S05.E03: NRA TV

[Athena]

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Other segments: Trump White House staffing challenges, Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs

 

[revbfc]

How did I watch tonight’s episode?

On a Roku.

Edited March 5, 2018 by revbfc

[Annber03]

Well. That was....deeply terrifying. 

I think we've figured out, though, why the NRA and NRA-sympathetic politicians are so eager to blame mass shootings on video games and movies and TV shows. 'Cause apparently these people seem to have an awful lot of trouble telling the difference between reality and fantasy themselves. That channel did a great job of proving that a lot of people's desire to own guns has fuck all to do with "protection" and more to do with them thinking they're the next Rambo badass tough guy (or girl). That lady describing the AR-15 as a "light, fluffy" whatever-yeah, I'd like her to go up to the family members of those who were killed in these mass shootings by that very weapon and try saying that. 

Also, Charlie Daniels can shut the hell up with his "You haven't met the heartland" bullshit. I am so incredibly sick and tired of the right acting like everyone in the heartland naturally thinks like them. I was born and raised in the heartland, and still live here, and I don't want anything to do with these nutjobs whatsoever. 

As for other topics...Oliver's circus comparison on the Trump stuff described my feelings exactly. But on a lighter note, the "Maury" bit was hilarious, so there's that. 

Edited March 5, 2018 by Annber03

[ottoDbusdriver]

1 hour ago, Annber03 said:

That lady describing the AR-15 as a "light, fluffy" whatever-yeah, I'd like her to go up to the family members of those who were killed in these mass shootings by that very weapon and try saying that. 

I believe the phrase the NRATV woman used was ... "poof of happiness".  Which is disturbing.

Those "shot" paintings were just bizarre -- who thinks that is appropriate for anyone, let alone to decorate a baby's room.

[Annber03]

That's right, "poof of happiness". Thanks :).

And agreed on the paintings as well. That really cracked me up, just 'cause of the way the woman's friends presented them to her. "We wanted to give you something for your baby's room...here you go!" *Proceed to hand her little canvasses with a few random blobs of paint on them* The woman's reaction was kind of like, "....yay?"

Even if they just actually painted those things themselves, it'd still be a really weird gift. 

Edited March 5, 2018 by Annber03

[Lantern7]

Saw this on DVR. Question: what time does the episode film? Because you'd have to either love John Oliver so much, or not care about films and awards. Only "extras" we got were a spoof on ominous NRATV programming and John laying a hammer on his own show.

Damn, NRATV is scary as fuck. Do they have a mascot? Maybe taking the "Moonman" from MTV and giving it a gun? Holy shit . . . if The Inspectors aired there exclusively, it would be in the bottom 20 percent in terms of insanity. In other news: Charlie Daniels? Shut up. If the devil comes a-callin', demanding another shot at your soul, we'll drop a line. Also, nice hat.

1 hour ago, revbfc said:

How did I watch tonight’s episode?

On a Roku.

"OH MY GOD, JERRY!!!! IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING!!!!!"

[ahisma]

Yiiiiiikes at the "electric sexual chemistry with Ivanka" line—it's funny because it's true! 

I had not seen the EU President footage before, only heard about the bits about Harley Davidsons and bourbon. I wish the regular news had mentioned that he repeated several times how stupid it was that they had to engage in this trade war. 

I knew that NRA TV was a nonstop flow of guns/accessories advertising mixed with ominous warnings from the right wing nutjob lizard brain, but it was something else actually seeing it. 

[attica]

I think I once knew that Dana's last name was pronounced 'Lash', but I'd forgotten it. And so few in the media I consume pronounce it that way (mostly 'loshe', though I've heard an occasional 'lesh') So in the spirit of Learning Something New Every Day, I consider this box ticked for Monday.

10 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Also, Charlie Daniels can shut the hell up with his "You haven't met the heartland" bullshit.

One could argue that all them tairists bomb NYC because they're not ready for our jelly. Our jelly is awesome.

