I officially give up: American political discourse is hopeless

[Hauldren Collider]

Olbermann is one of the most nutty people on TV that isn't a televangelist.

[Guynemer]

Him and Beck both are about a stiff breeze away from going into full-blown, can't-possibly-deny-it bull-moose psychosis.

[Drake Tungsten]

I honestly couldn't get past the four minute mark

The Brrrrrrightbart! part kicked in right after you gave up.

the combined arrogance and faux-populism started to give me a nervous tic.

Faux-populism? I think it's pretty legit populism to not know or care who Alfred Dreyfus was...

[Hauldren Collider]

Maybe it's my conservative bias but I think Beck is marginally better because not only is he clearly exaggerating to be dramatic, he at least doesn't pretend to be a reporter.

[Guynemer]

the combined arrogance and faux-populism started to give me a nervous tic.

Faux-populism? I think it's pretty legit populism to not know or care who Alfred Dreyfus was...

No, that's not populism; that's anti-intellectualism, which is my other big beef with the right wing.

[Guynemer]

Maybe it's my conservative bias but I think Beck is marginally better because not only is he clearly exaggerating to be dramatic, he at least doesn't pretend to be a reporter.

While your second point is arguably correct, your first is definitely up for debate. I don't know what he is clearly exaggerating to be dramatic, at least not in his own mind. I'm fairly certain the man meets criteria for more than one DSM-IV diagnosis.

[Drake Tungsten]

No, that's not populism; that's anti-intellectualism

No, it isn't. Even intellectuals would have to agree that comparing Alfred Dreyfus to Shirley Sherrod is ludicrously pretentious, and expecting the average person to know "of course" of Alfred Dreyfus is the height of faux-intellectual condescension.

[Hauldren Collider]

{mildly related} One of the good things Bush did for america was reduce the popularity of anti-intellectualism.

It's one of those ironic good things, like clinton getting a republican majority in both houses of congress

[Drake Tungsten]

I'd be more strongly opposed to actual anti-intellectualism if most intellectuals weren't such unbearable ******. They really do bring it on themselves.

[Guynemer]

No, it isn't. Even intellectuals would have to agree that comparing Alfred Dreyfus to Shirley Sherrod is ludicrously pretentious, and expecting the average person to know "of course" of Alfred Dreyfus is the height of faux-intellectual condescension.

Oh no, I agree; comparing the two is completely ludicrous, and the "of course" was completely assinine--Olbermann at his absolute worst (which is saying a lot).

But the impression I got (perhaps you got a different one) was that Beck went beyond that, and was laughing about Olbermann would reference Dreyfus at all: anti-intellectualism.

[Drake Tungsten]

But the impression I got (perhaps you got a different one) was that Beck went beyond that, and was laughing about Olbermann would reference Dreyfus at all

I did have a different impression. I thought Beck and his sidekick were just having fun with the absurdity of the comparison.

[Guynemer]

Fair enough.



Regardless, getting back to my original point:

Bring me the shrivled, torn nutsack of Andrew Breitbart!

[Solomwi]

I took it the same way Guy did, given the repeated mangling of Dreyfus' name and the later mocking of Olberman for expecting people to know French history. Regardless, funny stuff.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Beck sucks. Olbermann sucks. Both are a bunch of *****. Let's move forward.

[Drake Tungsten]

Beck sucks. Olbermann sucks.

True, but I sometimes feel that Beck is just putting on an act, which allows me to hate him slightly less. Olbermann, on the other hand, exudes a sincere douchiness that gives me no basis upon which to excuse some of his more outlandish comments.