Rush Limbaugh Sticks Up for Video Games

[MovieBob]

Interesting, but his position - or, rather, a broader context for why he may have arrived at said position - becomes much less surprising when you read the actual transcript: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_102910/content/01125113.guest.html

Basically, he asks the caller how old they are, and when they say "21" Rush really gets into it. Sez Limbaugh: "Get on board, my buddy. If it's taken a video game to get you interested and have the light go off, to have you see what liberalism is all about, I'm glad to have you on our side, 'cause I agree with you." He goes on to "welcome" the caller to Conservatism, though the caller corrects him that they've been such all along.

So, at least in a sense, Limbaugh's interest in the matter (no, I'm not questioning his technical sincerity) is more that it's a good issue with which to win converts to The Movement. For a "liberal" version of this, see: my own state's Senator, John Kerry (remember him?), claiming to be "fascinated" by the "poetry" of hip-hop. Sure he is.

If this were a debate, as opposed to a friendly call with someone who's (apparently) already a fan, a logical followup would've been to ask him (Rush) his more specific opinion on, say, the Rapelay controversy, or games that openly espoused anti-right-wing messages ("Bioshock," essentially a tragedy about the practical failings of Objectivism) or "pagan" religious/moral messages. I imagine he'd ultimately arrive at the same conclusion, but a lot less "gleefully" and with more qualifiers and "yeah buts" - because he knows that's where he'd "lose" other big chunks of his listenership; which is overwhelmingly socially conservative (re: "The Religious Right") as well as economically so.

The "trick" to American politics is that because we're "behind" a lot of the civilized world in drawing a big thick line between "morality" and "policy" (i.e. one oughtn't have anything to do with the other) there are four "sides" to it (Politically/Economically-Conservative, Politically/Economically-Liberal, Socially-Traditional, Socially-Nontraditional) masquerading as only two ("Liberal" and "Conservative.") What's more, humans being human most people's actual "philosophy" doesn't fit neatly into ANY of them, because it boils down to "I'm for what helps me personally and against what doesn't." True master politicians (JFK, Reagan, Clinton, Obama at least as a campaigner) attain and hold power by convincing large groups that "what helps me" actually CAN be called one thing, and then BEING that one thing.

 

[Marmooset]

Well it's nice to know we have someone with a lot of listeners on our side.

as for the whole "Liberal Conservative" argument going on here, lets see what Bob has to say:
(3:00 if you want to skip right to it)

Interesting that this guy would use the term "condescending" to us in the indicated section...

 

[2xDouble]

"War makes strange bedfellows." It gets truer and truer as time goes on, and I appreciate the support.

I just want you to know Mr. Limbaugh... This changes nothing. You and your protege Mr. Beck can both go jump in a lake after this fight is over. At least now I know you know how to properly support a cause. You'll never be O'Reilly, get over it.

 

[Zero=Interrupt]

Im confused - so is it the liberals in america that are trying to bad games, or the conservatives?

It's the nanny-state liberals; the same people that think government has a right to regulate every facet of your life and tax 90% of your income to do it.

 

[Whichi]

I don't get it. Limbaugh has been unusually rational these past few months, somewhat out of character.

That was the first thing I was thinking when I read the title... usually Limbaugh squaks some nonsense that makes Bill O'Riley seem sane when he does little more than pick out his enemies and chant "NO SPIN ZONE! NO SPIN ZONE!" like its some kind of game show.

To quote Lewis Black, I don't wanna owe one to Rush Limbaugh.

I know you don't want to owe one to him (believe me, I don't either), but if you have to, I think we shoud just be glad we still our video games unrestricted. Although I still think we should have a restriction on letting 12 year olds play MW2

Im confused - so is it the liberals in america that are trying to bad games, or the conservatives?

It's the nanny-state liberals; the same people that think government has a right to regulate every facet of your life and tax 90% of your income to do it.

Wasn't there a Democrat that told the press that the government can do whatever they want to their people? This was way back when we were trying to fight Obama's "brilliant" Health Care reform. the whole room was filed with boos and hisses.

 

[Shihoudani]

As for Rush not being a viable voice in media, having the most listened to news radio program doesn't make you viable? Hmm, seems kind of odd. You may not follow his political views but the man is very viable to a large audience of people.

As someone that likes perspective, I've listened to him (even watched some of his tv show back in the day) and I'm not sure you can consider that news. Would you call the Daily Show news? He's like a right wing version of that, just without the funny writers. But if you do consider them news, Stewart and Colbert have come out at the defense of video games many times too.

I will say however that it is good to see there is at least one thing we're all in agreement on. It only took over 15 years to find it.

