RUSH: Marybeth in Columbia, South Carolina. You’re up, and great to have you here.
CALLER: Hello. I’m a Rush Baby, so this is awesome.
RUSH: Well, good. Thank you very much.
CALLER: I just needed some advice and I figured I would just come straight to the source. Twice in this past week I’ve come across people, not friends, but acquaintances, who have asked me, “Why do you listen to that guy?” I need the most efficient response to give them, because I’m just a quiet Southern girl and I’m not into arguing.
RUSH: They asked you, why do you listen?
CALLER: Yes, sir. They think I’m just crazy.
RUSH: What do you say?
CALLER: Well, because I believe what you say and you love America, but I wanted to ask you what I should say to them.
RUSH: Ask them if they’ve ever listened, number one.
CALLER: They haven’t.
RUSH: Okay.
CALLER: I did ask. They have not.
RUSH: After that, it’s easy. You know what? We make the complex understandable on this program. Sometimes things are so simple, they’re hard to understand. You’re talking to people who have not listened to the program. They’re telling you that you’re silly for listening to it. They admit to you they’ve never listened to it. The retort, you come back, “How in the world can you tell me anything about it when you haven’t listened to it.”
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: You put them on defensive. Don’t let them put you on defense. They haven’t listened to it. You can accuse them if you want of bias, of prejudice. You can accuse them of bigotry. You can accuse them of stupidity. You can say, “I don’t know how you’ve got the courage, I don’t know how you’ve got the guts to sit there and tell me what I should and shouldn’t listen to when you haven’t even heard it yourself.” And then all you have to say to ’em, “You know what, Zeke, it’s a good show. You ought to try and listen to it. But be careful, Zeke, because if you listen once, you’re gonna get hooked.”
CALLER: You’re right.
RUSH: Don’t be defensive. You have nothing to explain. You don’t owe an explanation. It’s a good show. You like the show. You like what you hear on the show. They are the closed-minded, narrow-minded bigots. They’re the ones that have never listened to it, passing judgment on ’em. Ask them what else they don’t know about that you should do.
CALLER: Thank you. That is awesome.
RUSH: All right. Now, let me know how it goes the next time these bullies hit you up.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: One comment to our last caller, Marybeth, the woman who was immediately put on the defensive when some acquaintances, not even friends, but acquaintances said, “Why do you listen to that guy?” They have never listened and they’re telling her she’s stupid for listening. Marybeth, here’s another thing you can do. Remember, you’ve got to stay on offense when this stuff happens. You’re talking to ignorant people. I’m not saying stupid. They don’t know what they’re talking about. They haven’t listened. Ask them, “What are you so afraid of? What is it about a radio show that you’re so afraid of? I listen to this show; you don’t. It’s a good show. I enjoy it. My own opinions are validated on that show. Why don’t you listen to it before telling me what I should and shouldn’t do?” And then give them examples of what you think they ought to be doing. Tell ’em you think they ought to stop watching whatever they watch. I just would never allow myself to be put on defense with this at all.