Originally Posted by janmcn

Rush appears to believe in excesses in everything: food, drugs, marriages.

Yes, I agree, and it's funny you should bring this up because the other day he said something that surprised me and made me think that this may be the beginning of the end for his current marriage. I think it was something about people falling in love and thinking they will be in love forever. Could this be his way of breaking the news to his listeners, slowly?

Originally Posted by RichieLion

I feel that's really a simplistic outlook and a far fetched kind of conspiracy theory. I really doubt he's thinking of his advertisers on this subject. If you've listened to Rush over the years you know he eschews any exercise in weight loss and downplays the importance of it in that aspect. I thinks it's a foolish thing, but he's entitled to live his life the way he sees fit. He thinks genetics play the greatest role in your life longevity, and science doesn't prove him wrong.

Comparing body chemistry to the life of nations? Cute, but hard to portray parallels. Nations have died for many reasons.

Is it a "conspiracy theory" when a business man plans to make a profit? I just happen to think that when he has a choice of whether to take the side of his business associates and his listeners (i.e., potential customers) he takes the side of his business associates.

Anyway, I finally had a chance to read the material from the links you provided and here's my response:

A critique on the Rush Limbaugh transcript of Jan. 13, 2012: "If You Want To Live Forever, Don't Get Old."

It seems that Rush's job, as spokesperson for the fast food industry, is to dispirit anyone who's trying to take responsibility by living a healthy livestyle. He took a statement by Edgehopper and used it as a springboard to promote an attitude of defeatism relative to health and longevity.

He proudly carries a brand new fast-food-industry banner that says: "Everyone, as they get older, will get sick and die." And, as far as he and the industry are concerned, their best customers will likely die sooner, rather than later, and that's okay with them. It seems that, nowadays, everything and anything goes, in the name of fast-food-industry profits.

I agree that we need to be wary of government interfering in our lives and in our ability to make free-market choices. But, at the same time, we also need to be wary of the fast-food-industry, their hired guns, like Rush Limbaugh, and their industry lobbyists.

I find it interesting that the long-winded-rant from Rush seems to have come soon after the chapter 11 bankruptcy of Yum Brands, the maker of Twinkies and other such junk-food items. The reason given for the bankruptcy is that people are becoming more health conscious and choosing such items as yogurt and/or fresh fruit rather than high calorie junk like Twinkies. Potentially, this could spell trouble for the rest of the fast food industry as well. Is it any wonder that Rush went into overdrive against the notion that a healthy lifestyle can yield dividends?

Could there be a clause in his 40 millian dollar contract that stipulates that he defend or enhance the desirability of fast-food as often as possible or on an as-needed basis?

In order to draw in his loyal listeners, rather than stick to the main issue of health, he loaded down the issue with politics as a means of stiring their emotions and fears. That's what you do when you have a weak argument and your whole "schtich" is based on, "advancing age = sickness and death."

As part of his political ploy, it's almost as if he's telling us to fight liberalism by practicing poor lifestyle habits: "Yeah, we'll show those liberals! We'll stuff ourselves with MORE fast food, NOT LESS!"

He's hoping that a lot of his listeners will buy into his defeatist mind-set and start "chowing down" on a lot of high calorie junk foods. (He's asking us to drink the cool-aid.) So what if we age faster and die sooner. For a talk-show host with no conscience, it's all in a day's work.

Originally Posted by janmcn

Rush appears to believe in excesses in everything: food, drugs, marriages.

Talk about mean spirited. You've got quite the penchant for throwing stones, it appears.

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Is it a "conspiracy theory" when a business man plans to make a profit? I just happen to think that when he has a choice of whether to take the side of his business associates and his listeners (i.e., potential customers) he takes the side of his business associates.

Anyway, I finally had a chance to read the material from the links you provided and here's my response:

A critique on the Rush Limbaugh transcript of Jan. 13, 2012: "If You Want To Live Forever, Don't Get Old."

It seems that Rush's job, as spokesperson for the fast food industry, is to dispirit anyone who's trying to take responsibility by living a healthy livestyle.

This is an absolutely absurd post. When has Rush ever been the spokesman for fast food. It's ludicrous. Have you ever SEEN or HEARD a commercial for a fast food outlet by Rush Limbaugh????

I'm not sure, but I think many years ago Rush might have done a commercial for Pizza Hut, but other than that.....................

Even if he had; you're saying he cannot comment on a subject that might include some aspect of business of an advertiser? Is this every one in the media or just Rush Limbaugh?

Where are you coming up with this stuff.

Mean spirited and throwing stones? I am sure some might take "The most self indentified "liberal" among us are the ones who seem the most "class conscious" and "race conscious" and "religion conscious" as mean spirited and throwing stones - but to quote my hero, Bill Maher, I might be wrong.

All in a good natured tone, of course.

Originally Posted by RichieLion

Talk about mean spirited. You've got quite the penchant for throwing stones, it appears.

Let's see. Rush topped the scales at 350lbs at one time, he was addicted to oxycondine, and he's on his fourth wife. What did I get wrong?

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Today, Rush said that no matter how healthy your lifestyle is, you will still become old, get sick, and die. The biggest risk factor for sickness and death is age and you can't prevent aging. In other words, eating a healthy diet and exercising won't help.