When it comes to censorship there are more than enough dbags on the left and the right trying to ruin everyone's fun that I don't think it is a politically tainted issue.

Well I would say that there is a difference, where as Rush is his own boss who discusses the news as an opinionist. Throwing in bits of comedy with partners such as Paul Shanklin, etc. It's a little different then a comedy show that has an applause sign light up on command, or is designed more to mock politics then rather give an opinion. Least that's what I always thought of Colbert and Stewert. They certainly do a good job with it though, as there have been several times I've just out right laughed my ass off while watching them.

When I listen to Rush I'm not just listening for the simple fact of finding out what the news is, rather I'm listening to hear an agreeable opinion that I share. There is plenty of time during the day when you're not in the car or the office, where you can go home and check up on the sources and read the news articles he speaks about for your self. Least that's what I normally do.

As for MovieBob, the quoted section would fit with even more context when used with the rest of what was said. After all yes he's jumping on board on the issue because it is a conservative issue. That doesn't just mean he's saying it to get you on board with him, after listening to him for many years he's made it clear many times that he doesn't support government regulation of free speech, or on trans fats that you eat at a restaurant, what kind of car you should drive, etc.

"RUSH: All right. Now, I'm 59. As long as I've been an adult, since I was 21, I have been concerned about the infringements on free speech that come from Democrat regimes and courts because I'm in the free speech business.

CALLER: Mmm-hmm.

RUSH: I've been concerned about the reimposition of the Fairness Doctrine. I am glad this is happening. If it takes an impingement on free speech in something you're interested in, video games, to alert you to what's happening throughout society then I'm glad it's happening, because I'm sure you oppose this.

CALLER: Yes.

RUSH: Your video game is your video game and you don't think the government should have any role whatsoever in applying any artistic sanction to it or any stamp of approval -- you can say that but you can't say that -- because that's not permitted. The market should determine this, correct?

CALLER: Yes.

RUSH: If you want to buy something raunchy in a video game, you should be allowed to, and if it's too raunchy the market won't support it? Fine, it dies. If the market likes it, then we got a cultural problem to deal with, but the government ought to have nothing to do with it. Right? You agree?

CALLER: Yes.

RUSH: Okay, then. Join me any time the government tries to impinge on anybody's speech. Join me when the government tries to tell you can't eat trans fat. Join me when the government gets involved in all these other behavioral and speech things that they try to tell you and control us we can't do: What kind of car we have to drive, whether or not we're responsible for global warming, the kind of lightbulb we have to have, where our thermostats are. Get on board, my buddy. If it's taken a video game to get you interested and have the light go off, to have you see what liberalism is all about, I'm glad to have you on our side, 'cause I agree with you. Leave your game alone. The people that put together these video games are artists in their own right. If you're gonna start saying that video games are raunchy, then how the hell do you leave cable television alone?"

At the end I do agree, these are artists in their own right. Shaping and designing code and graphics to tell a story that can be just as moving, as any movie and sometimes just as much as any piece of art.

 

[GonzoGamer]

RUSH: Okay, then. Join me any time the government tries to impinge on anybody's speech. Join me when the government tries to tell you can't eat trans fat. Join me when the government gets involved in all these other behavioral and speech things that they try to tell you and control us we can't do: What kind of car we have to drive, whether or not we're responsible for global warming, the kind of lightbulb we have to have, where our thermostats are. Get on board, my buddy. If it's taken a video game to get you interested and have the light go off, to have you see what liberalism is all about, I'm glad to have you on our side, 'cause I agree with you. Leave your game alone. The people that put together these video games are artists in their own right. If you're gonna start saying that video games are raunchy, then how the hell do you leave cable television alone?"

That's it right there. I can't appreciate his (or most "pundits" on the right) is this paranoid tunnel vision. He tries to get everyone to believe that all the worlds problems are cause by the left wing.

Listening to him, you'd think liberals were the only ones interested in censorship.
A lot of the politicians who pander to the religious right wing voters are responsible for many brazen affronts to free speech too. Bush jr's administration was responsible for appointing the worst leadership ever to the FCC... if you don't like censorship.

Also, I live in NYC where our right wing mayor (although in the last election he called himself independent: which he's not) is the one who wants to tell us what we can eat, where we can smoke (not many places now), and add tons of taxes to the things that are "bad" for us. To say liberals are the only ones responsible is like saying conservatives are the only ones who like guns: it's just plain wrong.

 

[Labcoat Samurai]

My brain just exploded.

This is a "liberal and conservative" issue. Hardcore conservatives are anti-government- they oppose censorship. Hardcore liberals are pro-government- they support regulation. Rush is a hardcore conservative- he's against any unnecessary government.

And yet the ACLU is generally considered liberal. Liberals are pro-government inasmuch as they think that government is a reasonable tool to reach for when attempting to address a social problem, but that doesn't mean they want to apply the tool willy-nilly to everything. Conservatives, on the other hand, do tend to think you should never reach for the tool at all.

But here's the rub. There's a whole separate axis of liberal and conservative that often comes into direct opposition here. For example, conservatives all over the country are adding as much government red tape as they possibly can to the process of getting a legal abortion. If they could, they'd regulate it into oblivion. Also, social conservatives and the religious right are very uncomfortable with obscenity. They fight tooth and nail to have the government prevent gays from marrying or even adopting, which is presumably because they'd spread their gay ideas to the children.

I would expect a social conservative to support increased regulation of the video game industry out of a naive idea that it helps protect children from obscenity. I would expect a proponent of the free market to oppose regulation of the game industry on the theory that private enterprise should police itself. The two notions are at odds with one another, but I tend to have an expectation that social conservatism will trump free market conservatism, since Republicans get so many of their votes by appealing to religion, moral values, etc.

On the other hand, I tend to be surprised and disappointed at the liberal politicians who are for regulation. It seems that they are transparently looking to steal the votes of social conservatives away from Republicans. The whole affair seems really disingenuous from democrats. Clinton's support for a similar bill was the nail in the coffin for me. I decided I'd never vote for her for dog catcher if she'd so transparently and shamelessly pander for votes.

But ultimately both parties do a lot of this sort of thing. There aren't enough free market conservatives in this country to reliably win elections, so Republicans corner the religious right. Democrats, on the other hand, try a populist approach by making policies that appeal to lower income citizens at the expense of the top earners. Maybe they philosophically believe in it too, but I don't think it's any coincidence that the lower income class is a larger voting bloc.

 

[RUINER ACTUAL]

Im confused - so is it the liberals in america that are trying to bad games, or the conservatives?

"It came from California," so it is liberal, however 'bipartisan' it may be. They're all the same retarded though. But for the side this this subject is, I'm going conservative- protect media, free speech, and the Constitution.

 

[duedmen]

I would like to state as being a socialist/communist people seem to group all of us as Stalinist and Maoist but I HATE STALINISTS and I WILL NEVER TRUST A MAOIST father then I can throw him. people seem to forget communism is an open ideal with multiple shapes and sizes there those who follow marx, marxisim revisionsists, post modren communists, socialists, luxemburgism and whole slew of other other communist ideals! before maybe basing communism just on what schools taught about lenin stalin and mao maybe look up some of these other leftist groups and see were all no authoritarian jackasses who hate individuality and want to enslave you to a factory in fact the manifesto states that communisim is about the growth of the individual coopertivly

 

[stabnex]

I'd rather have Joseph Stalin standing up for my rights...

 

[The Austin]

Im confused - so is it the liberals in america that are trying to bad games, or the conservatives?

Liberals.

Liberal = More government, more censorship, but greater freedom of personal choice, such as gay marriage, pro-choice, etc.
Conservative = Less Government, but less freedom of personal choice, such as no gay marriage, no abortions.


So as you can see, BOTH of our political parties totally suck.

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

It seems the time-tunneling devise had a few drastic consequences...
...this is quite distressing. *transforms into a toaster* KACHUNK!

 

[The Austin]

Im confused - so is it the liberals in america that are trying to bad games, or the conservatives?

Liberals.

Liberal = More government, more censorship, but greater freedom of personal choice, such as gay marriage, pro-choice, etc.
Conservative = Less Government, but less freedom of personal choice, such as no gay marriage, no abortions.


So as you can see, BOTH of our political parties totally suck.

WHY do politicans keep bringing up these issues they have been desided for a while now(gay marriage and abortion), as far as im aware most of people on both sides of the political spectrum are happy with the way they are or at least are not screaming for their change, continuing to rehash these issues is like if congreess called a session every now again to discuss the pros and cons of slavery.

I'm not sure. I personally believe that abortion is A-Okay, and that marriage sucks, but if the gays want to suffer through it too, than why the hell not?

I think things are fine the way they are.

 

[Godhead]

I think he's made the right decision (he even implied videogames were art!) but i think maybe for the wrong reasons. The cynical part of me thinks it's more of a stick to beat the democrats with than a commitment to videogames as such but we should take free allies like this as we can get them.

Censorship is one of the things i think thr right has right and we should try and publicise this issue ammougst anyone who has any kind of free-speech interests. You can say what you like about Limbaugh but at least he IS commited to the 1st amendment and i don't see any other public media figure, i mean this is perfect Daily Show fodder for christs sake!, defending videogames in the slightest. So i have to give him credit where it is due.

The Republican party would do well to stake a calim to free speech as a core value becuase at the moment all they seem to be doing is frankly crazy antics and weird rhetoric. They need to take a leaf out of the UK conservative's book and try and re-brand themselves as more of a 'smart power' party rather than a 'fucking crazy' party.

Is the right reason always the Democrat/Liberal/Obama reason? Do you even know that the new wave of conservatives coming into Washington are Constitutionalists? Do you know that most conservatives hate the Westboro Baptist Church? Have you considered the possibility that Hollywood might be a major player in this bill as it might remove the gaming industry as competition? Are you aware that it's mostly liberals that are in the anti-free speech arenas now? Do you ever think for yourself instead of letting Jon Stewart think for you?

Seriously, we have close to 400 comments on this in a separate thread. There are actually people who put their support of the medium in question because Limbaugh defended it, and are still bluntly in denial that this law was authored by a highly liberal democrat. I am dumbfounded by the amount of people on this site who refuse to research this issue and simply allow liberal propaganda to guide their viewpoints.

I would not begin to question anyone's decision to defend free speech regardless of their political party. But in all honesty, do you really expect that the liberal media would stand up for us? I saw a clip from Blizzcon on "The Soup" on E! earlier today. And the entire point of that clip was to make people like us look like retarded troglodytes who've never come in contact with women. Hey aren't a lot of the people here women? I could have sworn they were. But yeah, they still lump us in with the stereotypical pocket protectors, taped glasses, stupid hair...actually this is what the liberals think we are...

[/quote]

Are you aware im british and could give a fuck? Your pathological repetition of "Liberals" makes you should like one of those hitler sign carrying tea-party crazies. [i]"The liberals want to kill Grandma! The Liberals! The liberals! The Liberals!!!!!!!!"[/i][/quote] -snip- [/quote]
You sir/madam, are now now my favorite person in America.

OT: Good for you Rush. You're doing what you believe in politically (even if for personal gain) instead of conforming to the general masses views of what is a republican/democrat. There are both liberal and conservative people on both political parties, it's just that the majority and most outspoken members in the Republican party are Conservatives while it is the same with Democrats and liberals.

 

[Sneaklemming]

Liberal = More government, more censorship, but greater freedom of personal choice, such as gay marriage, pro-choice, etc.
Conservative = Less Government, but less freedom of personal choice, such as no gay marriage, no abortions.

I'm surprised you don't see the irony in this.

 

[GonzoFish]

The best part about this is, that its an indication that the conservative judges on the supreme court are likely to think this way as well. Which means Roberts, Scalia, Thomas and Alito are probably on our side. All we need is one liberal or moderate judge and we win!

Of course, life is never that simple is it?

I don't think any particular political leaning gets off the "we supported censorship" hook. Liberals have Tipper Gore and her nauseating crusade against violent music. Conservatives get the distinction of McCarthyism.

And neither get off the hook on the videogame issue either. Liberals have a nasty habit of attempting to legislate their concerns for others. What do we get? Smokers are turned into second class citizens, trans fats get banned, Kids aren't allowed to ride ATVs, warning labels on CDs, and now the people who bemoan the violence of american culture have turned their sights on entertainment medium that -lets face it- is overflowing with violence. Its going to turn our kids into everything we've been fighting against, we must stop those awful propaganda games.

While liberals have a hate on for tangible harms and violent imagery. Conservatives can be even worse! Cons have a closely held romantacism of american culture and traditional values. They're less concerned with protecting people from themselves as they are protecting our culture from us. Conservatives seem to hate anything that could be construed as undermining traditional american values: Communism, drug use, rock and roll, premarital sex. When you play Modern Warfare, who doesn't like to pretend to be an patriotic american soldier. But when you get freaky with a blue chick in Mass Effect "MORAL DEGENERACY!"

 

[Druyn]

Wow. I mean, I am not a fan of Rush. I will leave my opinion of him at that, but I realy, really do not like him.

But seriously, the power that this guy can bring to any argument is incredible. I feel so wierd being happy that he's on my side for once. But damn it, this makes me kind of happy.

 

[The Austin]

Liberal = More government, more censorship, but greater freedom of personal choice, such as gay marriage, pro-choice, etc.
Conservative = Less Government, but less freedom of personal choice, such as no gay marriage, no abortions.

I'm surprised you don't see the irony in this.

Who says I don't?

I said that both of the parties suck, didn't I?

 

[ImprovizoR]

He looks like a douchebag, yet his words are true, except for the part about conservatism. Video games have nothing to do with conservatism. Quite the opposite really.