Conservative talk show hosts have a lot going for them and some of the public have picked up on many conservative points. But the public is in WAY deeper trouble than what is addressed by talk show hosts. Conservative hosts just offer something different than progressive socialist viewpoints but don’t drill down to the causes of our troubles. Talk show hosts only differentiate themselves a little from their opponents.
In his book, 1984, George Orwell described the Five Minute Hate during which all workers had to assemble and be shown their current enemy, give them the opportunity to show their ire for that enemy for five minutes and then return to their jobs. Conservative talk show hosts can stretch that out to three hours or even a twenty-four hour news cycle. Without describing the source of a problem and its solution, all you can do is hate it.
A talk show host has a microphone, studio and transmitter. He has advertisers who sponsor the show. The station management or owner is okay with the content of the show. He has a well-developed narrative about sensational topics that appeals to his listeners. Nothing succeeds like success! But there is no reason to change, to improve or go any further with his thought process. Do not disturb a successful business model. Just as well, his listeners don't want to be too challenged in thought nor too burdened in personal research so the savy host only gives what his audience is willing to chew and swallow. 'Same goes for pastors, another topic.
The Nation is in WAY more trouble than what is brought up in conservative media. What ails the USA cannot be explained in a sound bite. “What’s on your mind? You’ve got thirty seconds.”
Wouldn’t it be nice to hear about these deeper problems so a strategy may be developed to overcome them? The usual dialog on these shows often becomes a litany of what these pesky socialists are up to or what plans they have for you. The shows just become an introduction to socialism, a welcome to the future. Talk show hosts only give us a preview of what the socialists will do, not provide an understanding of the legal basis for the continual non-stop socialist movement.
The very nature of the call-in talk show is in some ways detrimental to progress. Talk show hosts frame the issues by the topics they bring up and by the questions they ask for comment. "What programs should be cut in order to balance the budget and pay off the national debt?" Actually, the national debt cannot be paid off, ever; the money does not exist to do this. See more on this topic on another web page of this site. No budget cutting will do it, the talk show host has limited discussion of the big picture by his narrow question.
Maybe an enlightened citizen could call a show, address his wide audience and bring the talk show host up to speed. Not so fast! The caller might not get access because the talk show host is not in the business of solving problems but will let you talk “if you want to be part of the program” (Sean Hannity). Perhaps the only object of calls is granting the caller the thrill of talking to a host or hearing his own voice on air. But, "Please turn down your radio while talking!"
If the caller gets through with some helpful information, you’ll never hear another word about it. I don't mind telling the host a secret because I know he won’t repeat it. New Year's eve, mid-1990s, Rush Limbaugh Show, guest host filling in for Rush, caller says the 14th amendment is contrary to the US Constitution and negates it. Fill-in host says, "Wow! A back door around the Constitution! Let's go to our next call." The subject never came up again.
A talk show host may prevent the caller from getting on the air. Call screeners filter out off-topic calls, incoherent calls and calls from people who bring up subjects the host does allow on the radio. A talk show host can refuse to read a comment left on his website or refuse to read the entire comment (name withheld, hoping he will come around). A talk show host may cut off the caller. “Get off the phone you big dope!” (Mark Levin). A talk show host may cut the caller short and reframe his statement to fit a belief of the host (Sean Hannity). A talk show host can spend more time to discredit (step on) the caller’s point with a long dissertation (Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show).
A talk show host can drop a subject although it needs further discussion and move on to a new topic. A talk show host can soft-pedal anything he doesn’t know about or wants to discuss and just move on to the next caller. A talk show host can have his own narrative (his own version of things) and suppress anything to the contrary, even if the caller has something helpful to say. A talk show host must always appear to be more intelligent and aware than anyone who calls. Any new information that takes understanding further than his narrative must be ignored.
A talk show host can beg for any socialist to call and justify their position but will prevent the caller or message, especially conservative, to come through with the answer (name withheld, hoping he will come around). The hosts do like to go back and forth with illiterate socialists but still avoid the core issues.
A talk show host can let his show devolve into just entertainment. The worst of it is the dude and two chicks talking about serious topics on the morning drive-time show. Just listen to their banter! Great? They still don't offer the complete story on any subject.
Talk show hosts practically conceal what has already happened by always warning about it coming in the future.
Getting in to a national talk show is even more rare. The caller can't wait three hours for Rush to pick his call. Heard on his show, “I’ve been on hold since last year.” And, “Talking to you, Rush, has been on my bucket list.” (Rush Limbaugh Show) If he ever got through, by the time he does, the subject has changed a couple of times and is no long up for comment.
National talk shows are often delay broadcasted to suit the programming schedule of a local station. Although the talk show host pleads for someone to call and you have good input to make, the plea was made an hour or two prior from when you heard it so the show has moved on to another subject, making your call irrelevant, or the show has already ended!
A talk show host and his show format does not allow sufficient time on a subject. “I’m up against the clock. Hard break coming up. The music means we have to go. When we come back, we’ll take up something else.” Perhaps the listening audience gets tired of a long subject so the host "moves the show along." Talk show hosts never get to the bottom of any subject, preferring to stir the pot for emotional response (Phil Donahue) without solution. It's a "Catch-22" if the solutions to problems were known, there would less interest in what the host has to say.
A talk show host can prevent discussion from going where he doesn’t want it to go. Conservative talk shows may seem perceptive, contrary to liberal thought, edgy, daring … but yet ignore or avoid any real discussion getting to the heart of the matter. Be risky … but not TOO risky. There's many a topic (race, religion, gender) related to the subject under discussion but the host doesn't want to go there.
But if some or all of this does not help the listener, if the caller is desperate for answers to serious problems, the talk show host and indeed the very format of the talk show may fail We, the Listeners.
But, hey, it’s the talk show host’s show, he will do what he wants with it. If you don’t like it, start one yourself or make a website like this to address any shortcomings you see. This website is offered to extend your knowlege of many subjects, ultimately putting everything together in THE BIG PICTURE, the Uniform Theory of Social Issues.
If talk shows and their hosts are not helping your situation and that of the Nation (there are many excuses why), do your own research into society's problems. Alternative narratives exist, you can find them if you give it daily attention. If you have better information, please start up your own talk show or put up an informative website – like this one. I'll read yours, too.