What the hell is going on with Randi Rhodes? Jeebus. Given the events surrounding her fall a few months back, it looks more and more to me like she has a substance abuse issue.
At any rate, consider this an open thread.
So, Umm.
by John Cole| 44 Comments
This post is in: Site Maintenance
BH Buck
I have the video up if anyone is interested.
Yep. Something is definitely up with her.
CJ
Hillary is a big(f*cking)corporate whore.
TheFountainHead
And in other news, Rachel Maddow is hosting Countdown tonight. I might actually plug my TV back in for that.
J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford
Do you listen to Randi Rhodes regularly or are you just doing your best Jake Tapper imitation?
John Cole
Rachel Maddow has been just great the past few months. She is, quite literally, the only one who will get in Joe Scarborough’s face when he starts peddling his nonsense. There have been a number of occasions when I stand up and want to cheer when she has thrown stuff back at him.
Xenos
Maddow can take out the Scar with 50 IQ points tied behind her back.
Dennis - SGMM
David Gregory has also been a pleasant surprise – although it would be difficult to look bad compared to Tucker Carlson. He seems to ask some tough questions and he doesn’t step all over his guests as Matthews so often does.
Rachel Maddow is is great. She has a nice way of calmly making reasoned, factual arguments – especially when some blowhard is spouting nonsense.
Adrian Browne
It wasn’t a publicity stunt? It happened at the exact same time they redesigned their website. It happened at their own event. They’re still advertising her show. It’s a Free Speech issue. Reeks of “Oh those crazy, radio station publicity antics”. (But I haven’t watched the video.)
cmorenc
Matthews is like one of those rude people at a dinner table or backyard barbeque who is so in love with hearing themselves talk that they not only aren’t really listening to anyone else (beyond hearing some key phrase to riff off on for their next interruption) – but won’t let anyone else finish a complete sentence, let alone a complete thought.
I’d like to reach into my tv set and slap him silly sometimes, not for what he says but for his simple cloddish rudeness. Though also sometimes for the inane cloddishness of what he actually says too.
zmulls
I was very happy when Air America went live, and wanted it to succeed. I enjoyed Al Franken, despite some lame “humor” bits, but he’s always been interested in the nuts and bolts of legislation, and studies up.
But Randi Rhodes was the “drive home” voice, and I *tried* to like her. But she kept stepping over the line and her manner with callers wasn’t sufficiently different from certain right-wing hosts who harangue and cut off callers who try to talk to them.
I finally stopped listening. I couldn’t get behind her rants. Now I listen to NPR, or music, or nothing; and usually turn on Hannity for either ten minutes (or until I throw up into my mouth a little) to see what the official rant of the day is.
shortstop
And she also understands the deadly effectiveness of laughing merrily (without overt hostility) in someone’s face.
Dug Jay
Nah. She’s just a typical left-leaning moonbat with no taste and of relatively limited intelligence. Just read the comments that appear in some of the daily Hillary-bashing posts on this site.
annagranfors
this one just smells bad, as in “media-manufactured outrage”.
what she said (at a nightclub in San Francisco, not on the air) wouldn’t surprise anyone who’s listened to her over the years. in fact, with the exception of the (oooh!) “bad words”, it’s not dissimilar to what you’d hear on her daily show.
but it WASN’T on her radio show, unlike Imus and Shuster ad stupidum. it was a radio personality, known for being a “comedian”, at a club, after work hours, in the context of a “comedy” routine. so there’s the first thing. what…she doesn’t have the right to free speech?
ah, but you’d object to the word “whore”, especially with the modifier “fucking”, right? well, again. since context actually IS important, despite the wingnut tendency to overuse context as objection, bear in mind that “whore” is a word that RR constantly uses as part of her radio personality. she usually uses it in a comedically broad way, replete with over-the-top New Jersey accent. in this context, she has forever told stories about her mother calling her a whore, she has called herself a whore, and has called some of her callers whores. COMEDICALLY.
