Posted on 11/05/2009 4:52:53 AM PST by Kaslin
Back in the '90s, an admittedly sappy movie was made for less than $7 million, but it reaped over $80 million at the box office. "Mr. Holland's Opus" starred Richard Dreyfuss as a high school music teacher who tenaciously plodded along the daily grind of teaching music. All the while, he was privately composing his own "An American Symphony," apparently never to be performed.
In what follows below, I'd like to honor another man's life's work. His career has been in a much different field than teaching music, but his ultimate triumph reminds me of the inspiring Dreyfuss film.
For the last year or so, it's been open season on America's conservative-leaning radio talk-show hosts. During the 2008 presidential campaign, it often seemed that Barack Obama was running against star TV and radio host Sean Hannity, instead of against Republican John McCain. (That's likely because Hannity was a much tougher and charismatic threat than the GOP nominee.)
Months later, we witnessed another high-ratings radio host, Michael Savage, get literally banned from Great Britain. Next, the Democrats decided to treat the godfather of talk radio, Rush Limbaugh, as if he were the elected leader of Republicans nationwide. They attacked him at every turn. Limbaugh was even forced out of a potential ownership position with an NFL team because of that league's fear of controversy. Freedom of speech was nothing more than a cumbersome inconvenience to Limbaugh's detractors.
But there's good news for this industry, too. This first weekend in November, the great luminaries of the talk radio world are gathering in Chicago to honor another one of their colleagues, the unique Neal Boortz. The nationally syndicated talk show host is being inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. Boortz is Libertarian conservative whose ideas and fast-paced interaction with listeners have earned him millions of listeners nationwide.
Boortz came to national prominence a little differently than some of his colleagues who followed him into the field. After college, he moved to Atlanta. The city was growing, but its media market was nothing as big as it is today. He worked as a speechwriter to the governor and as a department store's buyer of fine jewelry, among other jobs.
He was also a frequent listener and caller to the city's only talk radio station at the time. Eventually, he became a host there himself. Of course, talk radio offered modest pay back then. So in the '70s, Boortz earned a law degree. His legal work continued into the '90s, even while he was becoming the town's "top talker." Among his clients were luminaries such as heavyweight boxing champ Evander Holyfield. Finally, in the late '90s, Boortz moved his act to the South's radio giant, WSB. That brought him national syndication.
So why is Neal Boortz's story important to you and me? And what has this story to do with "Mr. Holland's Opus?" Read on.
Unlike many entertainers and celebrities, the off-the-air Boortz is in fact shy and unassuming. He seems an unlikely candidate to become the handpicked protege of any powerful media mogul. Instead, he personifies the dreams of many Americans. They may know what they want, but they face what look like impossible obstacles to reach them.
When Boortz went from talk-show listener to talk-show talker, it was in a modest media market -- and a Southern culture -- that wasn't used to "bluntspeak" like his. Even today, some radio station managers ignorantly pigeonhole him as a "Southern talk show host" and deprive their listeners of hearing one of the best minds and mouths on the air.
Unlike many conservative stars of talk, Boortz toes no party's line. He challenges listeners with facts, figures and the ruthless logic he learned as a lawyer. He loves to verbally joust with those who call in to disagree. He also lets his executive producer and his engineer-sidekick help to keep him in check by challenging him in a sort of freestyle banter. This formula has allowed Boortz to irritate some of the biggest names from both the left and the right. He calls it "stirring the pudding."
The high school teacher in "Opus" finally got to see his musical score performed live. This weekend, some of the biggest names in the talk radio business are gathering to celebrate the "music" created by Neal Boortz. I could argue that his 2005 New York Times-bestselling book about the "Fair Tax" was his magnum opus. But in reality, it may be the award he's to receive itself that culminates his career.
For those who cherish liberty and free speech; the right and the ability to say what's really on their minds; and the scrappy persistence to skillfully do one's job, the celebration of "Mr. Boortz's Opus" means more than honoring this one man.
I may not always agree with Boortz, in fact he makes my blood boil when he makes fun of Pro-lifers, but the truth is that I love listening to his show. He has a wonderful gift for explaining the “convoluted” political goings and he makes it easier to understand what is really happening. And underneath that crusty and sometimes rude banter of his, I suspect he has a heart of gold and really loves people. I know he loves America, no doubt about that!
Boortz is my very favorite talk show host. Intellectually, he is far and away ahead of the rest of the pack.
