Michael Savage (commentator)
Encyclopedia
Michael Savage is a conservative American radio host
, author, and political commentator. He is the host of The Savage Nation
, a nationally syndicated talk show that airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network
. The Savage Nation has an audience of 8 to 10 million listeners on 400 stations across the United States, making it the fourth most listened-to radio talk show in the country. He holds master's degree
s from the University of Hawaii in medical botany
and medical anthropology
and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley
, in nutrition
al ethnomedicine
. As Michael Weiner, he has written books on herbal medicine
and homeopathy
. As Michael Savage, he has written four New York Times-bestselling political books
.
Savage has summarized his political philosophy in three words: border
s, language, and culture. Some, including Savage himself, have characterized his views as conservative nationalism
, while critics have characterized them as "fostering extremism or hatred." He outspokenly opposes illegal immigration to the United States
, supports the English-only movement
and argues that liberalism
and progressivism
are degrading American culture
. Although his radio delivery is usually characterized as confrontational and politically themed, some of his show involves ruminating on topics such as medicine, nutrition, music, literature, history, theology, philosophy, sports, culture, and personal anecdotes.
Since 2009, Savage has been barred from entering the United Kingdom
, for allegedly "seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred
".
, New York, one of three children of Benjamin and Rae Weiner; he comes from Russian Jewish heritage. He described his childhood as difficult. His father, the owner of an antique shop, died of a heart attack at age 57, and his mother died in 2003.
After graduating from Jamaica High School
in 1958, Weiner attended Queens College
, where he earned a bachelor's degree in biology
in 1963. After college Weiner taught high school for several years in New York City. His first marriage to Carol Ely 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 over Weiner's objections. During this time Weiner 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 Weiner did not use LSD himself. Weiner then earned two master's degrees in ethnobotany
and anthropology
from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He obtained a Ph.D. in 1978 from the University of California, Berkeley
, in nutrition
al ethnomedicine
. His thesis was titled Nutritional Ethnomedicine in Fiji
.
While in the South Pacific, he became fascinated with the 19th-century sailor Charles Savage
, who was believed to have been the first man to bring firearms to Fiji
. That fascination led to Weiner's name change to Savage.
Savage and his second wife Janet have two children, a daughter and a son; his son, Russell Weiner
, is the founder of the company that produces the Rockstar
energy drink. Russell's mother, Janet, served as CFO
of his company until July 2009. Daughter Rebecca Lin Yops has worked as an elementary school teacher. Savage has said that although he believes in God, he attends houses of worship only a few times a year. During the 1980s, Savage attended Friday night services at a Chabad house
in Berkeley.
area of San Francisco in the early 1960s. He befriended and traveled with Beat
poets Allen Ginsberg
and Lawrence Ferlinghetti
. Savage maintained a correspondence with Ginsberg consisting of ten letters and a trio of postcards across four years, which is maintained with Ginsberg's papers at Stanford University
. One letter asked for Ginsberg and Ferlinghetti to come do a poetry reading, so others could "hear and see and know why I adore your public image." Another acquaintance was poet and author Neeli Cherkovski
, who says Savage dreamed of becoming a stand-up comic
in the mold of Lenny Bruce
.
Around 1980, an acquaintance, Robert Cathcart, says in his private conversations with Savage he knew him to have conservative political views. Schwartz stated Savage became alienated from the North Beach scene in the early 1980s. Savage had intense arguments with 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. Savage states that his opinions on welfare were partly shaped by his first job out of college as a social work
er. He described one incident in which his supervisor had him deliver a check to a welfare client to furnish their apartment, while his own apartment was furnished with cardboard boxes. Another turning point occurred for him as a writer of health and nutrition books in the 1980s, when he experienced what he saw as "political opposition" after making the suggestion that the closure of homosexual bathhouses might be necessary in response to the emerging AIDS
epidemic. In 1994 his final health and nutrition manuscript, Immigrants and Epidemics, was rejected by publishers for being inflammatory. In 1996, Savage applied to become the Dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley
. The University instead selected award-winning journalist and China scholar Orville Schell
. Savage sued the University, contending he was discriminated against because he was a conservative. Savage later dropped the lawsuit.
and epidemic
s. He mailed this tape to 250 radio stations in an attempt to change careers and become a radio talk show host. 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 began hosting his own 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 reached #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
, based in Oregon
, which currently syndicates his The Savage Nation
radio program.
As of the fall of 2006, Savage has 8–10 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
." Mark de la Viña of the San Jose Mercury News
wrote of Savage, "In contrast to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Laura Schlessinger
, Bay Area-based Savage mixes conservative diatribe and blunt observations with acerbic humor and a gift of gab. It has propelled him to the top of radio talk-show ratings as well as bestseller book lists."
On September 10, 2009, KNEW-AM
(910 kHz) in Savage's home market of San Francisco announced that it was dropping his program and replacing him with John and Ken
from sister station KFI
-AM (640 kHz)/Los Angeles. John Scott, program director of KNEW said in an e-mail that the station was headed "...in a different philosophical and ideological direction, featuring more contemporary content and more local information." According to Arbitron monthly ratings, KNEW-AM
dropped in the ratings since Savage was let go. San Francisco station KTRB
picked up the program for the San Francisco market, and saw a ratings boost in the afternoon drive. However, the program was among the first casualties when KTRB went into receivership in September 2010.
Savage had asked his audience for their opinion prior to consenting to a profile interview by Kelefa Sanneh
of The New Yorker
; Savage eventually accepted that offer and the New Yorker profile, titled "Party of One", was published in the August 3, 2009 issue, which covered Savage's life and personality in great detail.
On January 22, 2010, Savage revealed to his audience that a writer for Playboy
had contacted him via email to do a lengthy interview, and again asked his listeners if he should accept the offer. During the show, Savage read from personal emails between the Playboy writer and himself. The writer admitted to being a listener of the Savage Nation
but a critic of the profile done by The New Yorker. The writer also stated that the purpose of the interview was to "rattle" Playboys readers. On May 12, 2010, Savage revealed that he had granted the interview at his home. Playboy published the interview in June 2010. He read from a pre-publication copy of the 8,000 word Playboy interview, in which the writer expressed animosity for Savage and his views. Savage said that he was disappointed at the lack of journalistic objectivity, but did not harbor hatred for the writer. He referred back to the New Yorker interview by Kelefa Sanneh, and praised Sanneh as a "real writer" who had understood his subject.
On October 1, 2011, Michael Savage was ranked as the #2 for online streams according to the internet rankings report published by TalkStreamLive.com
president Erik Sorenson to do a one-hour show beginning March 8, 2003, despite Savage's previous criticism 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?" Sorenson, at the time, called Savage "brash, passionate and smart," and promised that he would provide "compelling opinion and analysis with an edge."
From the very beginning of his stint at MSNBC, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) urged the show's sponsors to stop advertising on the show. Savage did not sue GLAAD, but Talk Radio Network Inc. (TRN), which syndicated his radio show, did sue the owners of three small noncommercial websites that had criticized Savage and endorsed the call for advertisers to withdraw their support for the show. The suit alleged that the defendants had caused Savage financial damage by interfering with his relationship with advertisers, had used material from The Michael Savage Show without permission, and had spread "false and malicious" information about Savage.
The suit was brought in Illinois
, the location of Culligan, a company that stopped advertising with TRN. Public Citizen
undertook the legal defense of the owners of savagestupidity.com. Savage also contended before the National Arbitration Forum
that the "savagestupidity.com" and "michaelsavagesucks.com" domain name
s were "confusingly similar" to his own "michaelsavage.com", and that he should be given those domain names. Several months after filing the lawsuit, TRN withdrew it without obtaining any concessions from the defendants. The National Arbitration Forum ruled against Savage's claim.
Four months later, on July 7, Savage was fired from his MSNBC television show after remarks made in response to a caller, later identified as prank call
er Bob Foster, who insulted Savage's teeth. Savage then asked if Foster was a "sodomite
", to which the caller answered, "Yes, I am." Savage then said to the caller,
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, despite the fact that clips of the segment show Savage going to commercial after he made the comments. He also said his remarks were meant only to insult the caller, not all people with AIDS.
as an influence. Savage criticizes big government
as well as liberalism
and liberal activism, accuses the news media of liberal bias
, and champions conservationism and animal rights
. He considers the three aspects that define a nation as borders, language, and culture; those aspects inspired the motto of the Paul Revere Society.
