Saturday, August 8, 2009

Libertarians in the Media

Everyone knows who all the Hollywood liberals are... quite nearly anyone who has ever acted in, directed, or edited a movie. Unthinking godless totalitarians! Some people might even know a few conservatives in the media or in Hollywood. But even more rare is the Hollywood libertarian. I say libertarian with an emphasis on the small "L". I'm not convinced that our path to a more free country is through voting for the Libertarian party, but I do think we should celebrate those who are in the public space and care about freedom.

I've compiled a short list of famous freedom-loving Americans who are in the public eye. Like I said, we should celebrate the fact that they exist, and are willing to speak out.

Adam Carolla
Carolla has never stated how he votes to my knowledge, and I suspect that it is likely he's too busy working on his Lamborghini Miura to vote most elections. But one thing I'm sure about from listening to his old radio show and his podcast is that he despises nanny-staters and liberal do-gooders.

So he's not a liberal, but he's not a conservative either. I've never heard him rant about anything that I'd consider culturally conservative. He consistently has guests on his podcast that seem to share his views... and I often wonder if he's a member of a secret Hollywood libertarian club. Carolla strikes me as very sharp, very funny, and a true libertarian. We should all listen to Adam Carolla, and not just because he's he makes us laugh.



Drew Carey
Now Drew Carey... there is a real libertarian. You wouldn't know by watching his old sitcom, or seeing him on "The Price is Right". But Drew Carey has been involved with using his name to sell the ideals of freedom for some time now on Reason.com.

Drew has even produced a series of fantastic videos for Reason.tv that were later combined for a 20/20 special with John Stossel. Drew Carey is smart, rational, usually funny, and always right when it comes to issues concerning freedom.

John Stossel
The host of ABC's 20/20 used to be a liberal consumer reporter, how he has changed over the years. I think there is an understanding at 20/20 that most of their stories slant left, because they have allowed Stossel to put a libertarian slant on virtually every story he produces. Stossel is well-read and clearly idolizes great libertarian thinkers like Friedrich von Hayek, and Milton Friedman... and you should too.

Stossel isn't just a reporter, he writes a lot of opinion pieces, and he's quite good. I hope my readers will start reading his columns, and if you must watch network news, do watch his work on 20/20. I would also like to add that Stossel's push-broom moustache is the very height of manliness.

Ted Nugent
Uncle Ted... now there is a guy who believes in Freedom! I can't count the number of interviews I've read with Nugent, and he is 100% consistent. The man loves guns, meat, and freedom. He has a delightfully offensive way of making his points, and I can't help but love him for it.

Nugent may be more likely than the other people on this list to associate himself directly with the Republican party, but if you hear what he says and read what he writes, it is pretty apparent he only cares about one issue... freedom.

Glenn Beck
I have a love hate relationship with Glen Beck. I hate him because he is a pandering opportunist who will say or do most anything to get people talking about his show. But I also respect him because he really isn't a traditional conservative. I don't disagree with the points he makes, I just disagree with the way he goes about it. Still, if you must watch Fox News... you could do a lot worse than Beck.

2 comments:

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Shatner said...

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