]] legislation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/9902/|title=Glenn Beck: Gun Week!|accessdate=15 November 2008 |date= 12 May 2008}}</ref> |
Beck supports individual gun ownership rights and is against [[gun control]] legislation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/9902/|title=Glenn Beck: Gun Week!|accessdate=15 November 2008 |date= 12 May 2008}}</ref> |
Revision as of 05:02, 22 February 2010
This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. (November 2009) |
Glenn Beck | |
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![]() Glenn Beck at CPAC on February 20, 2010. | |
Born | Glenn Lee Beck February 10, 1964 |
Nationality | American |
Education | Sehome High School |
Occupation(s) | Media personality (host/owner of eponymous talk radio show and television show, related website and magazine) author live entertainer |
Spouse(s) | Claire (1983-1994), Tania (1999-present) |
Children | Mary, Hannah (from first marriage); Raphe, Cheyenne (from second marriage) |
Website | http://www.glennbeck.com/ |
Glenn Lee Beck (born February 10, 1964) is an American radio and television host, author, conservative political commentator, and entrepreneur. He is the host of The Glenn Beck Program, a nationally-syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks. Beck is also the host of a self-titled cable-news show on Fox News Channel. As an author, Beck has gained success with five #1 New York Times-bestselling books.[3] He has become a well-known public figure, whose provocative views have afforded him media recognition and popularity, along with controversy and criticism.
Beck is also the founder and CEO of Mercury Radio Arts, a multi-media production company through which he produces content for radio, television, publishing, the stage, and the Internet.
Personal life
Glenn Lee Beck was born in Everett, Washington, on February 10, 1964, to William and Mary Beck. His parents lived in Mountlake Terrace, Washington at the time of Beck's birth[4] and sometime later moved their family to Mount Vernon, Washington[5] where they owned and operated City Bakery in the downtown area.[6] Beck was raised as a Roman Catholic and attended private Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Mount Vernon. At age 13, he won a contest that landed him his first broadcast gig as a disc-jockey for his hometown radio station, KBRC.[7]
In 1977, William Beck filed for divorce against Mary due to her increasing alcoholism.[8] Glenn and his older sister moved with their mother to Sumner, Washington, attending a Jesuit school[9] in Puyallup. On May 15, 1979, his mother drowned in Puget Sound, just west of Tacoma, Washington.[9] A man who had taken her out in a small boat also drowned. A Tacoma police report stated that Mary Beck "appeared to be a classic drowning victim", but a Coast Guard investigator speculated that she could have intentionally jumped overboard.[9] Beck has described his mother's death as a suicide in interviews during television and radio broadcasts.[9][8]
After their mother's death, Beck and his older sister moved to their father's home in Bellingham, Washington,[7] where Beck graduated from Sehome High School in June 1982.[10] In the aftermath of his mother's death and subsequent suicide of his stepbrother, Beck has said he used "Dr. Jack Daniel's" to cope.[11]
At 18, following high school graduation, Beck relocated to Provo, Utah and worked at radio station KAYK. Feeling he "didn't fit in", Beck left Utah after six months,[12] taking a job at Washington D.C.'s WPGC in February 1983.[13]
While working at WPGC, Beck met his first wife, Claire.[14] The couple married and had two daughters, Mary and Hannah; Mary was born in 1988 with cerebral palsy, the result of a series of strokes at birth.[14] The couple divorced in 1994 amid Beck's struggles with substance abuse. Along with being a recovering alcoholic and drug addict,[15] Beck has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.[16][17] He cites the help of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in his sobriety and attended his first AA meeting in November 1994, the month he states he stopped drinking alcohol and smoking cannabis.[16]
In 1996, while working for a New Haven-area radio station, Beck was admitted to Yale University through a special program for non-traditional students. Beck took one theology class, "Early Christology," and then dropped out.[16][18]
In 1999, Beck married his second wife, Tania.[16] They joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in October 1999, partly at the urging of his daughter Mary.[19][20] The couple has two children, Raphe (who is adopted) and Cheyenne, and currently live in New Canaan, Connecticut.
In 2002 Beck created Mercury Radio Arts, a media platform which produces his broadcast, publishing and online projects, as well as his live performances.
