I’m scheduled to be on the Thom Hartmann show this Tuesday (hour two) to talk about—God help me—homeschooling. They’re making a Skype connection, so I guess there’s some video, too, which you can watch on the website.
Not really knowing who Thom Hartmann is (I rarely listen to radio), I Googled him and found this on Wikipedia:
In 2008 and 2009, Talkers Magazine named Hartmann the tenth most important talk show host in America, defining him as most important progressive host (the nine above Hartmann being conservatives).
What does that mean? Given Obama’s election, there can’t be that many conservatives in the US compared to liberals. Do conservatives listen to the radio more often? I guess, given this imbalance, it’s good that I don’t listen to radio.
Just like those who can not walk and chew gum simultaneously, conservatives are better at just listening to the radio so they don’t have to watch and listen at the same time.
More seriously, liberals spend more time reading and using the internet and going to college. Radio is very big for conservatives. NASCAR draws many more conservatives than liberals too.
(hehe…here comes the NASCAR defenders…)
Drive fast, turn left!
I thought US talk radio was nearly all extremely conservative, except for tiny Pacifica and the middle-of-the-road NPR. Basically it’s a right-wing propaganda medium.
But I’m glad there’s still someone progressive on the air.
Thom Hartman is indeed the best progressive talk radio host, and I always enjoy listening to his show. He’s extrememly intelligent, is very knowledgeable about the constitution, and one of his biggest issues is the fight against corporate “personhood.”
I think you will find him enjoyable to speak with.
The majority of talk radio shows are conservative – it’s very imbalanced on the airwaves. As Newenglandbob says, I think liberals are much busier doing things than sitting around listening to the radio all day…
Have fun!
Thom is indeed a good guy, smart and progressive. He does, however, have a few short comings.
He has made a few dismissive comments about atheists.
He’s also an accomodationist at heart. He had an interview with Steven C. Meyer in which it seems they had much to agree about. I got in on the last part and concluded that Thom either doesn’t know science and Meyer’s bullshit sounded plausible to him or he has a brand of woo that allows for the possibility of creation or miraculous intervention of some kind.
He is private about the details of his religious beliefs but I suspect it is of his own design and rather silly sounding if spoken aloud.
It may go well, but I suspect he will irritate you. His questions will be long and drawn out in order to display his intelligence. Since religious motives are at the heart of a majority of those that home school, the subject of religion will surely come up and his bias may be revealed and probably be antagonistic to yours.
He is, however, unfailingly polite and respectful.
Good luck.
(;o]
Rachael Maddow & Ed Schultz both started on liberal/progressive radio, & graduated to TV … Air America died, so there is much of liberal/progressive radio left [oops]
No, liberals can listen to the radio all day too. But thinking jobs usually require a bit more silence than Rush can muster.
As someone quoted on Pharyngula: “The conservatives were looking to engage with a new generation – and discovered radio.”
Well, the Catholics still communicate with smoke signals, so I guess radio really is a bit of a step forward.
Besides, the whole “voice from heaven” bit appeal to their belief world.
[I guess they go: “clasped hands” – gods speaking directly, “unclasped hands” – their interpreters speaking, it is radio.
But what happens if they listen to radio and clasps their hands? Do they think they are listening to His Master’s Voice or not?]
It would seem to me that conservative types, by their very nature, are brand loyalists. They are uncomfortable with change, and therefore also alternative points of view. This bad habit of theirs leads to watching or listening to the same radio programs or television shows, which in turn makes conservative programming more lucrative than liberal media programming. Thus, a nation of progressives can seem be be lead by a conservative leaning media.
Hmph, phooey on all this dissing of radio, radio is a very cool medium, and liberals should take it over.
(US radio is crap – the medium is wasted. The BBC is a different story.)
The joy of it is that BBC Radio streams worldwide for free (BBC TV is all lawyered-up with drm so you can’t watch outside the UK). I was a child when radio drama died in the US, so when I stumbled onto Radio 7 a few years back I totally fell in love with it. I’ve heard many of the songs Ewan MacColl wrote for the Radio Ballad documentaries; last year Radio 7 broadcast a selection of them, and it was fascinating finally to hear how beautifully MacColl’s songs integrated with the voices of the workers.
And being able to listen to The Goon Show every week is worth the money I spend on dsl all by itself!
While it doesn’t hold a candle to the BBC, the CBC radio service does a pretty good job.
The eclectic Jurgen Gothe, host of Disc Drive (and my introduction to Bob James via Fanfarinette), chef, wine fancier and cat aficionado (most memorable line was “what to get the cats for christmas this year, an egg crate full of hamsters like last year or something different) and some great radio plays, humour (Vinyl Cafe), science shows (Ideas and Quirks & Quarks).
BBC Radio 4 is a real treat.
In a previous job I had in the US in the 90’s, I did a lot of long-distance driving between customers. Except for NPR and Pacifica (which only broadcasts on a weak signal in a few cities), talk radio was right-wing, all the time. After a certain amount of that, one’s brain cells start to die.
I learned to listen to books on tape instead.
So are we expecting another volley of creationist trolling?
“I’m scheduled to be on the Thom Hartmann show this Tuesday (hour two) to talk about—God help me—homeschooling.”
I hope you’re not one of those under the impression that all homeschoolers are fundy Christians who only teach creationism and scorn evolution. There are many, despite bad statistics to the contrary, that are secular and teach the science of evolution (and lots of other science as well). I’m one of them.
If Talkers magazine and whatever the bubble the radio people live in decide the 9 most important radio talkers are conservative, then mostly conservatives will be put on the air, a vicious circle. At 45,I am done with radio (and TV) anyway, because I get a better choice from the intertubes and podcasts. I can plug my iPod into my car radio so whats the point of listening to what the nitwit Atlanta radio execs want me to hear while I’m driving.
I love talk radio, though I primarily listen to NPR. NPR has great news coverage, great shows like Car Talk, Talk of the Nation, Fresh Air etc. Plus I’m fortunate to have a great local NPR affiliate that leans left that also has great shows like The Science Forum, Media Project etc.
I just stay away from the hell hole that is AM talk radio.
Jerry, I have a question. It may seem a joke at first, but I’m actually hoping you may consider it. Would you do a Point of Inquiry podcast with Chris Mooney? Now that you’re done laughing 🙂 , I’d like to hear that so some issues can really get pounded out. He’s been preannoucing his quest and soliciting questions over on the Center for Inquiry forums and I have a few I’d love for him to ask.
I’d pay for this!
Took a look at Hartmann’s site. I think a better question would be Why is the religious right dumbing down kids? Public School Students aren’t immune from the rights agenda, just look at Texas.
Just remember to stare at the camera, not the screen – ignore the screen. Otherwise it looks like you’re staring at everyone’s breasts.
Dr. Jay Wile is calling Jerry a scaredy cat!
I am agnostic on the issue of debating creationists or not, just trying to stir the pot.