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EspañolMICHAEL SAVAGE (COMMENTATOR)
'Michael Savage' is the pseudonym of 'Michael Alan Weiner' (born March 31, 1942), a controversial[1] American conservative talk radio host, author, and political pundit.[2] He holds master's degrees in medical botany and medical anthropology[3] and earned a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in nutritional ethnomedicine.[4] As Michael Weiner, he has written a number of books on herbal medicine and homeopathy.
As Michael Savage, he has written four ''New York Times'' bestsellers: ''The Savage Nation'' (2003), ''The Enemy Within'' (2004), ''Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder'' (2005), and ''The Political Zoo'' (2006). His nationally syndicated radio show, ''The Savage Nation'', reaches more than ten million listeners on 410 stations throughout the United States, ranking third in number of stations syndicated nationwide[5] and third in nationwide audience behind Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.[6]
Early life
''The Savage Nation''
Michael Savage was born Michael Alan Weiner in Bronx, New York City to a Jewish family with Russian origins.[7] He grew up in Queens and graduated from Jamaica High School, a public high school in New York City.[8] His father Ben owned a small antiquities shop where Michael worked while he was a child. His childhood was described as difficult, due to his father's "gruff and profane" attitude. His father died of a heart attack in his fifties.
Savage attended Queens College after graduating high school where he earned a bachelors degree in education and sociology. After college Savage taught high school for several years in New York City. His first marriage in 1964 ended in divorce, and he remarried after meeting his current wife Janet in 1967. His first wife says that she became pregnant twice and aborted both pregnancies . During this time, Savage also worked for famous psychedelic drug advocate Timothy Leary as keeper of the stone gatehouse on Leary's Millbrook estate. Leary hired him to the post because Savage didn't use LSD himself. Savage and his second wife, Janet, have two children, a daughter and a son. Michael then earned two masters degrees in ethnobotany and anthropology from the University of Hawaii. He obtained a Ph.D. in 1978 from the University of California, Berkeley in a discipline that they termed "Nutritional Ethnomedicine."[9] His thesis was titled "Nutritional Ethnomedicine in Fiji." Savage spent many years researching botany in the South Pacific and has a background in alternative medicine. Savage's son is the founder of the company that produces Rockstar Energy Drink, where Savage's wife, Janet, serves as CFO.
Shift in philosophy
In the early 1970s, Savage had more liberal views. Savage, then Michael Weiner, introduced himself to certain writers in the North Beach area of San Francisco.[10] He befriended and traveled with Beat poets Allen Ginsberg and
Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Stephen Schwartz, also an acquaintance of Savage from this time, reported that Savage possessed a photograph of himself and Ginsberg swimming naked in Hawaii and used the photograph as sort of a "calling card." Savage maintained a correspondence with Ginsberg across four years [11]. This correspondence consisted of ten letters and a trio of postcards which are preserved in Ginsberg's papers at Stanford University. One postcard mentions his desire to photograph Ginsberg in a provocative way. Savage states that this correspondence is actually a forgery created by gay detractors. Another acquaintance of Savage from this time was poet and author Neeli Cherkovski, who says that Weiner dreamed of becoming a stand-up comic in the mold of Lenny Bruce. On his radio show, Savage confirmed this desire but contrasted this with his desire, as a child, to become a cowboy.
Around 1980, Michael Savage began expressing the conservative political opinions for which he is known today. An acquaintance, Dr. Robert Cathcart, says that in his private conversations with Savage during this time, he knew Savage to have conservative political views. Schwartz stated that Savage became alienated from the North Beach scene in the early 1980s. His views and beliefs had shifted so much that intense arguments would erupt when he encountered his liberal friends. When asked about his shift in politics and other views, Savage replied, "I was once a child; I am now a man." Savage has cited many occurrences in his life that helped shape his conservative views and caused him to speak out. Savage states that his opinions on welfare were partly shaped by his first job out of college as a social worker. There he says that he witnessed the excesses of the welfare system firsthand.[12] As an example, his supervisor had him deliver a check to a welfare client to furnish their apartment, while his apartment was furnished with cardboard boxes. [13] Another turning point occurred for him as a writer of health and nutrition books in the 1980s, when he experienced political opposition after making the suggestion that the closure of gay bath houses might be necessary in response to the emerging AIDS epidemic.[14] In 1994, in what he called "the last straw," his final health and nutrition manuscript ''Immigrants and Epidemics'' was rejected by publishers for being too politically sensitive.
