NPR Executives Will Not Take Down Teabagger-Bashing Cartoon They Agree With
Posted by Jim Hoft on Friday, January 8, 2010, 8:08 PM
It’s not only CNN and MSNBC who decided this year to openly attack ordinary Americans who oppose the democrat’s record spending and massive expansion of government…
National Public Radio is using taxpayer dollars to bash teabaggers on their website–
“Learn to Speak Teabag”
The video pokes fun of the angry teabaggers showing their Nazi and Stalin signs.
For some reason the video skipped over the angry attacks by Nancy Pelosi, Alan Grayson, Baron Hill and Harry Reid who called tea party protesters Nazis, terrorists, evil-mongers and mobsters. Hey, if you can’t beat them, bash them.
Here is the video on the NPR website
After a controversy erupted earlier this week over the nasty liberal cartoon NPR posted a response on their website today. NPR executives said today that they would not apologize for the cartoon by Mark Fiore, nor would they remove it from the NPR site. NPR did however enlarge the word “OPINION” on the page where Fiore’s cartoon appears and labeled it his “personal take” on the issue.
And, they wonder why conservatives think they’re biased?
Byron York has more at The Washington Examiner including this:
So there will be no apology, no withdrawal, and no further steps to provide balance in commentary. Right now, what balance there is can be found in the comments section. “This should be on the Democratic National Committee website,” one California listener wrote. “Why did NPR allow this? I’ll tell you why. The people who allowed it have the same views.”
Indeed. They didn’t see anything wrong with it because they agreed with it.
By the way… NPR called me for comment on this report earlier in the week. They told me they would send me a link to the article when it was published. They didn’t.
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Published February 8, 2012 at 8:42 pm - 63 Comments
bg commented:
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oh not to worry about Not Prime Radio..
let them enjoy what’s left of their freedom..
they’ll be Al-Jazeera NPR before they realize it anyways..
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merle commented:
Shame on NPR. Absolutely insane that taxpayer money is paying for this abusive ridiculous cartoon…
Chisum commented:
NPR Ombudsman: Tea-Bag Cartoon is ‘Mean-Spirited,’ Lacks NPR’s ‘Core Values’ of Civility
PS: People writing the NPR Ombudsman to complain (or express joy) received a reply from Shepard urging them to read today’s post. It said in part:
The cartoon is a commentary, and reflects the animator’s perspective – and not NPR’s. However, NPR initially didn’t make that clear. NPR senior news management has since made sure that Fiore’s cartoons are labeled Opinion and that he’s identified as an independent syndicated columnist.
Ms. Shepard feels the cartoon is not in keeping with public radio’s Core Values. We appreciate your perspectives, and value your taking the time to contact us. Clearly you care about the quality of NPR’s coverage.
We are sorry if the cartoon offended you, but hope you will still donate to your local station. When you donate, it goes directly to your local station. Your station uses the money to buy a variety of programs that you may enjoy that have nothing to do with NPR – such as Prairie Home Companion, BBC, Marketplace or This American Life. We hope you will continue to support your local station.
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2010/01/08/npr-ombudsman-tea-bag-cartoon-mean-spirited-lacks-nprs-core-values-civil
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bg commented:
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Earth to NPR..
Learn Obama Speak
aka: Taqiyyah..
no, it’s not a drink or a dance,
but lip syncing may qualify..
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bg commented:
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Chisum @ 8:25 pm #3
hmm, was that yet another “fake but accurate” claim, or
might i have read too much between the NPR lines??
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wanumba commented:
Start the Election Promises:
A vote for US is a vote to sell off NPR at public auction. They’re so smart they’re certain to be a huge success in the private sector.
A Regular Joe commented:
It should be on a show called;
“All Things Inconsiderate”
Regarding taxpayer funding, their about page can’t even get things right. First they say:
“A privately supported, not-for-profit membership organization, NPR serves …”
then they say…
“A very small percentage — between one percent to two percent of NPR’s annual budget — comes from competitive grants sought by NPR from federally funded organizations”
then they say:
10.1% from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which is federally funded*
5.8% from federal, state, and local governments
So, they are “privately supported”, but really 2% from the gov’t in “competitive grants” which some how adds up to 15.9%
WTF?
Joanne commented:
This video is classic – they are calling the people in the tea bag movement stupid, when in fact they know they are the stupid ones, so they are deflecting.
McClatchy Watch commented:
This is a public relations nightmare for NRP – see what happens when you Google “NPR teabagger”.
manateespirit commented:
I will give NPR credit. They did write me back in a day, more than Claire McCaskill can say.
