They Shoot Mad Dogs, Don't They? (Re: Sean Hannity)

blogcritics.org ^ | Feb.10, 2005 | Dave Nalle

[wouldntbprudent]

just had the strange and unpleasant experience of listening to Sean Hannity interview Russell Means on the radio. At least I think I have to call it an interview even if it mostly consisted of Russell Means mumbling semi-insane things and Hannaty shouting him down and repeatedly calling him a 'scumbag'. It was one of the creepier and more repulsive things I've been exposed to this year. (snip)Ward Churchill is clearly a nut. (snip)

As for Hannity, I'm at a loss. This was one of the most childish displays of unprofessional conduct I've seen in the media ever. More than that, this particular incident made him appear positively mentally unhinged, so overcome with emotion that he ranted like a lunatic street preacher and barked at his interviewee like a rabid dog. This type of display is neither informative nor is it entertaining. It's everything bad that liberals accuse talk radio of being. Usually they're wrong. In the case of Hannaty they appear to be dead on the money. He's one mad dog who ought to be put down for the good of the rest of the talk radio community.

[wouldntbprudent]

A little, uh, harsh, but interesting in light of recent Sean events.

[thegreatbeast]

Aaaahhh, nuts. Hannity might not be a great interviewer but he doesn't call people names like scumbag. Before you write it would serve you well to find the correct spelling of your subject's name.

[solitas]

vannity [sic] used to be good when it was only a local talker on WABC. When it went national it developed to be as big a poser as limbaugh and, consequently, as unlistenable.

Once in a while there IS interesting information (on both shows) but there's too much dross, unwanted opinion, commercials, and just plain garbage to suffer through to get the 'good stuff'.

Better to just come to FreeRepublic and find what you need.

[trisham]

"Hannaty shouting him down and repeatedly calling him a 'scumbag'."

A little, uh, harsh, but interesting in light of recent Sean events

****************

I question the above claim that Hannity called anyone a "scumbag".

Welcome to Free Republic. To which events are you referring?

[wouldntbprudent]

I agree with you and also question that Sean called anyone a scumbag, except in an allusion to Mrs. Heinz-Kerry's comments.

I don't agree with everything this guy wrote, but point out that Sean gets bashed a lot more elsewhere, even by one of our "own" (the author seems to come down on the conservative side) than he does here at FR.

BTW, I'm not new here. I just changed my screenname a while ago b/c, like Buckhead, I had let too much personal id info slip into my posts over the years and, b/c of my personal circumstances, etc. I wanted to ensure my privacy here.

[trisham]

BTW, I'm not new here. I just changed my screenname a while ago b/c, like Buckhead, I had let too much personal id info slip into my posts over the years and, b/c of my personal circumstances, etc. I wanted to ensure my privacy here.

*************

Fair enough.

Re: Hannity-this current controversy is puzzling to me. Some of the statements that have been attributed to him seem way out of character, so I'm withholding judgement for the time being.

[wouldntbprudent]

Thanks. If you haven't heard the audio from yesterday (that started it all), go to the main Hannity Bashes FR Thread. There's a link right at the top (in the body of the post) where you can listen to exactly what he said and how he said it.

I also give Sean the benefit of the doubt. But after listening to the clip a few times, it was quite infuriating. It was not a throw-away, offhand comment by him.

Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

[trisham]

Thanks. If you haven't heard the audio from yesterday (that started it all), go to the main Hannity Bashes FR Thread. There's a link right at the top (in the body of the post) where you can listen to exactly what he said and how he said it.

I also give Sean the benefit of the doubt. But after listening to the clip a few times, it was quite infuriating. It was not a throw-away, offhand comment by him.

Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

*************

After hearing the clip, I can understand why many here are disappointed in what Hannity said regarding Free Republic. In his defence, I have listened to his show a number of times and it seems to me that the statements he made were unlike him.

Unfortunately, when someone has a TV or radio show, every utterance can come back at them with a vengeance. It's the rare person who never experiences a backlash, I would guess.

[wouldntbprudent]

"Unfortunately, when someone has a TV or radio show, every utterance can come back at them with a vengeance. It's the rare person who never experiences a backlash, I would guess."

This will only become more so. With blogging, no public utterance will be hid under a rock, no comment will be off the record. Those who get behind a microphone better get used to it.