Since finding his place in radio, Savage and his former friends and acquaintances from the North Beach area of San Francisco have traded barbs. Savage now derides Ferlinghetti and calls Ferlinghetti's City Lights Bookstore "that once-famous communist bookstore." Ferlinghetti claims that Weiner's "reincarnation" as Savage represents "total opportunism," the crowning achievement of someone who was "always looking to make a fast buck" and "always trying to think up new schemes to get famous." Savage said, "I looked at [Ginsberg] almost like a rabbinic figure. Little did I know that he was the fucking devil."
Career as a talk show commentator
The rejection of his 1994 manuscript prompted him to record a demo tape with a mock radio talk show about illegal aliens and epidemics. He mailed this tape to 250 radio stations in an attempt to change careers and become a radio talk show host. [13][10] Later in 1994, Savage began his talk radio career working as a fill-in on the San Francisco's news/talk radio station KGO.
''The Savage Nation Radio Program''
Savage's radio show is known as the ''Savage Nation''.
Savage's program ''The Savage Nation'' is currently syndicated by Talk Radio Network, based in Oregon.[17]. On March 21, 1994, Savage began his radio career on KGO (a San Francisco news/talk radio station) as a fill-in host for the liberal Ray Taliaferro. Less than a year later he was given a weekday show on KGO's sister station KSFO.
At the time, his slogan was "To the right of Rush and to the left of God." On January 1, 1995, he was given his own show during the drive-time hours. The show quickly became a local hit. During his time at KSFO, Savage soared to #1 in Arbitron ratings among both adult men and women over 18 during afternoon drive-time in San Francisco and became top talk host in his timeslot in Northern California. In 1999, he came to the attention of the Talk Radio Network.
As of 2005, Savage has eight to ten million listeners per week, making his show the third most widely heard broadcast in the United States. Savage calls his listeners "literate callers with intelligence, wit, and energy." He says that he tries to make a show that has a "...hard edge combined with humor and education...Those who listen to me say they hear a bit of Plato, Henry Miller, Jack Kerouac, Moses, Jesus, and Frankenstein."
MSNBC
Savage was hired by MSNBC president Erik Sorenson to do a one-hour show beginning March 8, 2003, despite Savage's previous slamming of the network in his book ''The Savage Nation'' and the objections of NBC employees like anchor Tom Brokaw, who asked NBC executives, "Is this the sort of man who embodies the values of NBC?"
Four months later, on July 7, he was fired from his MSNBC television show after remarks made in response to a caller, later identified as prank caller Bob Foster. Foster insulted Mr. Savage's teeth. Savage then asked if Foster was a "sodomite," to which the caller answered, "Yes." Savage then said to the caller, "Oh, so you're one of those sodomites. You should only get AIDS and die, you pig; how's that? Why don't you see if you can sue me, you pig? You got nothing better to do than to put me down, you piece of garbage? You got nothing to do today? Go eat a sausage, and choke on it. Get trichinosis. Now do we have another nice caller here who's busy because he didn't have a nice night in the bathhouse who's angry at me today? Put another, put another sodomite on....no more calls?...I don't care about these bums; they mean nothing to me. They're all sausages." [18]
The day after being fired, Savage apologized on his radio program and on his website. He explained that he believed that MSNBC had gone to commercial to cover the gaffe of the attempted sabotage by a prank caller and that he was off the air at the time of the offensive comments. He also highlighted the fact that his remarks were meant only to insult the caller, not all people with AIDS.[19]
Personal views
''The Enemy Within''
Michael Savage calls himself an "independent-minded individualist" and says that he "fits no stereotype." Savage criticizes "big government," accuses the media of "liberal bias," and champions environmentalism and animal rights. He has said that there are three aspects that define a society: borders, language, and culture. He founded The Paul Revere Society to "bring together Americans who actively seek to take
back our borders, our language, and our traditional culture from the liberal left corroding our great nation."[20] For more detailed information see Views expressed by Michael Savage.
Credits, criticisms, controversies, and financial support for causes
Credits
On June 9, 2007, ''Talkers Magazine'' awarded Savage with the publication's annual "Freedom of Speech Award,"[21] and he accepted it with a pre-recorded speech. Although the award ceremony had received coverage in previous years, C-SPAN did not televise it due to its policy of only televising such speeches when delivered in person.
