The Weekly Whims Of HatManJim: Why I Don’t Like Rush Limbaugh

A weather-beaten eye cast over the media: HatManJim looks at a story in the headlines and as a feminist with a penis (Menimist? Femi-meni-mist? I just believe in women’s rights, I’m not having gender-reassignment. OK?), attempts to map the sexism inherent in the press, without inadvertently saying anything lecherous about breasts.

The term “hate” is not pleasant. There are a lot of negative connotations to it. I’m not a great believer in being a hater. So I’ll discuss some of the reasons I very much dislike right-wing American broadcaster Rush Limbaugh.

Firstly, he hates me. Not me personally. I imagine he has no idea who I am. But I am a self-avowed liberal and he hates liberals. I’d like to establish that when I say “liberal” I mean I believe in a society based upon tolerance and altruism. That includes tolerance of people from different backgrounds, tolerance of those who choose to live alternative lifestyles, as long as they do not harm others, and tolerance, within reason, of those with different views from my own. In that last category I would place Limbaugh. I believe he has a right to express his views, within reasonable boundaries. Not that I would “die for his right” to express them, or anything daft that like. And not that I have to like them.

Let’s get into some specific reasons why I very much dislike Rush Limbaugh. My grandfather had Parkinson’s disease from middle age until his death. His limbs shook, he often had problems speaking and, after a series of strokes, was largely immobile. Although he was always cheerful and affectionate with his family it made much of his life incredibly difficult. More recently another family member has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. He is already in his seventies and advances in medication will hopefully mean that it will not have such a debilitating effect on him. But he still seems conscious that it could represent a sharp decrease in his quality of life in coming years.

The actor Michael J Fox has Parkinson’s disease. After seeing him on a television advert, shaking in a way that is characteristic of the condition (often also caused as a side-effect of medication), Limbaugh said on his show: “He is exaggerating the effects of the disease. He’s moving all around and shaking and it’s purely an act. This is really shameless of Michael J. Fox.”

That’s sensitive.

Another reason why I very much dislike Rush Limbaugh? You remember that earthquake in Haiti? It was quite recent. Record numbers dead, infrastructure destroyed? According to Limbaugh America shouldn’t be giving aid to Haiti because it’s playing into the hands of Barack Obama. That’s right, purely political capital for Obama who Limbaugh scathingly describes as both “humanitarian” and “compassionate” (because those are both really bad things).

As a friend of mine commented, upon seeing this, “what a hateful little man”.

But forgive me. I’m rambling. This isn’t really relevant to the Morning Quickie audience.

So let’s get onto my reason, as a feminist, for very much disliking Rush Limbaugh. Last week he was a judge at the Miss America 2010 beauty pageant. Now, don’t get me wrong. Regular readers will know that, despite claiming to be a feminist, I’m quite partial to looking at scantily clad (or less than scantily clad) women. It’s embarrassing but that’s the price you pay for being heterosexual and having a penis and anyone who says otherwise is probably lying. I am slightly confounded, however, by beauty pageants. In principle I find them offensive; in reality they just seem horrifically anachronistic, dated and tacky (much like the Lingerie Football League I mentioned last week).

What is amazing though is his response to criticism he received after judging the contest in this interview from Fox News:

That’s right, folks. Limbaugh “loves women” but hates feminism for “leading woman astray”. And, here’s the killer gag – he “loves the women’s movement, especially when walking behind it”. A line delivered with all the comic poise of a nervous best man at a wedding, reading off a cue card, whilst desperately trying not to break wind next to the groom’s face. Fuck it – even the female news anchor, on FOX NEWS looks like she’s trying to restrain herself from slapping him.

I’m glad you like women, Rush. In my mind and in my heart your name will forever be synonymous with a casual word for a very specific part of their anatomy.

Dear Morning Quickie readers… I’ve very much enjoyed the experience of exposing you to my weekly whims over the last few months, even if you haven’t. Due to work pressure (yeah… modern life is rubbish…) I’m going to have to take a little break from writing a weekly column. I’ll still be contributing occasionally to Morning Quickie and hopefully the Weekly Whims will return at some point in the future, bigger and better (or possibly smaller and not quite as good). Thanks to Mick and Mack for asking me to write for the site and I’ll be seeing you…