Political views
Beck has called himself a conservative with libertarian leanings.[21] Among his core values Beck lists personal responsibility, private charity, the right to life, freedom of religion, limited government, and family as the cornerstone of society. Beck also believes in low national debt, the elimination of government insurance including Medicare and Medigap and has said "A conservative believes that debt creates unhealthy relationships. Everyone, from the government on down, should live within their means and strive for financial independence."[22]
Beck supports individual gun ownership rights and is against gun control legislation.[23]
Clarence Page, A race card from the right wing, August 16, 2009, Chicago Tribune.</ref> Beck believes that there is a lack of evidence that human activity is the main cause of global warming[24], although he believes the phenomenon exists.[25] He also views the American Clean Energy and Security Act as a form of wealth redistribution, and has promoted a petition rejecting the Kyoto Protocol.[26]
Influences
According to Joanna Brooks, a scholar of American religion, one pre-eminent influence on Beck's political ideology has been W. Cleon Skousen (1913–2006).[27] Skousen was an anti-communist, a supporter (though not a member) of the John Birch Society,[28] and limited-government conservative[29] whose works involve a wide range of subjects (including the Six-Day War, Mormon eschatology, New World Order conspiracies, and even parenting).[29] Beck praises Skousen's "words of wisdom" as "divinely inspired", referencing Skousen's The Naked Communist[30] and especially The 5,000 Year Leap (originally published in 1981),[29] which Beck said in 2007 had "changed his life".[29] According to Skousen's nephew, financial and political commentator Mark Skousen, Leap reflects Skousen's "passion for the United States Constitution," which he "felt was inspired by God and the reason behind America’s success as a nation."[31] The book is touted by Beck as "required reading" to understand the current American political landscape and become a "September twelfth person".[29] Beck authored a foreword for the 2008 edition of Leap and Beck's on-air recommendations in 2009 propelled the book to number one in the government category on Amazon for several months.[29][32]
9-12 Project
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a6/Glenn_Beck_fans_-_Tea_Party_protest.jpg/220px-Glenn_Beck_fans_-_Tea_Party_protest.jpg)
Beck put together a campaign, the 9-12 Project, that is named for nine principles and twelve values which he says embody the spirit of the American people on the day after the September 11 attacks.[33] Beck has supported the tea party protests from their inception and held a broadcast from one of the April 2009 rallies in San Antonio.[34]
In September 2009, the conservative political activism group FreedomWorks organized the Taxpayer March on Washington, to rally against President Obama's policies.[35] The event was inspired by Beck's 9/12 project.[36]
Media career and income
In addition to broadcasting, Beck has written five New York Times-bestselling books, and is the publisher of Fusion Magazine. He also stars in a one-man stage show that tours the US twice a year.[37]
In June 2009, estimators at Forbes magazine calculated Beck's earnings over the previous 12 months at $23 million, with 2009–2010 revenues on track to be higher.[38] Although the majority of his revenue results from his radio show and books, his website's 5 million unique visitors per month also provides at least $3 million annually, while his salary at Fox News is estimated at $2 million per year.[38] Additionally, Beck's online magazine Fusion sells an array of Beck-themed merchandise.[38]
Beck's radio show is also sponsored by Goldline International, a fact that has recently brought Beck criticism. An episode of The Daily Show made jokes about Beck's promotion of investing in gold on his Fox News show, which prompted Fox News to release a statement stating, "Fox News prohibits any on-air talent from endorsing products or serving as a product spokesperson." Mark Albarian, the president of Goldline, said in an interview that the company had been a longtime advertiser for Mr. Beck, beginning on his syndicated radio show and continuing on television. Part of the radio sponsorship, he said, involves being able to use a host's face on the company site. "We used the term 'paid spokesman' because we felt it was important to tell people that there is a payment going to somebody," Mr. Albarian said. But he said there was a misunderstanding about that designation because Goldline did not specifically pay Mr. Beck on an individual basis to speak on its behalf. Goldline was also listed as the exclusive sponsor of Mr. Beck's comedy tour last summer.[39]
Radio
Radio historian Marc Fisher has posited that Beck is "first and foremost an entertainer, who happens to have stumbled into a position of political prominence."[38] Beck began his radio career in 1977, at age 13, when he won a local radio contest on station KBRC in Mount Vernon, Washington, to be a disc jockey for an hour. It was then that Beck and his school classmates produced old-time radio with live scripts and sound effects for radio station, KGMI, in Bellingham. In his junior year of high school, he began working part-time at Seattle station KUBE 93 (FM) having to take a Greyhound Bus from Bellingham to Seattle in order to get there. After hosting a show midnight to dawn on Fridays and Saturdays, Beck would sleep in the station's conference room following his show.[7][40]
Following high school graduation, Beck pursued his career as a Top 40 DJ. He moved to Provo for six months and worked at FM 96.1.[12] Beck left in February 1983 to go to WPGC-FM in Washington, D.C., another First Media radio station. Later that year, he moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, to work at radio station KZFM.[14]
