# I pit Rush Limbaugh for being an idiot about birth control **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 2, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593 "2012-03-02T22:29:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/301 "2012-03-05T21:06:51Z")
> [@eulalia](#): > > Read [Odd Girl Out](http://www.amazon.com/Odd-Girl-Out-Culture-Aggression/dp/0156027348/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1330981091&sr=8-2) , it gives a good explanation of what I’m talking about. Or read [Odd Girl Out](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odd_Girl_Out_%28novel%29). It’s sluttier. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/302 "2012-03-05T21:29:53Z")
> [@Truman\_Burbank](#): > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYUsi5ZRuss&feature=g-all&context=G2e9b0b8FAAAAAAAACAA](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYUsi5ZRuss&feature=g-all&context=G2e9b0b8FAAAAAAAACAA) > > From Wonkette: liberals have a “willingness to say or do anything to advance their agenda. But this is the mistake I made,” admitted Mr. Limbaugh, humbly. “In fighting them on this issue last week, I became like them. Against my own instincts, against my own knowledge, against everything I know to be right and wrong, I descended to their level, when I used those two words to describe Sandra Fluke, I became like them, and I feel very badly about that.” He continued, “I have always tried to maintain a very high degree of integrity and independence on this program.” > > Well, OK then. It was the liberals’ fault. Nothing to see here…move along… So much for personal responsibility then, eh? ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/303 "2012-03-05T21:31:29Z")
> [@eulalia](#): > > I believe it because it’s exactly the way some teenage girls behave, with indirect aggression and alliance building by attacking other girls. I remember being treated the same way when I was a teenager for other reasons. Limbaugh just gave them an excuse. Read [Odd Girl Out](http://www.amazon.com/Odd-Girl-Out-Culture-Aggression/dp/0156027348/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1330981091&sr=8-2) , it gives a good explanation of what I’m talking about. Of course, but it seems odd that they would quote Rush Limbaugh, or even acknowledge his existence, unless they were very politically-aware mean girls. Which, I admit, are the worst kind. This whole controversy is pretty much limited to the people who pay attention to national news. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/304 "2012-03-05T22:02:13Z")
> [@saoirse](#): > > Of course, but it seems odd that they would quote Rush Limbaugh, or even acknowledge his existence, unless they were very politically-aware mean girls. Which, I admit, are the worst kind. This whole controversy is pretty much limited to the people who pay attention to national news. Unless they are being fed this by their parents, intentionally or not. If, say, the doctor taking care of the prescriptions says to his wife, “yeah, I couldn’t believe it, one of the girls on the trip is already on the pill. Maybe there is something to what Rush says.”. And the conversation goes from there, with the girls involved… Granted a doctor should know better…not to jump to assu options based on someone’s medication as well as not disclosing it. But some people are idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/305 "2012-03-05T22:05:31Z")
> [@saoirse](#): > > Of course, but it seems odd that they would quote Rush Limbaugh, or even acknowledge his existence, unless they were very politically-aware mean girls. Which, I admit, are the worst kind. This whole controversy is pretty much limited to the people who pay attention to national news. Kids today have tremendous access to information through content aggregation websites like reddit or huffpo. I certainly don’t find it odd that a typical teen might have passing knowledge of scandals. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/306 "2012-03-05T22:07:27Z")
We’ll know that ignorance has been successfuly fought when people finally learn what [free speech](http://news.yahoo.com/left-wing-attack-rush-limbaugh-free-speech-175100291.html) is. This particular battle is taking a ridiculously long time to win, though. We’ll probably be living in the time of Dune when this happens. Boycotts are examples of free speech in action, America. Stop crying over the fact that sponsors are pulling away from this buffoon because consumers are offended by his commentary. Companies aren’t under any obligation to keep paying for his airtime, just like the public isn’t obligated to patronize any company that continues to support his broadcasts. If I tell 1-800 Flowers that I’m not planning on buying their crap anymore if they maintain their sponsorship, I have the right to do that! (panting) I just had a flashback to Imus’s “nappy headed hoe” remarks from four years ago. SSDD. But at least this time no one on this board has criticised boycotts against Rush as being anti free speech. So maybe we are making headway on the whole ignorance front. Keeping my fingers crossed. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby\_Slippers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/94ad74/32.png) [@Ruby\_Slippers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby_Slippers)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/307 "2012-03-05T22:24:23Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > What’s nuts is that in a few years, odds are, most of the little shits picking on her will be on birth control themselves. Voluntarily. Hope they choke on it. Sadly, some will probably forego birth control since that would label them as sluts and will instead end up pregnant. To me, one of the most puzzling aspects of all of this is the fact that so many conservatives do, in fact, seem to regard pregnancy as a fitting punishment for sex. Without considering the fact that the innocent baby they claim to care so much about just might be severely disadvantaged by the circumstances of birth. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/308 "2012-03-05T22:30:09Z")
