A Vulgar Spectacle

On the Media

WNYC Studios

Magazine, Newspapers, Media, 1st, Advertising, Social Sciences, Studios, Radio, Transparency, Tv, History, Science, News Commentary, Npr, Technology, Amendment, Newspaper, Wnyc, News, Journalism

4.6 • 8.7K Ratings

🗓️ 14 August 2015

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Fox makes a strange deal with Donald Trump. Plus, Ferguson a year later, and writer David Lipsky on the late David Foster Wallace.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	From WNYC in New York, this is on the media. I'm Brooke Gladstone. And I'm Bob Garfield. The vulgar spectacle of Donald Trump's presidential run has yielded at least two benefits. The first is the refreshing sight of a candidate so rich he needed to prostrate himself before the checkbooks and agendas of Sheldon, Edelson, and the Koch brothers.
0:24.1	The second benefit has accrued specifically to one institution, Fox News Channel.
0:29.8	It is 9 p.m. on the East Coast, and the moment of truth has arrived.
0:33.9	With 24 million viewers last week's Republican primary debate was the most watched program in Fox history.
0:43.0	Not only does Trump have a sort of demolition derby appeal, you know there'll be wreckage.
0:48.9	His brand of bellicose bigotry happens to overlap with Fox's overwhelmingly aging, angry, white audience.
0:57.0	But Trump is a double-edged swordsman. Just one night after the debate, during which Fox's
1:02.9	moderators peppered him with tough questions, Trump called in to CNN tonight and complained to host
1:09.8	Don Lemon.
1:16.3	I'm here in front of all these people. I'm doing Fox a favor by doing this show, and then they come out with these vicious questions. Disappointed in Fox News. I think they probably had an
1:21.1	agenda, but certainly I don't have a lot of respect for Megan Kelly. You know, you can see there
1:25.5	was blood coming out of her eyes,
1:35.3	blood coming out of her wherever. By leaning in on Trump, debate moderator Kelly turned Trump's blade against Fox. And according to New York Magazine National Affairs editor Gabriel Sherman,
1:41.7	Fox News Chief Roger Ailes, faced a grave choice.
1:45.7	They were desperately trying to sort of make a political calculation of whether they
1:50.7	staunchly back their star anchor or appeal to the angry audience that Trump seems to be,
1:58.4	you know, building a political coalition out of, that just happens to
2:01.3	dovetail with Fox viewers. And we saw in the end the value of the audience exceeded the value
2:07.0	of protecting and defending, making Kelly.
2:09.1	They did try to head off the possibility of some sort of anti-Fox sentiment in the arena with
2:17.3	the first question that Brett Baer asked all of the candidates.
2:22.0	Is there anyone on stage, and can I see Hans, who is unwilling tonight to pledge your support
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from WNYC Studios, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of WNYC Studios and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.