However, I wrote them a followup email…if they believe this is satire, why is it okay to isolate one group? What is the difference between “teabaggers”…and say, Muslims, people of color, disabled people and gay,lesbian, transgendered people? They would never do this because it would be politically incorrect and not kind. So why is it correct to isolapte this one group? That is the essential question.
Guess what? Haven’t gotten an answer yet.
bg commented:
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manateespirit @ 9:13 pm #13
re: [They would never do this because it would be politically incorrect]
Political Islam aka: Sharia Law is to Islamism
what Political Correctness is to aka: Marxism..
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Dwayne \\\"the canoe guy\\\" commented:
Personally, I agree with Wizbangblog. Everytime I hear someone use “Teabagger” I will use “Magic Negro”. (Since supposedly, both terms came from the side that they describe)
Mari commented:
NPR put the video up and kept it up because a Fox can smell his own kind. Degenerates of a feather flock together. NPR outed themselves to the few boobs that were to stupid to realize they are nothing more than liberal and leftist sexual deviants
KR commented:
NPR really let the mask slip on this one.
They try so hard to portray themselves as “enlightened, fair, intelligent and sophisticated”.
Anyone who actually exercises these qualities can plainly see the deception.
TaSS commented:
Both the NPR and the cartoonist are enjoying the attention that they would not have had otherwise with their declining audience.
Best thing you can do is ignore them. Do not give them any more free publicity.
Militant Conservative commented:
Common Democrat trick. Accuse your opponent of what you are doing. Hard to disprove a negative. By doing this they are getting desperate. Just enough truth to sell the idea to the unenlightened. Many of these terms were correct and were reported by the MSM but the dunces that used them were the Radical left itself. powder is dry.
Redwine commented:
Jim and others – PLEASE stop using the term “teabagger”. This term is a pejorative! It’s rude and repulsive.
It’s the TEAPARTY movement, as in the historical event.
The derisive “teabagger” rubbish was started by a failed leftist jerkwad comedienne, who shall remain nameless.
It’s TEAPARTY TEAPARTY TEAPARTY TEAPARTY TEAPARTY TEAPARTY!
Chisum commented:
OUCH!
THE SECRET OF NPR’S SUCCESS
http://www.riehlworldview.com/carnivorous_conservative/2010/01/the-secret-of-nprs-success.html
jorgen commented:
Why don’t they make a Democratic version. Here is the text for the video in full: “Bush, Bush, Bush.”
jim from cleveland commented:
NPR is perfect for the stunted sense of humor that characterizes most liberals. They still listen to Garrison Keillor, Michael Feldman, and Click and Clack, who’ve been doing the same schtick for about 30 years.
Before I tuned out completely about eight years ago, I would often hear someone purporting to be a wit making snide comments about George W. Bush that were not only crude but thoroughly unfunny. Yet one would hear the arrogant liberals in the audience braying like jackasses.
Nahanni commented:
Within two years all the people at NPR will be out of work. NPR and it’s radio stations can not survive on donations alone. The colleges and universities that most of their affiliates are owned by will get to the point where they have to choose between their sports programs and other programs and dump their radio stations.
One Way commented:
Both FOX’s Juan W. and Mara L. are from NPR, I think. Would like to hear their opinions on this if they’re on the show this weekend.
Colorado2993 commented:
If NPR makes it expressly clear that the cartoon is an opinion, then I don’t see a problem. As conservative news outlets so often point out, they are protected by the first amendment. FOX opinion shows like Hannity and The O’reily factor make the most of this fact with hardly unbiased coverage, and there’s nothing wrong with that! I hardly ever agree with the opinions given on those shows, but I watch them occasionaly to get perspective, and if what they say especialy offends me, I just don’t watch it.
Let’s face it, if NPR had published a cartoon making fun of congresional democrats or Sarah Palin’s opponents, the headline would read, “Hero NPR fights against demoCRAP smear machine!” Hypocrisy is an ugly thing. Really, you can oppose the opinion in the NPR catoon, but attacking NPR itself is akin to the attacks FOX constantly endures from the “hippie Obama worshipers” those who frequent this site so often ridicule. Free speech is a two way street, either everyone gets it, or no one does.
Thomas Ho commented:
Here’s a tweet I made to my local NPR affiliate:
http://twitter.com/DrThomasHo/status/7445239402
I got NO response!
Wayne Lusvardi commented:
Health Care Reform as Newspeak
Newspeak, n. In George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, the modified form of English created by the government for use in propoganda; in general use, any euphemism or doublespeak, especially as used by a government or for propaganda. Compare oldspeak.
National Public Radio has a hit piece cartoon video posted on their website “Learn to Speak Teabag” that mocks and ridicules those who are in the Tea Party movement as bozos who don’t know how to say anything intelligent in opposition to health care reform other than shouting accusations such as “socialist.”