God, I'd hate to be on the Maury staff that has to think of new ways to plumb the tragic depths of life for show topics, and then trawl for participants. ::shudder::

[teddysmom]

Not only NRA TV, but the NRA itself is just a marketing arm/lobbyist for gun manufacturers, protecting "2nd Amendment rights" just ensures they keep buying more guns every time there's another mass shooting..  Fortunately for both of them, most members of the NRA don't understand how they're getting played, coming and going.  

[ganesh]

14 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Also, Charlie Daniels can shut the hell up with his "You haven't met the heartland" bullshit. I am so incredibly sick and tired of the right acting like everyone in the heartland naturally thinks like them.

Or that you're not really American if you don't live in the "heartland". Because people in cities have nothing to offer this country. 

Given the ads they showed to foment fear and rage, I'm actually surprised that there aren't more mass shootings. The ads are basically saying you need to be a vigilante or someone will come and kill you. Although I don't see that an antiques roadshow style show focusing on guns is that bad. 

1 hour ago, teddysmom said:

Not only NRA TV, but the NRA itself is just a marketing arm/lobbyist for gun manufacturers, protecting "2nd Amendment rights" just ensures they keep buying more guns every time there's another mass shooting..  Fortunately for both of them, most members of the NRA don't understand how they're getting played, coming and going.

There's an interesting parallel between NRATV and InfoWars in that they were solely designed to sell products to very similar segments of society. It's like they're being roped in as marks on some kind of long con. 

[peeayebee]

I loved John's face after the clip of Wilbur and his can of soup. Oh, and then that Wilbur is the Magoo-ier than Sessions.

Obviously there are people who do, or would, eat up that NRA TV crap, but it really seems like a satire of itself. I know it's definitely not intended that way, but it's ridiculous and laughable. And scary.

[teddysmom]

13 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

loved John's face after the clip of Wilbur and his can of soup. Oh, and then that Wilbur is the Magoo-ier than Sessions.

 I had the same look on my face. Does Wilbur think the only product in America made from steel is soup cans? And this idiot is our commerce secretary? 

33 minutes ago, ganesh said:

There's an interesting parallel between NRATV and InfoWars in that they were solely designed to sell products to very similar segments of society. It's like they're being roped in as marks on some kind of long con. 

Do you watch The Opposition on Comedy Central? It's a spoof of InfoWars/ALex Jones and they even have a "Shopposition" web site, selling made up crap like Info wars does. It's hilarious. 

[ahisma]

38 minutes ago, ganesh said:

Given the ads they showed to foment fear and rage, I'm actually surprised that there aren't more mass shootings. The ads are basically saying you need to be a vigilante or someone will come and kill you.

34 minutes ago, ganesh said:

There's an interesting parallel between NRATV and InfoWars in that they were solely designed to sell products to very similar segments of society. It's like they're being roped in as marks on some kind of long con. 

 

I would not be surprised at all to find out that the guy who showed up at that DC pizza restaurant with a gun was a viewer of NRA TV as well as InfoWars. He had that "protect the kids with guns" mentality along with the "Clinton is a child trafficker" BS from Jones. 

That beet supplement drink looked like it was right out of the Alex Jones pantry of peddlable products. 

6 minutes ago, teddysmom said:

I had the same look on my face. Does Wilbur think the only product in America made from steel is soup cans? And this idiot is our commerce secretary? 

Right?! I immediately thought, "but do that math on a refrigerator or washing machine..."

[teddysmom]

Or the steel it takes to build a 15 story office building.  

Or cars, ships, rebar for infrastructure, roofs, etc. 

JFC is there anyone in this Administration with a triple digit IQ? 

[ganesh]

54 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

Obviously there are people who do, or would, eat up that NRA TV crap, but it really seems like a satire of itself. I know it's definitely not intended that way, but it's ridiculous and laughable. And scary.

It's stuff I would say when I'm trolling my friends on FB. It's such a deliberate con game I feel like I have to give them credit for being so straight up about it and getting away with it. 

