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Jellyfish Capitalism and the Jeremy Lin saga

Feb. 27, 2012 1:25pm

Glenn Beck is the CEO & Founder of Mercury Radio Arts. Beck is one of America's leading radio and television personalities, and author of #1 New York Times […]

Glenn Beck is the CEO & Founder of Mercury Radio Arts. Beck is one of America's leading radio and television personalities, and author of #1 New York Times bestsellers in both fiction and non-fiction. The Glenn Beck Program is syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks and is the third highest-rated national radio talk show among adults ages 25 to 54. Glenn is married with four kids.

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I am as much of a sports fan as most people are fans of Woodrow Wilson books. They don’t care about Woodrow, I don’t care about sports. My lifetime sports diet consists of the occasional story that transcends ESPN, movies like Jerry Maguire, and several memories of being picked last in middle school. But even I have been drawn in by the story of ‘the headline.’

The online life of the ESPN story in question was about 45 minutes. Since it was 2:30 in the morning, almost no one saw it. Yet, because the headline appeared in an article involving an Asian-American player, the phrase “Chink in the armor” would go from an innocuous cliché to the ultimate expression of racial intolerance.

America was faced with two possibilities:

Give someone the benefit of the doubt. Consider, perhaps, that the author was not an anti-Asian activist using subtle racial slurs in headlines of sports stories to underhandedly turn basketball fans towards hatred of those who are different.
Freak out and call for the author’s head.

Everyone knows what “chink in the armor” means. It is used constantly to describe a weakness in an otherwise strong performance. It properly described what the story was about. The fact that the author didn’t notice the theoretically racial tie between the cliché and NBA star Jeremy Lin is a strong indicator that he wasn’t using it in a derogatory way. No matter.

The mania eventually climbed to such a level that ESPN anchor Max Bretos was suspended for what amounts to an accusation of anti-Asian bias, despite being married to someone who is Asian. This is a phrase that has endured centuries of use, with no offensive origins, and we have supposed news networks like MSNBC actually blurring out the words when covering the story.

Glenn Beck: Jellyfish Capitalism and the Jeremy Lin saga

Image source: Sports Grid

Anthony Federico, the author of the original headline, was fired. Once the dust was settled and the blood was spilled, America barely noticed when we were finally able to meet him. He is a Knicks fan. He loves Jeremy Lin. He is a man of strong faith. He is dedicated to charity. He helps his friends in need. He has no reported history of racism and no blemishes on his work record.

In short, there is no evidence whatsoever that would make any rational human being believe that he did this on purpose. Are we really supposed to think a man who gives up his vacation time to travel to Haiti and help earthquake victims, moonlights as a guy who would risk his career on an anti-Asian pun?

In the aftermath, Federico has been incredibly gracious. He took responsibility for the apparent mistake of not predicting that others would apply racism to his words. He apologized to his employer for his role in their spinelessness. He is taking what seems like a completely unfair event, and using his faith to deal with it, and his inner strength as a way to inspire others to consider a relationship with God. He is using his darkest moments to try and share light with others.

Yet, no one stands up for him. No one. All Anthony Federico received from his employer was this public statement:

The ESPN employee responsible for our Mobile headline has been dismissed.

How does something like this happen? It’s based on a cold bottom line calculation that probably seems extremely rational in a board room:

We are a multi-billion dollar company. The public wants a scalp. Investigating the truth, doing our best to discover the intent, soberly explaining the situation to the public, and patiently trying to do the right thing—does nothing for us. There is no upside there. There’s no possible benefit to us in doing the right thing for this nameless, faceless employee. Let’s axe him, and move on with our lives.

This is jellyfish capitalism. It is business without backbone. Pressure groups target companies and their advertisers to create just enough fear to make them ask themselves: “Who cares what is right? Why bother fighting? Where’s the upside for us?”

We’ve come to a point where freedom of speech only exists when others like it. Where we only accept differing opinions from professors, as those professors won’t accept differing opinions form their own students. Where business owners routinely turn control of their companies over to whichever outsider is screaming the loudest.

Why should you care? This is far bigger than one online writer. This isn’t about any one story, one company, or one industry. Sure, it’s easy to sit down and watch a headline writer you don’t know go down in flames. But if you don’t speak up for him, who will be there to speak up for you? More to the point: why should anyone be there to speak up for you?