In 2003, Savage said that he voted in 2000
for George W. Bush
"quite reluctantly, incidentally." In 2004
, Savage and the Revere Society hosted a party at Schroeder's Cafe in San Francisco celebrating the re-election of Bush. Savage donated $5,600 to the campaign of Democratic candidate Jerry Brown
in the 2006 California Attorney General election
.
Regarding candidates for the 2012 Republican primaries
, Savage said that Ron Paul
had "great ideas" but expressed that Rick Perry
should be the nominee.
accused of murdering civilians
in Haditha, Iraq
; occasionally, Savage will offer proceeds from any sales through his website. Savage had regular contact with the attorneys of the accused and criticizes their treatment at Camp Pendleton
. Most recently, Savage has donated over $10,000 to the U.S. Marines Charity Defense Fund at the Thomas More Law Center
On April 25, 2007, he pledged $1 for each 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.
The Marines were ultimately found not guilty.
Michael Behenna, who has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for murdering Ali Mansur Mohammed while serving in Iraq
with the 101st Airborne Division
in 2008. Savage has previously given $50,000 to Behenna’s defense from the Savage Legal Defense Fund and his own personal contributions. According to Vicki Behenna, the lieutenant’s mother, additional contributions from listeners since Savage brought up this topic on his program have amounted to over $40,000. This brings the total contributions from Savage and his listeners to nearly $150,000.
awarded Savage with the publication's annual "Freedom of Speech Award," and he accepted it with a pre-recorded speech.
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." David Klinghoffer
, a National Review
columnist, speculated that The Savage Nation "is an act, a put-on."
Liberal advocacy groups and media watchdogs such as GLAAD and FAIR
accuse Savage of racism
, homophobia
, bigotry
and Islamophobia
because of his controversial statements about homosexuality
, Islam
, feminism
, sex education
, and immigration
. On his September 21, 1999 broadcast, Savage said that the motivation for female students who come from a Marin County private school to feed and provide services to the homeless is so they "can go in and get rape
d by them, because they seem to like the excitement of it..."
On April 17, 2006, he said of Muslims
, "They say, 'Oh, there's a billion of them.' I said, 'So, kill 100 million of them, then there'll be 900 million of them.' I mean, would you rather die—would you rather us die than them?" This was taken from an argument dealing with the possibility of a nuclear conflict in that region. After Savage was banned from the UK, this was also reported in the UK media.
, the president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights
, was scheduled to be on the show that day, but refused after hearing Savage's language. He later said, "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."
On March 28, 2006, Savage encouraged his listeners to burn Mexican flags
to counter massive rallies held in California
during which demonstrators marched in opposition to proposed legislation that would impose new immigration restrictions.
awarded Savage with the publication's annual "Freedom of Speech Award," C-SPAN
opted not to broadcast a pre-recorded speech that had been sent by Michael Savage. Although the award ceremony had received coverage in previous years, C-SPAN did not televise it due to its policy of televising such speeches only when delivered in person. Savage stated that C-SPAN's decision was "censorship
" and he told his listeners to express their ire to C-SPAN through calls and e-mails to the organization.
(CAIR) called on radio listeners to contact companies that advertise on Savage's program to express their concerns about his comments concerning Muslims. Savage was quoted as saying Muslims "need deportation
", and that adherents of Islam would do well to "take your religion and shove it up your behind" because "I'm sick of you." On his show and website, Savage countered that CAIR is linked to terrorist organizations, and was an "unindicted co-conspirator in an anti-terrorist trial". On November 8, 2007, following a campaign by CAIR meant to get Savage off the air by going after his sponsors, Citrix Systems, Inc.
pulled its advertisements from his show.
Savage sued CAIR for its use, on its website, of excerpts from his show. Savage's lawsuit alleges copyright
infringement by CAIR. The suit alleged that CAIR's repackaging of Savage's comments was "deliberately designed to obscure the specific message conveyed by Michael Savage". The excerpts included Savage's characterization of the Qur'an
as "a throwback document" and a "book of hate". CAIR called the suit "bizarre, sloppy and baseless". On July 25, 2008, the United States district court
dismissed Savage's suit against CAIR, holding that the posting of the audio clip was protected under the First Amendment
doctrine of fair use
, as it was used to "comment on and rebut derogatory statements regarding their organization and their religious affiliations." The court gave Savage the opportunity to file an amended complaint if he wanted to try to cure the defects in his suit. On August 14, 2008, however, Savage's lawyer announced that Savage would not file an amended complaint and would drop the case. CAIR then sought attorneys fees against Savage but U.S. District Court judge Susan Illston denied that request.
diagnoses was the result of "a racket" designed to get disability payments for "poorer families who have found a new way to be parasites on the government." He returned to the subject on his July 16, 2008 show with the following remarks:
On July 21, 2008, following a public information campaign led by the liberal advocacy group Media Matters for America
, several dozen parents and grandparents of autistic children picketed outside the studios of WOR
in New York
, calling for Savage to be fired and for commercial sponsors to withdraw their advertising from his program. In response, WOR issued a statement saying, "We regret any consternation that his remarks may have caused to our listeners." Also that day, the insurance company Aflac
pulled its advertising, and the Supertalk Mississippi
radio network dropped Savage's program, replacing it with The Dennis Miller Show. Later that evening, Savage devoted his entire three-hour program to the subject, taking calls from parents who took issue with his comments. On that show Savage stated that his remarks had been "ripped out of context" by "far left Stalinists
" who want him off of the air. He appeared on Larry King Live
with Glenn Beck
as the substitute host for Larry King
, and said that the real issue he was commenting on was the overdiagnosis
of children due to pharmaceutical companies' drive to drug children for higher profits.
On July 25, 2008, Autism United advocates gathered to announce that several advertisers, including RadioShack
, Sears
, Home Depot
, and DirectBuy
, will discontinue their support for Savage's show.
Savage's syndicator, Talk Radio Network
, has responded by releasing a lengthy statement, along with a selection of 20 audio clips drawn from Savage's discussions of autism, to show that the comments were taken out of context.
Jacqui Smith
that Savage was on a list of individuals banned from entering the United Kingdom as he is "considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred
which might lead to inter-community violence". The list also includes Erich Gliebe
, Fred Phelps
, Mike Guzovsky
and Abdul Alim Musa
. During his radio broadcast on that same day, Savage declared that he would sue Smith personally for defamation, calling her a "lunatic".
During a subsequent NPR
talk show, Savage said that he has never advocated violence and repeatedly invoked the United States Constitution's
First Amendment
. After host Neal Conan
pointed out that the U.S. Constitution does not apply to the United Kingdom, Savage replied, "No. Thank God I'm an American. But for this lunatic... to link me up with Nazi skinheads who are killing people in Russia
... to put me in league with Hamas
murderers who killed Jews on buses, is astonishing". Savage also called on his listeners to support him by canceling travel and business in Britain as well as by boycotting British-made goods, commenting, "If they want to play hardball, we'll play hardball." When a caller challenged Savage about his talk show rhetoric, Savage called him a "foaming lunatic... someone in pajamas in a mental asylum... You’re nobody and I’m not going to talk to you!" At that point, Savage ended the interview.Political commentators later remarked on the "hypocrisy" of Savage's comments on the show, "It's quite ironic that someone like Michael Savage sees no hypocrisy in strongly defending his right to the First Amendment only to show outrage and intolerance a few minutes later toward the views of someone else he doesn't agree with."
Of the banning, the Mayor of London
, Boris Johnson
, wrote: "America still has a constitutional protection of free speech, and I have been amazed... to see how few people in this country are willing to stick up for that elementary principle... a country once famous for free speech is now hysterically and expensively sensitive to anything that could be taken as a slight." In The Guardian
, Catherine Bennett
wrote: "The ban on Savage is so far from being a comprehensible act, so staggeringly capricious and stupid, as to defy evaluation." While Sam Leith wrote: "Barring this shock-jock from Britain risks turning a rabid blabbermouth into a beacon for free speech."