I’ll agree Mr. Limbaugh is vile beyond words, but it seems silly to call him an “idiot.” I’d bet he has a rather high IQ. His income must be huge, and that’s how America measures competence. Limbaugh is an excellent and highly-paid comic, albeit that most of us are repulsed by his humor. No one expects a comic to always believe what he says. The sad and pittable tragedy is that so many Americans watch his comedy. His fans often say they watch him because he’s funny, but I’m afraid they’re often slowly brainwashed by his nonsense. Limbaugh is the first to acknowledge this: [QUOTE=Rush Limbaugh] My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir… [/QUOTE] Although it’s probably true that Rush’s audience swung the elections of 2000 and 2004, as **Enlightening Meditation** points out, Limbaugh’s own interests are served by electoral victory of the center, not the right: > [@Enlightening\_Meditation](#): > > Rush’s … radio show commentary is ridiculous nearly every weekday. It bugs me that the rest of the media is making such a big deal out of this one and giving him the extra attention. Rush relishes in angering ‘the left’ and ‘drive by media’. He’s happier than a pig in shit right now. He likely cheered the election of Obama in '08 since it has provided him with endless punditry fodder… Don’t Pit this intelligent Job Creator. Pit the _Through the Looking Glass_ world America has become, where a repulsive comic is an intellectual model but mentioning the “favorite young thinker of U.S. economics professors” (Krugman) is off-limits because he was awarded a Prize by a Socialist government. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/309 "2012-03-05T22:34:09Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Ron Paul and John McCain are probably the two biggest Republican names to speak out against him. Many other Republicans hate him because they live in fear of him; Michael Steele and Phil Gingrey are just two who had to crawl on their knees through snow to kiss his fat ass when they criticized him and he can do the same to many others. > > If he ever does start to fall, that’s when the other Republicans will run out with daggers raised and it will be damned vicious. This alone won’t do it (though I think it has hurt his show more financially than any previous of his slurs), but a couple of more and he might be done- still very damned rich but done careerwise. And this will be the most entertaining episode of his life. Rush might not be entertained, but I know that I will be. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/310 "2012-03-05T22:59:05Z")
Can I just piggy back on this thread with my own, tangential complaint that has come to light due to this whole Rush thing? (And I realize this isn’t necessary for most Dopers, but it’s irking me regardless). No one is violating Rush Limbaugh’s First Amendment rights. The Bill of Rights is meant to limit the GOVERNMENT, not to make you free to babble whatever you want without consequence. Yes, people are calling Rush names, people are boycotting his program, people are pulling money. . . those aren’t actions limiting Rush’s speech— instead they are _consequences_ of his words, exercised in the form of other folks’ speech. The government has in no way told Limbaugh that he isn’t allowed to call people sluts. Or uppity. Or terrorists. Often, the First Amendment is brought up in cases like this, but the reality is that it has literally zero bearing on what we’ve witnessed here. This is actually a beautiful example of the second, unintentional result of free speech: see, you can say what you want without the government penalizing you, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us won’t think you’re an asshole. And that’s what happened to Rush-- he said his speech, everybody thinks he’s an asshole, paying customers complained to his advertisers, and they pulled their advertising dollars from his show. The minute his money was in jeopardy, ol Rush gave that half-hearted apology. He didn’t have to- but he realized that the benefit of babbling his speech freely was far outweighed by the cost to his pocket book. Because this is so freaking rampant on Facebook (I know. . . _I know!_), I just posted this exercise on my Facebook status: You call women who use birth control sluts. The government outlaws calling women sluts, so you get in trouble for your slut-slinging = \*VIOLATION OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT! vs You call women who use birth control sluts. The public calls you an idiotic bigot and refuses to give you money= NOT A VIOLATION OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT! \*Potential, at least. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/311 "2012-03-05T23:10:12Z")
KPUA in Hilo, Hawaii has canceled the Rush Limbaugh show. I’m not sure if they’re the first. [http://www.kpua.net/news.php?id=24843](http://www.kpua.net/news.php?id=24843) ETA: I guess this is what we should expect from a bunch of damned forgers! ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/312 "2012-03-05T23:14:33Z")
[QUOTE=DiosaBellissima] No one is violating Rush Limbaugh’s First Amendment rights. The Bill of Rights is meant to limit the GOVERNMENT, not to make you free to babble whatever you want without consequence. Yes, people are calling Rush names, people are boycotting his program, people are pulling money. . . those aren’t actions limiting Rush’s speech— instead they are _consequences_ of his words, exercised in the form of other folks’ speech.. [/QUOTE] THANK YOU! Every fucking time somebody steps in it they start with this: “This is a free country! Whatever happened to freedom of speech? Is it just for the Democrats?” is all the fuck over the comments sections on this story AND the story where Kirk Cameron is being called a dumbass Fundie fucktard (no, not the article about that incident that made people call Kirk Cameron a dumbass Fundie fucktard… no, not that one either… keep going… no, more recent… there, that one, the “gays are unnatural and harmful” comment from Piers Morgan the other night). In fairness it’s not JUST the right who does this: some of the more zealous fans of Bill Maher and Keith Olbermann have done it as well when they caught shit for factually incorrect or ‘crossed a line’ things they said. I think their fans who did this, and often as not the comments they were catching hell for, were _just as wrong_, and conceding this doesn’t in any way make me a conservative. I don’t understand why more conservatives can’t just say “\_\_\_\_\_\_ was wrong” when it’s absolutely proven, or understand that not only does freedom of speech not mean “say anything you want without igniting a backdraft of criticism and outrage”, but in fact saying 'nobody has the right to criticize or boycott or otherwise legally trash you" would in fact be the violation of freedom of speech. ========= On a separate note, how’s this for a headline? [MISSOURI STATE HOUSE TO DISPLAY STATUES OF RUSH LIMBAUGH AND DRED SCOT](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/05/rush-limbaugh-missouri-state-capitol_n_1321433.