the “substance” thing is something that popped up surprisingly quickly (the first caller on her own show, with Sam Seder sitting in as host, wondered innocently if she might have “a drinking problem”), although it seems to be simple continuation of her last “controversy”, in which Hannity et al. cleverly made stupid “hic” noises to label her as an alcoholic. here, too–anyone who’s listened to the show knows that she’s often talked about her fondness for Amber Bock beer, and I have no doubt that at a comedy club, doing a “comedy” bit, she’d probably knocked back a few. hell, she probably knocks back a few every night. oooh–what a deviant! why, one can almost picture her skulking around the local Safeway booze aisle, “scoring” her “stash”. that having been snarked, I’ve never heard her on air sounding anything like drunk. if nothing else, she takes enough pride in her craft to be sober during working hours.
I’ve enjoyed listening to her from time to time throughout her AA employ, but by and large, I’ve gotten tired of her schtick. she’s not particularly well-informed (she’s largely no fan of the blogosphere and as a result is usually a few days behind in many areas) and she takes vast umbrage at people who try, in the course of conversation, to dare to talk over her. her self-importance (“Goddess”, “Queen”, etc.) is tiresome, even if it’s done comedically. but I’ll stand up for her right to call Clinton and Ferraro “fucking whore(s)”, in the course of describing their recent political activity, using those “bad words” in a well-established personal comedic context, at a nightclub in San Francisco, among fans to whom none of what she said is new apart from the word “fucking”. wingnut radio (and, I’m sure, “respectable” media types will follow) must have been joyous on finding out that a YouTube video existed where she said bad, even offensive, words. I think of myself as a feminist, and the word “whore” is certainly not among my favorites. I can, however, discern when it’s being used in the service of at least attempted comedy.
(and here, you might rightly say “but what about Imus? what about Michael Richards?” the difference to me is that they were attacking private citizens, whereas RR was criticizing public political figures. “but what about Shuster?” well, actually, I really didn’t take any offense to his “offense”. he’d used the word “pimping” in a pomo way, no more or less than many others do on a regular basis.)
but again–wingnut radio and traditional media must have been joyous at finding this. here’s yet another ultimately unimportant story that they’ll be able to milk for weeks, at a time where veering off into the trivial–and this is trivial–borders on criminal. be outraged about that, while you’re watching this being “discussed” on Hardball/Olbermann/Hannity and Colmes, tonight (as opposed to, say, Yoo or Mukasey)…that our idiot media, once again, is obsessed by something that in a saner country in saner times, wouldn’t even be a blip.
rob!
i was hoping Maddow would get the 6pm MSNBC slot, and i find the Road to the WH show kinda weak. but since that show by its very title isn’t meant to last, here’s hoping they tap Rachel for her own show after that.
i love that they keep putting her next to Pat Buchanan, because you just KNOW he’s offended just to having to share the stage with someone who’s not a white hetero.
Blake
BTW, thanks a lot for that link…NOT. Sheesh, no warning at all, just “here you go,” so I start clicking here and there to see what these guys are up to. Damn, dude, it’s like accidentally wandering into the donkey porn site or something! I feel like I need to go wash now.
Incertus
Nice try, but no. She was at an Air America Radio event, representing the company, which takes those free speech issues and tosses them neatly out the window. She can scream about how Hillary Clinton is the antichrist if she wants to, but AAR doesn’t have to give her a platform to do so, if it doesn’t choose.
I hope they shitcan her.
kwAwk
This isn’t a free speech issue. Nobody is saying that Rhandi can’t say whatever she wants. But she is paid to publically represent Air America and they have the right to determine if this is the style of comedy they want representing their business.
With rights comes responsibility. You have the right to say whatever you want as long as you are willing to accept the consequences of your speech. You have the right to be a Nazi and scream ‘Heil Hitler’ at the top of your lungs if you so choose to do so, but the consequences of doing so is that everybody around you will think you are a pathetic loser.