On July 12, 2010 the new Coalition government
, of which the Conservative Party's
David Cameron
is Prime Minister, announced that it will continue to ban Savage from entering the UK.
His 1980 book Weiners's Herbal: The Guide to Herb Medicine advocated the medical benefits of marijuana
.
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 1991, Savage self-published The Death of the White Male, an argument against affirmative action
. In the book, Savage, calls affirmative action "reverse discrimination
", and demonstrates his emerging philosophy. This eventually led to his starting the Paul Revere Society and he continues to sell the book to raise money for this group.
In January 2003, Savage published The Savage Nation: Saving America from the Liberal Assault on Our Borders, Language and Culture, his first major book under the pseudonym Michael Savage. The book quickly reached the top of the New York Times Best Seller 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 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 zoo keeper. Savage has remarked that the book is "easier to digest" than his previous political books.
In October 2010, Savage released Trickle Up Poverty: Stopping Obama’s Attack on Our Borders, Economy, and Security. Released through the HarperCollins
imprint of William Morrow, the book argued: "Americans are boiling mad over the way Congress and this Marxist
/Leninist
-oriented President are manipulating the current economic crisis to nationalize businesses."
In November 2010, it was confirmed that Savage had signed a deal to write two thrillers for publisher St. Martin's Press. The first political thriller, "Abuse of Power
," was released on 13 September 2011. The novel is based on "My fictionalized account of being banned from Britain and hunted by overbearing governments is set in the San Francisco only I know," said Savage. It is set in San Francisco, mainly in North Beach, as well as London
, and Tel Aviv
. It tells the story of a failed carjacking that reveals a government cover-up. A dark plot involving British officials and a terrorist group known as "the Hand of Allah." The publisher has described the novel by saying, "will make 9/11 look like child's play."
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
, author, and political commentator. He is the host of The Savage Nation
The Savage Nation
The Savage Nation is an American radio show hosted by conservative commentator Michael Savage on Talk Radio Network. His show is heard by 8-10 million listeners a week and syndicated across the U.S. in over 300 markets, making it the 3rd most listened to radio show in the country...
, a nationally syndicated talk show that airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network
Talk Radio Network
Talk Radio Network is an American radio network providing talk radio programming, with an emphasis on conservative talk on weekdays and variety/general interest talk radio on weekends. Some of the most recognizable personalities in American radio, such as Laura Ingraham and Michael Savage, are...
. The Savage Nation has an audience of 8 to 10 million listeners on 400 stations across the United States, making it the fourth most listened-to radio talk show in the country. He holds master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
s from the University of Hawaii in medical botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and medical anthropology
Medical anthropology
Medical anthropology is an interdisciplinary field which studies "human health and disease, health care systems, and biocultural adaptation". It views humans from multidimensional and ecological perspectives...
and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, in nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
al ethnomedicine
Ethnomedicine
Ethnomedicine is a sub-field of ethnobotany or medical anthropology that deals with the study of traditional medicines: not only those that have relevant written sources Ethnomedicine is a sub-field of ethnobotany or medical anthropology that deals with the study of traditional medicines: not only...
. As Michael Weiner, he has written books on herbal medicine
Herbalism
Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, herblore, and phytotherapy...
and homeopathy
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners claim to treat patients using highly diluted preparations that are believed to cause healthy people to exhibit symptoms that are similar to those exhibited by the patient...
. As Michael Savage, he has written four New York Times-bestselling political books
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
.
Savage has summarized his political philosophy in three words: border
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
s, language, and culture. Some, including Savage himself, have characterized his views as conservative nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
, while critics have characterized them as "fostering extremism or hatred." He outspokenly opposes illegal immigration to the United States
Illegal immigration to the United States
An illegal immigrant in the United States is an alien who has entered the United States without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa....
, supports the English-only movement
English-only movement
English-only movement, also known as Official English movement, refers to a political movement for the use only of the English language in official government operations through the establishing of English as the only official language in the United States...
and argues that liberalism
Liberalism in the United States
Liberalism in the United States is a broad political philosophy centered on the unalienable rights of the individual. The fundamental liberal ideals of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion for all belief systems, and the separation of church and state, right to due process...
and progressivism
Progressivism in the United States
Progressivism in the United States is a broadly based reform movement that reached its height early in the 20th century and is generally considered to be middle class and reformist in nature. It arose as a response to the vast changes brought by modernization, such as the growth of large...
are degrading American culture
Culture of the United States
The Culture of the United States is a Western culture originally influenced by European cultures. It has been developing since long before the United States became a country with its own unique social and cultural characteristics such as dialect, music, arts, social habits, cuisine, and folklore...
. Although his radio delivery is usually characterized as confrontational and politically themed, some of his show involves ruminating on topics such as medicine, nutrition, music, literature, history, theology, philosophy, sports, culture, and personal anecdotes.
Since 2009, Savage has been barred from entering the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, for allegedly "seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred
Hatred
Hatred is a deep and emotional extreme dislike, directed against a certain object or class of objects. The objects of such hatred can vary widely, from inanimate objects to animals, oneself or other people, entire groups of people, people in general, existence, or the whole world...
".
Personal life
Savage was born Michael Alan Weiner in the BronxThe Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York, one of three children of Benjamin and Rae Weiner; he comes from Russian Jewish heritage. He described his childhood as difficult. His father, the owner of an antique shop, died of a heart attack at age 57, and his mother died in 2003.
After graduating from Jamaica High School
Jamaica High School (New York City)
Jamaica High School is a four-year public high school in Queens, New York. The school is administered by the New York City Department of Education.-History:...
in 1958, Weiner attended Queens College
Queens College, City University of New York
Queens College, located in Flushing, Queens, New York City, is one of the senior colleges of the City University of New York. It is also the fifth oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning. The college's seventy seven acre campus is located in the heart of the...
, where he earned a bachelor's degree in biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
in 1963. After college Weiner taught high school for several years in New York City. His first marriage to Carol Ely 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
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
both pregnancies over Weiner's objections. During this time Weiner also worked for famous psychedelic drug
Psychedelic drug
A psychedelic substance is a psychoactive drug whose primary action is to alter cognition and perception. Psychedelics are part of a wider class of psychoactive drugs known as hallucinogens, a class that also includes related substances such as dissociatives and deliriants...
advocate Timothy Leary
Timothy Leary
Timothy Francis Leary was an American psychologist and writer, known for his advocacy of psychedelic drugs. During a time when drugs like LSD and psilocybin were legal, Leary conducted experiments at Harvard University under the Harvard Psilocybin Project, resulting in the Concord Prison...
as keeper of the stone gatehouse on Leary's Millbrook estate. Leary hired him to the post because Weiner did not use LSD himself. Weiner then earned two master's degrees in ethnobotany
Ethnobotany
Ethnobotany is the scientific study of the relationships that exist between people and plants....
and anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He obtained a Ph.D. in 1978 from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, in nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
al ethnomedicine
Ethnomedicine
Ethnomedicine is a sub-field of ethnobotany or medical anthropology that deals with the study of traditional medicines: not only those that have relevant written sources Ethnomedicine is a sub-field of ethnobotany or medical anthropology that deals with the study of traditional medicines: not only...
. His thesis was titled Nutritional Ethnomedicine in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
.
While in the South Pacific, he became fascinated with the 19th-century sailor Charles Savage
Charles Savage (beachcomber)
Charlie Savage, was a sailor and beachcomber known for his exploits on the islands of Fiji between 1808 and 1813.-Arrival at Fiji:...
, who was believed to have been the first man to bring firearms to Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
. That fascination led to Weiner's name change to Savage.
Savage and his second wife Janet have two children, a daughter and a son; his son, Russell Weiner
Russell Weiner
Russell Goldencloud "Russ" Weiner is the creator of the Rockstar energy drink. Weiner is also the founder and CEO of the company, which is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Weiner is the son of Michael Weiner, better known as conservative radio talk show host Michael Savage, and Janet...
