Let's take the collective time we've been wasting on Fox viewers and spend it on reaching the almost one-third of eligible voters who didn't vote in the last presidential election. A good number of these non-voters are the ripest for persuasion.
Recently I had a long online conversation with a Trump fan. I offered counterpoint to her points, sent her links to sources for true information. She asked questions about these things. I thought we were getting somewhere.
Then, she posted that Democrats know that Biden is a criminal and evil and they admit it, but they just don't care. 100% opposite of what we were talking about.
this makes so much sense: Fox viewers don’t want to learn about the world, they just want to be reassured. I definitely see this fear of change in people my age (60’s) and our older parents that watch it, yet is this true for the younger viewers also?
I’ve reached the same conclusion, kind of, long ago. Not about Fox per se, but that the cult of Trump supporters is immutable, can’t be reasoned with or swayed. When I see posts about Trump supporters I basically respond that I don’t care; that they are gone. And that we need to concentrate on those we can reach.
And it’s not just Fox. It’s “Conservative” radio the same people listen to driving to work.
I don’t get why all cable subscribers paying for Fox is legal. I can’t get a plan without it and the $ they get as part of the subscription is far more than anyone else. Limit what they can put in there and Fox is gone.
I agree 100%. If you took all the energy expended trying to deprogram people who have been programmed with RW lies for decades through RW propaganda channels like FOX and hate radio and instead focused it on persuading normal people who haven't been very politically engaged to register and vote for Democrats, you'd get a 10x better return on the effort you invested. I cannot understand why so few people seem to understand that!
I gave up on them around 2019 & completely after Covid/Jan 6th. They WANT to be angry. It’s a comfort zone for them. Plus it’s a way to avoid responsibility & enjoy a (false) sense of purpose.
They won’t be angry with Fox/elected Republicans; even if they know Fox is lying. Instead. they want to be mad at “liberuls.” - all their misdirected anger over fake shit for a false sense of feeling important is all they have to hang on to..
Good point about responsibility. A democracy takes work by trying to stay informed (reading/education which is another issue the US faces) and be active, so I see a laziness when some people accept to be spoonfed by one media channel. Definitely a dangerous comfort zone. A feeling of entitlement (yet blame others): I can be stuck here in the mud if I want to.
Let's take the collective time we've been wasting on Fox viewers and spend it on reaching the almost one-third of eligible voters who didn't vote in the last presidential election. A good number of these non-voters are the ripest for persuasion.
Biden should apply that same logic and stop trying to "woo" Haley voters.
Recently I had a long online conversation with a Trump fan. I offered counterpoint to her points, sent her links to sources for true information. She asked questions about these things. I thought we were getting somewhere.
Then, she posted that Democrats know that Biden is a criminal and evil and they admit it, but they just don't care. 100% opposite of what we were talking about.
And has blocked me. It truly is astonishing.
Well, shit.
Party of me still thinks some are reachable.
Stupid optimism.
What a big stretch! I wish that just hearing the truth mattered in this type of circumstance, but I think you're 100% right.
I'll make an exception for Pete Buttigieg, because ever time he's on, he pants the hosts, repeatedly.
this makes so much sense: Fox viewers don’t want to learn about the world, they just want to be reassured. I definitely see this fear of change in people my age (60’s) and our older parents that watch it, yet is this true for the younger viewers also?
Yep!
I’ve reached the same conclusion, kind of, long ago. Not about Fox per se, but that the cult of Trump supporters is immutable, can’t be reasoned with or swayed. When I see posts about Trump supporters I basically respond that I don’t care; that they are gone. And that we need to concentrate on those we can reach.
And it’s not just Fox. It’s “Conservative” radio the same people listen to driving to work.
I don’t get why all cable subscribers paying for Fox is legal. I can’t get a plan without it and the $ they get as part of the subscription is far more than anyone else. Limit what they can put in there and Fox is gone.
https://live-unfox.pantheonsite.io/ is the site for UnfoxMyBox campaign
I agree 100%. If you took all the energy expended trying to deprogram people who have been programmed with RW lies for decades through RW propaganda channels like FOX and hate radio and instead focused it on persuading normal people who haven't been very politically engaged to register and vote for Democrats, you'd get a 10x better return on the effort you invested. I cannot understand why so few people seem to understand that!
100%—no, 1000%—correct. And Fox and its audience have been this way for decades.
Awww. Haven’t seen Kal el in awhile!!
I gave up on them around 2019 & completely after Covid/Jan 6th. They WANT to be angry. It’s a comfort zone for them. Plus it’s a way to avoid responsibility & enjoy a (false) sense of purpose.
They won’t be angry with Fox/elected Republicans; even if they know Fox is lying. Instead. they want to be mad at “liberuls.” - all their misdirected anger over fake shit for a false sense of feeling important is all they have to hang on to..
Good point about responsibility. A democracy takes work by trying to stay informed (reading/education which is another issue the US faces) and be active, so I see a laziness when some people accept to be spoonfed by one media channel. Definitely a dangerous comfort zone. A feeling of entitlement (yet blame others): I can be stuck here in the mud if I want to.
Exactly! Being a citizen, a decent citizen, requires responsibility for how we live, how we vote, why we vote. There’s due diligence required.
Great piece! I think propaganda exists not to convince but to give cover to anger and to weaponize it. The people who watch it are already convinced.