# What will happen when Glenn Beck finally goes nuts? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 24, 2009, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367 "2009-09-24T13:55:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367/101 "2009-09-25T17:45:12Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > [http://www.fark.com/cgi/vidplayer.pl?IDLink=4657977](http://www.fark.com/cgi/vidplayer.pl?IDLink=4657977) > > Here’s a short video where Katie Couric asks him a simple question that he absolutely cannot answer. He makes Sarah Palins performance with Couric look like good by comparison. That’s my new favorite thing. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367/102 "2009-09-25T20:14:45Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > [http://www.fark.com/cgi/vidplayer.pl?IDLink=4657977](http://www.fark.com/cgi/vidplayer.pl?IDLink=4657977) > > Here’s a short video where Katie Couric asks him a simple question that he absolutely cannot answer. He makes Sarah Palins performance with Couric look like good by comparison. Wow. What a pathetic piece of shit Glenn Beck is. Not that I didn’t know that already, but still, the more I know about the man, the more I find ways to lower my opinion of him. Remember that study that showed that incompetent people often don’t realize that they’re incompetent? This video is a clear demonstration of that principle, with Glenn Beck apparently oblivious to how bad he looks at talking down to Katie Couric in trying to avoid explaining what he himself said. Delusions of competence, indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367/103 "2009-09-25T20:23:21Z")
> [@](#): > > What will happen when Glenn Beck finally goes nuts? Is there any indication that Beck is even remotely crazy? Yes, he’s passionate about his topics, but that doesn’t make him crazy. If being passionate about your topic means you’re crazy, then Obama’s got to go as well. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367/104 "2009-09-25T20:36:28Z")
Glenn Beck is a “shock jock.” He’s not crazy in the sense of suffering from a mental illness. His behavior is jarring and upsetting to a lot of people; he deliberately exaggerates his persona to get attention and because people like it. He’s a clown (albeit one with a bully pulpit.) Ultimately he’s in it for the money, like so many others. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367/105 "2009-09-25T21:53:33Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Is there any indication that Beck is even remotely crazy? Yes, he’s passionate about his topics, but that doesn’t make him crazy. If being passionate about your topic means you’re crazy, then Obama’s got to go as well. [Symptoms of Agressive Narcissism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malignant_narcissism): Factor 1: Aggressive narcissism Glibness/superficial charm Grandiose sense of self-worth Pathological lying Cunning/manipulative Lack of remorse or guilt Emotionally shallow Callous/lack of empathy Failure to accept responsibility for own actions The calling of a woman to mock her miscarriage on air _alone and of itself_ is evidence of several of these. His lies are so many and so reckless that it’s either pathology or self-delusion. By his own admission his family has a long history of mental illness and also by his own admission he had a substance problem so severe he could not remember the names of his own children. Then there’s his fanatical breakdowns on air, and the obvious sense of persecution when called on his bullshit (watch the Couric video). And that’s all the beginning. Yeah, I think the evidence is there. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367/106 "2009-09-25T21:53:55Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I think socialism is an excellent system to have in places where there’s no crime, poverty, or massive social divisions. For that reason, it works well in places like Finland and other civilized, peaceful nations where everyone has a shared heritage and comes from the same culture. But in the United States, where there are some cities that are simply hell-holes, completely dominated by crime and corruption, where there are public schools where kids kill each other over drug deals and gangs run wild, where there are thousands upon thousands of completely non-functioning people cranking out babies, and many people who have no desire to work and contribute to society and would love nothing more than to suck on the Federal teat and live a taxpayer-subsidised life, we can’t have Scandinavian styles of government. It would be wonderful if we could - if our population acted like your population - but unfortunately it is not so. Say what? Are you my neighbor? You must be, I thought only one person in the world could crap a nugget that big. There are two now. No more than that. Sure. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367/107 "2009-09-25T22:03:48Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > [http://www.fark.com/cgi/vidplayer.pl?IDLink=4657977](http://www.fark.com/cgi/vidplayer.pl?IDLink=4657977) > > Here’s a short video where Katie Couric asks him a simple question that he absolutely cannot answer. He makes Sarah Palins performance with Couric look like good by comparison. Wow. I know exactly where I last saw such hemming and hawing and dancing around the inability to answer a straight question. Glenn Beck _is_ Michael Scott! ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367/108 "2009-09-25T22:13:18Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > Say what? Are you my neighbor? You must be, I thought only one person in the world could crap a nugget that big. > > There are two now. No more than that. Sure. Funny, like 3 people now have criticized that post of mine with some snappy one-liner, without actually addressing anything that’s wrong with it. What about it do you find so objectionable? Do you really think that Sweden and Finland have cities like Detroit, Gary, Flint, Oakland? Do you think that America does _not_ have tremendous issues with urban blight? Would _you_ rather spend a night alone walking the streets of downtown Gary, or downtown Helsinki? Would you like to live in a Chicago housing project? Are you denying that America’s cities suffer from crime and poverty problems? And are you suggesting that it would be just as easy to implement a socialist, European-style welfare state government in America as it would be in Sweden or Finland? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367/109 "2009-09-25T22:26:25Z")
And who would want to give up all of that for the drab banality of a socialist state? ---