, is the founder of the company that produces the Rockstar
Rockstar (drink)
Rockstar is an energy drink created in 2001. With 14% of the US market in 2008, Rockstar is a leading energy drink brand. Rockstar is based in Las Vegas...
energy drink. Russell's mother, Janet, served as CFO
Chief financial officer
The chief financial officer or Chief financial and operating officer is a corporate officer primarily responsible for managing the financial risks of the corporation. This officer is also responsible for financial planning and record-keeping, as well as financial reporting to higher management...
of his company until July 2009. Daughter Rebecca Lin Yops has worked as an elementary school teacher. Savage has said that although he believes in God, he attends houses of worship only a few times a year. During the 1980s, Savage attended Friday night services at a Chabad house
Chabad house
A Chabad house is a centre for disseminating Orthodox Judaism by the Chabad movement. Chabad Houses are run by the local Shaliach , who was sent to that place by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who founded all Chabad Houses...
in Berkeley.
Shift in philosophy
Savage introduced himself to certain writers in the North BeachNorth Beach, San Francisco, California
North Beach is a neighborhood in the northeast of San Francisco adjacent to Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf and Russian Hill. The neighborhood is San Francisco's Little Italy, and has historically been home to a large Italian American population. It still holds many Italian restaurants today, though...
area of San Francisco in the early 1960s. He befriended and traveled with Beat
Beat generation
The Beat Generation refers to a group of American post-WWII writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they both documented and inspired...
poets Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
and Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Lawrence Ferlinghetti is an American poet, painter, liberal activist, and the co-founder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers...
. Savage maintained a correspondence with Ginsberg consisting of ten letters and a trio of postcards across four years, which is maintained with Ginsberg's papers at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. One letter asked for Ginsberg and Ferlinghetti to come do a poetry reading, so others could "hear and see and know why I adore your public image." Another acquaintance was poet and author Neeli Cherkovski
Neeli Cherkovski
Neeli Cherkovski: Neeli Cherkovski: Neeli Cherkovski: (born Nelson Cherry, 1945, Santa Monica, California, Cherkovski grew up in San Bernardino, California. Cherkovski has resided in San Francisco since 1975 where he is known as a poet and memoirist. In the 1970s he was a political consultant in...
, who says Savage dreamed of becoming a stand-up comic
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
in the mold of Lenny Bruce
Lenny Bruce
Leonard Alfred Schneider , better known by the stage name Lenny Bruce, was a Jewish-American comedian, social critic and satirist...
.
Around 1980, an acquaintance, Robert Cathcart, says in his private conversations with Savage he knew him to have conservative political views. Schwartz stated Savage became alienated from the North Beach scene in the early 1980s. Savage had intense arguments with 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. Savage states that his opinions on welfare were partly shaped by his first job out of college as a social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
er. He described one incident in which his supervisor had him deliver a check to a welfare client to furnish their apartment, while his own apartment was furnished with cardboard boxes. Another turning point occurred for him as a writer of health and nutrition books in the 1980s, when he experienced what he saw as "political opposition" after making the suggestion that the closure of homosexual bathhouses might be necessary in response to the emerging AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
epidemic. In 1994 his final health and nutrition manuscript, Immigrants and Epidemics, was rejected by publishers for being inflammatory. In 1996, Savage applied to become the Dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. The University instead selected award-winning journalist and China scholar Orville Schell
Orville Schell
Orville Hickock Schell III is an activist and writer working on China, and is the Arthus Ross Director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society in New York...
. Savage sued the University, contending he was discriminated against because he was a conservative. Savage later dropped the lawsuit.
Radio show
The rejection of his 1994 manuscript prompted him to record a demo tape with a mock radio talk show about illegal immigrantsIllegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration into a nation in violation of the immigration laws of that jurisdiction. Illegal immigration raises many political, economical and social issues and has become a source of major controversy in developed countries and the more successful developing countries.In...
and epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
s. He mailed this tape to 250 radio stations in an attempt to change careers and become a radio talk show host. On March 21, 1994, Savage began his radio career on KGO
KGO (AM)
KGO is a news/talk-format radio station radio with offices and studios in San Francisco, California. Unlike most other American news/talk stations, KGO originates nearly all of its own programming locally. Since 1978, KGO radio has received Arbitron's number-one ranking in the Bay Area...
(a San Francisco news/talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
station) as a fill-in host for the liberal Ray Taliaferro
Ray Taliaferro
Rafael "Ray" Taliaferro is an American radio host and liberal political commentator. His early-morning talk show, simply called The Early Show, airs on KGO News Talk 810 in the San Francisco Bay Area.-Broadcast career:...
. Less than a year later, he began hosting his own show on KGO's sister station KSFO.
At the time, his slogan was "To the right of Rush
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
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 reached #1 in Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
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
Talk Radio Network
Talk Radio Network is an American radio network providing talk radio programming, with an emphasis on conservative talk on weekdays and variety/general interest talk radio on weekends. Some of the most recognizable personalities in American radio, such as Laura Ingraham and Michael Savage, are...
, based in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, which currently syndicates his The Savage Nation
The Savage Nation
The Savage Nation is an American radio show hosted by conservative commentator Michael Savage on Talk Radio Network. His show is heard by 8-10 million listeners a week and syndicated across the U.S. in over 300 markets, making it the 3rd most listened to radio show in the country...
radio program.
As of the fall of 2006, Savage has 8–10 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
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
, Henry Miller
Henry Miller
Henry Valentine Miller was an American novelist and painter. He was known for breaking with existing literary forms and developing a new sort of 'novel' that is a mixture of novel, autobiography, social criticism, philosophical reflection, surrealist free association, and mysticism, one that is...
, Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
, Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, Jesus, and Frankenstein
Frankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
." Mark de la Viña of the San Jose Mercury News
San Jose Mercury News
The San Jose Mercury News is a daily newspaper in San Jose, California. On its web site, however, it calls itself Silicon Valley Mercury News. The paper is owned by MediaNews Group...
wrote of Savage, "In contrast to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Laura Schlessinger
Laura Schlessinger
Laura Catherine Schlessinger is an American talk radio host, socially conservative commentator and author. Her radio program consists mainly of her responses to callers' requests for personal advice and has occasionally featured her short monologues on social and political topics...
, Bay Area-based Savage mixes conservative diatribe and blunt observations with acerbic humor and a gift of gab. It has propelled him to the top of radio talk-show ratings as well as bestseller book lists."
On September 10, 2009, KNEW-AM
KNEW (AM)
KNEW is a radio station in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, CA, USA. The station is owned by Clear Channel. Prior to the format change, the station operated as CNET Radio, offering business and technology news 24 hours a day...
(910 kHz) in Savage's home market of San Francisco announced that it was dropping his program and replacing him with John and Ken
John and Ken
John Chester Kobylt and Kenneth Robertson Chiampou, known professionally as John and Ken are American talk radio hosts of a four-hour weekday radio show, The John and Ken Show, on KFI AM 640 in Southern California. The John and Ken Show airs from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m....
from sister station KFI
KFI
KFI is an AM radio station in Los Angeles, California. It received its license to operate on March 31, 1922 and began operating on April 16, 1922 as one of the United States' first high-powered, "clear-channel" stations...
-AM (640 kHz)/Los Angeles. John Scott, program director of KNEW said in an e-mail that the station was headed "...in a different philosophical and ideological direction, featuring more contemporary content and more local information." According to Arbitron monthly ratings, KNEW-AM
KNEW (AM)
KNEW is a radio station in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, CA, USA. The station is owned by Clear Channel. Prior to the format change, the station operated as CNET Radio, offering business and technology news 24 hours a day...
dropped in the ratings since Savage was let go. San Francisco station KTRB
KTRB
KTRB ESPN Deportes 860 is a commercial radio station in San Francisco, California. The station has a Spanish sports-talk format since June 27, 2011.-History:...
picked up the program for the San Francisco market, and saw a ratings boost in the afternoon drive. However, the program was among the first casualties when KTRB went into receivership in September 2010.