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009) As if being a slave wasn’t humiliating enough for Mr. Scot now he has to be linked to Limbaugh. (Here’s hoping the statue falls off the pedestal and cracks into 800 pieces.) ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/313 "2012-03-05T23:16:47Z")
firstly, I don’t think “a comic” is the first word association that comes to most people’s minds in response to “Rush Limbaugh”. Secondly, if it is, no wonder there are no funny conservative comedians. That’s some really weak tea, pretty much piss-colored… ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/314 "2012-03-06T00:01:07Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > In fairness it’s not JUST the right who does this: some of the more zealous fans of Bill Maher and Keith Olbermann have done it as well when they caught shit for factually incorrect or ‘crossed a line’ things they said. I think their fans who did this, and often as not the comments they were catching hell for, were _just as wrong_, and conceding this doesn’t in any way make me a conservative. I don’t understand why more conservatives can’t just say “\_\_\_\_\_\_ was wrong” when it’s absolutely proven, or understand that not only does freedom of speech not mean “say anything you want without igniting a backdraft of criticism and outrage”, but in fact saying 'nobody has the right to criticize or boycott or otherwise legally trash you" would in fact be the violation of freedom of speech. Preach it. And for the sake of clarification, I didn’t mean to suggest that only Republicans are guilty of this-- they’re just the ones doing it at this very moment most vocally. Both sides do it equally. I wonder, is there some sort of “Fallacy of Being Too Dumb To Understand How The Bill of Rights Works?” It needs a name. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/315 "2012-03-06T00:06:59Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Kids today have tremendous access to information through content aggregation websites like reddit or huffpo. Heck, they may well have first heard about this story the same way I did – via Facebook. Lots of teens are Facebook friends with older relatives, family friends, etc. > [@](#): > > I certainly don’t find it odd that a typical teen might have passing knowledge of scandals. Yeah, I’d consider it a bit odd if a bunch of teenage girls were regular Rush Limbaugh listeners, but this has been a big story so I would not be surprised at all if a lot of teens had heard their parents talking about it, heard it mentioned on TV news shows, or read about it online. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/316 "2012-03-06T00:20:43Z")
> [@](#): > > Limbaugh, a Missouri native … will join the likes of Walter Cronkite and Mark Twain. That rips it, I’m boycotting Missouri. Anybody got any idea what they got that I might want? ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/317 "2012-03-06T00:35:22Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > That rips it, I’m boycotting Missouri. Anybody got any idea what they got that I might want? If you’re in the market for a mule, [that’s the place to go.](http://www.cape.k12.mo.us/blanchard/hicks/Internet%20Pages/Missouri%20Mule/Missouri%20State%20Animal.htm) Other than that, I got nuthin. (Well, other than my 12,000th post on this here message board thingy.) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/318 "2012-03-06T00:40:09Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > KPUA in Hilo, Hawaii has canceled the Rush Limbaugh show. > > I’m not sure if they’re the first. I don’t know if they are the first, [but they are not the last](http://nepr.net/news/pittsfield-mass-radio-station-drops-rush-limbaugh-after-contraception-controversy): > [@](#): > > A commercial radio station in Pittsfield, Massachusetts-- 96.9 FM, WBEC-- says it is dropping the Rush Limbaugh show in the wake of Limbaugh’s comments on contraception last week. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/319 "2012-03-06T00:51:10Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I don’t understand why more conservatives can’t just say “\_\_\_\_\_\_ was wrong” when it’s absolutely proven, _\_ If they did that, what would they have left? One of the hallmarks of modern conservatism is how much of what they believe is simply flat out factually wrong. Not just misguided or a matter of opinion or even evil; simply wrong. If they went and renounced conservative claims and positions that were factually wrong, how much of modern conservatism would be left? Not much, I think. Also, these are generally people who think faith is a virtue, which means they think that dogma overrides facts and reason. They don’t value truth, so they don’t much care that they are wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/320 "2012-03-06T00:58:52Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > … I don’t understand why more conservatives can’t just say “\_\_\_\_\_\_ was wrong” when it’s absolutely proven,… The only thing a conservative recognizes as ‘proof’ of being wrong is when people even more conservative say so. Therefor, the only people who can call Rush Limbaugh wrong are Rush Limbaugh and Kaiser Wilhelm. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593.md?page=17)