In mid-1985, Beck was hired away from KZFM to be the lead DJ for the morning-drive radio broadcast by WRKA in Louisville, Kentucky.[14] His four-hour weekday show was called Captain Beck and the A-Team.[41] Beck had a reputation as a "young up-and-comer". The show was not political and included tasteless jokes. One of his competitors, Terry Meiners, was critical of Beck for jokes regarding another competitor who was overweight. The show slipped to third in the market and Beck left abruptly in 1987 amid a dispute with WRKA management.[42]
Months later, Beck was hired by Phoenix Top-40 station KOY-FM, then known as Y-95. Beck, then 23, was partnered with a 26-year-old Arizona native Tim Hattrick to co-host a local "morning zoo" program.[16] During his time at Y-95, Beck cultivated a rivalry with local pop radio station KZZP and that station's morning host Bruce Kelly. Through practical jokes and publicity stunts, Beck drew criticism from the staff at Y-95 when the rivalry culminated in Beck telephoning Kelly's wife on-the-air, mocking her recent miscarriage.[14]
In 1989, Beck resigned from Y-95 to accept a job in Houston at KRBE, known as Power 104. Beck was subsequently fired in 1990 due to poor ratings.[14] He would later recount to the Houston Chronicle that his stint at Power 104 "was the worst time in [his] broadcasting career".[43]
After leaving Houston, Beck moved on to Baltimore, Maryland and the city's leading Top-40 station, WBSB, known as B104. There, he partnered with Pat Gray, a 27-year-old morning DJ. During his tenure at B104, Beck was arrested for speeding in his DeLorean with one of the car's gull-wing doors wide open.[44] According to a former colleague, Beck was "completely out of it" when a B104 manager went down to the station to bail him out.[44] After a year of struggling personally and professionally, Beck found himself working alone when Gray's contract was canceled. When Beck was fired also, the two men spent six months in Baltimore living off of their severance, unemployed and planning their next move. Then, in early 1992, Beck and Gray both moved on to WKCI-FM (KC101), a Top-40 radio station in Template:City.[16]
At WKCI, Beck and Gray co-hosted the local four-hour morning show, billed as the Glenn and Pat Show. On a 1995 broadcast of the show, Alf Papineau pretended to speak Chinese during a taped comedy skit. When an Asian-American listener called to complain, Gray and Beck made fun of the caller and played gongs in the background while Papineau spoke in a mock-Chinese accent. The listener contacted a number of human rights organizations, four of which formed the Connecticut Asian American Coalition Against KC101 Racism. The station manager read an apology on the air and the station issued a written pledge to refrain from offensive activities and instituted cultural sensitivity training for employees.[45]
When Gray left the show to move to Salt Lake City, Beck continued with co-host Vinnie Penn. At the end of 1998, Beck was told that his contract would not be renewed when it expired at the end of the 1999.[16]
The Glenn Beck Program first aired in 2000 on WFLA (AM) in Template:City, and took their afternoon time slot from eighteenth to first place within a year.[46][47] In January 2002, Premiere Radio Networks launched the show nationwide on forty-seven stations. The show then moved to Template:City, broadcasting from new flagship station WPHT. On November 5, 2007, The New York Times reported that Premiere Radio Networks was extending Beck's contract. By May 2008, it had reached over 280 terrestrial stations as well as XM Satellite. It was ranked 4th in the nation with over six and a half million listeners.[48]
Television
In January 2006, CNN's Headline News announced that Beck would host a nightly news-commentary show in their new prime-time block Headline Prime. The show, simply called Glenn Beck, aired weeknights at 7:00 p.m., repeating at 9:00 p.m. and midnight (all times Eastern) from May 8, 2006 to October 16, 2008.
By 2007, Beck's success on CNN had ABC wanting him for occasional appearances on Good Morning America. [citation needed]
CNN Headline News described the show as "an unconventional look at the news of the day featuring his often amusing perspective on the top stories from world events and politics to pop culture and everyday hassles."[49] At the end of his time at CNN-HLN, Beck had the second largest audience behind Nancy Grace.[50] On July 21, 2008, Beck filled in for Larry King on the show Larry King Live.[51] In 2008, Beck won the Marconi Radio Award for Network Syndicated Personality of the Year.[52]
On October 16, 2008, it was announced that Glenn Beck would join the Fox News Channel, leaving behind CNN Headline News. CNN pulled the program off the air the same day. A news hour with Jane Velez-Mitchell filled Beck's former slot, with subsequent slots filled by Lou Dobbs Tonight encores.[53] After moving to the Fox News Channel, Beck began to host Glenn Beck airing weekdays at 5pm ET, beginning January 19, 2009, as well as a weekend version.[54] His first guests included Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and the wives of Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos.[55] He also has a regular segment every Friday on the Fox News Channel program The O'Reilly Factor titled "At Your Beck and Call."[56] As of September 2009[update] Beck's program drew more viewers than all three of the competing time-slot shows on CNN, MSNBC and HLN combined.[57][58]
Authorship and publishing
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/81/Arguing_with_Idiots.jpg/170px-Arguing_with_Idiots.jpg)
Glenn Beck has become a popular and best-selling author, releasing seven books since 2003.[59] He has hit #1 on the New York Times New York Times Bestseller List in four separate categories: Hardcover Non-Fiction (Arguing with Idiots[60] and An Inconvenient Book[61]), Paperback Non-Fiction (Common Sense[60]), Hardcover Fiction (The Christmas Sweater[62]), and Children's Picture Books (The Christmas Sweater: A Picture Book[63]).