Anthony Federico’s job at ESPN was to write headlines. It wasn’t to cause international incidents. It wasn’t to put the mouse in Orlando at risk. Everyone understands this, including Anthony. A serious private discussion between Anthony and his manager might have been called for. Perhaps a probationary period was understandable. At worst, maybe a suspension equal to the air personality who made the exact same mistake would have been justifiable.

Instead, we have a giant corporation using the little guy as a scapegoat, with nothing more than fear and greed as motivators, and everyone is silent. The same people who claim to defend the “99 percent” sit by and cheer.

Where is the guy saying that doing the right thing is worth the risk?

Where is the person in power standing up and saying—if he goes, I go?

Where is the Jerry Maguire in this ridiculous sports movie I’m watching?

I started GBTV because I believe the truth should never be compromised. That means maintaining that two plus two equals four, no matter who is telling you that it equals five. It means recognizing that what is right, is always worth sticking your neck out for. It means knowing that the most important time to stand up is when it’s uncomfortable.

The reward for doing so might not seem so obvious. But it’s a long term investment that I firmly believe we all will feel in our businesses, in our communities, and long after our time on this earth is done.

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Comments (25)

donaldchar
Posted on March 6, 2012 at 11:43pm
The opposite of love is neither hatred nor indifference. A middle-aged woman, who had been deep into witchcraft, once asked, “What is the opposite of Love?” We guessed wrong too. She told us, “It’s competition. Love reaches out and sacrificially lifts up others in order to serve them. Competition reaches out and lifts up self by suppressing, defeating, or displacing others.” She pointed out Isaiah 14:12-17 as an example of Satan competing with God, the Most High.

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- DamocleAurelius
  Posted on March 9, 2012 at 1:31am
  Competition is fine and well if excerised in moderation, (after all, what is a little friendly competition).
  
  The word you were searching for is “pride”.
  
  You might like this speech.
  
  http://www.lds.org/ensign/1989/05/beware-of-pride?lang=eng
  
  Report this comment
donaldchar
Posted on March 6, 2012 at 11:24pm
What is, perhaps, the most significant point of this whole mindset hasn’t been addressed, to my knowledge, by anyone. Point is, objectivity and subjectivity have both blurred and merged. For decades we’ve been assaulted by “I filed suit because I’m offended by _______!” In our courtrooms, the question should always be asked by the presiding judge: “What about it is actually, intrinsically offensive?” The onus should always be on the plaintiff to show why a person or issue is, in fact, objectively offensive. When it can be substantiated, slander/libel is objectively offensive. A man pulling down his pants and defecating on a crowded sidewalk is objectively offensive. A religious poster, statue, or piece of artwork is not intrinsically offensive; when one chooses to take offense at such, it’s called a personal problem. Obviously anyone can take offense at anything, but if it’s not objectively offensive, the litigant should be immediately told that they will be paying all court costs for both sides.

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Canada_Goose
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 9:53am
Here we go again. What’s so hard to understand about the concept of free speech? Just read the constitution it’s about congress or the government being prohibited from making laws abridging the freedom of speech.

ESPN is a privately held corporation they can fire whomever they want. If the headline writer believes he was unjustly dismissed he can sue them for millions. In this case the firing happened so quickly there was hardly anytime to organize an ad boycott.

Ultimately these two were fired not because they were racially insensitive it was because they obviously suck at their jobs. Who cares if they’re nice guys who do charity work. Any idiot can see that the headline can have a double meaning which would be offensive. In broadcasting once you mess up there is no undoing the mistake so the Disney brand is damaged forever.

Mr. Beck should know since he damaged the FNC brand by calling Mr. Obama a racist. This one utterance cost the company millions of dollars.

At the end of the day corporations are acting in what they believe to be in the best interests of their shareholders. I doubt that Disney is a jellyfish corporation, just try using any of their intellectual property without permission and see what happens.

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- DamocleAurelius
  Posted on March 9, 2012 at 1:33am
  //I doubt that Disney is a jellyfish corporation, just try using any of their intellectual property without permission and see what happens.”//
  
  in other words they refuse to do the right things unless it benefits them, or at the very least, doesn’t hurt them. Screams “Jellyfish” to me.
  
  Report this comment
TJexcite
Posted on February 27, 2012 at 9:21pm
First they came for the sports headline writers and I said nothing as I am not a sports headline writers.

They came for the sport reporters and I said nothing as I am not a sport reporter.

