This is really extremely insightful. Are you a member of DailyKos (http://www.dailykos.com/)? If so, you should post it there. If not, I would be willing to post it for you, with or without a link back to your LJ.
Fox is very very good at what it does and the faces it projects are systematically created to make America love them. Not enjoy them or respect them or trust them -- they want so much more than that - they want your love.
This is what I have such a hard time understanding. Because I look at these people and my gut reaction is "Assholes!" How does FNC get your relatives to love these assholes? Why do you think your relatives go along?
Back in the Reagan years I started to see a lot of what I called Asshole Politics, designed to appeal to the asshole in all of us. It seemed to me that this was very effective because everyone has an inner asshole which we have to constantly keep in check. Being told "it's all right to be an asshole" (e.g. "Greed Is Good") is thus relaxing, liberating, validating. Do you think that's what is going on with your relatives? Or is it something else?
no subject
Fox is very very good at what it does and the faces it projects are systematically created to make America love them. Not enjoy them or respect them or trust them -- they want so much more than that - they want your love.
This is what I have such a hard time understanding. Because I look at these people and my gut reaction is "Assholes!" How does FNC get your relatives to love these assholes? Why do you think your relatives go along?
Back in the Reagan years I started to see a lot of what I called Asshole Politics, designed to appeal to the asshole in all of us. It seemed to me that this was very effective because everyone has an inner asshole which we have to constantly keep in check. Being told "it's all right to be an asshole" (e.g. "Greed Is Good") is thus relaxing, liberating, validating. Do you think that's what is going on with your relatives? Or is it something else?