If there’s been a theme running through this week’s shows, it’s been the nastiness with which those who sit on the opposite side of the political aisle from me (and, likely, you if you’re reading this and listening to my shows) interact with us.

It began with a tweet from a stranger to me. Out of the blue, this troll pops up on my twitter page to post

Wow. A bit of background for context here.  I produced the Mark & Brian Show at KLOS/Los Angeles from 1990-1994.  More than two decades ago. The show was on a rock station, and it was a big, goofy morning show that did things like steal a Bob’s Big Boy statue and transform it into the “Elvis Bob” and put it on top of the Capitol Records Building in Hollywood because “Elvis always wanted to be on Capitol Records” (no, he didn’t)… and transform it into “Evel Bob” and catapault it across the fountains at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.

Evel Bob

We never talked politics.  If “Brian adored Ayn Rand” it was because he didn’t know any better.  I wouldn’t know, as he was the main reason I left that job, though it had nothing to do with politics.

I shouldn’t have, but I engaged the twit:

So I blocked him…  But he kept harassing me. And if you check his twitter stream, you’ll find that all he does is troll and harass people with whom he disagrees politically.

This happened Tuesday morning before my show – and during the program, at least two trolls came into the chatroom to similarly troll and insult:

NewDemocrat: Congratulations on promoting the right-wing troll Mark Dice yesterday  10:29:50

NewDemocrat: You’re such a dumb leftist that right-win conspiracy nuts like Mark Dice intrigue you  10:30:18

NewDemocrat: The Democratic Party will only survive if it ejects nuts like you   10:30:36

NewDemocrat: Do you believe that 911 was an inside job?  10:30:53

Again, to add context, I played a video I found on YouTube from a guy who dressed up as Santa and drove by the long lines waiting outside big box retailers on Thanksgiving night and berated them via megaphone. I thought it was funny. I neither “promoted” him nor do I have any idea what his politics are.

Once I banned that user, another one soon popped in to harass the chat participants – this time, getting under @GottaLaff’s skin:

Anon3564: “democracy” is way overrated  10:43:59

Laffy asked

Gottalaff:  Why Anon?    10:44:07

the rest of the conversation went thusly:

Anon3564: Many ppl who vote do so based on advertising rather than investing any time on the issues their vote is based on  10:44:50

Gottalaff:  That’s a people prob, not a democracy problem. Why is it overrated? What would you do instead?  10:45:12

Gottalaff:  Anon, what’s your alternative to democracy?  10:46:03

Gottalaff:  Anon? You have yet to reply. I’ve asked ttwice  10:47:27

Gottalaff:  Anon, I’m asking again.  10:48:43

(There were other conversations going on in between…)

Gottalaff:  To say democracy is overrated and then refusing to answer what your alternative would be… … … well?  10:49:22

Finally,

Anon3564: You wouldn’t like my alternative  10:49:39

Gottalaff:  That’s not what I asked. I didn’t ask if I’d like it. I asked what your alternative is. you won’t reply. You come in and make a blanket statement, but stop because you’re worried about my “liking” your reply?   10:50:38

Anon3564: That’s right.  I’m not taking the bait.  You’re nothing but a bully who tries to pick fights.  I know this from experience with your mean-spirited tweets in the past.   10:50:49

Gottalaff:  LOL, is that right? You came in here baiting, and I ask you to follow thru. Now you’re name calling. Who’;s the bully again “ANONYMOUS”?  10:51:17

Anon3564: Yes we have someone who dares to disagree with the resident queen bee.  What a fucking know-nothing loser

Anon3564: No one can “debate” her on twitter because as soon as you point out (in a knd manner, I might add that she made a mistake, rather than either acknowledge it or spend a few seconds of her precious time double checking her claims, she simply blocks the person.  That’s not the definition of “debate.”  Sorry to disappoint you.

I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s no reasoning with these people. Their asses are firmly planted in Opposite World™ – where they say we are the rude, nasty, vitriolic ones.

Yesterday, ” after meeting with the President of MSNBC,” Martin Bashir resigned.  Yes, his lesson for Sarah Palin about the atrocities of slavery was harsh, but something she needed to hear.   Then again, she opted to become a public figure, and is open to even harsh criticism and commentary from all. Palin, herself, has alluded to President Obama as “palling around with terrorists,” and even has gone so far as to say that

 President Obama’s “fundamental transformation of America” the “enemy of America’s economic freedom.” Then she said, “The enemy of the enemy is my friend.”

I could continue, but you’ve heard it all. Palin has had more offensive venom hurl from her mouth than I can remember hearing from other politicians, but she sits on her high horse acting like the wounded school girl. It’s disgusting.

In the meantime, Rush Limbaugh libels a private citizen, repeatedly calling third-year Georgetown Law student Sandra Fluke a “slut” and “prostitute” for daring to testify about the need for contraception to be covered under the Affordable Care Act. Despite massive backlash from advertisers and the public, Limbaugh has not missed a single one of his obscenely-sized paychecks. And I’m quite sure his insurance plan pays for his Viagra!

I understand what my friend Sally Kohn is talking about when she called for “emotional correctness” in her recent Ted Talk.  She joined me on the show this morning to talk about it.

She’s obviously a more patient person than I. I’ll keep trying, but there are those days I just want to scream (and I do) about the unfairness and hypocrisy of it all.

On those days, I think that Keith Olbermann must be very happy back talking about sports at ESPN instead of beating his head against the wall talking about politics.  It’s on days like these that I remember, longingly, about my time in music radio – when the most stressful matters where which records to add each week, and the occasional scuffle when another station in the market got the “presents” on a concert we should have had.

So, I’m very excited that there’s good music coming to South Florida this weekend!  The Lauderdale Live Music Festival is happening  with a bunch of bands, including four that I’m really looking forward to: Lyle Lovett, Indigo Girls, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, and Mat Kearney.  I’ll be interviewing the Indigo Girls(!), and am working on setting up something with Lyle Lovett too.  Yes, I’m already happier.

Also making me happy today were Absudity Today‘s Julianna Forlano, and She’s History‘s Amy Simon, who both regularly appear with me on Thursday mornings.  Amy will be performing She’s History a few times over the next few weeks in Los Angeles:  Dec 8, 15 and 22 at the Lounge Theater – Visit ShesHistory.com for more info or click to BUY TICKETS.

Have a great weekend, and I’ll talk to you Monday… radio or not!