Savage stated that C-SPAN's decision was "censorship" and he told his viewership to express their ire to C-SPAN through calls and e-mails to the organization.[22] On June 15, CEO Brian Lamb, personally hosting C-SPAN's ''Washington Journal'' program, showed and recited the contents of a number of the e-mails that C-SPAN had received at Savage's suggestion; some of these e-mails referred to C-SPAN as a "Marxist-Leninist" entity, called Brian Lamb a "coward," a "homosexual," and a "dickhead," and demanded that C-SPAN's "taxpayer funding" be withdrawn (although in fact, C-SPAN does not and has never received any such funding).[23]
Criticisms
In July 2005, Bernard Goldberg ranked Savage number 61 in his book ''100 People Who Are Screwing Up America''. Goldberg wrote that "Savage's brand of over-the-top bile...puts him right in there with the angriest haters on the Left..." [24]
Critics such as GLAAD, FAIR, and Dave Gilson of ''Salon.com'' accuse him of fascist leanings,[25] racism,[26] homophobia[27] and bigotry, because of his controversial statements about Arabs, Islam, homosexuality, feminism, sex education, and immigration. Critics point out his various controversial statements, such as calling for the arrest of liberal activists and quashing protests with violent force.
Controversies
In March 2006, Savage drew the attention of the Catholic community when he accused the Catholic Church of breaking federal law by giving assistance to illegal immigrants (in response to statements by Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles calling it "pastoral support").[28] William A. Donohue, the president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, was scheduled to be on the show that day but was refused after he became upset upon hearing Savage's language. Later he responded by saying "what is not fine is Savage's diatribe about the 'greedy pigs' in the Catholic Church and how 'the institution is rotten from the top to the bottom.' He owes all Catholics an apology."[29]
On March 28, 2006, Savage encouraged his listeners to burn Mexican flags to counter a pro-illegal immigration group that had burned American flags.[30]
On October 9, 2006, Savage called former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright a “traitor” because the Clinton administration was in office when North Korea bought two nuclear reactors from a Western company in 2000.
In February 2007, Creative Artists Agency (a major talent and literary agency in Los Angeles) [6]signed Savage to represent him in all media. Within days, however, it was reported that CAA had dropped Savage in response to anti-gay remarks that he made regarding another CAA client, Melissa Etheridge.[31]
Savage founded the Paul Revere Society 1996 with his son Russell to protest illegal immigration.[32][33] The organization has approximately 4,000 members.[34] On June 5, 2006, the IRS rescinded the tax-exempt status of The Paul Revere Society.[35] In 1998, Russ ran for a seat in the California legislature (State Assembly, District 6) on the platform of being a card-carrying Paul Revere Society member.[36] His candidacy was endorsed by his father, mother, and Shannon Reeves, President of Oakland NAACP. Russell Weiner was not elected into office and eventually created Rockstar Energy Drink.[33]
San Francisco Board of Supervisors
On his July 5 2007 radio broadcast, commenting on student's fasting in protest of the lack of immigration reform, Michael Savage said, "I would say, let them fast until they starve to death; then that solves the problem." The San Francisco Board of Supervisors had previously introduced a resolution that commended the student protest. Over a month after the broadcast, the Board of Supervisors introduced a resolution that "condemns the defamatory language used by radio personality Michael Savage against the immigrant community" because they felt that his statement "urged the death of those students." The resolution contains a whereas clause noting a community organized vigil to take place outside the offices of the KNEW radio station Wednesday, August 15, calling for the "termination" of the Savage Nation Radio program. [38] Savage responded on his radio show and website:
Illiberalism is not only a mental disorder; it is fascist at its core. This schmuck says my comments are "symbolic of hatred and racism." And they want the City to sue me for "symbolism." There is no basis in American Law for such a suit but the larger point is the astonishing hate speech this putz is engaging in. To stop OPINION by threatening legal action is akin to using the power of the State to control thought and speech. This is something out of Kafka and the ex-Soviet Union. Moreover, this illegitimi is working on behalf of a foreign government AGAINST an American Citizen. Does this constitute harassment against me? My attorney will soon answer this question as I ponder suing the City of San Francisco. [39]
Voted on August 14 2007, the resolution did condemn Savage, but the City Attorney stated that the resolution did not violate any constitutional rights. The resolution was one vote short of being passed unanimously by the Board.