35 minutes ago, ahisma said:

That beet supplement drink looked like it was right out of the Alex Jones pantry of peddlable products. 

That's what predicated my initial comment. It's just so shill. 

17 minutes ago, teddysmom said:

Or the steel it takes to build a 15 story office building.  

He was doing the same deal on Meet the Press but with a beer can. 

[Annber03]

1 hour ago, ganesh said:

Or that you're not really American if you don't live in the "heartland". Because people in cities have nothing to offer this country. 

Exactly. That, too. I thought about that whole "dismissal of the big cities" attitude a lot when the GOP was running with the "New York values" ads during the 2016 election, and how it was bad for any politician to have those kinds of values. This from the same party that spent years bending over backwards going on and on about how much they supported and loved New York City in order to gain 9/11 political points. 

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Given the ads they showed to foment fear and rage, I'm actually surprised that there aren't more mass shootings. The ads are basically saying you need to be a vigilante or someone will come and kill you. Although I don't see that an antiques roadshow style show focusing on guns is that bad. 

During the antique roadshow clip, I was just listening to the two guys and thinking, "So...uh...do you guys want a room or something?" :p. 

But yeah, the ads were truly something else. Such overwrought, dramatic metaphors-it was like somebody's badly written creative writing assignment come to life. 

Edited March 5, 2018 by Annber03

[ganesh]

6 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

Exactly. That, too. I thought about that whole "dismissal of the big cities" attitude a lot when the GOP was running with the "New York values" ads during the 2016 election, and how it was bad for any politician to have those kinds of values.

It happens every election cycle when everyone brings up "small town values". 

[Victor the Crab]

4 hours ago, ganesh said:

There's an interesting parallel between NRATV and InfoWars in that they were solely designed to sell products to very similar segments of society. It's like they're being roped in as marks on some kind of long con. 

I was thinking about InfoWars and the piece Ollie did last year about them and how Alex Jones was nothing but a snake oil salesman trying to peddle his shitty products. And how NRA TV works the same way. NRA TV might be stupid, but in its quest to peddle firearms to a fearful and suspicious audience, they are a dangerous tool for the NRA.

[meowmommy]

I have a Roku TV and a Roku streaming stick.  [The streaming stick is what made life tolerable during the last month living in a hotel until we moved into our house.]  I didn't know NRA TV was an option.  I'm torn between subscribing just to watch their shit like it was MST3K, and not wanting them to get the satisfaction of another subscription. 

The women in the NRA programs looked like Stepford Wives.  And of course not a single woman of color that I could make out.

5 hours ago, ganesh said:

Or that you're not really American if you don't live in the "heartland". Because people in cities have nothing to offer this country. 

But then people in cities make snide references to "flyover states" and marrying your cousins.  Both city and country dwellers need to knock that shit off.  There are people of all persuasions in all geographic areas, and it doesn't help the discussion when you're constantly trying to prove your brand of American is superior to that of the next person. 

9 hours ago, attica said:

God, I'd hate to be on the Maury staff that has to think of new ways to plumb the tragic depths of life for show topics, and then trawl for participants. ::shudder::

I didn't know Maury was still on the air.  I think probably years ago his talk show was semi-reasonable for what it was, but then he got into paternity tests and shit like that and now he's clearly in Jerry Springer land.  His crew once came to the hospital where I worked so they could film this 900 pound noncompliant gastric bypass patient.  The patient thought it made him a media superstar, while everyone working there, myself included, stayed as far away as possible, unimpressed and eyes rolled.

[Annber03]

22 minutes ago, meowmommy said:

The women in the NRA programs looked like Stepford Wives.  And of course not a single woman of color that I could make out.

I loved the bit with Oliver showing clips of the women discussing how to decorate and color their guns, and how that would make it a lot easier for police to find one of those guns if it were involved in a crime or something :p. 