Dug Jay
Today’s New York Times has an interesting story in it under the heading, “Obama’s Support Softens in Poll, Suggesting a Peak Has Passed.” He has lost support especially among men and upper-income voters. Here’s a short excerpt:
qwerty42
Well, I guess you can’t go off-topic on an open thread, but from this it appears John Yoo actually thought torture was a bad idea. Or maybe the thought that he could be tried as a war criminal is bothering him.
Michael Ellefson
What was said that was inaccurate? That HRC will do anything to win. Some do it on their back, some do it on their knees and some do it at a stomp speech. Oh! I sorry that would be a Republican.
eastriver
Ranty Rhodes is unbearable. I’ve listened to her from the beginning on AA. She’s not funny. Rude. Inaccurate. Ultimately, a bore.
If a man said what she said, he would be fired, not suspended.
Good riddance.
SnarkyShark
Randy has a substance abuse problem alright, its called alcohol. She has been a well known lush for a long time. I used to enjoy her show, and I respect her positions, but she isn’t as smart as she thinks she is. And I cringe anymore when I hear her with callers, who she talks right over the top of.
And sometimes when shes really three sheets to the wind, I can’t even understand her ramblings. I would like to see Sam Seder replace her.
Thom Hartman on the other hand is some of the best Radio out there.
Capri
There is no such thing as bad publicity. There are still lots of folks who thought Air America went off the air and never came back.
Billy K
Someone want to clue me in to this? They yanked AA several years ago in my town, and frankly I didn’t care too much for RR anyway, so I haven’t kept up with her.
kwAwk
A few months back a buzz started in the news that said Randi had been mugged and beaten up while out walking her dog one night. Over the next couple of days it was corrected and we were told she ‘fell down’.
John Cole
Yes. It went from being mugged and assaulted in a vicious hate crime to being brutalized by a dozen Ketel One Bloody Mary’s in an Irish Bar.
OriGuy
Yeah, I can’t take Randi or Mark Malloy. I like Thom Hartmann and Ed Schultz. I wake up to Stephanie Miller (I wish!)
On the Open Topic front, I urge you to support the Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco. I think the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are behind it.
J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford
I listen to Randi Rhodes pretty much every day and have done so for about 3 years now. Other than finally having enough of the Clinton shenanigans, Randi has been the same Randi I’ve always known. Some (most) days she’s bitchy, some days she’s more congenial. But to suggest that she’s currently dealing with a substance abuse problem is positively Fristian.
Rarely Posts
Randi has always been over the top. She’s the Ann Coulter of the left, funny when you agree with her, embarrassing when you don’t.
The only other show I listen to on Air America is Ed Shultz and he’s also become pretty rabid, though not in Randi’s class. It’s almost like Ed has become the Rush of the left. sigh
The Moar You Know
The last straw for me was about a year ago, when she had Gary Hart on her show. Now Gary’s not a stupid guy and has a lot of interesting things to say…or so I would assume.
I wouldn’t know, as she kept interrupting him and wouldn’t let him talk.
I doubt this is a substance abuse issue, I really do. I think this is an “asshole” issue, as she’s always been one to her guests and her callers, and I don’t see why this appearance would be any different.
Afraid so, which means she’s never funny and usually an embarassment to the cause.
Brachiator
I kinda doubt that it is a publicity stunt. It’s not much of a stunt if you are not on the air. And advertisers don’t buy air time and say “sure it’s OK if our ads are on with some nameless fill-in host” instead of the main host.
One of the hosts on the local Southern California station which carries Randi’s show was slamming the owners of Air America and gutless liberals who claim to love free speech but who practice “Stalin-like” tactics against any who go off message. And he was naming names.
Other hosts on the station, while not as incendiary, were pretty firm in thinking that Air America was in the wrong on this.
On the other hand, the LA Times, which covered the incident on their blog site, was being smug, coy, and insufferably smart-assed about the whole thing (Top of the Ticket) :
So again, if this was a publicity stunt, it was not having any positive effect.
isit2009yet
Nothing like parsing an article…how about the rest, like this paragraph…
ThymeZone
Never cared much for RR. She sounds too much like me, and who wants to listen to that?