Savage had asked his audience for their opinion prior to consenting to a profile interview by Kelefa Sanneh
Kelefa Sanneh
Kelefa T. Sanneh is an American journalist and music critic. From 2000 to 2008, he wrote for the New York Times, covering the rock 'n' roll, hip-hop, and pop music scenes...
of The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
; Savage eventually accepted that offer and the New Yorker profile, titled "Party of One", was published in the August 3, 2009 issue, which covered Savage's life and personality in great detail.
On January 22, 2010, Savage revealed to his audience that a writer for Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
had contacted him via email to do a lengthy interview, and again asked his listeners if he should accept the offer. During the show, Savage read from personal emails between the Playboy writer and himself. The writer admitted to being a listener of the Savage Nation
The Savage Nation
The Savage Nation is an American radio show hosted by conservative commentator Michael Savage on Talk Radio Network. His show is heard by 8-10 million listeners a week and syndicated across the U.S. in over 300 markets, making it the 3rd most listened to radio show in the country...
but a critic of the profile done by The New Yorker. The writer also stated that the purpose of the interview was to "rattle" Playboys readers. On May 12, 2010, Savage revealed that he had granted the interview at his home. Playboy published the interview in June 2010. He read from a pre-publication copy of the 8,000 word Playboy interview, in which the writer expressed animosity for Savage and his views. Savage said that he was disappointed at the lack of journalistic objectivity, but did not harbor hatred for the writer. He referred back to the New Yorker interview by Kelefa Sanneh, and praised Sanneh as a "real writer" who had understood his subject.
On October 1, 2011, Michael Savage was ranked as the #2 for online streams according to the internet rankings report published by TalkStreamLive.com
MSNBC television show
Savage was hired by MSNBCMSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
president Erik Sorenson to do a one-hour show beginning March 8, 2003, despite Savage's previous criticism of the network in his book The Savage Nation
The Savage Nation (book)
The Savage Nation: Saving America from the Liberal Assault on Our Borders, Language, and Culture is Michael Savage's 18th book. It was published in 2003 and spent 18 weeks on the NY Times best seller list, debuting at #1...
and the objections of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
employees like anchor Tom Brokaw
Tom Brokaw
Thomas John "Tom" Brokaw is an American television journalist and author best known as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004. He is the author of The Greatest Generation and other books and the recipient of numerous awards and honors...
, who asked NBC executives, "Is this the sort of man who embodies the values of NBC?" Sorenson, at the time, called Savage "brash, passionate and smart," and promised that he would provide "compelling opinion and analysis with an edge."
From the very beginning of his stint at MSNBC, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) urged the show's sponsors to stop advertising on the show. Savage did not sue GLAAD, but Talk Radio Network Inc. (TRN), which syndicated his radio show, did sue the owners of three small noncommercial websites that had criticized Savage and endorsed the call for advertisers to withdraw their support for the show. The suit alleged that the defendants had caused Savage financial damage by interfering with his relationship with advertisers, had used material from The Michael Savage Show without permission, and had spread "false and malicious" information about Savage.
The suit was brought in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, the location of Culligan, a company that stopped advertising with TRN. Public Citizen
Public Citizen
Public Citizen is a non-profit, consumer rights advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., United States, with a branch in Austin, Texas. Public Citizen was founded by Ralph Nader in 1971, headed for 26 years by Joan Claybrook, and is now headed by Robert Weissman.-Lobbying Efforts:Public Citizen...
undertook the legal defense of the owners of savagestupidity.com. Savage also contended before the National Arbitration Forum
National Arbitration Forum
The National Arbitration Forum , founded in 1986, provides arbitration and mediation services to businesses, based at its Minneapolis, Minnesota headquarters and offices in New Jersey. The company is one of the United States's largest and most controversial dispute resolution companies...
that the "savagestupidity.com" and "michaelsavagesucks.com" domain name
Domain name
A domain name is an identification string that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control in the Internet. Domain names are formed by the rules and procedures of the Domain Name System ....
s were "confusingly similar" to his own "michaelsavage.com", and that he should be given those domain names. Several months after filing the lawsuit, TRN withdrew it without obtaining any concessions from the defendants. The National Arbitration Forum ruled against Savage's claim.
Four months later, on July 7, Savage was fired from his MSNBC television show after remarks made in response to a caller, later identified as prank call
Prank call
A prank call is a form of practical joke committed over the telephone. Prank phone calls began to gain an America-wide following over a period of many years, as they gradually became a staple of the obscure and amusing cassette tapes traded amongst musicians, sound engineers, and media traders...
er Bob Foster, who insulted Savage's teeth. Savage then asked if Foster was a "sodomite
Sodomy
Sodomy is an anal or other copulation-like act, especially between male persons or between a man and animal, and one who practices sodomy is a "sodomite"...
", to which the caller answered, "Yes, I am." Savage then said to the caller,
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, despite the fact that clips of the segment show Savage going to commercial after he made the comments. He also said his remarks were meant only to insult the caller, not all people with AIDS.
Political views
Michael Savage calls himself an "independent-minded individualist" and says that he "fits no stereotype." He has also cited Barry GoldwaterBarry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
as an influence. Savage criticizes big government
Big government
Big government is a term generally used by political conservatives, laissez-faire advocates, or libertarians to describe a government or public sector which they consider to be excessively large, corrupt and inefficient, or inappropriately involved in certain areas of public policy or the private...
as well as liberalism
Liberalism in the United States
Liberalism in the United States is a broad political philosophy centered on the unalienable rights of the individual. The fundamental liberal ideals of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion for all belief systems, and the separation of church and state, right to due process...
and liberal activism, accuses the news media of liberal bias
Media bias
Media bias refers to the bias of journalists and news producers within the mass media in the selection of events and stories that are reported and how they are covered. The term "media bias" implies a pervasive or widespread bias contravening the standards of journalism, rather than the...
, and champions conservationism and animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
. He considers the three aspects that define a nation as borders, language, and culture; those aspects inspired the motto of the Paul Revere Society.
In 2003, Savage said that he voted in 2000
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
for George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
"quite reluctantly, incidentally." In 2004
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, Savage and the Revere Society hosted a party at Schroeder's Cafe in San Francisco celebrating the re-election of Bush. Savage donated $5,600 to the campaign of Democratic candidate Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
in the 2006 California Attorney General election
California Attorney General election, 2006
The 2006 California Attorney General election occurred on November 7, 2006. The primary elections took place on June 6, 2006. Former Governor Jerry Brown, the Democratic nominee, easily defeated the Republican nominee, State Senator Chuck Poochigian, for the office previously held by Democrat Bill...
.
Regarding candidates for the 2012 Republican primaries
Republican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2012
The 2012 Republican presidential primaries are the selection processes in which voters of the Republican Party will choose their nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 presidential election. The primary contest began with a fairly wide field, and is the first presidential primary...
, Savage said that Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
had "great ideas" but expressed that Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
should be the nominee.
Legal defense contributions
Savage has regularly donated money toward the legal defense of the MarinesUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
accused of murdering civilians
Haditha killings
The Haditha killings refers to the incident where 24 Iraqi men, women and children were killed by a group of United States Marines on November 19, 2005 in Haditha, a city in the western Iraqi province of Al Anbar. At least 15 of those killed were civilians...
in Haditha, Iraq
Haditha
Haditha is a city in the western Iraqi Al Anbar Governorate, about 240 km northwest of Baghdad. It is a farming town situated on the Euphrates River at . Its population of around 100,000 people is predominantly Sunni Muslim Arabs...
; occasionally, Savage will offer proceeds from any sales through his website. Savage had regular contact with the attorneys of the accused and criticizes their treatment at Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and serves as its prime amphibious training base...
. Most recently, Savage has donated over $10,000 to the U.S. Marines Charity Defense Fund at the Thomas More Law Center
Thomas More Law Center
The Thomas More Law Center is a prominent conservative Christian, not-for-profit law center based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and is active throughout the United States. Its stated goals are defending the religious freedom of Christians, restoring "time honored values" and protecting the sanctity of...
On April 25, 2007, he pledged $1 for each 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.