He is good but pro abortion,pro homosexual, and doesn’t like Christians very much at all.
Boortz is smart but his ego is bigger than Rush.
I'm sorry but that would make him evil.
I never listened to him, but since learning this about him, I'm glad he's gone.
Don't let the door hit you in the ass, Neil. It's been nice having never once listened to you.
Nope. I've met him several times, and he is a fantastic guy. Very pleasant, funny, down to Earth, super nice. Boortz is fantastic, and so smart. And very tall. :)
I find it interesting that anyone who isn't rabidly anti-abortion and anti-gay becomes "pro-abortion" and "pro-gay".
Boortz is neither, and does not discuss abortion on his show.
Don't we tend to mock those who don't listen to Rush but 'know' what a racist and homophobe he is?
Which is why I've stopped listening to him. Pro abortion and pro homosexual don't spell conservative to me.
No one said he was gone, he’s still on the air.
He doesn’t discuss abortion on his show? No, he doesn’t directly. He states loud and clearly that he refuses to discuss it because he doesn’t want to speak with anyone who’s view contradicts his own. I’ve listened to him and heard him say this in so many words.
He is “for” abortion?
He advocates aborion?
You sure about that or is it that he isn’t as ‘anti’ as you’d like him to be?
How can you be certain he advocates abortion?
Like most libertarians, he feels that if you don't want to have gay sex, then don't. But you do NOT get to tell others how to live their lives.
Also, he is still on the air and is still Nationally syndicated. Re-read the article and try and raise the comprehension level a bit...
If the rest of the Internet is any indicator... He may have a very valid point.
He implies his support for abortion. He steadfastly refuses to discuss it on his show and denegrates the callers he says would call his show to speak against abortion. He gets very nasty sounding when he speaks to the woman he works with about it on the air.
I have met both Rush and Boortz. Boortz has a bigger Ego that Rush.
He says that no one changes their minds in the on air discussion and that it is bad radio.
Same with Creation discussions.
Don’t have a lot of patience for those who think that anyone who won’t bomb a clinic or won’t walk a picket line in front of a clinic (and I have done that!) is “Pro abortion”.
And those that won’t listen to him because they don’t agree with him on everything sure miss out on a lot of good information and discussion that they can’t get anywhere else.
Does anyone know if he is still riding his Goldwing?
Absolutely not true.
Couldn't have been any clearer, my friend.
MhiL-E: "I’ve listened to him and heard him say this in so many words."
Case closed. LOL
You infer it, he doesn't imply it.
In my experience with Boortz, there was no ego whatsoever. Just a nice guy. Maybe it's because I'm a woman. ; )
He stated that a woman should be able to do what she will with her body. I’m sorry, but to me, that implies support for abortion.
Personally, I have listened to him but don’t care for his style most of the time.
The same can be said for the rest of the talkers - although I find Savage absolutely grating.
Small doses are tolerable, though...
That may be expressing his support for her ability to choose but not for the end result.
Do you really think he applauds or celebrates abortion?
Maybe it is time to chill on your propaganda?
Maybe people like you are the reason he doesn’t talk about it on air?
Maybe people like you make a good portion of the pro life movement sick with your ‘if you ain’t as anti as me then you’re pro abortion’ attitudes?
Propgandists like you change pro-choice into pro abortion. They are not the same, yet you equate them.
I’d rather listen to Alex Jones than Michael Savage.
Ane even that gets one paranoid after just a short while.
He doesn’t advocate abortion. He’s pro-choice with emphasis on the “choice.” He believes that your body belongs to you and the government shouldn’t have the right to tell you what to do with it. I know from personal experience this ain’t the case and that he’s on this from the wrong direction, but that is where he stands.
He’s not pro-gay either. He wonders why straight people feel threatened by gay marriage, etc. Again, I think he’s missing some stuff.
Boortz's egocentric reply was that it was the ONLY citation the student needed.
What he says is that he will not discuss it on his show with callers because on that issue peoples views will not change. He is right about that. But he does like to berate the men who oppose abortion because he feels that they are just tring to control women.
I beleive that he is a christain but he does not like people to use the police power of the government to enforce one religon over the people. This is also something I believe in.
God give man free will to chose.
God is pro-choice.
God is not pro-sin.
You are simply ready to cast stones at those who don’t think like you.
Like it or not, whether abortion is legal or not, the ultimate choice comes down to the woman.
Labelling those who view that the government should not regulate the woman’s choice as pro abortion is inaccurate and disengenuous, even intellectually dishonest.
