99 Percent of Conservative Radio Hosts Suffer From Erectile Dysfunction
While Jewdar confesses to not spending too much time listening to the radio (we figure that if FDR says anything really good in his fireside chats, we can read about it in the paper the next day), from what we’ve heard of conservative radio hosts, they do seem pretty uniformly to be dicks. It seems clear to us, however, that they act like dicks to compensate for the fact that their own dicks don’t work. Certainly, Michael Weiner’s (as Michael Savage was known when he was a baby) little contretemps this week did nothing to change our opinion. According to the bloviating boor, "99 percent" of kids diagnosed with autism are just "brats" who need to be told to cut it out. To be sure, that’s the kind of comment only a dick would make. Moreover, only a dick would fail to realize what a dick comment it was, and refuse to apologize. But what elevates a guy like Savage into the upper echelons of dickery is that, not only did he refuse to apologize, he didn’t even have the balls to stick by his statement, and instead tried to find a weaselly middle-ground that made it look like his "comment" (which many people, Jewdar included, would simply call a lie) was actually meant to create some sort of meaningful discussion.
"My main point remains true. It is an overdiagnosed medical condition. In my readings, there is no definitve medical diagnosis for autism."
Well gosh, Michael, thanks for input. But while many are pissed off at him, Jewdar is willing to be a little lenient, since we realize that his "hyperbole" is just a way of overcompensating for erectile dysfunction. And according to our readings, conservative radio hosts suffer from erectile dysfunction. Maybe 99 percent is a little high, but our main point remains true.
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submit a comment07.25.08 at 10:07 pm
This is lifted from Chatalogical humour, Gene Weingarten of the Washington Post’s Live Discussion blog
Gene Weingarten: Good afternoon.
Do you remember Michael Savage, the poisonous right-wing radio talk show host whom I reported about in my piece on 24-hour punditry? Michael is back in the news for expressing the opinion, on the air, that “99 percent” of all children diagnosed with autism are “brats” who haven’t been told to “cut the act out.” He said: “They don’t have a father around to tell them, ‘Don’t act like a moron. You’ll get nowhere in life.’”
Savage is not retracting this, even though he admits it might be a little wrong. And I don’t blame him. Getting things a little wrong is okay. I remain a supporter of Michael Savage, because I am a fan of his column “Savage Love,” in which he deals forthrightly with the fact that he is gay and proud of it, and joyfully gives out highly knowledgeable advice on techniques for active, hedonistic, sexually adventuresome gay males like himself. I love that column.
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Washington, D.C.: Savage Love is written by Dan Savage, not the talk show host. Hax has met him and can set you straight. So to speak.
Gene Weingarten: Ohhhhhhhhh. Gee, I am so embarrassed. ______________________________________________________
Michael Sava, GE: The thing that burns me about Savage and others of his ilk is that they are “a little bit wrong” ALL THE TIME. Not just wrongheaded, but simply play fast and loose with (or simply ignore) factual information that contradicts them. How do they have any credibility whatsoever?
That’s why I’m an elitist and proud of it. Why would I want to spend any time at all with people who are actively ignorant, and continue to lap up the hate-filled drivel that guys like Savage spew?
Gene Weingarten: Savage is one of the meanest people I’ve ever heard on the air. He makes O’Reilly seem like Colmes.
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Michael v. Dan: What do you think Dan Savage will do when he discovers that you just insulted him unforgivably? He is without question the best advice columnist out there. If I were a gay man I would fling virtual tighty whities at him.
Gene Weingarten: I really AM a big fan of his column. He’d get the joke.
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Savage: The thing that gets me about Savage is that his rejection of autism as a legitimate medical condition serves absolutely no purpose except to cast aspersions on parents of autistic kids, reinforce the sexist notion that a woman can’t discipline kids the way a father can, denigrate the efforts of autistic/behaviorally-challenged kids and the therapists who work with them and stir up furor for no reason. No doctor is going to hear his asinine comments and stop treating or diagnosing autism — so what’s the point in being a pointless jerk?
Gene Weingarten: He is the third most listened to radio talk show host in the country! BECAUSE he is a jerk.
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Upper Marlboro, Md.: Gene, am I missing a joke or something? Isn’t the Savage Love column you referred to in your intro written by Dan Savage, not Michael Savage?
Gene Weingarten: Yes, you are missing something.
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Savage: Michael Savage of Savage Love is right wing? I never knew he was a radio host, I only know him from his column. But man, that’s weird.
Gene Weingarten: Sigh.
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Stanton Park, D.C.: Gene, when you set traps like this one, how long does it take before someone falls in? Also, can you give us an idea how many people take the bait?
Gene Weingarten: According to Chatwoman, we have had five so far.
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The thing that gets me about Savage is that his rejection of autism as a legitimate medical condition serves absolutely no purpose except to cast aspersions on parents of autistic kids: No, his whole point was to get some air time and IT WORKED! He doesn’t have an opinion about kids one way or the other, but he knows a good extreme statement will get him lots of air time!
Gene Weingarten: We’re talking about him, aren’t we?
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Allow, ME: Folks: Michael Savage and Dan Savage are two different people. Gene KNOWS they are two different people. Michael Savage would be appalled to be confused with Dan Savage (and, really, probably vice-versa). Therein lies the joke.
You’re welcome, Gene.
Gene Weingarten: Indeed.
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Savage satire: Gene, you’re as irresponsible as the New Yorker. You should have provided more context like a footnote attached to the Savage Love reference that explicitly explained your intentions. This isn’t a big mistake, but it is a mistake on your part. I’ll call CNN and Fox News, and see if they can get you to apologize to both the Savages. I got the joke, but still think it was irresponsible, because I know there are a lot of stupid people out there who have the right not to be confused.
Gene Weingarten: Understood.
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OK, the Savage thing is funny…: but what’s really got me tearing up and gasping for air over here is all the responses from people who completely missed the point.
Gene Weingarten: I know!
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The Horr, OR!: Your conflation of the Savages in the mind of your (somewhat dense) readers could constitute the basis for a slander case by Dan.
Gene Weingarten: I know.
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New York, NY: Dan was born a Savage, Michael adopted it to make him seem, I don’t know, powerful or dangerous or something.
Gene Weingarten: So, true. And it delights me to report that Michael’s real first name is … Wiener.
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Anonymous: If Michael Savage sues Gene for defamation would that be a case of reverse (anti-anti-gay) bigotry?
Gene Weingarten: It would.
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His real first name?: So his name was Wiener Savage?
Gene Weingarten: Oh. Sorry.
07.26.08 at 1:07 am
For all the things that stupid ass says, this is what gets press?
Jewdar, do me a favor…no more Michael Savage stories. Unless that story happens to be “Michael Savage found floating in East River”.
07.26.08 at 10:07 pm
Remember Hesed, I don’t actually listen to the guy—it’s only when he makes it into the Times that I know what he’s saying. That said, your dream scenario would probably fit the bill, though personally, I’d prefer the headline “Michael Savage Admits He’s Been a Dick, Promises to Change Ways adn Return to Being a Weiner”