The Marines were ultimately found not guilty.
Lieutenant Michael Behenna
On his nationally syndicated talk radio program, Michael Savage announced that he had sent another $50,000 to aid in the defense of First LieutenantFirst Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
Michael Behenna, who has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for murdering Ali Mansur Mohammed while serving in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
with the 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
in 2008. Savage has previously given $50,000 to Behenna’s defense from the Savage Legal Defense Fund and his own personal contributions. According to Vicki Behenna, the lieutenant’s mother, additional contributions from listeners since Savage brought up this topic on his program have amounted to over $40,000. This brings the total contributions from Savage and his listeners to nearly $150,000.
Awards
On June 9, 2007, Talkers MagazineTalkers magazine
Talkers Magazine is a trade industry publication related to talk radio in the United States. Its slogan is "The Bible of Talk Radio and the New Talk Media"...
awarded Savage with the publication's annual "Freedom of Speech Award," and he accepted it with a pre-recorded speech.
Criticisms
In July 2005, conservative writer Bernard GoldbergBernard Goldberg
Bernard Richard Goldberg , also known as Bernie Goldberg, is an eleven-time Emmy Award-winning American writer, journalist, and political commentator...
ranked Savage number 61 in his book 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America
100 People Who Are Screwing Up America
100 People Who Are Screwing Up America is a non-fiction book by Bernard Goldberg that was published in 2005. The book's central idea is to name and blame a long list of specific individuals for making the United States a "far more selfish, vulgar, and cynical place."Goldberg's book denounces many...
. Goldberg wrote that "Savage's brand of over-the-top bile
Bile
Bile or gall is a bitter-tasting, dark green to yellowish brown fluid, produced by the liver of most vertebrates, that aids the process of digestion of lipids in the small intestine. In many species, bile is stored in the gallbladder and upon eating is discharged into the duodenum...
...puts him right in there with the angriest haters on the Left." David Klinghoffer
David Klinghoffer
David Klinghoffer is an author and essayist, and a proponent of intelligent design. He is a Senior Fellow of the Discovery Institute, the organization that is the driving force behind the intelligent design movement...
, a National Review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
columnist, speculated that The Savage Nation "is an act, a put-on."
Liberal advocacy groups and media watchdogs such as GLAAD and FAIR
Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting
Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting is a progressive media criticism organization based in New York City, founded in 1986.FAIR describes itself on its website as "the national media watch group" and defines its mission as working to "invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity...
accuse Savage of racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
, bigotry
Bigotry
A bigot is a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices, especially one exhibiting intolerance, and animosity toward those of differing beliefs...
and Islamophobia
Islamophobia
Islamophobia describes prejudice against, hatred or irrational fear of Islam or MuslimsThe term dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s, but came into common usage after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States....
because of his controversial statements about homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
, sex education
Sex education
Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
, and immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
. On his September 21, 1999 broadcast, Savage said that the motivation for female students who come from a Marin County private school to feed and provide services to the homeless is so they "can go in and get rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d by them, because they seem to like the excitement of it..."
On April 17, 2006, he said of Muslims
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, "They say, 'Oh, there's a billion of them.' I said, 'So, kill 100 million of them, then there'll be 900 million of them.' I mean, would you rather die—would you rather us die than them?" This was taken from an argument dealing with the possibility of a nuclear conflict in that region. After Savage was banned from the UK, this was also reported in the UK media.
Roman Catholic Church and immigration
In March 2006, Savage drew the ire of some in the Roman Catholic community when he accused the Roman Catholic Church of breaking federal law by giving assistance to illegal immigrants (in response to statements by Roger Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles calling it "pastoral support"). William A. DonohueWilliam A. Donohue
William Anthony "Bill" Donohue is the president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights in the United States, a position he has held since 1993.-Life and career:...
, the president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights
Catholic League (U.S.)
The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, often shortened to the Catholic League, is an American Catholic anti-defamation and civil rights organization...
, was scheduled to be on the show that day, but refused after hearing Savage's language. He later said, "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."
On March 28, 2006, Savage encouraged his listeners to burn Mexican flags
Flag of Mexico
The flag of Mexico is a vertical tricolor of green, white, and red with the national coat of arms charged in the center of the white stripe. While the meaning of the colors has changed over time, these three colors were adopted by Mexico following independence from Spain during the country's War...
to counter massive rallies held in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
during which demonstrators marched in opposition to proposed legislation that would impose new immigration restrictions.
C-SPAN broadcast of Talkers Award
When Talkers MagazineTalkers magazine
Talkers Magazine is a trade industry publication related to talk radio in the United States. Its slogan is "The Bible of Talk Radio and the New Talk Media"...
awarded Savage with the publication's annual "Freedom of Speech Award," C-SPAN
C-SPAN
C-SPAN , an acronym for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, is an American cable television network that offers coverage of federal government proceedings and other public affairs programming via its three television channels , one radio station and a group of websites that provide streaming...
opted not to broadcast a pre-recorded speech that had been sent by Michael Savage. Although the award ceremony had received coverage in previous years, C-SPAN did not televise it due to its policy of televising such speeches only when delivered in person. Savage stated that C-SPAN's decision was "censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
" and he told his listeners to express their ire to C-SPAN through calls and e-mails to the organization.
Dispute with CAIR
In early November 2007, the Council on American-Islamic RelationsCouncil on American-Islamic Relations
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is America's largest Muslim civil liberties advocacy organization that deals with civil advocacy and promotes human rights...
(CAIR) called on radio listeners to contact companies that advertise on Savage's program to express their concerns about his comments concerning Muslims. Savage was quoted as saying Muslims "need deportation
Deportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
", and that adherents of Islam would do well to "take your religion and shove it up your behind" because "I'm sick of you." On his show and website, Savage countered that CAIR is linked to terrorist organizations, and was an "unindicted co-conspirator in an anti-terrorist trial". On November 8, 2007, following a campaign by CAIR meant to get Savage off the air by going after his sponsors, Citrix Systems, Inc.
Citrix Systems
Citrix Systems, Inc. is a multinational corporation founded in 1989, that provides server and desktop virtualization, networking, software-as-a-service , and cloud computing technologies, including Xen open source products....
pulled its advertisements from his show.
Savage sued CAIR for its use, on its website, of excerpts from his show. Savage's lawsuit alleges copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
infringement by CAIR. The suit alleged that CAIR's repackaging of Savage's comments was "deliberately designed to obscure the specific message conveyed by Michael Savage". The excerpts included Savage's characterization of the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
as "a throwback document" and a "book of hate". CAIR called the suit "bizarre, sloppy and baseless". On July 25, 2008, the United States district court
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
dismissed Savage's suit against CAIR, holding that the posting of the audio clip was protected under the First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
doctrine of fair use
Fair use
Fair use is a limitation and exception to the exclusive right granted by copyright law to the author of a creative work. In United States copyright law, fair use is a doctrine that permits limited use of copyrighted material without acquiring permission from the rights holders...
, as it was used to "comment on and rebut derogatory statements regarding their organization and their religious affiliations." The court gave Savage the opportunity to file an amended complaint if he wanted to try to cure the defects in his suit. On August 14, 2008, however, Savage's lawyer announced that Savage would not file an amended complaint and would drop the case. CAIR then sought attorneys fees against Savage but U.S. District Court judge Susan Illston denied that request.
Autism
In July 2008, Savage claimed that the increasing rate of autismAutism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
diagnoses was the result of "a racket" designed to get disability payments for "poorer families who have found a new way to be parasites on the government." He returned to the subject on his July 16, 2008 show with the following remarks:
On July 21, 2008, following a public information campaign led by the liberal advocacy group Media Matters for America
Media Matters for America
Media Matters for America is a politically progressive media watchdog group which says it is "dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media." Set up as a 501 non-profit organization, MMfA was founded in 2004 by journalist and...
