Tim Robbins Apologizes To Right-Wing Radio

[kpete]

Tim Robbins Apologizes To Right-Wing Radio (Audio Update)
by Nancy in LA
Tue Apr 15, 2008 at 10:07:56 AM PDT

The National Association of Broadcasters may regret asking Tim Robbins to give the keynote address at its annual gathering in Las Vegas yesterday. In a calling to account matched only by Stephen Colbert’s White House Correspondents Dinner speech in satire and sarcasm, the actor took it to the NAB for obsessing over the latest celebrity sex scandal, subscribing to narrow viewpoints and, in the case of radio broadcasters, adhering to a "national playlist" of music.

A Rush & O'Reilly throwdown:

He launched into an apology to conservative talkers Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly "and Laura whatshername," noting that all had labeled him traitorous or unpatriotic for having called for more time to be given to U.N. weapons inspectors before deploying military force against Iraq.

"They said I was a dupe of left-wing appeasement ... and how right they were," Robbins quipped. "Had I known then of all the smiling faces" that now populate Iraq, "the wildfire of democracy that is spreading throughout the Middle East," he would not have spoken as he did, he said.

He added that he can see now that his words were indeed "traitorous, unfounded and irresponsible, so I apologize to the talkradio geniuses."

Robbins also took on the issue of media consolidation – in front of a crowd that supports it:

The fun started to get uncomfortable when Robbins referred to both the Reagan and Clinton administrations having eased limitations on media ownership -- all to the "benefit" of communities, which then no longer had to listen to diverse, complex opinions "or alternative rock." NAB has supported relaxing ownership rules.


more at:
http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/4/15/123237/450/174/496140
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117984006.html?categoryid=2868&cs=1&query=tim+robbins+nab

[MADem]

1. Sorta like "I'm sorry....that you guys are such assholes!!!!"

According to the article, Robbins debated out loud to the group about whether or not to give his prepared remarks. They egged him on, so he let them have it. He ends nicely with an appeal to the broadcasters to help turn the nation away from cynicism, to act as "guardians of the human spirit".

And most gave him a standing ovation. I'm no media expert, but wanted to bring this to light - I am glad there are courageous individuals like Tim Robbins out there who occasionally get the megaphone in front of a group with the power to make the changes we seek.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

2. I love that man!

:loveya:

I'm glad he said what needed saying -- and that it was right to their faces, makes it even sweeter.

[GoneOffShore]

18. I'd kiss him and I'm straight.

I've forwarded this to friends of mine who work in the business.

[marshall]

21. I'm glad he spread his sarcasm around

Because they all have dirty hands.

[Downtown Hound]

3. Haha! Brilliant!

Love Tim Robbins.

[dhill926]

4. love responding to the dipshits with sarcasm....

good on ya, Tim!

[jobycom]

5. Ahh, Tim.

:applause: :yourock: :toast:

[Buzz Clik]

6. Many Hollywood types and other celebs have no intellectual horesepower. Not so with Robbins.

:thumbsup:

[Faygo Kid]

7. Beautiful, and thanks. Hope he's a "roomie" when we're put in the camps.

With the enthusiastic cheerleading, of course, of those he spoke to.

[Uncle Joe]

8. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

[understandinglife]

9. I hope everyone listens to his entire speech ... simply fantastic in his display of leadership.

[intheflow]

10. Can't wait to see the YouTube clip of this speech!

:bounce:

[trof]

11. What a guy. K&R

[Blue_Tires]

12. ttt

[formercia]

13. Good Man

Been on the front line for a long time.

Jacob's Ladder is my favorite.

[DFW]

14. I hope he gets to be keynote speaker in Denver

Wouldn't THAT set fire to the place?

Only one downside--if he gave a keynote speech like that in Denver,
everybody would be after him to accept the nomination for VP!

[Bombero1956]

15. go to Fair's webpage to hear the audio of the speech

click the link about halfway down the page. He dropped the F-bomb a few times and even c*cksucker.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/blog/1380000138/post/1280024928.html

[elizfeelinggreat]

16. I hope this gets to C&L or youtube!

I'll be checking back and would be grateful for a link.

[GoneOffShore]

17. Brilliant!!

K&R

:kick:

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

19. I LOVE smart people!!!!

:loveya:

I love stupid ones, too, BUT,...I NEED the smart ones for my sanity and my humanity! :shrug:

[GoneOffShore]

20. Here are some more quotes from the speech.

"In all seriousness, folks, we're at an abyss as an industry and a country.… you, as broadcasters, have the power to turn the nation away from cynicism. Or you can hide behind the old adage, 'I'm just a businessman, just providing what the audience wants.' Now is the time to recognize that you are not just businessmen but guardians of the human spirit with a responsibility to the health of the nation.…The road we're on is a corruption of our former selves."