And NPR videos of Teabag Party members carrying Nazi symbols and signs are obviously Democrat shills pretending to be members of the Tea Party in order to publicly malign them (and using taxpayer dollars to do it no less).
The video posted at NPR is obviously meant to provoke outraged responses in order to generate hits on their website and boost readership by those on the political Left. This is what serious journalism has deteriorated to: adolescent yellow journalism and personal attacks substituting for real debate; Newspeak substituting for Old Speak. But behind all the rancorous talk on both sides is a highly orchestrated public drama; a quasi-religious drama, a 3-D virtual movie running in real time. Call it BIG HOLLYWOOD, OR BIG DC.
I would not urge you to see the cartoon video on NPR so as to avoid generating more hits on their website. But in case you do want to see it here is the link
Learn to Speak Tea Bag
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCqQRflUWd4
The Pasadena Star News received several letters in November 2009 from those on the political Left supporting health care reform. After a month of monitoring these letters on this website there wasn’t an intelligent one in the bunch. They were full of propaganda, rhetorical tricks, provocation and antagonism, lies, misinformation, distortions, emotional appeals, doublespeak and half-truths. In short, they were what British writer George Orwell in his novel 1984 called “Newspeak.” You can read the letters and our response at the following links:
November 23, 2009 – Response to Joanne Gram letter that overinflated the number of medically uninsured and medical bankruptcies by 100% and misinformed about pre-existing conditions: Link http://pasadenasubrosa.typepad.com/pasadena_sub_rosa/2009/11/joanne-grams-half-gram-of-truth-about-health-care-reform.html
November 18, 2009 – Response to Phony Letter of Brandon Leigh Furleigh, pretending to be a small government advocate for health care who really is a Democratic Party activist and head of Barack Obama’s ORGANIZE FOR AMERICA – Link: http://pasadenasubrosa.typepad.com/pasadena_sub_rosa/2009/11/anna-cunningham-prohealth-care-reform-letter-not-credible.html
November 17, 2009 – Response to student Ariel Heyman who wanted free health care without any qualification – Link: http://pasadenasubrosa.typepad.com/pasadena_sub_rosa/2009/11/ariel-heymans-urban-myths-about-health-care-reform.html
November 16, 2009 – Nurse Nancy Cole’s poison pill letter that was ignorant that affordable health care insurance already is available for the self-employed http://pasadenasubrosa.typepad.com/pasadena_sub_rosa/2009/11/nurse-nancy-coles-poisonous-letter-about-health-care-bill.html
November 16, 2009 – Response to Anna Cunningham’s self-contradictory letter wanting free, not affordable, health care.
http://pasadenasubrosa.typepad.com/pasadena_sub_rosa/2009/11/anna-cunningham-prohealth-care-reform-letter-not-credible.html
The political Left has no monopoly on reason, logic, or even the moral high ground on health care and health care talk. If a very small sample of letters to the local newspaper are any example, those who are activists for health care reform are ignorant of how the present health financing system works or are willfully misleading others, even misleading about their identity (Democratic activists pretending to be small government advocates). They are all speaking Newspeak.
“Tea Bag Speak” is more akin to George Orwell’s “Oldspeak” (American straight talk) and health care reform talk is really a fast forward to Orwell’s “Newspeak.” Even if learning to “Speak Tea Bag” about health care reform is full of simplistic clichés (it isn’t), it pales in cultural power to the Newspeak and Doublespeak of the quasi-religious health care reformers. As Karl Marx and Eric Hoffer both noted, ideology has a powerful hold over people.
The health care debate never was a real debate at all. It is a highly symbolic political crusade by the Leftist politicians to fulfill utopian ideology of free health care for everyone. With a supermajority in Congress and the Presidency, they cannot face their true believer followers and say they didn’t seize on the historical opportunity for health care reform.
Health care reform is the equivalent of the civil rights crusade for those on the political Left. It is full of manipulated public drama, choreography, stage management, a charismatic speaker, mass rallies, the scapegoating of regressive tax bagging “Oldspeakers” and the triumph of the progressive health care “Newspeakers.” Although I regret using a worn-out and exaggerated metaphor or trying to counter scapegoat the reformers, the health care reform crusade has more evoked the methods used in Hitler’s rallies than it does any true American Town Hall.
The Left controls the media and Hollywood. And they know how to deftly and deceptively use its methods and how to project the health care crusade images and metaphors. Imagine the 1960 Stanley Kubrick movie Spartacus and the movie To Kill A Mockingbird, mixed with the Nazi movie Triumph of the Will, only in real time.
