What to call what Rush Limbaugh does

[ronbutters at AOL.COM]

The question was legitimate and nonpolitical.It is only Nihart's naïve response that politicized it. This was a question about language ("What do we call this kind of thing?") and not content (indeed, the questioner cites two different examples from two different parts of the political spectrum).

But then, what are we to expect from a mind so lacking in common sense that she would characterize the sensationalized rants of any of these  self-serving entertainers as merely "the truth"?
------Original Message------
From: Janis Vizier Nihart
Sender: ADS-L
To: ADS-L
ReplyTo: ADS-L
Subject: Re: [ADS-L] What to call what Rush Limbaugh does
Sent: Nov 16, 2009 6:29 AM

I think I would call it "the truth".  I thought this was not supposed to be
political, but since you brought it up, there it is.
I'm a woman and I can take an insult, what's the martter with men these
days?  I think a new word should be coined to describe the millions of men
and women who are constantly being offended.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2009 11:45 PM
Subject: What to call what Rush Limbaugh does


> ---------------------- Information from the mail
> header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      What to call what Rush Limbaugh does
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> What do we call the type of nasty political commentary on radio
> exemplified by Rush Limbaugh?  I thought "shock radio", does that
> have more with sexual content?  On the other hand, NPR says "The
> firing of talk radio host Don Imus is a blow to shock radio. But the
> kind of edgy, often offensive commentary and entertainment Imus
> offered is not likely to disappear from the airwaves."
>
> Joel
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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