A Facebook page was created for organizing a rally in support of John "Sly" Sylvester after he and a supporting news crew were cut loose by Midwest Family Broadcasting (WTDY) just before Thanksgiving. This rally is for a guy who has come out in both public and voice support for nearly every working poor and middle-class American and issue facing us today. That's a switch, uh. It's now our turn to show support - Sly deserves a nice rally.
OK, I've heard some mixed reviews on Sly over the years and he wasn't perfect (who is really?). Some folks have said some of the things he did on his show were unforgivable. Those criticisms and views needed to be heard and addressed too, but I have to give Sly a ton of credit for sticking his neck out, his people passion and most of all knowing his heart was always in the right place. Yeah sure, he drifted away from policy at times and chose some words poorly and sometimes developed skits in poor taste, but what radio commentary using humor and satire as a backdrop hasn't made some gaffes? I hope this isn't news to anyone reading this blog, but politics is a big boys (and big girls) sport. It's brutal and it's not about to go soft anytime soon.
Sly, for the most, knew when he overstepped his bounds and in fact did issue apologies to those he may have offended. Some folks, particularly on the Right, would call that a sign of weakness. I grew up always thinking that apologies showed maturity and was a sign of strength and renewal. Yet, have you heard any genuine apologies from the many right-wing radio personalities who offend more than half of America on a daily basis? One a year ...maybe. I'm not apologizing for the dude. He gave apologies for himself and that to me sets the record straight.
So, I don't have any proof for this and this is only an opinion here, but I don't think Sly was cut loose for his radio show antics, personality or talent. I think he was cut loose for his politics and his off-hours activism and if that's true - that's a rotten shame.
When a friend sent me a write-up and some photos of Sly and small group of protesters greeting Sen. Ron Johnson and Paul Ryan on the Romney tour bus, I was astounded by Sly's use of the Chinese flag and how fitting that was to create an outsourcing narrative of the Republican party event being held at the rear of GOP county headquarters here in Janesville. Visuals of this event had to seem bizarre if not contradictory. Sly gave them their own Freudian Slip. I can only imagine the hate that was spewing from the GOP participants toward Sly and his group of protesters.
About a month later, I also wrote a story how the Romney campaign was attempting to silence Sly's citizen activism by threatening his associates and targeting his employer. The story was that after a month passed, republican operatives were still stewing in their bodily fluids over the Janesville rally and refused to allow a WTDY associate reporter an interview with Sen. Ron Johnson in Madison. They made a pretty big stink of the situation so you know there has to be some deep-seated hatred towards Sly.
Three months later after all is seemingly forgotten, the radio station now says they are going through a format change. That very well could be true, but I personally believe these recent interactions with Janesville's Paul Ryan empowered republicans were all related to his termination.
On another related note. I also believe Sly's radio commentary, without the raw personal interjections of course, along with Dylan Brogan and the rest of the staff were sitting on the cutting edge of a brave new media. This is where reporters and journalists aren't cowtowing to their paycheck masters and don't play up to carefully rehearsed politicians just to secure a future interview. This is where real reporters know they're being played by political stagecraft and instead of becoming supporting cast members - they expose the stage. This is what I think Americans really want. We want the plain truth and this is what they offered. Corporate politicians and their media sponsors spend millions to deliver a mirage, so this new media I'm referring to is the future and I think Sly carried it out extremely well at times and posed a direct threat to the corporate stranglehold on public opinion and power. For those reasons, Sly had to go. Again, this is opinion.
I also agree with John Nichols on the need for a strong progressive voice in Wisconsin and support Sly coming back to WTDY or another Madison or south-central radio station ASAP.
Below is the rally information. You can also find more information and participate in discussion by visiting the Facebook links below.
WHEN: Saturday, December 1, 2012
11:00am until 2:00pm
WHERE: Midwest Family Broadcasting
730 Rayovac Dr. Madison, WI
Bring back all the personnel you fired at WTDY last Wednesday! Sour grapes will get you nothing, but a RALLY in support of our friends at Midwest Family Broadcast would send a message. Let's stand in Solidarity for the best news-talk in Wisconsin!!! Even CJ is invited.
Facebook - We Want Sly Rally
Facebook - Sly In The Morning
2 comments:
What if it was Democratic Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton that Sly was making his nasty comments about instead of Republican Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch? The people supprting him now would be wailing.
The man is a no-class turd. Good riddance, even if he is a progressive.
For the last 15 years, this individual has Slymed Clear Channel’s Vicki McKenna. Broadcasting her home address, calling her a whore, calling her “Chlamydia,” picketing her speaking engagements. That behavior is of a piece with his demonstrated record of misogyny. This individual brought WTDY down around his own head and took other people down with him. Todd Akin in Missouri made one stupid comment; this guy repeatedly makes such comments and then "apologizes," happy for the free publicity, until the next slur against women.
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