Don't be so hard on Rush Limbaugh, people
Entertainer's malady isn't anything to be smug about
10/14/2001
By AL BRUMLEY / The Dallas Morning News
RADIO
Not to sound like a Rush Limbaugh apologist or anything, but jeez, there are some cruel people out there.
The nationally syndicated talk-show host announced Monday that he's about a month away from being deaf. Since then, lots of smug Limbaugh-haters have been walking around with smirks on their faces, taking an inordinate amount of glee in Mr. Limbaugh's misfortune.
And I'm sorry, but I don't get it.
Politics aside, the man is one of the most talented talk-show hosts to ever sit before a microphone. He did something no one in my memory ever did for the GOP – gave it a sense of humor.
After years of watching young improv actors spoof politicians on Saturday Night Live and barely blinking an eye, the country was suddenly confronted by a man in a suit and tie touting a right-wing line and making fun of people.
Apples to oranges? I don't think so. Mr. Limbaugh has always maintained that his primary role is entertainer. And it's because the left has had such a hard time grasping that concept that so many liberal talk-show hosts have bitten the dust.
And, let's face it, is making fun of Robert Reich's height any more cruel than SNL's "Janet Reno's Dance Party?"
Is Will Ferrell's impersonation of George W. Bush any worse than Mr. Limbaugh's impersonation of the Rev. Jesse Jackson?
But then there's the argument that Mr. Limbaugh is hosting a serious talk show and imparting news to the masses, not a 90-minute variety show. Right. And I'd love to know how many people get their news from SNL's "Weekend Update" or the opening monologues on any of the late-night talk shows.
Even Al Franken, author of Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot (and Other Observations), told the Washington Post that while he wishes Mr. Limbaugh's show wasn't as popular as it is, "no one wishes anything like this [deafness] on him." And you'd be hard-pressed to find any radio personality dancing a jig over Mr. Limbaugh's announcement.
Meanwhile, Mr. Limbaugh's fate remains unclear. Doctors announced Thursday that his loss of hearing has been caused by an auto-immune system disorder – which they likened to arthritis – that's been causing swelling in his ears.
Treatment could stop, and possibly even reverse, the damage, they said, but only time will tell.
As for the mystery of Mr. Limbaugh's voice, that's a question that might never be answered. During the past few weeks it had been sounding very strange.
Radio insiders note that he broadcasts from West Palm Beach, Fla., and there's a lot of wiring between there, New York and the stations that carry his show. Some have speculated that the Sept. 11 terrorist attack damaged the system in a way that alters his voice.
Others guess that he was trying new hearing aids or other devices, and that changed the way he sounded. For now, though, aside from an occasional lapse, Mr. Limbaugh's voice has pretty much returned to normal.
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