He's either very ignorant when it comes to the value of healthy lifestyle choices, or he's a brilliant advertiser earning brownie points with the food industry that he represents and earns money from.

Which one do you think he is? Considering that he has suffered form obesity in the past and has been on 12 major diets, I think he may be somewhat ignorant but a clever (food industry) brown-noser at the same time.

I'd be interested in any opinion on this.

I don't so much question him as I do you. You are going to die. There is nothing you can do to prevent it. You may put it off but you wil die. Rush is going to die. I am going to die. Lifestyle won't prevent it.

Just some thoughts

Originally Posted by janmcn

Let's see. Rush topped the scales at 350lbs at one time, he was addicted to oxycondine, and he's on his fourth wife. What did I get wrong?

Do you ever stop and just listen to yourself and your self righteous garbage. For Christ's sake, you are freakin' clueless here.

Originally Posted by RichieLion

Do you ever stop and just listen to yourself and your self righteous garbage. For Christ's sake, you are freakin' clueless here.

Amen

Originally Posted by janmcn

Let's see. Rush topped the scales at 350lbs at one time, he was addicted to oxycondine, and he's on his fourth wife. What did I get wrong?

Lets see, hes rich, successful, highly respected and living life to the fullest. What did I get wrong?

Originally Posted by CMANN

I don't so much question him as I do you. You are going to die. There is nothing you can do to prevent it. You may put it off but you wil die. Rush is going to die. I am going to die. Lifestyle won't prevent it.

Just some thoughts

Well, okay, I appreciate your thoughts on this issue. But did anyone ever claim that they'd never die? I don't believe anyone has ever made that claim. I know I certainly didn't.

I believe that's what's known as a "straw dog". Rush pretended that some people actually said they would never die so he could knock it down as being ridiculous. It must be a technique he picked up from Obama.

Originally Posted by RichieLion

Do you ever stop and just listen to yourself and your self righteous garbage. For Christ's sake, you are freakin' clueless here.

My you get nasty when one of your heroes gets (justifiably) criticized. Doesn't become you!

Originally Posted by janmcn

Let's see. Rush topped the scales at 350lbs at one time, he was addicted to oxycondine, and he's on his fourth wife. What did I get wrong?

Still throwing stones. You must be such a perfect person. God bless you.

Originally Posted by eweissenbach

My you get nasty when one of your heroes gets (justifiably) criticized. Doesn't become you!

Oh you too. Shameless drivel. I'm the one chastising the nasty. Attacking a person over personal issues like is being done here is crude and childish. It shows a weak character. It absolutely becomes me to do this because I for one know what the word honor means.

Now you're crude too. Congratulations.

Originally Posted by RichieLion

This is an absolutely absurd post. When has Rush ever been the spokesman for fast food. It's ludicrous. Have you ever SEEN or HEARD a commercial for a fast food outlet by Rush Limbaugh????

I'm not sure, but I think many years ago Rush might have done a commercial for Pizza Hut, but other than that.....................

Even if he had; you're saying he cannot comment on a subject that might include some aspect of business of an advertiser? Is this every one in the media or just Rush Limbaugh?

Where are you coming up with this stuff.

I'll try to explain it the best I can.

Take any information and/or entertainment medium such as magazines, television, internet or radio. They each have their own special appeal for various reasons. If you are a music lover, you might subscribe to a magazine called "Making Music." The job of this magazine is to create an atmosphere that will bring music lovers together with the makers and sellers of instruments, plus other related products and services. In other words, buyers and sellers are brought together.

Radio is much the same in that it too seeks to bring buyers and sellers together by creating a favorable atmosphere for whatever is is that it hopes to sell. And Rush is mainly responsible for creating the atmosphere on his show, for a target audience that is relatively young. So he frequently talks about things that he thinks younger people will be interested in. And when you have that target audience in place, the sellers to that group will show up too.

To create an atmosphere for the sale of products, he talks about a lot of different things like sports, electronic gadgets, computers, food etc. etc.. Even though he may not do all food commercials himself, it's his job to create an atmosphere that will bring certain buyers and sellers together.

It is in this endeavor that he either acts as a natural "self appointed" spokesperson or, if there's a contract, a payed spokesperson. Obviously, if there's a contract it will stipulate that he cannot talk about it. But, regardless of which form it takes, the effect is the same. He will be speaking to create an atmosphere conducive to the sale of certain types of food items. That makes him an industry spokesperson. Some might even say that he is part of the industry. After all where does the industry begin and end? At any rate, you can at least say that he is an extension of the industry.

Now, what types of food products? It's highly unlikely to be any whole food. So what's left? Processed foods, fast foods and restaurant food. All three of these can, and often do, overlap. To save time, I usually refer to all of it as "fast food."

So now the question is: How do you create an atmosphere conducive to selling fast (processed) foods? You ridicule those who are trying to be healthy. That plays well to their younger target audience. But he can't do that by itself. How would that look to those in his audience who may be older and more sensible? So he does it under the guise of ridiculing liberals. That way it serves a duel purpose and has double the appeal to his audience.

You may say that you don't recall a lot of foods being advertised. But, remember, his show is played in about 600 markets all around the country and advertising will varry from market to market. And they are always trying to attract more advertising revenue. To the extent that they don't attract industry advertisers, shows in various markets may be canceled.