The Real America: Messages from the Heart and Heartland was published by Pocket Books in 2003.[64] An Inconvenient Book was published by Simon and Shuster in 2007.[65] This book was #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List for the week of December 9, 2007, and remained on the list for 17 weeks.[66][67] The Christmas Sweater was published by Simon and Shuster in 2008.[68] This book was #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List for the weeks of November 30, 2008, and December 25, 2008.[62][69] America's March to Socialism: Why We're One Step Closer to Giant Missile Parades is an audiobook that was published by Simon and Shuster in 2008.[70] An Unlikely Mormon, The Conversion Story of Glenn Beck was published by Deseret Book in 2008 (DVD).[71]
Glenn Beck's Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-Of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine was published by Simon and Shuster in 2009.[72] This book rose to #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List, for the weeks of June 26, 2009, through October 18, 2009.[73][74] Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government was published by Simon and Shuster in 2009.[75] This book debuted #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List for the week of September 30, 2009, and retained the #1 spot for three weeks.[60] The Christmas Sweater: A Picture Book was published by Threshold Editions in 2009.[76] This book debuted at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List, for the week of November 15, 2009.[77]
Beck is also the publisher of Fusion Magazine, which is a play on the slogan of the The Glenn Beck Program, "The Fusion of Entertainment and Enlightenment."[78]
Live events
Since 2005, Beck has toured American cities twice a year, presenting a one-man stage show. His stage productions are a mix of stand-up comedy and inspirational speaking.[79] In a critique of his live act, Salon Magazine's Steve Almond describes Beck as a "wildly imaginative performer, a man who weds the operatic impulses of the demagogue to the grim mutterings of the conspiracy theorist."[80]
In 2005, the summer show Glenn Beck: On Ice advocated diminishing the role of politics in daily life. The 2006 summer show The Mid-Life Crisis Tour featured life's lessons from the perspective of a middle-aged man. In June 2007, Beck completed his tour called An Inconvenient Tour. It focused on the inconvenient aspects of everyday life, and was a parody of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. A show from the Beck `08 Unelectable Tour was shown in around 350 movie theaters around the country.[81] The finale of 2009's Common Sense Comedy Tour was simulcast in over 440 theaters.[82] The events have drawn 200,000 fans in recent years.[38]
Beck has done numerous other live events. In March 2003, Beck ran a series of rallies called Glenn Beck's Rally for America in support of troops deployed for the upcoming Iraq War. On July 4, 2007, Beck served as host of the 2007 Toyota Tundra "Stadium of Fire" in Template:City. The annual event at LaVell Edwards Stadium on the Brigham Young University campus is presented by America's Freedom Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is "to provide deeply felt emotional experiences that celebrate and promote the traditional American values of family, freedom, God and country."[83] On May 17, 2008, Beck gave the keynote speech at the NRA convention in Louisville, Kentucky.[84]
In late August 2009, the mayor of Mount Vernon, Washington, Beck's hometown, announced that he would award Beck the Key to the City, designating September 26, 2009 as "Glenn Beck Day". Due to some local opposition, the city council voted unanimously to disassociate itself from the award.[85] The key presentation ceremony sold-out the 850-seat McIntyre Hall and an estimated 800 people, both supporting and opposing the event, demonstrated outside the building.[86] Earlier that day, approximately 7,000 people attended the Evergreen Freedom Foundation's "Take the Field with Glenn Beck" at Seattle's Safeco Field.[86]
In December, 2009, Beck produced a one-night special film version of his book "The Christmas Sweater" entitled "The Christmas Sweater: A Return to Redemption."[87] In the film, Beck plays multiple roles and shares his "most profound childhood memories, along with his philosophies on life, love and happiness."
In January and February 2010, Beck teamed with fellow Fox News host Bill O'Reilly to tour several cities in a live stage show called "The Bold and Fresh Tour 2010." During each event, Beck and O'Reilly would each take the stage for 30-40 minutes individually and offer their perspective and commentary on a variety of issues. Then, following a 20 minute intermission, the two appeared on stage together for approximately 30 minutes, trading questions and discussing their differing viewpoints on several matters. The January 29th show was also recorded and broadcast to movie theaters throughout the country.[88]
Public reception
“The old American mind-set that Richard Hofstadter famously called the paranoid style – the sense that Masons or the railroads or the Pope or the guys in black helicopters are in league to destroy the country – is aflame again, fanned from both right and left. [...] No one has a better feeling for this mood, and no one exploits it as well, as Beck. He is the hottest thing in the political-rant racket, left or right.”[38]
— David Von Drehle
(Time magazine, September 17, 2009 cover story)
The Glenn Beck show is one of the highest rated news commentary programs on cable TV.[89][90][91][92][93][94]
Beck has referred to himself as an entertainer,[95] a commentator rather than a reporter,[96] a rodeo clown,[95] and identified with Howard Beale "When he came out of the rain and he was like, none of this makes any sense. I am that guy."[97] For a Barbara Walters ABC special, Beck was selected as one of America’s "Top 10 Most Fascinating People" of 2009.[98] Time Magazine describes Beck as "[t]he new populist superstar of Fox News" saying it is easier to see a set of attitudes rather than a specific ideology, noting his criticism of Wall Street, yet defending bonuses to AIG, as well as denouncing conspiracies against FEMA but warning against indoctrination of children by the AmeriCorps program.[99] What seems to unite Beck's disparate themes they note, is a sense of siege.[99] Time further describes Beck as "a gifted storyteller with a knack for stitching seemingly unrelated data points into possible conspiracies", proclaiming that he has "emerged as a virtuoso on the strings" of Conservative's discontent ... mining the timeless theme of the corrupt Them thwarting a virtuous Us."[38]
