Aside from the fact that John Zogby is from my hometown, I consider that John's new book The Way We'll Be is one of the best non-fiction books I've read in years. John Zogby goes way beyond the current election, and offers a truly hopeful message about the resiliency and resourcefulness of Americans, reaffirming our independence of thought and our basic common sense and common decency. From a purely social standpoint, there is no Apocalypse waiting in the wings here. There may be a crisis or two ahead, but we'll make it.
So I really looked forward to John's appearance on The Diane Rehm Show today (as part of his book tour). John was scheduled for the second hour, which is usually the province of "features"--i.e., lots of books about diseases. A discussion with John Zogby about the positive conclusions reached in The Way We'll Be would have been a relief from all the usual cancer talk. Of course, the Rehm people had other ideas. Not satisfied with a positive show that would have actually made people feel better, they had to turn it into an ambush. They brought in a "con" guest (David Moore, who has a book of his own "debunking" polls) and there was absolutely no discussion of John's book. Nor was there much discussion of anything but the current election, and how polling relates to elections, specifically. (John handled this discussion in stride, naturally.)
My only conclusion is that the types at The Diane Rehm Show want to keep the discussion narrow and divisive--and depressing. Hence the parade of the walking wounded Diane Rehm interviews on a daily basis. There is no joy or hope offered either in so-called Public Radio or in the partisan ranting that dominates commercial radio. It's all about keeping people edgy, if not downright angry. In fact, there are very few decent talk hosts I can think of working today, particularly my friends Pete Bianco, a colleague at WHCL-FM, and Vyzygoth. Pete lets his guests speak, and does not attempt to railroad the discussion, a la Rehm. Vyz is without peer in the realm of internet radio.
The shame is, John Zogby wrote a genuinely good, valuable, and upbeat book in The Way We'll Be--and was not permitted to discuss it on national radio. I'd be willing to sign a petition to have Diane Rehm put on an ice floe, though chances are she'd be replaced by someone just as bad (or worse).
And we should send Rush Limbaugh a nice cerebral hemorrhage, just for balance.
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4 comments:
This comment on this post comes from Lynne, via email:
Andy,
I tried to post this as a comment on your blog, but it wouldn't go through:
It was a shame, but not surprising.
I met Diane a few times years ago and volunteered at the station for her show. Then she started to believe her own press and became the ultimate insider, a Washington darling, losing all her integrity and perspective in the process. She backstrokes in the same social soup as the criminal political elite and the elite media whores (no offense to sex workers); they go to the same clubs, restaurants, parties, etc. This normalizes and legitimizes their enterprises. They love to come on her show because she keeps it in bounds, as you noticed, and can be wretchedly fawning.
Once one is fully entrenched in the system, one will work to maintain it.
Why do you think they've let her stay on despite the ravages of spasmodic dysphonia on her voice? When the botox injections in her throat start to wear off, it can sound like a exorcism performed on air.
And yes, she has been given all the information on 9/11. She's a shill who thinks no one notices. And most don't, because of the strength of her earlier reputation and the frog in the pot theory at play.
Lynne
right on vis.vis Vyz.
I missed the Diane Rehm show but it appears I did not miss much. I think Lynne said it all and said it well.
The media elite must walk a fine line dictated by the power elite if they want to keep their jobs or disappear entirely. It's much like the Hollywood crowd. Copy the decadence or disappear.
I rarely watch TV or listen to the radio propaganda channels anymore. It is too depressing and mind numbing.
However, your mention of John Zogby's book, "The Way We'll Be" is a ray of sunshine in this cyclone of manufactured media misery.
I'll order the book.
Thanks,
Joe J
Thanks, Joe! John's book has been hammered by some for being too optimistic, but he makes some good observations and it's a relief from the relentless prophesying of doom coming from all sides (including ours).
On another note, my sources reveal that Diane didn't actually know that the other guy was going to be on that day--that John was scheduled to appear by himself to talk about The Way We'll Be. It was her "people" who arranged the ambush. That would temper somewhat my feelings about her own perfidy, except that she went along with the plan and did not talk about John's book at all.
It's hard to be honest in a corrupt medium.
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