Financial support for causes
Savage has regularly donated money to the Marines accused of murdering civilians in Haditha, Iraq; occasionally, Savage will offer proceeds from any sales via his website. Savage also has regular contact with the attorneys of the accused and criticizes their treatment at Camp Pendleton. [40] [41] Most recently, Savage has donated $10,000 to the U.S Marines Charity Defense Fund and, as of April 25, 2007, is pledging $1 per every copy of ''Healing Children Naturally and Reducing the Risk of Alzheimer's'' purchased from his website to be donated to the U.S. Marines Defense
Fund.[42]
On his June 26, 2007 broadcast, he committed another $10,000 to the fund and stated that he would protest at Steven Spielberg's home should Spielberg direct the movie concerning the Haditha killings.
Books and other writings
''Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder: Savage Solutions''
As Michael Savage, he has written four best-selling books: ''The Savage Nation'', ''The Enemy Within'', ''Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder'', and ''The Political Zoo''. As Michael A. Weiner, Ph.D., he wrote ''Herbs That Heal'' and 17 other books.
His 1980 book ''Weiner's Herbal: The Guide to Herb Medicine'' advocated the medical benefits of marijuana. However, he has more recently stated that the chemicals in marijuana make it too dangerous to be used as medicine. On his program, he condemns the recreational use of marijuana, occasionally devoting his show to "marijuana horror stories." He has authored a number of other books on various herbal medicine topics under his given name.
Savage's recent books are political in nature and published by WND Books, a partnership between the conservative website WorldNetDaily and Thomas Nelson, a publisher of Christian books.
In January 2003, Savage published ''The Savage Nation: Saving America from the Liberal Assault on Our Borders, Language and Culture'', his first book under the pseudonym Michael Savage. The book quickly reached the top of the ''New York Times Bestseller List'', earning Savage, as noted above, a commentary show on MSNBC. The book directs attacks at "liberal media bias," the "dominating culture of 'she-ocracy,'" gay activists, and liberals.
In January 2004, Savage published his second political book ''The Enemy Within: Saving America from the Liberal Assault on Our Schools, Faith, and Military''. His next book, ''Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder'', was released on April 12, 2005. Unlike ''The Savage Nation'', both of these books cited sources for some of the more controversial claims made.
In April 2006, Savage released his latest political book ''The Political Zoo''. The book contains satirical profiles and cartoons of different public figures, most of whom are liberal political figures and celebrities, who are depicted in caricature as animals in the ''Political Zoo'', with Savage himself portrayed as the zookeeper. Savage has remarked that the book is "easier to digest" than his previous political books.
Bibliography
Books as Michael Weiner
★ ''Plant a Tree'', New York : Collier Books, 1975, ISBN 0471571040
★ ''Bugs in Peanut Butter'', Boston : Little, Brown, 1976, ISBN 0316928607
★ ''Man's Useful Plants'', New York: Macmillan. 1976, ISBN 0027926001
★ ''The Taster's Guide to Beer: Brews and Breweries of the World'', Macmillan, 1977, ISBN 0026256002
★ ''Earth Medicine, Earth Food'', New York : Macmillan Pub. Co., 1980, ISBN 002625610X
★ ''The way of the skeptical nutritionist'', New York : Macmillan, 1981, ISBN 0026256207
★ ''The Art of Feeding Children Well'' (with Kathleen Goss), Warner Books, 1982, ISBN 0446978906
★ ''Nutrition Against Aging'', Bantam books, 1983, ISBN 0553236423
★ ''Secrets of Fijian Medicine'', Quantum Books, 1983, ISBN 0912845023
★ ''Vital Signs(the book)'', Avant Books, 1983, ISBN 0932238203
★ ''Getting Off Cocaine'', Avon Books, February, 1984, ISBN 0380679000
★ ''Dr. Weiner's High Fiber Counter'', Pinnacle Books, May, 1984, ISBN 0523422113
★ ''Maximum Immunity'', Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 1986, ISBN 0395379105
★ ''Reducing the risk of Alzheimer's'', New York : Stein and Day, 1987, re-published under the name Michael Savage, Ph.D. in 2007, ISBN 0946551537
★ ''The Complete Book of Homeopathy'', Garden City Park, N.Y. : Avery Pub., 1989, ISBN 0895294125
★ ''The Herbal Bible'', San Rafael, CA : Quantum Books, 1992, ISBN 0912845066
★ ''Healing children naturally'', San Rafael, CA : Quantum Books, 1993, re-published under the name Michael Savage, Ph.D. in 2007, ISBN 0912845104
★ ''Herbs that heal : prescription for herbal healing'', Mill Valley, CA : Quantum Books, 1994, ISBN 0912845112
★ ''The Antioxidant Cookbook'', Mill Valley, CA : Quantum Books, 1995, ISBN 0912845139
Books as Michael Savage
★ ''The Savage Nation'', WND Books, 2003.