Beck's shows have been described as a "mix of moral lessons, outrage and an apocalyptic view of the future ... capturing the feelings of an alienated class of Americans."[95] One of Beck's Fox News Channel colleagues Shepard Smith, has jokingly called Beck's studio the "fear chamber", with Beck countering that he preferred the term "doom room."[38] An Anti-Defamation League special report referred to Beck as America's "fearmonger-in-chief" and said "Beck and his guests have made a habit of demonizing President Obama and promoting conspiracy theories about his administration."[100] Beck responded by claiming that the ADL was, "as responsible for the plight of Jewish people as the National Organization for Women is for the plight of women. It is nothing, I believe, nothing but a political organization at this point." [101][102]
In 2006, Beck remarked to Muslim congressman-elect Keith Ellison, a guest on his show, "I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, 'Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.' And I know you're not. I'm not accusing you of being an enemy, but that's the way I feel."[103] Ellison replied that his constituents, "know that I have a deep love and affection for my country. There's no one who's more patriotic than I am, and so you know, I don't need to — need to prove my patriotic stripes."[103] Beck's question, which he himself suggested was "quite possibly the poorest-worded question of all time,"[104] resulted in protests from several Arab-American organizations.[105]
During the 2009 Henry Louis Gates controversy, Beck argued that President Barack Obama has repeatedly shown "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture," saying "I'm not saying he doesn't like white people. I'm saying he has a problem. This guy is, I believe, a racist."[106] These remarks drew criticism, and resulted in a boycott promulgated by Color of Change.[107] The boycott resulted in 80 advertisers requesting their ads be removed from his programming, to avoid associating their brands with content that could be considered offensive by potential customers.[107][108][109][110][111][112][113] Due to the show's high ratings, broadcast industry observers believe Beck's potential earnings remain unharmed.[114]
In July 2009, Glenn Beck began to devote what would become many episodes on his TV and radio shows, focusing on President Barack Obama's Director of White House Council on Environmental Quality, Van Jones. Beck was critical of Jones' involvement in STORM, a communist non-governmental group, and his support for hotly debated death row inmate, Mumia Abu-Jamal, who had been convicted of killing a police officer. Among other things, Beck referred to Jones as a "communist-anarchist radical".[115] It has been speculated that Beck's criticisms may have been motivated in part by Jones' prior involvement in Color of Change, the organization that had previously convinced advertisers to pull their support from Beck's TV show.[115][116] In September 2009, Jones resigned his position in the Obama administration, after a number of his past statements became fodder for conservative critics and Republican officials.[115] Time magazine credited Beck with leading conservatives' attack on Jones,[38] which Jones would characterize a "vicious smear campaign" and an effort to use "lies and distortions to distract and divide".[116]
In 2009, Beck and other conservative commentators were also critical of Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) for various reasons including claims of voter fraud in the 2008 presidential election.[117] In September 2009, he promoted a series of undercover videos portraying community organizers offering inappropriate advice to undercover independent journalists James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles who posed as a pimp and prostitute while visiting various ACORN offices. Following the videos' release the U.S. Census Bureau severed ties with the group while the U.S. House and Senate voted to cut all of its federal funding.[38]
The controversies throughout 2009 garnered increasing attention and Beck was featured on the cover of the September 28 issue of Time magazine. The piece called him "the hottest thing in the political-rant racket" and reported that his television program had drawn upwards of 3 million viewers in recent days.[38] He was also parodied in an impersonation by Jason Sudeikis on Saturday Night Live.[118] The Daily Show's Jon Stewart quipped about Beck: "Finally, a guy who says what people who aren't thinking are thinking."[119]
In 2009, lawyers for Beck brought a case (Beck v. Eiland-Hall) against the owner of a satirical website named GlennBeckRapedAndMurderedAYoungGirlIn1990.com with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The claim that the domain name of the website is itself defamatory was described as a first in cyberlaw.[120] Beck's lawyers argued that the site infringed on his trademarked name and that the domain should be turned over to Beck.[121] The WIPO ruled against Beck, but Eiland-Hall voluntarily transferred the domain to Beck anyway, saying that the First Amendment had been upheld and that he no longer had a use for the domain name.[122]
Works
- The Real America, Messages from the Heart and Heartland Simon & Schuster, 2005 ISBN 978-0-74-349696-4
- An Inconvenient Book, Real Solutions to the World's Biggest Problems Simon & Schuster, 2007 ISBN 978-1-43-916857-8
- The Christmas Sweater Simon & Schuster, 2008 ISBN 978-1-41-659485-7
- An Unlikely Mormon, The Conversion Story of Glenn Beck Deseret Book, 2008 (Audio CD) ISBN 9781590389447
- The Christmas Sweater: A Picture Book Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2009 ISBN 978-1-41-699543-2
- America's March to Socialism, Why we're one step closer to giant missile parades Simon & Schuster Audio, 2009 (Audio CD) ISBN 978-0-74-359854-5
- Glenn Beck's Common Sense, The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government Simon & Schuster, 2009 ISBN 978-1-43-916857-8
- Arguing with Idiots, How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government Simon & Schuster, 2009 ISBN 978-1-41-659501-4
References
- ^ Barrie McKenna , Glenn Beck taps into the big business of paranoia, September 29, 2009, The Globe and Mail
- ^ Steve Rabey (2009-10-08). "Exploring Glenn Beck's beliefs". GetReligion. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
- ^ http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/31369/
- ^ Everett Herald - October 2, 2009
- ^ Ganser, Tahlia (September 27, 2009). "Beck charms while protesters vent". Skagit Valley Herald.