, several dozen parents and grandparents of autistic children picketed outside the studios of WOR
WOR (AM)
WOR is a class A , AM radio station located in New York, New York, U.S., operating on 710 kHz. The station has a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting since 1987, after the station was sold by RKO. The station has conservative, or right-of-center hosts.Its call letters have no...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, calling for Savage to be fired and for commercial sponsors to withdraw their advertising from his program. In response, WOR issued a statement saying, "We regret any consternation that his remarks may have caused to our listeners." Also that day, the insurance company Aflac
Aflac
Aflac Incorporated is the largest provider of supplemental insurance in the United States, founded in 1955 and based in Columbus, Georgia. In the United States, Aflac underwrites a wide range of insurance policies, but is perhaps more known for its payroll deduction insurance coverage, which pays...
pulled its advertising, and the Supertalk Mississippi
Supertalk Mississippi
Supertalk Mississippi, also known as The Super Talk Mississippi Radio Network or simply Supertalk, is a statewide, commercial news and talk radio network based in Jackson, Mississippi. Its flagship station is WFMN . Supertalk Mississippi was launched in July 1997, via WFMN. It simultaneously...
radio network dropped Savage's program, replacing it with The Dennis Miller Show. Later that evening, Savage devoted his entire three-hour program to the subject, taking calls from parents who took issue with his comments. On that show Savage stated that his remarks had been "ripped out of context" by "far left Stalinists
Stalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
" who want him off of the air. He appeared on Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
with Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck
Glenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...
as the substitute host for Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
, and said that the real issue he was commenting on was the overdiagnosis
Overdiagnosis
Overdiagnosis is the diagnosis of "disease" that will never cause symptoms or death during a patient's lifetime. Overdiagnosis is the least familiar side effect of testing for early forms of disease – and, arguably, the most important...
of children due to pharmaceutical companies' drive to drug children for higher profits.
On July 25, 2008, Autism United advocates gathered to announce that several advertisers, including RadioShack
RadioShack
RadioShack Corporation is an American franchise of electronics retail stores in the United States, as well as parts of Europe, South America and Africa. As of 2008, RadioShack reported net sales and operating revenues of $4.81 billion. The headquarters of RadioShack is located in Downtown...
, Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
, Home Depot
The Home Depot
The Home Depot is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services.The Home Depot operates 2,248 big-box format stores across the United States , Canada , Mexico and China, with a 12-store chain...
, and DirectBuy
DirectBuy
DirectBuy is a membership buying service with over 130 locations in the United States and Canada. It is headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana. It claims that it is the largest franchiser of members-only consumer buying centers in North America...
, will discontinue their support for Savage's show.
Savage's syndicator, Talk Radio Network
Talk Radio Network
Talk Radio Network is an American radio network providing talk radio programming, with an emphasis on conservative talk on weekdays and variety/general interest talk radio on weekends. Some of the most recognizable personalities in American radio, such as Laura Ingraham and Michael Savage, are...
, has responded by releasing a lengthy statement, along with a selection of 20 audio clips drawn from Savage's discussions of autism, to show that the comments were taken out of context.
Banned from entering the United Kingdom
On May 5, 2009, it was announced by then-Home SecretaryHome Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
Jacqui Smith
Jacqui Smith
Jacqueline Jill "Jacqui" Smith is a member of the British Labour Party. She served as the Member of Parliament for Redditch from 1997 until 2010 and was the first ever female Home Secretary, thus making her the third woman to hold one of the Great Offices of State — after Margaret Thatcher and...
that Savage was on a list of individuals banned from entering the United Kingdom as he is "considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred
Hatred
Hatred is a deep and emotional extreme dislike, directed against a certain object or class of objects. The objects of such hatred can vary widely, from inanimate objects to animals, oneself or other people, entire groups of people, people in general, existence, or the whole world...
which might lead to inter-community violence". The list also includes Erich Gliebe
Erich Gliebe
Erich Gliebe is a white separatist leader who was formerly a professional boxer and tool-and-die maker. He boxed under the moniker of "The Aryan Barbarian."...
, Fred Phelps
Fred Phelps
Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr. is an American pastor heading the Westboro Baptist Church , an independent Baptist church based in Topeka, Kansas...
, Mike Guzovsky
Mike Guzovsky
Mike Guzovsky, also known as Mike Guzofsky and Yekutiel Ben-Ya'acov, is an American-Israeli follower of the late Meir Kahane. According to the British Government, Guzovsky is a Jewish militant. He is a contact on Kahane.org, which is on the U.S. Treasury Department’s list of terrorist organizations...
and Abdul Alim Musa
Abdul Alim Musa
Imam Abdul Alim Musa is a Muslim American activist and director of Masjid Al-Islam in Washington, D.C.. He is a member of the Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought and a well-known speaker around the world...
. During his radio broadcast on that same day, Savage declared that he would sue Smith personally for defamation, calling her a "lunatic".
During a subsequent NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
talk show, Savage said that he has never advocated violence and repeatedly invoked the United States Constitution's
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
. After host Neal Conan
Neal Conan
Neal Conan is an American radio journalist, producer, editor, and correspondent. He is senior host of the National Public Radio talk show Talk of the Nation....
pointed out that the U.S. Constitution does not apply to the United Kingdom, Savage replied, "No. Thank God I'm an American. But for this lunatic... to link me up with Nazi skinheads who are killing people in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
... to put me in league with Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
murderers who killed Jews on buses, is astonishing". Savage also called on his listeners to support him by canceling travel and business in Britain as well as by boycotting British-made goods, commenting, "If they want to play hardball, we'll play hardball." When a caller challenged Savage about his talk show rhetoric, Savage called him a "foaming lunatic... someone in pajamas in a mental asylum... You’re nobody and I’m not going to talk to you!" At that point, Savage ended the interview.Political commentators later remarked on the "hypocrisy" of Savage's comments on the show, "It's quite ironic that someone like Michael Savage sees no hypocrisy in strongly defending his right to the First Amendment only to show outrage and intolerance a few minutes later toward the views of someone else he doesn't agree with."
Of the banning, the Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
, Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
, wrote: "America still has a constitutional protection of free speech, and I have been amazed... to see how few people in this country are willing to stick up for that elementary principle... a country once famous for free speech is now hysterically and expensively sensitive to anything that could be taken as a slight." In The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Catherine Bennett
Catherine Bennett (journalist)
Catherine Dorothea Bennett is a British journalist, educated at Hertford College, Oxford.Bennett began her career in journalism at Honey magazine. Subsequently she worked at the Sunday Telegraph, Mail on Sunday, The Sunday Times, The Times and the short-lived Sunday Correspondent newspaper before...
wrote: "The ban on Savage is so far from being a comprehensible act, so staggeringly capricious and stupid, as to defy evaluation." While Sam Leith wrote: "Barring this shock-jock from Britain risks turning a rabid blabbermouth into a beacon for free speech."
On July 12, 2010 the new Coalition government
United Kingdom coalition government (2010–present)
The ConservativeLiberal Democrat coalition is the present Government of the United Kingdom, formed after the 2010 general election. The Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats entered into discussions which culminated in the 2010 coalition agreement, setting out a programme for government...
, of which the Conservative Party's
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
is Prime Minister, announced that it will continue to ban Savage from entering the UK.
Books and other writings
In total Savage has written 29 books. Under the name Michael Savage he has written eight books, including a #1 New York Times bestseller and three further books which made the best seller list. He has also reprinted two books with the name Savage, Reducing the Risk of Alzheimer's and Healing Children Naturally.His 1980 book Weiners's Herbal: The Guide to Herb Medicine advocated the medical benefits of marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
.
Savage's recent books are political in nature and published by WND Books, a partnership between the conservative website WorldNetDaily
WorldNetDaily
WorldNetDaily is an American web site that publishes news and associated content from a U.S. conservative perspective. It was founded in May 1997 by Joseph Farah with the stated intent of "exposing wrongdoing, corruption and abuse of power" and is headquartered in Washington, D.C.-History:In...
and Thomas Nelson
Thomas Nelson (publisher)
Thomas Nelson is a publishing firm that began in Scotland in 1798 as the namesake of its founder. Its former US division is currently the sixth largest American trade publisher and the world's largest Christian publisher. It is owned by the private equity firm Kohlberg & Company...
, a publisher of Christian books.