Like I said before, if someone isn’t as ‘anti’ as you are, then you call them pro-abortion and that is pure propoganda.
If you haven’t protested outside a clinic and had any kind of police encounter then you are pro-abortion because you aren’t fanatical enough. How is that?
Ugh.
He’s on the only talk radio station here before Rush comes on. Sometimes I hear him in the car. I can’t stand him. He’s always such a rude, crude man, especially when he’s speaking to women. He simplifies things in order to mock them, he’s pretty much an idiot all around. He was pretty anti-tea-party. Seems very anti-religion.
I wish we got Glenn Beck here instead.
If even one life is seen as expendable or worthless, then any or all lives can be seen as expendable or worthless. “Religion” doesn’t need to be involved to come to make that extrapolation.
I listened to Boortz for a long time because he was what was available on my shift at work. He only got emotional and hyper when he was damning people who opposed homosexual politics and who opposed abortion. He spoke numerous times of his disdain for Christians as members of organized churches. I have not heard him for most of a year since the local station switched his show to real time when I am normally asleep. I remember that he vociferously refused to discuss abortion because he knew that most of his listeners were on the other side from him but then he would snarl at pro life people from time to time. His hyper reactions on homosexual subjects got him so riled that I almost concluded that he must be homosexual himself but now I don’t think so. I think he is just hyperdefensive on subjects where he disagrees with conservatives. All that said, I did prefer listening to him over my other rerun nighttime choices, say Medved and Savage, because of his style and delivery, and, I tend to think he does have insights that others lack.
Huh?
What little he has to say on the subject seems very much meant to induce such inferring in his listeners.
Have you actually listened to Boortz very much? I did every night (reruns-I work at night) for 2+ years. He may not be actually positively pro abortion but he seemed determined to give the opposite impression when he did speak to the subject, obliquely, to be sure.
I’m sure you must have misheard that as Eagle Eye insists I did! :~) And Heaven help you if you “inferred” that from what he did say!
In my view many lives are expendable:
The robber who enters my house
The musilum extremist who wants to kill others
Many politicians who want to control others
are just a few.
He has made it clear he doesn’t want to hear from anyone else on the subject.He does take a moment from time to time to impugn the intelligence and motives of pro-lifers and place them beyond the limits of intelligent discourse.
I don’t think they mean he’s leaving. He’s just getting inducted into the radio hall of fame, whatever that is. I’m with you, I can’t think of the word opus without considering it in the FR sense of the term — an individual’s final word on the way OUT. And perhaps it’s sort of like that Mr. Holland’s Opus, his grand dream, his life’s passion, often unheard. But it can really refer to any distinct work. I don’t even see how it applies to Boortz.
If you aren’t actively stopping that woman from getting her abortion you are tacitly helping her. That makes you an accomplice to murder.
(Not that I truly believe that, but it is your logic that I’m using.)
Just a question because I’m not old enough to remember. Was abortion actually illegal before Roe v Wade or was it just something people looked the other way about?
Not true and you know it. I said “condone”.
No offense taken, but your post did not say unborn.
From what I’ve heard on his show, pro-lifers that call in tend to be dishonest in their approach and dogmatic about it.
It seems to those type of prolifers that anyone who isn’t as ardently fanatical about it as they are is pro-abortion, no ifs ands or buts.
As you can see upthread, those types will use a twisted form of logic (that applies to others but not to them!) to toss guilt at those who don’t agree totally with them.
Heaven forbid someone things that it is a decision left to the woman and her doctor.
Heaven forbid that someone express that they support her decision to choose but hopes that she chooses life...the mere idea that someone could support a free will choice instead of government limits makes some pro-lifer’s blood boil!
To be “pro” something means more than passive indifference, it means an active encouragement for something. One cannot be truly pro-life if all one does is say they are against abortion. That is passive, it means nothing.
At the same time, a person who states that they support a woman’s right to choose isn’t taking action one way or another...they are not “pro” anything, let alone pro-abortion.
There are those who encourage abortion and those are some truly evil people.
There are those who do nothing and they have no more guilt than anyone else who is powerless to stop a crime.
Personally, the choice isn’t mine and I do not appreciate a medical procedure where the goal is to kill half the patients.
I’ve been on the protest lines in front of clinics, but not for a while. I tend to think it doesn’t do any good except maybe give the protesters some self smugness when the day is over.
Most places it was against the law.
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