- ^ The Skagit Valley Herald, Tahlia Ganser, 9/27/09
- ^ a b c Alexander Zaitchik (September 21, 2009). "The making of Glenn Beck: His roots, from the alleged suicide of his mom to Top 40 radio to the birth of the morning zoo". Salon Magazine.
- ^ a b Glenn Beck biography at Salon.com
- ^ a b c d Kamb, Lewis (2009-09-26). "Among Beck's roots in the state lies a South Sound mystery". The News Tribune (Tacoma). Retrieved 2009-10-12.
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(help) - ^ Valdes, Manuel (2009-09-26). "Glenn Beck's homecoming riles up people in Wash". Seattle Times. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
- ^ Glenn Beck not household name — yet, BNET, November 25, 2006.
- ^ a b Arave, Lynn (November 26, 2006). "Glenn Beck not household name - yet". Deseret Morning News. Salt Lake City. Retrieved November 18, 2009.
- ^ Zaitchik, Alexander. The Making of Glenn Beck, Salon.com, 21 September 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f Alexander Zaitchik (September 22, 2009). "Glenn Beck becomes damaged goods; The radio phenom takes over the morning zoo, makes fun of miscarriages and flames out". Salon Magazine.
- ^ "About Glenn Beck". Retrieved 1 September 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g Alexander Zaitchik (September 23, 2009). "Glenn Beck rises again: Getting clean, getting Mormon, getting talk radio — and going to Yale, with the help of Joe Lieberman". Salon Magazine.
- ^ "Glenn interviews Ty Pennington". Retrieved 2010-01-08.
- ^ Benjamin Wallace (2007). "Is Glenn Beck The Most Annoying Man On Tv? Or does it only seem that way". GQ.
{{cite journal}}
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ignored (help) (archived from the original on 2007-12-08) - ^ Jamie Lawson (2007). "Glenn Beck: The Real Story". LDS Living.
- ^ "A Folksy Guy, in Recovery, about to land Millions". New York Times. November 11, 2007.
- ^ Hunter, Jack (September 22nd, 2009). "Things Sean Hannity Would Never Say". The American Conservative. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ Beck, Glenn. "Commentary: Obama no, McCain maybe". CNN. Retrieved 2009-09-10.
- ^ "Glenn Beck: Gun Week!". 12 May 2008. Retrieved 15 November 2008.
- ^ Beck, Glenn (2007). An Inconvenient Book. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 1-4165-5219-7.
{{cite book}}
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ignored (help) - ^ "Don't judge Beck by his cover". USA Weekend. 02-20-2010.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ Glenn Beck: Global Warming Petition Project, GlennBeck.com. Retrieved 2009-09-03.
- ^ Brooks, Joanna (2009-10-07). "How Mormonism Built Glenn Beck". Religion Dispatches. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
- ^ The Communist Attack on the John Birch Society by Cleon Skousen, 1963
- ^ a b c d e f Meet the Man who Changed Glenn Beck's Life by Alexander Zaitchik, Salon Magazine, September 16, 2009
- ^ Glenn Beck Show Transcript from November 21, 2007 Glenn Beck to Bill Bennett
- ^ Human Events, Mark Skousen, 19 March 2009
- ^ The 5000 Thousand Year Leap [1] Accessed: 2009-06-24
- ^ Potter, Mitch (2009-04-04). "This Fox TV host is mad as hell". The Star. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ^ "Governor Says Texans May Want to Secede From Union But Probably Won't". Associated Press. FOXNews.com. 2009-04-15. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ^ Eggen, Dan (2009-09-12). "GOP Sees Protest As an Opportunity". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|coauthors=
ignored (|author=
suggested) (help) - ^ Stone, Andrea (2009-09-08). "'Tea party' movement takes protest to Washington". USA Today. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ^ "Events". The Glenn Beck Program. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Von Drehle, David (September 28, 2009). "Mad Man: Is Glenn Beck Bad for America?". Time. 174 (12): 30. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2009-09-18. (cover)
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/business/media/14beck.html
- ^ On Radio: Glenn Beck plays everywhere but where he got his start; Seattle Post-Intelligencer Online, Thursday, August 10, 2006[2]
- ^ "Heeeere's Glenn! When the Lunatic Fringe Tries Comedy". Time. June 12, 2009. Retrieved September 10, 2009.
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: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ Lord, Joseph (October 20, 2009). "Beck in the Bluegrass". The Courier-Journal. Louisville. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
- ^ Barron, David (2009-01-26). "Glenn Beck airing out his frustrations". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
{{cite news}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=
(help) - ^ a b Zaitchik, Alexander (2009-09-23). "Glenn Beck rises again". Salon. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
{{cite news}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=
(help) - ^ Stacy Wong, "Station Apologizes for Mocking Asians", Hartford Courant, Friday, October 20, 1995
- ^ "About the Glenn Beck Program". www.glennbeck.com. Retrieved 2006-08-02.
