And because of that outrage, the internet/Twitter/Facebook, started demanding some sponsors - or more accurately - all sponsors pull all of the advertising off of his radio show. You know, the one that's on 600+ stations, and has around 20 million listeners every day?
By the way. For comparison, that's almost as many radio listeners every day as the number one show on television - American Idol - has viewers. I'm sorry, did I say almost? Because I meant more. A lot more.
And so, violating my first rule of living in the real world which is..."Always Do Exactly the Opposite of What the Internet Tells You to Do", some of them actually started doing just that. Whoops.
Ever hear of Carbonite? The online back-up people? Well they listened. And they were punished. Brutally. There were about 40 others that followed Carbonite's hasty, not so brilliant plan. And quickly realizing their mistake some of them decided it was in their best interest to start observing my "1st Rule of Living in the Real World".
But just like being caught having sex with a fat girl, it's something you can never undo, or live down, and people like Rush Limbaugh, and my friends Joe and Bobby apparently, have very, very long memories.
The rift between Sleep Train Mattress Centers and Rush Limbaugh apparently became permanent today after Limbaugh reportedly turned aside the Sacramento retailer's attempt at a truce. Limbaugh rebuffed Sleep Train's request that the controversial radio host resume his duties as a paid spokesman for the company.Gee that's a shame. Sleep Train Mattress Centers certainly has a right to stop advertising on a radio show they may disagree with no matter how stupid a decision that may be, but that radio show then can always tell them to go pound sand when they come crawling back. It's funny how the "1st Amendment" works both ways whether you like it or not. And that's not all. Because most, if not all of them will likely come back. Or at least try to come back.
"Life will go on; Rush will continue," Michael Harrison, publisher of talk-radio trade magazine Talkers, tells Talking Points Memo. His show has 20 million weekly listeners. "It's one of the, if not the most, successful talk shows in America." With numbers like Limbaugh has, his show "could survive for a long time without advertisers" if need be.I think the most important lesson here, besides not letting your emotions - or for the love of God - the internet make your business decisions for you is... If your gonna be spending the afternoon drinking with friends stay away from the fat girls. Because you might make a mistake that you'll never, ever hear the end of. And you'll definitely live to regret it.