Now, we have a problem here, I think BJ is going to get sued for sexual harassment if this keeps up:
Um, the chair recognizes Officer Strikeout of the Metaphor Police ………..
tBone
While I don’t think Rhodes reaches Coulterian levels of assholery, she’s still a painfully unfunny and uninformed asshole, and a complete embarrassment to AA Radio. She deserves to be canned.
Watts
Just as a nitpick to “Rarely Posts”: Ed Schultz isn’t an Air America personality; his show is independently syndicated. A fair number of AA stations, including XM satellite radio, carry him instead of whichever AA non-personality is on during his time slot. (Sorry, but the only AA show I thought was mildly interested was “Majority Report,” which was a fairly early casualty. Al Franken never sounded very comfortable, like he’d been told you had to be blustery and loud even though his comic delivery style is more Bob Newhart than Sam Kinison, and Randi Rhodes… well.)
My impression of Ed is that he’s always tried to be the Rush of the left, albeit somewhat mellower and funnier. I haven’t heard him in at least a year, though. Listening to XM’s left-wing talk radio station made me realize that I didn’t hate talk radio because it was predominantly right-wing, I hated it because it’s moronic, shrill and ranty. Shrill moronic rants I’m politically sympathetic with are still shrill moronic rants.
jcricket
Hey, they don’t call them bloody for nuthin!
Seriously – this episode shows why the left will never succeed at attack politics like the right. I think what RR did is terrible, and she’ll likely get fired or majorly suspended.
But Savage, Rush & Coulter (at least) have been doing this and worse for years. Everyone just laps it up/shrugs and lets them continue.
One can only hope that the “invisible hand” will eventually take away the wingnut welfare that keeps those losers in business.
Chris Andersen
Rhodes’ show has become almost impossible to listen to in recent weeks. It’s been almost non-stop Hillary bashing. Rhodes really got a bug up her butt about Clinton and just couldn’t give it a rest.
I don’t know what pushed her off the cliff on this. She used to be a big Clinton fan.
ThymeZone
Righto. Nothing in the behavior of the Clintons or their surrogates lately would lead anyone to want to bash them or be anything but totally warm toward them.
It’s just …….. a mystery. Like the Loch Ness Monster. Something we just won’t ever really know.
Strange. Odd. Weird.
John Cole
A widely publicized alcohol-related incident which led to serious personal injury, a widely known reputation for boozing, and an appearance in which so little self control is displayed that she is suspended are the evidence I am working with. If she were a student, I think I would be irresponsible to not notice these signs.
That is a far cry from looking at a video tape of someone lying in bed and declaring, contra the diagnosis made by eight other physicians, that the patient is in fact not brain dead.
b. hussein canuckistani
Good thing she wasn’t drinking Absolut.
kwAwk
‘Chris Andersen Says:
Rhodes’ show has become almost impossible to listen to in recent weeks. It’s been almost non-stop Hillary bashing. Rhodes really got a bug up her butt about Clinton and just couldn’t give it a rest.
I don’t know what pushed her off the cliff on this. She used to be a big Clinton fan.’
Like many others she has fallen in love with Obama.
louisms
I was outraged by this unfair characterization of Hillary Clinton. She is not “big”.
Elderta
I’ll tell you the exact moment Randi started going off: when Clinton tacitly “endorsed” McCain with the “I’ve got experienced, McCain’s experienced, Obama has a speech line.” She felt it was an attack on a fellow Democrat in an must-win Democratic race that went over the line. Before that, she did not tell her audiene who she was in favor of. She would always say “fall in love and then fall in line” prior to that incident. A lot of people got really mad a Clinton for that line.
PAULQX
The gossip mongering petty nature of this thread really disapointed me. John Cole should be ashamed. It looks to me like he has some personal vendetta against
RR otherwise why go so personal, negative and harsh so fast?