Major points to anyone to get the Futurama reference…
Anyways, we all know Glenn Beck is crazy, marking a new departure from sanity and responsibility for the Fox network. What you may not know is that he’s also a chronic abuser of the English language. Take this latest clip, headlined by both “Media Matters” and “Wonkette,” and think about this: pretending to set a guy on fire is the least crazy thing he does in this five-minute sketch:
The most crazy thing, in fact, is his complete disregard for the meanings of words. Let’s take some examples. The problem words are underlined.
“How much more can he disenfranchise us!?” (0:50):
- By context, Beck thinks “disenfranchise” means: “do things we don’t like in order to infuriate…”
- It actually means: forcible removal one’s right to vote in a democratic election; otherwise forcibly stifle one’s voice in the democratic process.
- The problem is: nobody “disenfranchised” Beck, or his rabid followers. Sure, they lost an election, through a fair & democratic process, but as Jon Stewart explained last week, the natural result of losing an election is that you have to endure some things you don’t like. Arguably, you shouldn’t have to endure a whole lot of that. Presidents should generally govern with an eye towards healing rather than dividing the nation. But when you’re on the far right – like Beck – even the center looks radical.
“You’re spending money that leads only to slavery!” (4:20):
- By context, Beck thinks “slavery” means: “debt.”
- It actually means: complete subjugation of one individual to the will of another; the condition of being forced to work without pay for someone else, without hope of escape.
- The problem is: the man is a demagogue, who decided to start caring about runaway spending after January 20, 2009. Nevermind the Iraq War, or the bailout process that the last Republican President started. Selective anger at government spending is partisan; equating spending with the sin of slavery is irresponsible.
Lord knows Glenn Beck is a veritable gold-mine of bizarre, rodeo-clownesque quotations (including repeated, bizarre references to America as the next Weimar Republic, @ 5:30). Here’s hoping, though, that the Becktionary doesn’t have to become a regular feature.
Perhaps someone should get Glenn a Rhyming Becktionary. He would at least be more watchable if everything were in verse.
Posted by Gotchaye | April 11, 2009, 11:36 amI’m waiting for the day when Beck really loses it on-set, begins speaking in tongues, throws things and ends up in a quivering sobbing heap in the corner.
I…don’t…think…he’s…far…off…
Posted by Donovan | April 11, 2009, 2:03 pmApparently he’s also a big proponent of teabagging.
Posted by James F | April 11, 2009, 5:07 pmI saw that. Maddow also pointed to the National Organization for Marriage calling their new campaign ’2M4M’ (two million for marriage).
Posted by Gotchaye | April 12, 2009, 12:20 amAccording to Glenn Beck, democracy equals slavery.
That’s right, you heard it hear first: Glenn Beck is straight ‘outta Orwell.
Posted by Teleprompter | April 12, 2009, 12:28 am*here
Please excuse my terrible spelling.
Posted by Teleprompter | April 12, 2009, 12:28 amAmes, you’re crediting Beck with creating rhetoric that’s been in common use for at least half a century within libertarian/Objectivist circles. True, the use isn’t precisely a debt to slavery equation so much as a taxation to slavery equation, but national debt leads to increased taxation = slavery is how’d I’d interpret that sentence (at least without any context, as the clip’s no longer on Youtube), and that would put Beck in the realm of a common enough political philosophy, not mere demagoguery.
Posted by Steve | April 14, 2009, 10:03 pm