Quote

But then people in cities make snide references to "flyover states" and marrying your cousins.  Both city and country dwellers need to knock that shit off.  There are people of all persuasions in all geographic areas, and it doesn't help the discussion when you're constantly trying to prove your brand of American is superior to that of the next person. 

Fully agreed on this as well. I don't know why people continue with that "which one is better" stuff, or even how it started, but yeah, it's obnoxious either way. 

[ganesh]

1 hour ago, Victor the Crab said:

I was thinking about InfoWars and the piece Ollie did last year about them and how Alex Jones was nothing but a snake oil salesman trying to peddle his shitty products. And how NRA TV works the same way. NRA TV might be stupid, but in its quest to peddle firearms to a fearful and suspicious audience, they are a dangerous tool for the NRA.

It's interesting that basically both demos are the same, or at least have a lot of overlap. 

 

24 minutes ago, meowmommy said:

But then people in cities make snide references to "flyover states" and marrying your cousins. 

That's not really been my experience. Generally, people in cities that I've lived don't really talk about who is more American or not. When the topic comes up; e.g., politicians talking about 'small town values', 'mom and pop' store owners it's usually centered on the heartland.

[trow125]

When John first put up the logo for "Love at First Shot" I was sure it was going to be some kind of dating show for gun aficionados, and I was rather disappointed when I found out the actual nature of the show.

A male acquaintance had a brief fling last year with a woman who got pregnant, and apparently the identity of the father is something of a mystery. (It might be him, but it could also be some other dude.) When I was talking to my sister-in-law about this last week, I told her I would give anything for them to go on Maury to have their DNA testing done, since it's going to have to happen anyway--why not get a FREE test and 15 minutes of TV fame? So I really enjoyed that interstitial bit. 

[ZoqFotPik]

Ok, I'm going to say it, the show about the guy testing movie action sequences for realism isn't the worst idea I've ever heard.

[Brandi Maxxxx]

2 hours ago, ZoqFotPik said:

Ok, I'm going to say it, the show about the guy testing movie action sequences for realism isn't the worst idea I've ever heard.

If anyone needs to understand that action movies are a fantasy, it's the NRA.

[teddysmom]

17 hours ago, ganesh said:

That beet supplement drink looked like it was right out of the Alex Jones pantry of peddlable products. 

I drink an organic beet juice and have used beet powder to make a juice, not that brand, but it's actually really good for you.  It's good for blood pressure and just overall health.  I've seen a newer commercial for it, she's not in them. Probably since she got her new gig as NRA spokes weasel.

She's a wannabe actress. She pitched a tv show idea to some producer about being a hot conservative radio show host. "Liberals will hate me, but I'm so good looking they'll watch anyway". 

Yeah okay. 

Needless to say they declined. 

[ganesh]

So she's just looking for opportunities to promote her brand and get some show. In the meanwhile, she will take this gig and shill guns and foment hatred. American dream y'all. 

[attica]

5 hours ago, ZoqFotPik said:

Ok, I'm going to say it, the show about the guy testing movie action sequences for realism isn't the worst idea I've ever heard.

I know more than one dude for whom Heat (the movie they were recreating) is a pinnacle of manly manning in supreme manitude*. Which, for Pacino's scene chewing and DeNiro's inertness, seems, um, unearned. And a waste of the sublime Diane Venora.

*directed by...Michael Mann!

[bijoux]

I probably laughed too long and hard at whores with spores, bt it cracked me up.

[iMonrey]

I suspect the total number of viewers for NRA TV is pretty damn low. I'd certainly never heard of it before now and if it's only available via streaming service, the likelihood of it reaching its target audience is pretty damn small. But I agree what they are doing is pretty damn awful if not terribly surprising. The NRA helps sell guns by scaring the shit out of people and making them think an AR15 is all that stands between them and certain, inevitable death. Meanwhile right wing radio does its part by reinforcing the idea that their audience is "under attack." And I'm certain a lot of people really believe that. 

I did get a kick out of John encouraging NRA members to destroy their own televisions though. Because that'll help.