{{cite web}}
: External link in
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- ^ "Beck muscles out Dr. Laura at WFLA". St. Petersburg Times. September 18, 2001. Retrieved September 10, 2009.
{{cite news}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ "The Top Talk Radio Audiences". Talkers magazine. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
{{cite web}}
: External link in
(help)|publisher=
- ^ "Glenn Beck". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2006-07-30.
{{cite news}}
: External link in
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- ^ Stelter, Brian (2008-10-16). "Beck Leaving CNN for Fox News - TV Decoder Blog - NYTimes.com". Tvdecoder.blogs.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
- ^ "Current Events & Politics - Picture of the Day - July 22, 2008". Glenn Beck. 2008-07-22. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
- ^ "Beck Wins Marconi Award - mediabistro.com: TVNewser". mediabistro.com. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
- ^ "Jane Velez Mitchell to Anchor HLN's 7pmET Hour - mediabistro.com: TVNewser". mediabistro.com. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
- ^ Glenn Beck joins Fox News The Politico. Retrieved on October 16, 2008.
- ^ "Tonight on Glenn Beck: Gov. Sarah Palin, Wives of Border Patrol Agents". foxnews.com. 19 January, 2008. Retrieved 21 September 2009.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "O'Reilly Factor Flash". billoreilly.com. 7 August, 2009. Retrieved 21 September 2009.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "Ratings". mediabistro.com. 15 September, 2009,. Retrieved 21 September 2009.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) - ^ Gold, Matea (2009-03-06). "Fox News' Glenn Beck strikes ratings gold by challenging Barack Obama". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
{{cite news}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=
(help) - ^ http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ssc_1_10?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=glenn+beck&sprefix=glenn+beck
- ^ a b c Dylan Stableford, Glenn Beck's 'Idiots' to Top Times Bestseller List, Too, The Wrap, October 01, 2009
- ^ Best Sellers: Hardcover Nonfiction, The New York Times, December 9, 2007
- ^ a b Glenn Beck's "The Christmas Sweater" to Debut at #1, TVNEWSER
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/books/bestseller/bestchildren.html?scp=1&sq=children%27s%20bestseller%20list%2011/15/09&st=cse
- ^ The Real America: Messages from the Heart and Heartland (Paperback), Amazon.com
- ^ An Inconvenient Book: Real Solutions to the World's Biggest Problems (Paperback), Amazon.com
- ^ The New York Times Best Seller List, hawes.com, December 9, 2007
- ^ Best Sellers: Hardcover Nonfiction, The New York Times, March 30, 2008]
- ^ The Christmas Sweater (Hardcover), Amazon.com
- ^ New York Times Bestseller List 1/1, Daily Herald, December 31, 2008
- ^ America's March to Socialism: Why we're one step closer to giant missile parades (Audio CD), Amazon.com
- ^ Unlikely Mormon: The Conversion Story of Glenn Beck, Amazon.com
- ^ Glenn Beck's Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine (Paperback), Amazon.com
- ^ Best Sellers: Paperback Nonfiction, The New York Times, June 26, 2009
- ^ Best Sellers: Paperback Nonfiction, The New York Times, October 9, 2009
- ^ Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government (Hardcover), Amazon.com
- ^ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/141659485X/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1416995439&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=19N9ZNXBMZCRVAQMABND#reader_141659485X
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/books/bestseller/bestchildren.html?scp=1&sq=children%27s%20bestseller%20list%2011/15/09&st=cse
- ^ Who's Glenn beck?, mahalo.com
- ^ Al Peterson (2005). "Not Just Another Conservative" (PDF). radioandrecords.com.
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ignored (help)[dead link] - ^ Glenn Beck is the Future of Literary Fiction by Steve Almond, Salon Magazine, September 12, 2009
- ^ "Transcripts". CNN.com International. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
- ^ Hale, Mike (2009-06-05). "Laughing at Liberals (and Hawking That Book)". The New York Times. pp. C1. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
- ^ Press release (2007-06-23). "Glenn Beck to Host 2007 Toyota Tundra Stadium of Fire". Business Wire. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
- ^ "National Rifle Association - NRA Website Gateway". Nra.org. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
- ^ Lacitis, Erik (September 24, 2009). "Mount Vernon council distances itself from honor for talk-show host". seattletimes.NiSource.com. Retrieved October 2, 2009.
- ^ a b "Glenn Beck gets ceremonial key to hometown city". Associated Press. 2009-09-26. Retrieved 2009-09-28.
- ^ http://trueslant.com/childers/2009/12/04/glenn-becks-christmas-sweater-a-viewers-guide/
- ^ The movie theater broadcast was originally slated to be a live show originating from Norfolk, Virginia, but that show was re-scheduled due to the winter storm-related state of emergency in Virginia, and the recorded show was broadcast instead.
