Thread: Dismissal of Michael Savage Lawsuit

I'm no fan of Michael "an autisitic child is really just a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out" Savage, so I wasn't terribly upset that the court threw out his lawsuit against CAIR, which claimed CAIR violated Savage's copyright rights by quoting him in some of their literature. But what really got to me was Savage's solicitation of his listeners to contribute money so he could defend his "First Amendment rights" (I'm not sure how a copywright infringement claim equates with a First Amendment violation, which only applies to governmantal action). This guy makes multiple millions of dollars each year, and he needs his listeners to give him money so he can fund his lawsuit?
What chutzpah!

Who's Michael Savage?

Originally Posted by billyjeff2

I'm no fan of Michael "an autisitic child is really just a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out" Savage, so I wasn't terribly upset that the court threw out his lawsuit against CAIR, which claimed CAIR violated Savage's copyright rights by quoting him in some of their literature. But what really got to me was Savage's solicitation of his listeners to contribute money so he could defend his "First Amendment rights" (I'm not sure how a copywright infringement claim equates with a First Amendment violation, which only applies to governmantal action). This guy makes multiple millions of dollars each year, and he needs his listeners to give him money so he can fund his lawsuit?
What chutzpah!

I think I heard one of those episodes on the way home from work (the local station carries him at that time most of us are parked on a bridge waiting for a tunnel to clear out...).
Supposedly his claim was that too many times people are misdiagnosing children as autistic who in reality are simply poorly disciplined, or some such. Which, if that is the case, is probably true. Schools (at least one I know of) "diagnose" certain conditions on children who misbehave using a simple checklist, but apparently there is no set test by blood, etc. for autism. Possibly genetic? I don't know. Unfortunately there ARE a lot of people who take advantage of this and others who think their children are ill simply because a school administrator felt they "acted up" or "stared into space" too much. By some of those "checklists" it wouldn't surprise me if a LOT of us would be "autistic". Which is why instead of "autism" now they are using the "autism related syndrome" or something like that. Way too much money involved for the truth to really be seen I think.
WRT the second part, I'd not heard about it. To be honest the man gets spooled up far too easily for my tastes, even when he's right. Hard to convince people of the reason behind one's arguments if one rants and rages on and on. It's probably the only reason he gets airtime these days, so people on the left can use him as a poster child. My opinion is they don't really believe most people take him seriously.
He's against the administration and the Iraq war (the latter I disagree with him on) and seems paranoid that there is some sort of unholy conspiracy between the government, the media, and the "homosexual mafia". That much can be picked up in a single airing.
BillyJeff2, it's apparent you listen to him, but possibly more than I do (I didn't know about the lawsuit stuff, etc...usually my radio is off while I careen at legal and superlegal speed when possible on my way home) perhaps you can give us a little more insight, my impressions may be incorrect.


John P.

As to the "who is Michael Savage" question- he hosts the #3 radio talk show in the USA (ratings-wise) and trails only Limbaugh and Hannity. While I've always found him to be entertaining only in the sense of listening to his show is like watching a train wreck, he evidently has a legion of listeners who agree with his points of view, as (fill-in-the-blank)-phobic as they typically are.

The issue about the lawsuit is that an organization named CAIR ("Counsel on American-Islamic Relations")
quoted some of what Savage said during his on-air program in their own fund raising literature, which Savage took offense to. Savage sued CAIR and claimed that by using quotes of what he said, CAIR commited a copyright infringement. Savage's claim was legally baseless, and the court recently threw out his lawsuit.

My point about it was that on his show and his website, Savage solicited his own audience members to donate to his "Legal Defense Fund", despite the fact he was the one who filed the suit, and was not "defending" against anything. Also, Savage is paid millions of dollars a year for what he does; it seems to me is more than financially capable of funding "his own lawsuit as opposed to asking for listener donations.

One final note on the "autism" controversy: Savage didn't say there are some children who are mis-diagnosed as being autistic; or that the diagnosis is too freely given by the medical community. As he typically does, he delivered a broadside invective. His exact words were: "I'll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is. What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, 'Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, idiot.' "
Hardly a nuanced critique.

Originally Posted by billyjeff2

As to the "who is Michael Savage" question- he hosts the #3 radio talk show in the USA (ratings-wise) and trails only Limbaugh and Hannity. While I've always found him to be entertaining only in the sense of listening to his show is like watching a train wreck, he evidently has a legion of listeners who agree with his points of view, as (fill-in-the-blank)-phobic as they typically are.

The issue about the lawsuit is that an organization named CAIR ("Counsel on American-Islamic Relations")
quoted some of what Savage said during his on-air program in their own fund raising literature, which Savage took offense to. Savage sued CAIR and claimed that by using quotes of what he said, CAIR commited a copyright infringement. Savage's claim was legally baseless, and the court recently threw out his lawsuit.

My point about it was that on his show and his website, Savage solicited his own audience members to donate to his "Legal Defense Fund", despite the fact he was the one who filed the suit, and was not "defending" against anything. Also, Savage is paid millions of dollars a year for what he does; it seems to me is more than financially capable of funding "his own lawsuit as opposed to asking for listener donations.

One final note on the "autism" controversy: Savage didn't say there are some children who are mis-diagnosed as being autistic; or that the diagnosis is too freely given by the medical community. As he typically does, he delivered a broadside invective. His exact words were: "I'll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is. What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, 'Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, idiot.' "
Hardly a nuanced critique.

Yeah that last part sounds like him. Which is why even when he's right it's hard to listen to the man. I think I must have heard a subsequent show, because the one I heard was making exactly the statements as in the first sentence of your last paragraph.
Perhaps he gets ratings because people like to listen to him and get bent out of shape. I don't know.

When I was stationed near LA there used to be a show that had fake "guests" and would proceed to claim the most controversial, ludicrous things (I think the host was actually a voice impersonator). People would call in and get all kinds of outraged. The first time I heard it it torqued me off, and I wanted to call with a piece of my mind, but after one figures the whole thing out, it's quite a bit of fun listening to the folks call in who don't know the secret of the show.
The name of it will come to me later, I'm sure (or perhaps any folks in LA who ever turn on the AM dial might know) but it was hilarious to listen to. Probably had great ratings, too.
Talk show hosts aren't newscasters at any rate and while it bothers me when news casters or news networks editorialize too much of their opinions into things, talk show hosts are under no such rules.
Mr. Savage, as long as he keeps up the controversy, will no doubt stay in business.

John P.

Originally Posted by JMS

Who's Michael Savage?

Don't feel bad I had no Idea who the guy was either.

I remember that "fake" call-in show too. It was pretty funny, although you had to listen long enough to figure out it was just a farce. Savage is a different animal, however. Unless his is a complete act, he otherwise sounds as if he truly believes what he says, and often what he says is astoundingly irrational. That's why I find it amazing that he's the #3 radio talk show host in the nation.

Wasnt it PT Barnum who said "You'll never go broke underestimating the American Public."

That quote is often attributed to Barnum. Actually, it was H.L. Menchen who said:" Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people."
Aptly applies to Mr. Savage, however...

the show was the Phil Hindrie show. used to air on kfi am640. he is now off the air but no doubt the greatest radio show ever. it was very funny to hear people call up angry and had no idea it was him the whole time doing the voices of his guest.