On the http://www.broadcastingcable.com/blog/1380000138/post/1280024928.html some of the comments are just unbelievably stupid.

So, I'm going to register and maybe do some rebuttal work - for what it's worth.

[pleah]

22. K hahaha and R hahahaha!

I love Tim Robbins! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Liberal In Texas]

23. That's Great!

NAB = National Association of Broadcast Suits

These guys won't be happy until there is only two or three corporations that own everything.

[calimary]

24. K&R! The NAB and other organizations like them need to be forcefed LOTS of

speeches like this.

Not that it'll get through any of their thick heads.

But somebody has to start saying this stuff straight into their faces.

[file83]

25. That is friggin' awesome.

[orleans]

26. k&r

i'm listening to it now:
http://a330.g.akamai.net/7/330/2540/20080414194408/www.broadcastingcable.com/contents/media/Tim%20Robbins-NAB%20Keynote.mp3

[tom_paine]

27. That's gotta go up with classics like Colbert's address to the White House Press Dinner

Tim Robbins is awesome.

[cascadiance]

31. I was just thinking that he might now be a good timely guest for Colbert now...

I could see them both having a LOT of fun with Tim's remarks there now!

[bluerum]

28. Ya gotta wonder - what did they expect? Appeasement? Just cause they

they threw dinner and a few thousand dollars at him to speak - didn't mean he was going to scratch their bellies.

[Judi Lynn]

29. You may find these remarks on his speech a little warped! "ACTORIVIST?"

Tim Robbins excoriates media and administration as NAB keynoter

Actorvist Tim Robbins has never been coy about his political leanings, and at the recent NAB Convention in Las Vegas, Robbins, as keynote speaker, flung it like a monkey with a profanity-laced tirade against mendacity and mediocrity in media and government.

Broadcasting and Cable reports that Robbins made mention he was castigated as a "traitor" for negative comments against the administrations war push, and he deliberately "pre-empted" a scripted speech on new media at the National Association of Broadcasters' annual show and launched his curse-filled humorous attack on both the state of the country and the laziness of national news media.

“We are at an abyss as an industry and as a country,” Robbins said.

Robbins described that abyss using language that would not be allowed on free over-the-air radio or television.

B&C noted that radio and television executives urged Robbins to “give the speech,” Robbins "bit the hand of the media."

Robbins cited the homogenized radio industry and the curse of a “national playlist” before XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio shook things up, and he excoriated the news institutions for their lazy and unprofessional pursual of the truth and holding politicians accountable to it.

Etc....
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/people/news/article_1400072.php/Tim_Robbins_excoriates_media_and_administration_as_NAB_keynoter

(Someone's been burned but good, to get this aroused by his speech. Apparently it landed a little too close for comfort!)

[Echo In Light]

30. K&R

[barbtries]

32. i just listened

i almost want to listen again - it was inspiring. i hope the listeners take it to heart and make some changes

[prairierose]

33. Here is a link to...

most of his speech. It is in small pieces and seems to end quite abruptly. It is right on the front page. Part 1 is at the bottom of the list of parts.

http://www.ar-d.com/

I thought it was a great speech and he did a great job of satirizing the entrenched interests. I have already seen responses regarding his use of language not allowed on broadcast media. These people apparently are not smart enough to understand what he was really saying. I wonder what would happen to Jonathan Swift today?

[cyberpj]

34. LINK TO FULL SPEECH

God I love this guy...
Another hero, still fighting the good fight (when many of the rest of us are becoming hopeless and cynical) -

This EXCELLENT (and quite humorous) speech is available on the FAIR website (about 20 minutes)
(just click, wait, and listen):

In MP3 format:
http://www.fair.org/audio/Tim_Robbins_NAB_Keynote.mp3

In WAV format:
http://www.fair.org/audio/Tim_Robbins_NAB_Keynote.wav

[annabanana]

38. Fantastic speech! I sure as hell hope they were listening, and sober

enough to understand what he was saying!!

[greiner3]

35. Well, he's a left wing tool after all;

What do they expect?

[waiting for hope]

36. Tim Robbins is great -

And he supported Edwards, accolades to all the Obama supporters here calling him smart.... :evilgrin:

[pinto]

37. LOL. Right on the button...

:kick: