Glenn Beck agreed to appear on a weekend cable news show programmed around news about the media and then stormed off the set when asked about a breaking story covering his own media empire.
Only Glenn Beck could make Brian Stelter, the anti-Trump activist who spreads fake news and regularly fabricates conspiracy theories, look reasonable.
Stories around the collapse of Beck’s Blaze are now two years old. Announcement after announcement of layoffs and cutbacks have diminished the once-thriving media giant into just another political blog, and one with no apparent effect whatsoever on the national conversation.
On Saturday, the Daily Beast, a far-left site that attacks children and is infamous for its own fake news crisis, published a report that pretty much said the bottom is falling out at TheBlaze.
“Beck is reportedly giving away personal possessions from his office, further stoking chatter he will soon extinguish TheBlaze. The radio host revealed on Thursday that he’s selling his Dallas home over concerns the United States is headed towards an economic downturn,” the report said.
Therefore, it only made sense for Stelter to ask Beck about this. After a contentious few minutes where Beck correctly pointed out that CNN and other establishment media outlets are responsible for much of the political division in America, Stelter moved to the big media news of the day, which Beck must have known about, because it was about him and his company.
“Is this related to the point about people not talking to each other? That if you want to create that media company, there’s not interest? What’s going on with that?” Stelter asked.
Now, while that is, without a doubt, the most mealy-mouthed change of subject in the history of cable news, asking Beck about it is not only well within bounds, it would be irresponsible not to ask it.
Beck responded with nothing less than a freak out.
Before removing his microphone and storming off the set, this happened: “Wow. Brian, thanks a lot. I think that’s the most ridiculous question I’ve ever heard. I’m sitting here ready to talk to you about the detaining of children and parents and trying to break families apart, something that has been happening with Janet Reno!” Beck raged. ” That’s why it went to the Supreme Court in the first place, Janet Reno. It’s been happening. We want to stop it, and you want to play those games? You have a nice day.”
And off he went.
Afterwards, Stelter correctly pointed out that this was an opportunity for Beck to address the story, especially if the story was untrue. And since we are talking about the Daily Beast, the story being untrue is a real possibility.
We all want to fight the media, especially fake news-addicts like Stelter. But you have to choose your battles. The Brian Stelters of the world actually have to be in the wrong, and asking the owner of a media company about a media report on his media empire during a show that covers the media, is not wrong.
How could Beck not be prepared for this question?
How could Beck not relish the question as an opportunity?
How is it possible that a human being exists who could make Brian Stelter look like he was actually doing his job?
For his part, Beck not only furthered the damage to his disintegrating brand, he looked harried, unkempt, caught off guard, on the edge of hysteria, unprepared, and like a man under siege; a man reaping what he sowed due to countless unforced errors, a third-act Charles Foster Kane, but one giving his stuff away instead of hoarding it.
Beck had it all: a thriving website, a massive fan base, and enough subscribers to make him filthy rich. Then he decided he wanted even more; he wanted to be America’s preacher, which meant acceptance from the establishment. And so he decided to play footsie with the media, an unforgiving institution that will always hate him and his kind. Just ask Megyn Kelly.
As an example, back in 2014, instead of simply taking soccer balls and sandwiches to the border to meet a wave of migrant children, he had to suck up to the media by smearing those on the political right who had a legitimate disagreement with him.
Beck not only looked craven and opportunistic, to the delight of the media, he was defaming those of us who reasonably believe it is not compassionate to encourage something as harrowing as minor children taking a perilous trek through endless miles of dangerous desert. What’s more, our immigration services take very good care of these kids. It is not as though they want for anything.
Then there was Beck’s whole anti-Trump jihad, which included attacking Trump supporters as Nazis, unhinged attacks that saw him go so far as to broadcast death threats against Trump and slam his face into a bowl of Cheetos.
Beck is just weird, which is fine, but he is also dumb. Betting on the media embracing you, is dumb. Trying to assume the role of America’s conscience with Cheetos stuck to your face, is dumb.
In Beck’s mercenary quest for media love and the nationwide status as a wise elder he believed would come with it, he stupidly alienated his own base, his own fans, his own customers, and now TheBlaze is melting into a puddle of bad judgment and self-inflicted wounds.
Worse still, over the weekend, Beck finally got some of that establishment media love, an opportunity to appear on the far-left CNN, and he again blew it — blew it so horribly, he looked more ridiculous than Brian Stelter, a feat that only a few days ago looked to be impossible.
Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC. Follow his Facebook Page here.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.