Be Excellent To Each Other

Can someone explain to me why I'm meant to hate Rupert Murdoch, please?

He's a dirty forrin and v. rich.

These traits tend to upset people in this country.

Is that it?

Well, he's a shameless capitalist and conservative. That's enough for most.

The battles of Wapping Street pissed a fair few people off. As does owning a lot of media based businesses.

And is happy to use his media holdings for his own political ends. Continual BBC-bashing for instance.

It's the suspicion that he uses his businesses to push his own agenda. Certainly I can see why it could be somewhat unhealthy for so much of the media to be owned by one person.

I guess whether or not you should hate him probably depends on your politics. If you're a Tory then you probably shouldn't hate him.

Rupert Murdoch has something dangerously close to a monopoly on the media and there are obvious reasons why this isn't good. He can, and indeed does, use his newspapers and TV channels to attempt to influence public opinion to his own political ends.

Look, they made a film about it a few years ago, you might want to watch it. It's called Tomorrow Never Dies.

Objection.

Because he has essentially controlled this country since the 70s. He controls others too.

Also, he has a face like a withered ballbag. What's there to like?

It's an ace film, and Brosnan is the best Bond.

Also, Sky News.

To what are you objecting? It's a brilliant fillum, and is clearly taking the piss out of Murdoch, right down to the then topical attempts of Murdoch to get into the Chinese market.

I think any owner of a media company is guilty of this.

Well, he really hasn't. He's got pull, certainly - but if he controlled this country then all the things people are scared about him doing (getting the BBC canned, getting news impartiality rules abolished, for example) would have happened 30 years ago.

Yeah, because he owns all of them.

Taking things I say to the literal extreme again alert! He was in no small way responsible for getting Blair in in 1997. He struck several deals with Blair that would be beneficial for him and his monopoly in return for support in the Sun and Times. He switched back to the Tories last year and they got in. If he'd switched back earlier, I imagine they would've got in without all of the hung parliament nonsense, too.

Never underestimate the power of the Sun newspaper. Murdoch has genuinely changed this country and manipulated every government we've had in since and including Thatcher. Okay, his influence has been a little bit more subtle (but not that subtle) than dissolving the BBC, but don't downplay what he has done just because he hasn't managed to get rid of everyone's favourite public company. He's one of, if not the, most powerful man/men in this country and the world. And his motivation is profit, expansion and greed.

You also need to take into account all the things that governments don't do because they worry about what the Sun (over which Ol' Rupe exerts direct editorial control) will say.

How am I meant to take that sentence, then?

You need guidelines and footers for your posts.


Assuming that's what you meant to say, that doesn't make him much different from 99.9% of the people he's putting into power.

I don't. The argument that he hasn't managed to get rid of a beloved public company with a special place in the hearts and minds of the majority of the country and therefore "has pull, not control" is preposterous. He has more than "pull". Considerably more.

Possibly the problem, there.

Right... But you asked "why should I hate Rupert Murdoch?" and I answered.

And considerably less than "control", too, but that's just semantics.

I will glare at him suspiciously when I meet him. "The Beexers don't like you, Murdoch. Unless WTB does and I just didn't get it, or something. Anyway, I'm watching you. Behave."

Mind you, learning that he cunted Tony "Cunt" Cunt into cunting power have made me dislike the cunt considerably cunting more.

Gaywood is like well slow.

I'd just like to add that personally, I don't hate Murdoch, I'm fascinated by him. I'd love to ask him exactly what makes an old man, who surely must be coming to the end of his life, could possibly want with forever continued expansion and increased profits. Isn't there a point where you just sort of count your money and say "I'm out guys, see you later!"?

<redundant comment on the thread split>

Ah right. That's not a reason - that makes him me.

It's an empire though rite.

Quick WTB, keep talking about it until Gaywood explodes.

So what papers do he have?

Damnit, too late.

Personally, I believe that it is exactly because I am the sort of person who would, in Murdoch's position, count my money and say "I'm out guys, see you later!", that I am not, nor am I ever likely to be, in Rupert Murdoch's position.

Good call!

True. I think his children's children's children's children's children will probably be alright with what they have now, though. I dunno, it just seems a little bit mad to me, the whole "desperate for world domination and power" thing.

But like I say, that's why it fascinates me.

Reasons you should hate Rupert Murdoch:

1.) Rupert Murdoch once shot a bushbaby, just for fun.
2.) Rupert Murdoch is actually the guy who makes all those Friedberg and Seltzer movies.
3.) Rupert Murdoch makes it rain.
4.) Rupert Murdoch thinks Godfather III is the best one.
5.) Rupert Murdoch has the cure for cancer, but keeps it secret, just for a laugh.
6.) Rupert Murdoch made Wagon Wheels smaller.
7.) Rupert Murdoch killed the Dreamcast
8.) Rupert Murdoch created global warming to melt the ice caps because he hates the Netherlands.
9.) Rupert Murdoch once punched Gandhi in the throat.
10.) Rupert Murdoch composed and produced the "Crazy Frog" tune.

Firstly, how much of his media conglomerate does he actually own? I know he's ostensibly in charge or one of his sons is, but he only owns about 20% of it doesn't he?

And secondly, if you're looking for unlikeable media barons I'd be more interested in what people thought about Richard Desmond.

Desmond is a horrible, horrible man. But lacking in enough power to do any real harm. All he wants to do with the power he does have is sell more tits.

Ultimately a beneficial force, then.

The fact that the Daily Express, with all it's moral indignation and "old fashioned values" is owned by the same guy as "Great Big Knockers" must take continual and remarkable levels of cognitive dissonance by it's editorial staff.

LOL.
Whereas of course, the luvvies at The Guardian would rather die than actually turn a profit - in fact they give away their rag for free... oh no.

'Shameless conservative' indeed. Fuck me, your average Conservative has vastly less to be shameless about than a Labour supporter, assuming anyone here or elsewhere actually has the sheer gall and rank stupidity to 'come out' and proclaim themselves as such, given the facts concerning the last 13 years...? Pfft.

(Of course, most Labour supporters do no such thing, but spent all of their time berating 'small c' Tories instead - failing to realise that this actually clearly marks them out as the likely morons who voted in - and kept in - quite the most inept, corrupt and catastrophic government of at least the last century, albeit sans any courage of their erroneous, puerile and above all hypocritical political convictions, largely borne of sheer, unadulterated envy as they invariably are, when you get down to it. I know which side I prefer being on).

Hey look, it's Cavey!
Guess which point he chose to pick up on, folks!

[edit]OMG Caveybot would be awesome

So, you think Rupert Murdoch is a genius?

Modfail.

Well yeah, I just saw Davpaz' post and couldn't resist. What a confounded cheek!
Hey, I'm nothing if not predictable. In fact, have you considered the possibility that actually, I've been a 'bot' all along, slavishly and helplessly doing the bidding of my Liberal master Mr Chris? Hmm?

Gaywood fail! I've moved it back. Confusingly.

Yeah, he's a mod too.

Hey! We've answered Grim...'s question. Now, quick! Close the thread and burn it lest it turn into a tedious liberals vs the conservatives argument again. We all know the internet is 99% liberal friendly anyway.

The internet is also 99% populated by 12 year old boys looking for pictures of boobs.
Hmmm....

I liek boobs.