:: Friday, February 27, 2004 ::

Clear Channel: Promoting the Right Sort of Indecency

Though they just fired shock jock Howard Stern, Clear Channel apparently has no trouble hiring Michael Savage, who once told a caller into his cable TV show that as a "sodomite" he should "get AIDS and die." He lost his show at MSNBC for those remarks. Clear Channel, however, was happy to have him.

A visit to Savage's web site reveals a poll asking "With regard to Homosexual couples, what do you favor?" 62% of visitors to Savage's site voted "Make It a Crime." While Stern is certainly known for his vulgarity, he doesn't politicize his views. Savage is well known for dishing out homophobic and anti-Semitic slurs. But he doesn't stop there. Savage isn't speaking just to shock, to test the limits of free expression. He clearly uses his radio show and his web site to promote an agenda. His site encourages visitors to sponsor the Paul Revere Society, which Savage founded and whose 8-Point Program is as follows:

1. End Affirmative Action.
2. Close the Borders now.
3. Deport all illegal immigrants now.
4. Eliminate bilingual education in all states.
5. Require health tests for all recent foreign born immigrants.
6. Make tax cuts permanent.
7. Reduce the number of Federal Employees.
8. Tort Reform - Stop Class Action Lawyers.

Savage also displays prominent links to the Family Research Council which "champions marriage and family as the foundation of civilization, the seedbed of virtue, and the wellspring of society." The page Savage selects to link to explains "What's Wrong With Letting Same-Sex Couples 'Marry?'"

While Stern may be a peurile humorist, the king of shock jocks, Savage is something different, something more akin to a preacher or a right-wing activist, nudging people towards causes encouraging hate and intolerance. That's pretty indecent.

But, apparently, Clear Channel considers Savage the right sort of indecent.

:: Unknown 4:00 PM | [+] ::
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