Health care reform is a highly symbolic and quasi-religious crusade with politicians willing to be martyrs for the cause and for their ideology even if voted out of office; even if they lose their political majority. Martyrdom is a religious strategy to gain the sympathy of the public, to scapegoat opponents as fanatics, and to increase or prop up their true believer followers in the face of impending failure.
By announcing that they are not further running for office, many Democrats are signaling that they they know reform is a failure because there isn’t enough money to have free health care for all. So they must turn a failure into a success by martyrdom and cognitive dissonance (when your beliefs get stronger no matter that your belief failed). That is what is happening before our eyes even though conservatives are bemoaning a loss, some Leftists are already celebrating a win, and the media is writing a raving movie review that doesn’t match the poor movie rankings. It’s not the symbolics that count but the reality, the BIG moving picture.
Already hospital and drugstore chains are turning away Medicaid patients and health care reform hasn’t even passed in final form yet. Our institutions are sending their own message to our legislators. This may signal the end of the movie titled “Morality Can Be Legislated” which has been running non-stop in our society ever since the 1960′s. Without a vibrant capitalist economy as a stage prop, legislated morality may come to an end or will have to be seriously modified in scope.
Only a year into the Obama-Pelosi-Reid Trifecta the metaphorical health care reform movie is coming out to a very un-American bad ending. The Obama Administration barely escaped a commercial airliner going down over Detroit only due to the ineptness of the terrorist. There are still three years left to watch the remainder of the $1 trillion extravaganza movie “Bailout” but the movie reel has already come to an end without any credits on the trailer. Customers didn’t like the movie and now they want their money back.
Whether or not Sarah Palin is Presidential material, she is a plain speaker. And she is the symbolic leader of the plain speaking Tea Party. Stay tuned for the next episode.
Colorado2993 commented:
Wayne-
I think you’re misinterpreting what George Orwell meant by Newspeak. The purpose in the book (As told by the character Syme) was to narrow the english language in a deliberate attempt to make it impossible to express certain ideas, not using rhetorical tricks.
It doesn’t really make sense to say that this provacative video is solely to popularize NPR, or to get hits. I feel it’s simply to give the author’s veiw on how right-wing protesters give, “constructive dialouge.” It was a video meant to inform, and above all, entertain. Expressing one’s opinion is by no means a publicity stunt.
As for the allegation that Democrats opting out of running again, proportionaly, more Republicans are dropping out than Democrats. I’ll concede that after the next election, the balance of power will move closer to the middle, but for now, it would be misrepresenting the statistics to make your statement.
I strongly disagree with many of your other allegations, but rather than argue every facet of health care reform, I’ll finish this post by defending NPR’s right to post “How to Speak Tea Bag,” based on the first amendment. They made sure to note how it was an opinion, and like all good opinions, it was a little inflamatory. But isn’t it hypocritical to complain about the bias of the “Liberal sympathising” NPR for their “Bashing” of the Tea Baggers, but not make a peep about the FOX pundits that essentialy created the movement? It’s like you’re unable (or unwilling) to see the transgresions of the right, while crying bloody murder about every toe the left takes out of line. It took Bush 8 days to comment on the shoe bomber, but everyone seemed to have a feild day of bashing when it took Obama 3 days to comment on the underwear bomber. I guess that the healthcare debate has just brought out the worst in everyone.
bg commented:
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bottom line:
the cartoon says more about NPR than it does about Tea Party members..
wonder what’s going to happen when they’re under siege by Islamists who have a beef with them for literally anything they deem offensive to Islam.. like, oh i dunno, painting shamrocks green..
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bg commented:
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Colorado2993 @ 7:04 pm #29
all talk, no walk..
iow: opinions facts do not make..
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Colorado2993 commented:
bg-
If NPR says that the video is an independent opinion, then why not give them the benefit of the doubt? I think it’s safe to say this was not meant to be a hard news piece, in the same way that no one would watch Glen Beck for unbiased reports. They are both meant to give an OPINION.
A lot of conservatives believe that democrats are trying to get rid of the first amendment, or at very least believe that democrats policies would weaken free speech, but isn’t that what’s happening here? A news outlet came out with a piece that went against the veiws of a lot of people. So, in an effort to calm the crowd, NPR reminded those people that it was clearly an opinion. What people are doing by demanding this piece gets removed is undermining free speech, and going against their own ideals.
This really highlights the hypocrisy of modern politics. Conservatives don’t want to keep opinions free, they want to keep conservative opinions free. No bg, this story doesn’t say nearly as much about NPR as it does about the “Pro-Free Speech” hypocrites who can’t take a joke and whose principals only seem to apply so long as it’s their rights under fire. That opinion may be inflamitory, but then again, that’s the only kind of opinion that seems to make an impact.