★ ''The Enemy Within'', Nelson Current, 2004.
★ ''Liberalism is a Mental Disorder'', Nelson Current, 2005.
★ ''The Political Zoo'', Nelson Current, 2006.
See also
★ Russell Weiner - son and creator of Rockstar Energy Drink
References
1. Savage is controversial according to the conservative World Net Daily-[1] and according to the Daily Emerald- [2]and CNN- http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0301/31/wbr.00.html. Savage is also promoted as controversial [3]
2. [4]
3. NewsMax biography. Accessed 10 June 2006.
5. Talk Radio Network Retrieved on 2006-09-10 bio
6. Talkers Magazine Retrieved on 2006-09-10
7. Mark de la Viña, "The Man Behind the 'Savage Nation': Neo-Conservative Host Once Embraced the Counterculture", ''San Jose Mercury News'', July 20, 2003.
8. Ron Russell, "Inside the Savage Nation", ''SF Weekly'', July 19, 2006.
9. "UC Berkeley Pathfinder", October 5, 2006
10. David Gilson, "Michael Savage's long, strange trip", Salon.com, March 5, 2003.
11. Jake Tapper, "The Savage Mind", ''GQ'', September 2003
12. The Savage Nation, , Michael, Savage, Thomas Nelson, ,
13.
14. Maximum Immunity, , Michael A., Weiner, Houghton Mifflin, ,
15.
16. David Gilson, "Michael Savage's long, strange trip", Salon.com, March 5, 2003.
17. http://www.talkradionetwork.com/corporatecontacts;jsessionid=3A4A1C98D9F35FE2954F3A339F78C004
18. "MSNBC Fires Shock Host Michael Savage After He Tells Caller, 'Get AIDS and Die, You Pig'", ''Democracy Now!'', July 8, 2003.
19. "Savage Says He's Sorry But Stays Fired", ''San Francisco Chronicle'', July 9, 2003.
20. Paul Revere Society Mission Statement
21. http://newsblaze.com/story/20070328082543nnnn.np/newsblaze/NEWSWIRE/NewsBlaze-Wire.html
22. http://www.savage-productions.com/cspan_contact_info.html
23. rtsp://video.c-span.org/15days/wj061507.rm
24. http://www.adherents.com/people/100_people_harming_America.html
25. Dave Gilson, "America's laziest fascist", Salon.com, May 20, 2004.
26. "GE, Microsoft Bring Bigotry to Life", Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting, February 12, 2003.
27. "Urge MSNBC to Rethink TV Show for Anti-Gay 'Savage'", Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, February 26, 2003.
28. "Savage Remarks Anger Catholics", NewsMax, April 3, 2006.
29. Michael Savage's Catholicism Catholic League
30. "Savage: "Burn the Mexican Flag!"", Media Matters for America, March 31, 2006.
31. Savage's abrupt "Wake up"
32. Tax-free status allowed by IRS
33. Russ Weiner's candidacy
34. 4,000 plus members
35. Tax Exempt Status
36. Membership card pullout
37. Russ Weiner's candidacy
38.
39. http://www.savage-productions.com/illiberalism_is_a_mental_disorder.html
40. http://www.homestead.com/prosites-prs/shackled.html
41. http://euphoria.jarkolicious.com/journal/2006/06/07/2462/
42. http://www.michaelsavage.com
External links
★ Michael Savage's website
★ Michael Savage bio from the Talk Radio Network website
★
★ List of radio stations streaming the Michael Savage show
★ Listen to The Savage Nation Online
★ Michael Savage on Media Matters
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