In 1991, Savage self-published The Death of the White Male, an argument against affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
. In the book, Savage, calls affirmative action "reverse discrimination
Reverse discrimination
Reverse discrimination is a controversial term referring to discrimination against members of a dominant or majority group, including the city or state, or in favor of members of a minority or historically disadvantaged group such as African Americans being slaves. Groups may be defined in terms of...
", and demonstrates his emerging philosophy. This eventually led to his starting the Paul Revere Society and he continues to sell the book to raise money for this group.
In January 2003, Savage published The Savage Nation: Saving America from the Liberal Assault on Our Borders, Language and Culture, his first major book under the pseudonym Michael Savage. The book quickly reached the top of the New York Times Best Seller list
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
, earning Savage, as noted above, a commentary show on MSNBC. The book directs attacks at "liberal media bias
Media bias
Media bias refers to the bias of journalists and news producers within the mass media in the selection of events and stories that are reported and how they are covered. The term "media bias" implies a pervasive or widespread bias contravening the standards of journalism, rather than the...
," 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
The Enemy Within (Michael Savage)
The Enemy Within: Saving America from the Liberal Assault on Our Schools, Faith, and Military, radio talk show host Michael Savage's nineteenth book, was published in 2003 and spent seven weeks on the New York Times best seller list, peaking at #7....
. His next book, Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder
Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder
Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder: Savage Solutions is the twentieth book written by conservative radio personality Michael Savage.In the book, Michael Savage accuses liberals and leftists of making political moves which undermine the basic tenets of American life including marriage, the U.S....
, 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 The Political Zoo
The Political Zoo
The Political Zoo is a book written by American conservative talk radio host Michael Savage. The book is unlike Michael Savage's previous works The Political Zoo is a book written by American conservative talk radio host Michael Savage. The book is unlike Michael Savage's previous works The...
. The book contains satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
profiles and cartoons of different public figures, most of whom are liberal political figures and celebrities, who are depicted in caricature
Caricature
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
as animals in the "Political Zoo", with Savage himself portrayed as the zoo keeper. Savage has remarked that the book is "easier to digest" than his previous political books.
In October 2010, Savage released Trickle Up Poverty: Stopping Obama’s Attack on Our Borders, Economy, and Security. Released through the HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
imprint of William Morrow, the book argued: "Americans are boiling mad over the way Congress and this Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
/Leninist
Leninism
In Marxist philosophy, Leninism is the body of political theory for the democratic organisation of a revolutionary vanguard party, and the achievement of a direct-democracy dictatorship of the proletariat, as political prelude to the establishment of socialism...
-oriented President are manipulating the current economic crisis to nationalize businesses."
In November 2010, it was confirmed that Savage had signed a deal to write two thrillers for publisher St. Martin's Press. The first political thriller, "Abuse of Power
Abuse of Power
Abuse of Power is a novel written by radio talk show host Michael Savage.- Plot :Jack Hatfield is a hardened former war correspondent who rose to national prominence for his insightful, provocative commentary...
," was released on 13 September 2011. The novel is based on "My fictionalized account of being banned from Britain and hunted by overbearing governments is set in the San Francisco only I know," said Savage. It is set in San Francisco, mainly in North Beach, as well as London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. It tells the story of a failed carjacking that reveals a government cover-up. A dark plot involving British officials and a terrorist group known as "the Hand of Allah." The publisher has described the novel by saying, "will make 9/11 look like child's play."
Books as Michael Weiner
- Earth Medicine—Earth Foods: Plant Remedies, Drugs, and Natural Foods of the North American Indians, New York: Macmillan Publishers USA, 1972, ISBN 002625610X
- Plant a Tree: A Working Guide to Regreening America, New York: Collier Books, 1975, ISBN 0471571040
- Bugs in the Peanut Butter: Dangers in Everyday Food, Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1976, ISBN 0316928607
- Man's Useful Plants, New York: Macmillan Publishers USA, 1976, ISBN 0027926001
- The Taster's Guide to Beer: Brews and Breweries of the World, New York: Macmillan Publishers USA, 1977, ISBN 0026256002
- The Way of the Skeptical Nutritionist: A Strategy for Designing Your Own Nutritional Profile, New York: Macmillan Publishers USA, 1981, ISBN 0026256207
- The Art of Feeding Children Well with Kathleen Goss, Warner Books, 1982, ISBN 0446978906
- Nutrition Against Aging, New York: Bantam Books, 1983, ISBN 0553236423
- Secrets of Fijian Medicine, San Rafael, Calif.: Quantum Books, 1983, ISBN 0912845023
- Vital Signs, San Diego: Avant Books, 1983, ISBN 0932238203
- Dr. Weiner's High Fiber Counter, New York: Pinnacle Books, 1984, ISBN 0523422113
- Getting Off Cocaine, New York: Avon Publications, 1984, ISBN 0380679000
- The People's Herbal: A Family Guide to Herbal Home Remedies, Los Angeles: Putnam Publishing Group,1984, ISBN 0399507566
- Maximum Immunity: How to Fortify Your Natural Defenses Against Cancer, AIDS, Arthritis, Allergies—Even the Common Cold—And Free Yourself from Unnecessary Worry for Life, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1986, ISBN 0395379105
- Reducing the Risk of Alzheimer's, New York: Stein and Day Publishers, 1987, republished under the name Michael Savage, Ph.D., 2007, ISBN 0946551537
- The Complete Book of Homeopathy: The Holistic & Natural Way to Good Health, Garden City Park, N.Y.: Avery, 1989, ISBN 0895294125
- Weiner's Herbal: The Guide to Herb Medicine with Janet A. Weiner, San Rafael, Calif.: Quantum Books, 1990, ISBN 0912845031
- The Herbal Bible: A Family Guide to Herbal Home Remedies, San Rafael, Calif.: Quantum Books, 1992, ISBN 0912845066
- Healing Children Naturally, San Rafael, Calif.: Quantum Books, 1993, republished under the name Michael Savage, Ph.D., 2007, ISBN 0912845104
- Herbs That Heal: Prescription for Herbal Healing, Mill Valley, Calif.: Quantum Books, 1994, ISBN 0912845112
- The Antioxidant Cookbook: A Nutritionist's Secret Strategy for Delicious and Healthy Eating, Mill Valley, Calif.: Quantum Books, 1995, ISBN 0912845139
Books as Michael Savage
- The Death of the White Male: The Case Against Affirmative Action, Mill Valley, Calif.: Quantum Books, 1991, ISBN 0-9128-4508-2
- The Compassionate Conservative Speaks, San Rafael, Calif.: Quantum Books, 1995, ISBN 0-912845-13-9
- The Savage Nation: Saving America from the Liberal Assault on Our Borders, Language, and Culture, Nashville, Tenn: WND Books, 2002, ISBN 0-7852-6353-5
- The Enemy Within: Saving America from the Liberal Assault on Our Churches, Schools, and Military, Nashville, Tenn: Nelson Current, 2003, ISBN 0-7852-6102-8
- Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder: Savage Solutions, Nashville, Tenn: Nelson Current, 2005, ISBN 1-59555-006-2
- The Political Zoo, Nashville, Tenn: Nelson Current, 2006, ISBN 1-59555-042-9
- Psychological Nudity: Savage Radio Stories, San Francisco: Savage Productions, 2008, ISBN 1-4276-3401-7
- Banned in Britain: Beating the Liberal Blacklist, New York: Plume, 2009, ISBN 978-1-4276-4253-0
- Trickle Up Poverty: Stopping Obama's Attack on Our Borders, Economy, and Security, New York: William Morrow, 2010, ISBN 978-0-06-201097-1
- Abuse of Power, New York: St. Martin's Press, 2011, ISBN 978-0312651619
External links
- Michael Savage's website
- Michael Savage bio from the Talk Radio NetworkTalk Radio NetworkTalk Radio Network is an American radio network providing talk radio programming, with an emphasis on conservative talk on weekdays and variety/general interest talk radio on weekends. Some of the most recognizable personalities in American radio, such as Laura Ingraham and Michael Savage, are...
website - List of radio stations streaming the Michael Savage show
- Listen to The Savage Nation Online