[SpiritSong]

20 hours ago, meowmommy said:

 

But then people in cities make snide references to "flyover states" and marrying your cousins.  Both city and country dwellers need to knock that shit off.  There are people of all persuasions in all geographic areas, and it doesn't help the discussion when you're constantly trying to prove your brand of American is superior to that of the next person. 

 

Well, there are lots of cities IN flyover states. Phoenix, Dallas, St. Louis and Chicago come to mind, and those are just some of the larger ones. But I do get what you're saying. Wasn't it Sarah Palin who started the whole "real Americans" bullshit? If you're a US citizen you're an American, period, and that's true whether you own a gun or not.

[ganesh]

That concept has been around before her. It might be more prevalent in media now, but I feel like I've been hearing it as long as I can remember. 

1 hour ago, SpiritSong said:

Well, there are lots of cities IN flyover states.

That ad they showed with Charlie Daniels wasn't talking about those cities though. From the pictures, it's clear that they were saying 'rural America' is truly the heartland. Which makes no sense because you're saying you live in Nebraska, but if you live in Omaha or Lincoln, even then you're not American enough? What about the rural areas in coastal states? Do they count? It just makes no sense and I really wish it be put down. 

[meowmommy]

I just started playing with my Roku settings and I discovered that in the Roku channel store, #1 under Special Interest is NRA TV (out of 447 channels).  I wonder if Roku gets paid, like Google, to put certain apps at the top of the feed.  Almost as disturbing was seeing that the InfoWars app is listed under News & Weather.  It's a lotta things, but it ain't news and weather.

[mojoween]

I appreciate that John was more amused with the way the antiques guy was describing the gun more than picking on the concept of gun collecting.

My dad collected about 100+ guns in his life and thought the NRA was a bunch of weirdos.  But collecting antique pistols because of history and they look nice is like collecting antique furniture or silverware.

I don’t equate gun collectors in any way to the walking horror show of Dana Loesch.

[msrachelj]

On 3/4/2018 at 11:40 PM, Annber03 said:

Well. That was....deeply terrifying. 

I think we've figured out, though, why the NRA and NRA-sympathetic politicians are so eager to blame mass shootings on video games and movies and TV shows. 'Cause apparently these people seem to have an awful lot of trouble telling the difference between reality and fantasy themselves. That channel did a great job of proving that a lot of people's desire to own guns has fuck all to do with "protection" and more to do with them thinking they're the next Rambo badass tough guy (or girl). That lady describing the AR-15 as a "light, fluffy" whatever-yeah, I'd like her to go up to the family members of those who were killed in these mass shootings by that very weapon and try saying that. 

Also, Charlie Daniels can shut the hell up with his "You haven't met the heartland" bullshit. I am so incredibly sick and tired of the right acting like everyone in the heartland naturally thinks like them. I was born and raised in the heartland, and still live here, and I don't want anything to do with these nutjobs whatsoever. 

As for other topics...Oliver's circus comparison on the Trump stuff described my feelings exactly. But on a lighter note, the "Maury" bit was hilarious, so there's that. 

fuck charlie daniels. i used to listen to him back in the day. he is ruined for me, as is the other nut job, ted nugget. stop ruining my memories you fuckers, just shut up and let me remember the 70's in peace.

[teddysmom]

On 3/5/2018 at 7:50 PM, meowmommy said:

their shit like it was MST3K,

I love when I find someone who still does this. 

"I'm gonna MST3K the shit outta this". I said when I watched Twilight, 50 Shades of Gray, etc

[Victor the Crab]

13 hours ago, msrachelj said:

fuck charlie daniels. i used to listen to him back in the day. he is ruined for me, as is the other nut job, ted nugget. stop ruining my memories you fuckers, just shut up and let me remember the 70's in peace.

Charlie Daniels can go straight to Hell, where he can get into a fiddling contest with the Devil. And lose, so that Satan can do his worst on Daniels, that shit on a stick.