Comm 490 an Agitator Rush Limbaugh

SVSU

Rush H Limbaugh III

By Mike Jones

Comm 490 Professor Ross Singer

12/5/2013

Mike Jones

Dr. Ross Singer

Comm 490

5 December 2013

The definition of an agitator is “a person who stirs up others in order to upset the status quo and further a political, social, or other cause”. Rush Limbaugh fits that exact definition. Throughout the years he has caused countless controversies, and argued for or against his opponents. Rush Limbaugh has an opinion on everything that goes on in our society and he is not afraid to share it. Limbaugh has his own radio show which is a great tool for an agitator because it easily allows him to spread his ideas and ideals, and help get people to agree with him. Being a very right wing conservative Rush Limbaugh is quick to jump on any fault that a democrat makes and is quick to defend the republicans. Rush Limbaugh is a textbook agitator, and he has been ever since he was a little child.

The infamous Rush Hudson Limbaugh III was brought into this world on January 12, 1951. Not only his parents but his whole family was highly regarded in the community of Cape Girardeau Missouri. Limbaugh’s Paternal Grandfather, the original Rush Hudson Limbaugh was a U.S ambassador to India under President Dwight D Eisenhower, his uncle happened to be a federal judge at the time of Ronald Reagan’s presidency, and lastly his super conservative father Mr. Rush Hudson Limbaugh II, who worked as an attorney. Even as a small child at the mere age of eight, Rush wanted to have a career in radio. Rush’s father on the other hand had different a plan for his son and wanted him to have a more stable career. Having his mind dead set on having a career in radio and disobeying his father’s wishes he was viewed as a rebel in his family. Growing up Rush always hated school because he said it was “what everyone else had to do”. Rush hated being locked up in classroom. Even though they disliked Rush’s early career choice his parents didn’t completely ignore his passion, and bought him a AM broadcasting radio, that could transmit AM frequencies up to 500 feet away. Little Rush would go up to his room and play DJ for his family. Growing up Rush got a job at the local radio station part owned by his father and had his own on air persona Rusty Sharpe. After high school Rush did one year at Missouri State University but dropped out to pursue a real career in radio. Rush ended up having multiple jobs as an on air radio personality but kept getting fired from each one of them for being too controversial.

Even as a young child Rush Limbaugh as always a non-conformist. Rush wanted to do bigger and better things than all of the other children, he didn’t want to be stuck in a room learning how to paste. Rush’s own family even saw him as a little agitator rebelling against the family and doing what he wanted to do. Even at an early age little Rush was an agitator, and had to go against the social norms set up by society. The fact that time and time again he would get a job in radio, but then just turn around and get fired shows that Rush was a real agitator because even if it meant losing his job he was going to speak his mind. Rush Limbaugh’s actions are commendable though, even though his family was dead set against him being on the radio, he still pursued his dream, and his dream eventually came true.

After years of trying to hold a stable radio job, Rush Limbaugh finally landed a position as an on air host at a radio station in Sacramento California. Rush met success in this position when his ratings surpassed those of his predecessors. It was not even a year later and Rush was recognized as Sacramento’s top radio host. The repeal of the old law known as the Fairness Doctrine which made it so that both television and radio stations had to air for an equal amount of time, allowed Rush’s very distinct conservative radio style to take shape. Very soon after the repeal of the law Rush took a position in New York working for ABC radio. The Rush Limbaugh showed first aired on August 1st 1988, and has been on the air for over two decades. His radio shows can be heard on nearly 600 stations nationwide. His show has a heavy political focus, and has caused a lot of controversy. In 1992 Rush published his best-selling book “The Way Things Ought to be”. This book is filled with dozens of controversial issues from abortion, civil rights, foreign policy, homeland security, and technology.

In the abortion section of his book, Rush talks about how Roe v. Wade is a bad law and we need to let the states decide. He continues on saying that abortion laws should not be decided by nine guys in black robed but instead it should be a moral choice, and decided by the people in a democratic fashion. In a later part of this section of his book he goes on to say that members of the Nation Organization for Women (NOW) are only obsessed with two issues, abortion rights and lesbian rights. Then he in turn refers to these feminist women involved in this group as feminazis. This is just another example of Rush Limbaugh having to voice his opinion on everything. Rush disagrees with the way they these women protest and he has some personal beef with them, some he comes up with the term Feminazi to insult them. I do agree with Rush though and that the issue of abortion should be up to the states, and that we need to let the people decided on whether or not abortion should be legal or not.

The part of Rush’s book “The Way Things Ought to be: on civil rights, is very controversial, and sexist. Because of feminist protests there were several senators that agree that there should be more women in the Senate. The majority of the men that were saying this defeated women in their last elections. Rush then says it is not real women that these feminist want in the senate it is liberal feminazis that they want. He said this because the women’s groups supported the Democrat Men over their Republican female opponents in the elections. Rush continues on to saying that the interests of organizations like NOW are not in the interests of the normal American female but rather the political agenda of the feminists. Later on in this chapter Rush talks about a Men only fitness club. There was a group of women who protested to be allowed to work out there. A couple years later the woman demanded that they have their own work our areas because they were sick of being ogled by all the guys while trying to exercise. The men in the gym agreed to install the first three exercise machines in the woman’s new workout room. These women were ecstatic, and arrived on the first day and found a washing machine, an ironing board, and a vacuum cleaner. Rush Limbaugh laughed at this and then says “I love the women’s movement. Especially when I am walking behind it.”

This 1992 bestselling book “The Way Things Ought to be” is filled with satire of liberals and feminists. It is unbelievable that this book became a best seller with all of the controversial things that are written in it. There is even a part in the book where Rush says, liberals hate public radio because they can’t control it. This statement whether true or false is just another example of Rush Limbaugh saying what ever come to mind for him. That is just the icing on the cake the very next year Rush releases a second book entitled “See I told you so”. Like his first book this book is filled with nothing but his opinions on various hot button issues including education, homeland security and healthcare.

Just as a summary of some of the issues that he discusses, when Rush discusses Homeland security that there should be no women in combat