The Week: Most Recent media-personalities

Can Mike Huckabee topple Rush Limbaugh?

The Week — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:25:00 -0500

Rush Limbaugh, the undisputed king of conservative talk radio, has weathered both countless challenges from rival right-winger talkers — including Bill O'Reilly and former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) — and the advertiser exodus that followed his much-maligned suggestion that Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke was a "slut" for promoting birth control subsidies. But starting Monday, Rush faces a wily new contender in his 12 to 3 p.m. weekday time slot: Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who promises "more conversation, less confrontation." Cumulus Media, which will air Huckabee's show...

Oprah cancels Rosie: Who's to blame?

The Week — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:15:00 -0500

Just five months after Rosie O'Donnell launched her new talk show on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), The Rosie Show has been canceled. When Winfrey first announced O'Donnell's show, it was considered a major coup: O'Donnell, after all, hosted one of the most popular daytime talk shows of the past 15 years, and proved to be a ratings boon during her one season as co-host of The View. When The Rosie Show premiered on OWN in October, it earned a modest 500,000 viewers. But ratings quickly plummeted — all the way down to a meager 150,000 viewers a week. On Monday's episode, O'Donnell explained...

Has Rush Limbaugh killed all right-wing radio?

The Week — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:35:00 -0500

Late last week, the liberal website Media Matters posted a list of 51 sponsors who have purportedly withdrawn their advertising from Rush Limbaugh's nationally syndicated radio show because of his remarks about Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke. But a new memo from Clear Channel's Premier Networks, which distributes Limbaugh's show, suggests that those numbers are just the tip of the iceberg. Premier is reportedly informing its stations that 98 major advertisers — including carmakers, insurance companies, and fast-food chains — want off not just Limbaugh's show but also those of other...

Is Rush Limbaugh costing Republicans votes?

The Week — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:55:00 -0600

Rush Limbaugh isn't the only one who stands to pay for his insulting tirade against law student Sandra Fluke, whom he called a "slut" for advocating mandatory health-insurance coverage for contraception. Pollsters say the influential conservative broadcaster's remarks have reinforced the Democratic argument that Republicans are waging a "war against women," and have thus hurt GOP presidential candidates with women voters. Did Limbaugh give President Obama's re-election campaign an unintended boost?

Limbaugh is driving women toward Obama: The president "should send Rush Limbaugh a thank-you...

Rush Limbaugh vs. Sandra Fluke: A timeline

The Week — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:00:00 -0600

This article — originally published on March 6 — was last updated on March 9. Scroll down for the latest updates.

Rush Limbaugh is no stranger to controversy. The incendiary radio host makes his fortune attacking his political enemies with impolitic statements. So he may be a tad taken aback by the week-long media firestorm he ignited by calling Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown law student, a "slut." The subsequent fallout — involving denunciations from conservatives, a rare apology from Rush, and a call to Fluke from President Obama — has been brutal. And with advertisers fleeing...

Limbaugh's Sandra Fluke tirade: Are liberals just as bad?

The Week — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:14:00 -0600

As corporate sponsors flee Rush Limbaugh for calling birth-control activist Sandra Fluke a "slut," many conservatives are rushing to his defense. This week, Sarah Palin called the Left's attacks on the conservative talk-radio personality the "definition of hypocrisy." After all, Palin said, liberals — including comedian Bill Maher, who has donated $1 million to a pro-Obama super PAC — have said plenty of "horrible things" about her and other conservative women. Is the Left hypocritical for attacking Rush?

Liberals say worse things than Rush: The Left is using one radio outburst to ...

Will Rush Limbaugh's sponsors ever come back?

The Week — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 12:23:00 -0600

Conservative talk radio powerhouse Rush Limbaugh continues to bleed advertisers following his verbal attack on law student Sandra Fluke, whom Limbaugh called a "slut" and a "prostitute" for advocating mandated workplace insurance coverage of contraceptives. Think Progress reports that 43 advertisers have pulled their spots from The Rush Limbaugh Show over the last week. (See a helpful timeline of the controversy here.) Two radio stations, one in Massachusetts and another in Hawaii, have pulled Rush's show from their schedules altogether. Limbaugh, who has apologized for his choice of...

3 reasons the Rush Limbaugh ad boycott is ineffective

The Week — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:00:00 -0600

After fiery conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh leveled "vitriolic and misogynistic" comments at Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke, dozens of companies pulled their ads from his show. Rush controversially claimed that Fluke was a "slut" and a "prostitute" for arguing that health-care coverage of contraception should be mandatory, and ThinkProgress reports that at least 34 advertisers have ditched Rush amid the public outcry. But is an advertiser exodus really the right response? Here, three reasons it's not:

1. This hurts advertisers more than Rush
The old maxim "principle...

Rush Limbaugh's 'slut' apology: 5 reasons it won't silence his critics

The Week — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 09:00:00 -0600

On Saturday, after days of being hammered by the media and abandoned by several longtime national sponsors, radio host Rush Limbaugh issued an apology to Sandra Fluke. The Georgetown law student had testified in favor of President Obama's birth control insurance mandate at a congressional hearing last week, prompting Limbaugh to call her a "slut" and "prostitute," saying that if taxpayers have to pay for birth control pills for Fluke and her fellow "feminazis," then the government was essentially subsidizing sex, and "we want you to post the [sex] videos online so we can all...

Rush Limbaugh's 'misogynistic tirade': Will it sink his show?

The Week — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:25:00 -0600

The backlash against ultra-conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh for his "misogynistic tirades" against a Georgetown University law student has been swift and fierce. At the center of the controversy are comments Limbaugh made about Sandra Fluke, who testified at a congressional hearing earlier this week in support of mandatory health insurance for contraception. Limbaugh branded Fluke a "slut" whose argument "makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex. She's having so much sex she can't afford the contraception. She wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex." House...

Oprah's Next Chapter: Will Winfrey's bid to save OWN work?

The Week — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:50:00 -0600

The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) turned a year old on Sunday, but there wasn't a whole lot to celebrate. Ratings for the fledgling network "have been a major disappointment," says Elizabeth Blair at NPR, and the media has seized on OWN's failure to fulfill its Oprah-sized expectations. Hoping to reverse the negative trend, the former talk show host is getting back in front of the camera. Oprah's Next Chapter, a reality series that follows Winfrey as she tours the world interviewing celebrities and trying out new experiences, debuted Sunday night. In the premiere, she visited Aerosmith star and ...

Can Oprah's reality show rescue OWN?

The Week — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:18:00 -0600

Since its launch on Jan. 1, Oprah Winfrey's fledgling network, OWN, has struggled with disappointing ratings and negative press. Hoping to turn things around, Winfrey will go before the cameras again in a reality-TV format. Oprah's Next Chapter, which debuts on OWN's one-year anniversary, will follow Winfrey as she travels the world to talk with celebrities and other public figures. In the premiere, she'll interview Steven Tyler at his New Hampshire home, while other episodes will feature a slumber party with Paula Deen, a visit to George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch, and a trip to Haiti with Sean Penn...

Fabio: The new Old Spice guy?

The Week — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 16:01:00 -0500

The video: It was just last summer that hunky former NFL player Isaiah Mustafa spawned an award-winning viral advertising phenom as the ironically smooth-talking "Old Spice guy," more than doubling sales of Old Spice body wash. In December, a second round of ads featuring Mustafa launched, to fading acclaim. Now, there's a newer Old Spice guy: The charmingly stilted, aging Italian hunk Fabio, best known for brandishing his tresses and gracing romance-novel covers. Fabio stars in a series of four rather nonsensical spots at NewOldSpiceGuyFabio.com. (Watch one below.) A spokesman for parent company...

Can Oprah save OWN?

The Week — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:21:00 -0500

It seems even Oprah Winfrey can learn something from the old adage, "If you want something done right, do it yourself." The Chicagoan announced Wednesday that she will assume the role of CEO at her fledgling Oprah Winfrey Network, a move that would give the groundbreaking talk show host a more "hands-on" role in shaping the direction of the network. OWN could certainly use Winfrey's golden touch. The struggling network has been plagued by unexpectedly low ratings since its launch in January. "I am ready to dedicate my full creative energy and focus as the full-time CEO of OWN," Oprah said in a...

Oprah's 'brave' solo finale

The Week — Wed, 25 May 2011 18:21:00 -0500

The video: It's all over. After 25 years, countless nuggets of wisdom, 65 book club selections, and tens of millions of dollars worth of "Oprah's Favorite Things" giveaways, the last episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show aired Wednesday. After much speculation over the final guest's identity, it was revealed to be... Oprah herself. "There will be no guests, there will be no surprises," the Queen of Talk told her studio audience, which included celebrity friends like Suze Orman and Cicely Tyson. "This last hour is really about me saying thank you." Ruling the stage solo, Oprah reminisced and played...

5 things Oprah taught America

The Week — Tue, 24 May 2011 12:56:00 -0500

For her millions of fans, Oprah has been a guiding force over the years, an everyday guru offering advice on everything from the best sports bra to vegan cleanses to spiritual enlightenment. With the last episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show airing Wednesday, many commentators are reflecting on just what Oprah taught us over her show's 25 years.

1. She taught us to find our own path: Though the show often seemed to encourage a mentality in which Oprah's devoted flock was willing to follow her anywhere, Oprah's real "message has always been to fearlessly tread your own course," says Robyn Okrant,...