I quite often find it difficult not to quirk my brow in amazement, shake my head in surprise, and give a sardonic chuckle at the nature of American society, particularly when it comes to political discourse.
If you have gone through the arduous task of reading my rants on a semi-regular basis, you have probably noticed that I tend to come to the defense of people who say incredibly stupid, insensitive or offensive things and get crucified for it in the media. I have written at length about how I find it revolting that comedians like Gilbert Gottfried and Bill Maher, who are widely known for their dark and sometimes offensive sense of humor, find themselves unemployed because they shocked their employers with a joke or statement that is totally characteristic of their act. I have ridden to the aid of people who speak out in favor of or in opposition to certain policies or lifestyles, such as I recently did for Ellen DeGeneres against the One Million Moms organization. Heck, I have even stood up for the right of the Westboro Baptist Church loons and their like-minded ilk to spread their message of hate. All of these instances are, in my opinion, commensurate with an allegiance to and love for something that all Americans should hold sacrosanct: freedom of speech.
Well, just as I never thought that I would argue in defense of the Westboro Baptist Church, I find it humorous that I am about to stand up for a man who is perhaps the most reviled individual for most American liberals: Rush Limbaugh.
Now, before I play devil’s advocate here, let me just get a few things out in the open. I have never listened to more than a few clips of Limbaugh’s show. I am well aware of the nonsense he typically spews about the political left and his routine demands for more socially and fiscally conservative policies and actions from Republican politicians. I do not personally find him to be all that consequential, but I have time and again read blogs, columns, articles and other mediums of political news and discourse that have discussed and/or fact-checked his blathering. Each time, the authors of those pieces seem to be flabbergasted that Limbaugh has said something that they find completely and totally offensive.
Guess what: It happened again!
In the recent debate over whether religious employers should be required under federal law to provide insurance coverage for contraception for their employees, Rush Limbaugh lashed out at Sandra Fluke. In the aftermath of the Georgetown University student’s testimony before a congressional committee on the subject, Limbaugh remarked that she needed the aforementioned coverage because she was a “slut” and a “prostitute.”
Now, neither of those particular labels probably fits Miss Fluke. We know that, Fluke knows that, and Limbaugh even knew that when he said it.
Where does my problem come from?
My proverbial beef with this entire situation is that sponsors have started to drop their support for Limbaugh’s show en masse over the statements and what has been a rather overblown outcry.
While the sponsors in question have every right to pull their ad money if they so choose, they more or less should have known what they were buying into when they initiated their dealings with the conservative shock-jock. Limbaugh isn’t known for being a man who conducts well-reasoned, civilized conversations about political topics or logical debates with members of the opposite side who call into his show. Instead, he is widely regarded as a man who pulls no punches, says what he believes (however erroneous his thoughts and beliefs might be), and fires at anyone who gets in the way of his presented narrative and agenda.
Let’s put it another way. If you knowingly adopt a dog that has a reputation for attacking anything it does not like, you cannot logically or reasonably be surprised when the malicious mutt turns around and bites your face. That is more or less what’s happening here.
If Sandra Fluke wants to get back at Limbaugh, she can sue him for slander. She has that privilege under the law.
Everyone else? Well, if you don’t like what Limbaugh had to say, I have a suggestion: tune out. If, however, you continue to listen or even pay attention to his rants in a peripheral context, please refrain from getting all worked up when he says something offensive. You shouldn’t be shocked, regardless of your disdain and disapproval.
— Derek Mullins is a senior in political science. He can be reached at dmullin5@utk.edu.
