Reception
Beck's on-air persona has been described as a "mix of moral lessons, outrage and an apocalyptic view of the future … capturing the feelings of an alienated class of Americans." Beck has referred to himself as an entertainer, and a rodeo clown. Additionally, Beck has identified himself with Howard Beale, the fictional news anchor portrayed by Peter Finch in the 1976 film Network who, in a moment of indignation and fury, urges his viewers to declare "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!" Says Beck, "When came out of the rain and he was like, none of this makes any sense. I am that guy."
Beck's style of expressing his candid opinions have helped make his shows successful, but have also resulted in protest. On November 14, 2006, Beck asked then-newly elected Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, to "prove to me that you are not working with our enemies" and saying "And I know you're not. I'm not accusing you of being an enemy, but that's the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way." Beck later regretted the question saying it was "quite possibly the poorest-worded question of all time" and joked about his "lack of intelligence". While Ellison stated he was not offended by the question, it later spurred several Arab-American organizations, such as the Arab Institute and the Muslim Public Affairs Council, to publicly protest Beck's hiring as a commentator by Good Morning America, accusing Beck of "anti-Muslim and anti-Arab prejudice".
Read more about this topic: Glenn Beck Program
Famous quotes containing the word reception:
“To aim to convert a man by miracles is a profanation of the soul. A true conversion, a true Christ, is now, as always, to be made by the reception of beautiful sentiments.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“I gave a speech in Omaha. After the speech I went to a reception elsewhere in town. A sweet old lady came up to me, put her gloved hand in mine, and said, “I hear you spoke here tonight.” “Oh, it was nothing,” I replied modestly. “Yes,” the little old lady nodded, “that’s what I heard.””
—Gerald R. Ford (b. 1913)
“He’s leaving Germany by special request of the Nazi government. First he sends a dispatch about Danzig and how 10,000 German tourists are pouring into the city every day with butterfly nets in their hands and submachine guns in their knapsacks. They warn him right then. What does he do next? Goes to a reception at von Ribbentropf’s and keeps yelling for gefilte fish!”
—Billy Wilder (b. 1906)