The Rising Star of Glenn Beck

Glenn Beck is nothing short of a media phenomenon. In his own words, a mere five years ago, he was just a DJ on the radio. Today he has the third highest rated show on cable news (this, after being on the Fox News network for only a month), a rapidly expanding radio audience, a very popular magazine, and an excellent career as a successful author. So how did Beck go from "no one" (as he likes to describe himself ) to one of the hottest properties in media today? The following are just a few of the reasons:

• Beck knows his limitations. He has no problem making fun of himself, reminding people of his humble roots (including a long time sufferer of alcohol addiction), and simply telling guests that he "doesn't understand." When he says that, he's sincere. He wants to assume the person on the program who is trying to destroy jobs through excessive taxation on capital formation or whatever terrible policy, is doing it with the best of intentions. "Help me understand what you are doing?" This is disarming and I think he asks questions in the same way many other Americans would if they had the opportunity to visit with these decision makers.


• Beck is about philosophy and not party. Beck could care less about party affiliation. Many radio hosts lost credibility in the last election cycle by making it a war between McCain and Obama. The real battle is between socialistic worldviews and those who support freedom. To support McCain was to support different forms of socialism, not economic freedom. Sure, Beck reluctantly supported McCain as the lessor of two evils, but never became a cheerleader, which was a common practice of many radio hosts.


• Beck doesn't take himself too seriously, but he does take his issues seriously. New viewers of Beck might disagree, in light of the very serious tone he has taken since Obama's inauguration, but the host is also a noted comedian in his own right and uses humor as a powerful tool to get his message out. Even today with his sober tone, he may take the issues seriously, but he doesn't over play his own importance.


• Beck does his homework. He doesn't merely depend upon others to be informed and he provides original perspectives. He is actually a "thinking" radio host and not a mere talker. Unlike many pundits who have good "gut instincts," Beck is different. Many of the major names in talk radio tend to be more "feelers" about major issues than thinkers. This is seen in their often inconsistent take on policy issues and their lack of understanding of the Constitution. These are not the kind of issues facing Beck.
  

There is no doubt that Beck is articulate and charismatic, but those are not the main reasons for Beck's success. It is his thoughtfulness and convictions that makes him a rising star.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business, the longest running show on CNN 650 (M-F at 11 am). Eric Bolling of Fox News and Fox Business and says that Price’s Blog “is very influential and moves the blogosphere.” Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Price the “best business talk show host in the country.” Find out why and visit his blog at www.BizPlusBlog.com and his show site at www.PriceofBusiness.com.

Why Do Women Always Win in Commercials?

I just saw a commercial for Sprint in which a man and woman had a race to determine who had a faster phone (I think it was to get online, or something, but I was too interested in the demographics of the race). The woman, of course, won. The same is true with virtually every commercial that includes men and women. In these commercials, generally speaking:

* Women are smarter. I'm amazed that men are able to get their pants on in light of what the media conveys.

* Women work harder. Unless a man can turn it on or off from a couch, he isn't going to do it.

* Women are better. If a job is going to get done, it will require a women.

I have been trying to figure out why this has happen (men generally being seen as weak idiots in the media), and I think it could be a consequence of several things:

* The culture in general seems to be largely anti-male. Unfortunately, this isn't completely without cause. Men cause most of our crime and they are much more inclined to abandon their responsibilities to their families. I doubt if beating them up in the media will do anything to reverse this sad trend.

* I believe that many of of the institutions that affect culture (TV, magazines, art, etc.) are becoming increasingly dominated by women. I believe this is particularly true of the marketing and advertising fields that use to be dominated by "Ad Men" and is increasingly being over taken by women in these posts. I believe there is a general consensus that women are more creative and artistic, making them ideal for these fields.

In the end, I'm sure there are other factors driving these trends and I think the move in this direction should be a little disconcerting to all of us, including women, because many of them have sons whom they would prefer to be better men. Media is powerful and will, in my opinion, have a direct impact on the type of men we raise in our culture.

The Incredible Shrinking Magazine

Let me just start by stating that I love magazines (I actually have 6 or 7 subscriptions). For many years I wanted to eventually have a magazine of my own. In spite of the pounding that print has faced in general due to the Internet, new magazines still seem to be popping up, but their future is still doubtful since with every new one there are several that fail. I believe that magazines are shrinking, both in size and importance, and this is reflected by the following indicators:

• Cheaper than ever. The price of a subscription must be less than it costs to mail it, let alone print it. Magazines that people paid $20 to $30 a year 5 years ago, cost around $10. In fact, $10 seems to be the going rate for such publications. This is their desperate attempt to convince businesses of the large number of people that are seeing their advertisements. Magazines are finding it difficult to keep up with the growing online viewership.

• The number of pages are declining. I'm sure this is related to the number of ads purchased (there is a formula of number of ads, justifying the number of pages of content).

• Magazines play a copy cat role. Magazines are looking more and more like printed websites. Since you can access most sites for free and they have direct links to other articles, that can't bode well for magazines.

• The growth of the "third screen" (mobile devices) makes it possible for people to access numerous "magazines" through out the day. Increasingly I use my pda to access articles. The content is free (at least what I read) and my selections virtually unlimited.

Still, I love magazines and I would not be surprised if I increase my subscriptions (since they practically give them away). But an ominous cloud hangs over the future of all print publications.