Sign O' the (TV) times
January 28, 2007
"Maybe an attention-deficit host is exactly what an attention-deficit public wants," writes David Segal in his thought-provoking review of Glenn Beck's talk show on CNN Headline News (in Washington Post, requires registration). "While most sermonizing conservatives wait for a public debacle to expose their failings -- think of William Bennett and his slot-machine addiction, or Rush Limbaugh and his pill problem -- Beck and his many inner demons are on a first-name basis, and he's constantly introducing them to viewers." In fact, Beck seems to build his whole talk show host image on his many failings and doubts – a victory for transparency and openness, or just a new all-time low in pop culture's worship of anti-heroes?
Wandered into your blog by just clicking around other people's links (I forget how I came in here, it could be MyBlogLog).
I'm not sure what to tell you about this gentleman. I have two very bright, conservative friends who like him. And when I mean "bright," I mean one with a PhD. in computer science who reads Machiavelli for fun and another whose understanding of Kierkegaard and Spinoza in undergrad has helped me through grad school.
There's something about this guy's approach which is not to be underestimated, even though the review, while good, seems to highlight the low points of it. Of course when one pontificates there will be absurd moments, esp. when one does so publicly and on a daily basis. What are the high moments?
Posted by: ashok | January 31, 2007 at 09:42 AM
Off-topic: Thanks so much for the comment on the "Beyond Right and Left" post. I wonder why you said MacIntyre: I don't know much about him at all, but I was wondering if I sounded too moralistic, or Aristotlean in too obvious a sense (i.e. moral discourse requires us to have the goal of virtue).
The philosopher I grapple with most nowadays is Martin Heidegger, and I almost always pull out the tripartite division of the soul in Plato's Republic to illuminate problems. I'm open to people having questions about what virtue or spirit might be, and not scared that they might get the "wrong" belief and become the sort that believe whatever they do is right unless constrained by another. I suppose my griping is related to whether our age genuinely asks questions or not.
I am eager to hear about what has influenced you, and I'm really excited to be a subscriber to this blog and a promoter (through my one link on my webpage, yay) of it. Thanks again for reading and commenting.
Posted by: ashok | February 01, 2007 at 01:26 AM
- That's how most of us discover new blogs, isn't it? By following the links, and oh how many interesting places they can take you... Your comment about Glenn Beck is interesting. I've only watched his show briefly and haven't quite made up my mind, but the article made me ponder about what a show like this might signify about the world we live in.
As for philosophy, I must admit I don't like Plato 'cause for one he didn't live in the real world, for two he was a statist in the worst possible sense. I like Artistotle's reality based approach and his 'dynamic' view on ethics: we are what we do. We can't become virtuous once and for all thru theoretical education or similar, but only thru the choices we make every single day.
Posted by: Kristine | February 01, 2007 at 09:06 PM