Hater Hall of Shame: Glenn Beck

The Hater Hall of Shame would like to welcome its newest member into the ranks today – and he may be Public A-Hole #1.  This political talking head has described himself as a “libertarian and conservative who is fighting for individual rights.”  There is no doubt in my mind that he believes that, but I prefer the description that Jon Stewart once provided,  ”Finally, a guy who says what people who aren’t thinking are thinking.” 

Glenn Beck,  Born February 10, 1964

Glenn Lee Beck was born in Everett, Washington, but spent most of his young life in Mount Vernon, Washington.  Beck started out on the radio at the age of 13 after winning a local contest at KBRC; around this same time, Beck’s parents filed for divorce and he chose to live with his dad in Sumner, Washington.  Beck attended Sehome High School in Bellingham, Washington, and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah after he graduated in 1982.  It was here that Beck shared an apartment with a former Mormon missionary, and was first introduced to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints – he was brainwashed…I mean, he became a member shortly thereafter.  In 1983, Beck relocated to Washington, D.C. and took a job on the radio with WPGC; while in D.C., Beck met and married his first wife, Claire, and they subsequently had two daughters – Mary and Hannah.  During this time, Beck was struggling with drugs and alcohol, and was also diagnosed with ADHD around this same time – which partly explains some of his TV antics.  He and Claire divorced in 1994 amidst his struggles with addiction, and Beck soon began to attend AA meetings to get clean – which he did in November of 1994. 

In 1996, Beck was admitted to Yale University through a special program for ”non-traditional” students – with the help of a recommendation from Senator Joe Lieberman.  His college days were short lived, however, as Beck only took one theology class – “Early Christology” – and then dropped out.  Beck worked as a Top 40 DJ early in his radio career, and did stints in Utah, Arizona, Maryland, Connecticut, and Kentucky, among others.  He received top-billing on WFLA in Tampa, Florida when The Glenn Beck Program first aired in 2000.  By May 2008, Beck’s show was being broadcast on 280 different stations across the U.S., as well as XM Radio, and he had an estimated 6.5 million listeners – which absolutely scares the bejesus out of me, I only hope that at least 6.4 million of those listeners are paranoid senior citizens.  Beck recieved his first TV gig on CNN’s Headline Prime block in January of 2006, and had a weekly show on the network until he was lured to the Dark Side in October of 2008 - but to be clear, he definitely belongs there.  Beck has also become somewhat of a media mogul over the years; he’s written 5 books - which are no doubt fit for burning - and publishes fear-mongering propaganda using his media company, Mercury Radio Arts, and a publication called Fusion Magazine.  I have always been a big believer in freedom of speech, but the popularity of political putzes like Glenn Beck makes me second guess the whole ideal.  The French philosopher Albert Camus once said, “Nothing is more despicable than respect based on fear.”  If that’s true, Beck is one of the most detestable mofos to ever walk the face of the Earth. 

Bonus Clip: MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann takes Beck to the proverbial woodshed