- ^ Fox News' Glenn Beck strikes ratings gold by challenging Barack Obama, The Los Angeles Times, March 6, 2009.
- ^ Beck Tops Hannity; Second Biggest Draw in Cable News, mediabistro.com, March 11, 2009.
- ^ Big Beck: Goes over 3 million viewers, beats O’Reilly in demo: Cable News Ratings for Wednesday, August 26, 2009], TV by the numbers, August 27, 2009
- ^ Cable News Ratings: ‘Beck' Boosted By Healthcare Address, Broadcasting & Cable, September 11, 2009.
- ^ Glenn Beck Has #1 Cable News Show On Day Before Van Jones Resignation, mediaite.com, September 4, 2009.
- ^ Cable News Ratings for Wednesday, December 16, 2009 TV by the numbers, December 17, 2009.
- ^ a b c "Fox News's Mad, Apocalyptic, Tearful Rising Star". The New York Times. 2009-03-31. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
{{cite news}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ "[[The View (U.S. TV series)|The View]]". 2009-05-21. ABC.
{{cite episode}}
: Missing or empty|series=
(help); URL–wikilink conflict (help) - ^ Stossel, John (2009-06-10). "Glenn Beck on Glenn Beck". 20/20. ABC News. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
{{cite news}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=
(help) - ^ Walters, Barbara (2009-12-09). "Top 10 Most Fascinating People of 2009". ABC News. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
- ^ a b Poniewozik, James (2009-04-08). "Glenn Beck: The Fears of a Clown". Time. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
{{cite news}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=
(help) - ^ http://www.adl.org/special_reports/rage-grows-in-America/mainstream-media.asp
- ^ "Glenn Beck blames ADL for 'plight of Jewish people'". Retrieved November 30, 2009.
- ^ http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200911250016
- ^ a b Glenn Beck (November 14, 2006). "First Muslim Congressman Speaks Out". Retrieved on December 11, 2006
- ^ Scott D. Pierce (01/11/2007). "Beck is in a Catch-22". Deseret News.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "Arab groups protest Beck's hiring". Associated Press. 2007-01-26.
{{cite news}}
:|access-date=
requires|url=
(help) - ^ Bauder, David (2009-07-28). "Fox's Glenn Beck: President Obama is a racist". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
{{cite news}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=
(help) - ^ a b Ariens, Chris (2009-07-28). "Glenn Beck's 'Racist' Comment Sends Advertisers Elsewhere". TVNewser. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
{{cite news}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=
(help) - ^ Krakauer, Steve (2009-07-29). "Glenn Beck's 'Obama is Racist' Comment Fuels MSNBC and Beyond". Mediaite. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
{{cite news}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=
(help) - ^ Hein, Kenneth (2009-07-12). "Fox News' "Glenn Beck" loses advertisers". Reuters. Retrieved 2009-07-13.
- ^ Cannon, Carl M. (18 August, 2009). "Glenn Beck Boycott: Censorship or Good Citizenship?". politicsdaily.com. Retrieved 30 September 2009.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help); Text "dl5" ignored (help); Text "http%3A%2F%2Fwww.politicsdaily.com%2F2009%2F08%2F18%2Fglenn-beck-boycott-censorship-or-good-citizenship%2F" ignored (help); Text "link6" ignored (help); Text "main" ignored (help) - ^ Siemaszko, Corky (2009-09-03). "Advertisers continue to abandon Glenn Beck after pundit had called President Obama a 'racist'". Daily News (New York). Retrieved 2009-09-03.
{{cite news}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=
(help) - ^ Jones, Sam (4 October 2009). "Waitrose dumps Fox News in protest over remarks about Barack Obama". The Guardian. London, UK: Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 2009-10-06.
- ^ Nineteen New Companies Pledge Not to Run Additional Ads on Fox News Channel’s Glenn Beck, October 6, 2009, docs.google.com
- ^ Luce, Edward (2009-10-01). "US shock talk show host tests boundaries". Financial Times Deutschland. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
- ^ a b c Brodey, John (2009-09-06). "White House Official Resigns After G.O.P. Criticism". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
- ^ a b Wilson, Scott (2009-09-06). "White House Adviser Van Jones Resigns Amid Controversy Over Past Activism". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|coauthors=
ignored (|author=
suggested) (help) - ^ Montopoli, Brian (2009-09-16). "ACORN Sting Lands Housing Group in Conservative Crosshairs". Political Hotsheet. CBS News. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
- ^ Knickerbocker, Brad (2009-09-26). "Glenn Beck goes home to face - what else? - controversy". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
- ^ Stossel, John (2009-06-17). "A Refreshing Spin on Cable TV". RealClearPolitics (originally broadcast by 20/20). Retrieved 2009-10-01.
- ^ Bremer, Jack (September 11, 2009). "Fox's Glenn Beck fights 'rape and murder' website". The First Post. Dennis Publishing. Retrieved 2009-10-04.
- ^ Nate Anderson, Can a mere domain name be defamation? Glenn Beck says yes, Ars Technica, 2009
- ^ Nate Anderson, Glenn Beck loses domain dispute, still ends up with domain, Ars Technica, 2009
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