**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:** [September 25, 2009, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367/110 "2009-09-25T22:27:18Z")
You say, “Socialism won’t work in America. Just look at Detroit and Gary…” Shit, socialism could hardly do any worse for Detroit or Gary than capitalism has. It’s arguable that these American hellholes are as bad as they are because society is not socialistic itself. Or are you suggesting something about the race of the inhabitants? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367/111 "2009-09-25T23:04:25Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Funny, like 3 people now have criticized that post of mine with some snappy one-liner, without actually addressing anything that’s wrong with it. What about it do you find so objectionable? Do you really think that Sweden and Finland have cities like Detroit, Gary, Flint, Oakland? Do you really think there is something intrinsic to the cities of Detroit, Gary, Flint and Oakland, or intrinsic to their inhabitants, that turned them bad, and that it couldn’t have been avoided or can’t be adressed ? > [@](#): > > Do you think that America does _not_ have tremendous issues with urban blight? Do you think America is alone in this ? And if you do, do you think there is something special about America that make is superprone to “urban blight” ? > [@](#): > > Would _you_ rather spend a night alone walking the streets of downtown Gary, or downtown Helsinki? Was downtown Gary always hellish, and Helsinki always paradisiac ? (not that it is in the real world, mind you.) > [@](#): > > Would you like to live in a Chicago housing project? Do you think the people who do, do ? Why do they, then ? > [@](#): > > Are you denying that America’s cities suffer from crime and poverty problems? Again, do you think it’s an exclusively American issue ? > [@](#): > > And are you suggesting that it would be just as easy to implement a socialist, European-style welfare state government in America as it would be in Sweden or Finland? Yup. Vote it, implement it, done. I’m sorry, what ? Easier said than done ? Well, DUH. That would be because Sweden and Finland didn’t get to where they are right now without their own share of blood, sweat and teargas. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367/112 "2009-09-25T23:59:58Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Funny, like 3 people now have criticized that post of mine with some snappy one-liner, without actually addressing anything that’s wrong with it. What about it do you find so objectionable? Do you really think that Sweden and Finland have cities like Detroit, Gary, Flint, Oakland? Do you think that America does _not_ have tremendous issues with urban blight? Would _you_ rather spend a night alone walking the streets of downtown Gary, or downtown Helsinki? Would you like to live in a Chicago housing project? Are you denying that America’s cities suffer from crime and poverty problems? And are you suggesting that it would be just as easy to implement a socialist, European-style welfare state government in America as it would be in Sweden or Finland? You thesis is threefold. First, that people living in socialist countries are placid, happy, homogenous, friendly people who all get along naturally. Secondly, that Americans are magic insane crazy people, who are _intrinsically incapable_ of getting along. Thirdly, that socialism only works in socliast countries _because_ it is never ‘put to the test’. Of course, this is completely stupid, retarded bullshit. You actually are _deriving_ the first point by _assuming_ the third point - you deduce that everyone else _must_ be angels because _clearly_ socialism isn’t a functioning approach to government and thus the fact that socialist countries aren’t anarchy must be explained by some _other_ cause. Even though the cause you are forced to blame it on is patently absurd. In reality, of course, this madness you spout points at its own flaw - obviously americans are _not_ all inherently more evil than everyone else, Beck notwithstanding - which proves beyond doubt that your assumed conclusion that socialism can’t work is in fact the steaming load of shit we all knew it to be. If this were not true, you would not require such tortured apologetics to protect your cherished belief that socialism isn’t the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367/113 "2009-09-26T00:05:20Z")
OK. You’re right, I was wrong. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367/114 "2009-09-26T00:12:00Z")
“Hello? Yes, Prodigal Sons 'R Us? Have you a special on fatted calf this week, we’ve had an unexpected…yes, I’ll hold…” ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367/115 "2009-09-26T00:44:35Z")
It seems as if the descent into madness has already begun. > **[Glenn Beck's Tweets -- Post-Modern Poetic Genius Or Apocalyptic Rantings Of A...](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/glenn-becks-tweets-pos_n_300159)** > > Glenn Beck's Tweets -- Post-Modern Poetic Genius Or Apocalyptic Rantings Of A Madman: You Decide And look at the final tweet on that list. ---
**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:** [September 26, 2009, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367/116 "2009-09-26T04:26:21Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > OK. You’re right, I was wrong. I very much appreciate your acknowledgement of an error. It is all too rare on these boards and it takes a mature person to do it. And mature folks are also all too rare on these boards. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367/117 "2009-09-26T04:34:21Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > And mature folks are also all too rare on these boards. Compared to, say, Youtube comments or Yahoo! Answers? 😉 ---
**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:** [September 26, 2009, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367/118 "2009-09-26T04:45:31Z")
Yup, if you want yahoo answers, look up Yahoo Answers! ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367/119 "2009-09-26T05:17:43Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I very much appreciate your acknowledgement of an error. It is all too rare on these boards and it takes a mature person to do it. And mature folks are also all too rare on these boards. It was a faulty argument, made on the spur of the moment and based on a “gut feeling” instead of factual basis. I didn’t feel like trying to figure out a way to justify it factually, so I’m willing to throw that argument away. ---
**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:** [September 26, 2009, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367/120 "2009-09-26T05:21:42Z")
Well, I didn’t figure you were converting to a socialist based on the awesome power of our arguments. Can I interest you in a history of Leon Trotsky? Really interesting guy, if kinda looney. 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-glenn-beck-finally-goes-nuts/511367.md?page=7)