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hazmat_factor
Posted on February 27, 2012 at 7:41pm
Great Glen, keep it up dude!

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TOMSERVO
Posted on February 27, 2012 at 5:52pm
“Instead, we have a giant corporation using the little guy as a scapegoat, with nothing more than fear and greed as motivators, and everyone is silent. The same people who claim to defend the “99 percent” sit by and cheer.”

OK Glenn, what in god’s name are you talking about? Who is this “everyone” who is silent? Should we form an angry mob every time someone is fired who maybe shouldn’t have been fired?

Why do you hate capitalism? Sorry that it resulted in this guy getting canned, but the business made a business decision.

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- TOMSERVO
  Posted on February 27, 2012 at 6:00pm
  Also, my goodness, please learn some grammar, spelling, and proofreading skills:
  
  “But even I have been drawn in by the story of ‘the headline.’”
  
  Complete sentences please.
  
  “Are we really supposed to think a man who gives up his vacation time to travel to Haiti and help earthquake victims, moonlights as a guy who would risk his career on an anti-Asian pun?”
  
  Learn to use (and not to use) commas, please.
  
  “He is taking what seems like a completely unfair event, and using his faith to deal with it, and his inner strength as a way to inspire others to consider a relationship with God.”
  
  Again, commas can be useful. You just have to use them right.
  
  “It’s based on a cold bottom line calculation that probably seems extremely rational in a board room”
  
  should be cold, bottom-line
  
  “Where we only accept differing opinions from professors, as those professors won’t accept differing opinions form their own students.”
  
  You probably should have written “professors, YET those professors won’t accept differing opinions FROM their own students.”
  
  “It means recognizing that what is right, is always worth sticking your neck out for.”
  
  Face-palm.
  
  This took me less than five minutes to find. Glenn always says: “Do your own homework.” Maybe Glenn should have someone else do his proofreading.
  
  Report this comment
- UBETHECHANGE
  Posted on February 27, 2012 at 7:25pm
  @TOMSERVO The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. Congrats you fit the bill.
  
  Report this comment
- UBETHECHANGE
  Posted on February 27, 2012 at 7:29pm
  @TOMSERVO Why are you here?
  
  Report this comment
- hazmat_factor
  Posted on February 27, 2012 at 7:40pm
  @ tompsycho
  
  You are hilarius, dude. And so good wit da gramma (I think she’s asleep by this hour).
  Sumtimes ah thank that this here puter ain’t know good, than I reedn wut you rote. ha ha ha ha ha ha.
  
  Report this comment
- Nigel2
  Posted on February 27, 2012 at 7:45pm
  Crawl back in your hole tomservo. We do not need grammar police or any other kind of dope. I understood everything he said and the use of commas are usually used to cause a slight pause. And if you don’t like Glenn Beck then why are you trolling around here?
  
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- TOMSERVO
  Posted on February 28, 2012 at 12:22pm
  I can’t help but notice that no one refuted a single thing I wrote. Guess I’m right!
  
  Seriously though, regarding the grammar/spelling thing: it wouldn’t bug me if it was just some blog post here on The Blaze (since god knows there are inexcusable mistakes in most articles), but this opinion piece was published in a (supposedly) reputable publication. It is a sign of ignorance, lack of effort, and lack of respect for the fourth estate. I don’t blame Beck as much as the editorial staff there that didn’t feel the need to correct the obvious errors in Beck’s writing.
  
  Report this comment
JayCee
Posted on February 27, 2012 at 5:45pm
Great editorial!

I hope Glenn will interview Anthony Federico on GBTV or the radio show.
Rush Limbaugh, Hank Williams Jr., Anthony Federico…..ESPN employees should take heed and seek a new job.

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geonj
Posted on February 27, 2012 at 5:25pm
so glenn, get off of your arse and hire this guy if he has been so unfairly treated. put your mercury arts where your mouth is. btw, headline writers are supposed to be creative in their writing. this was nothing more that a clever turn of a phrase that the pc morons jumped all over. this is the reason why i use all kind of “inappropriate speech” in everyday conversation. i call a spade a spade. i guess the jig is up.

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aggiebrewer
Posted on February 27, 2012 at 4:49pm
Why attack the innocent Jellyfish? The depth of your anti-jellyfishness knows no bounds!

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UBETHECHANGE
Posted on February 27, 2012 at 3:58pm
Thank you Glenn for being a voice of common sense in these upside world times.

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mburns_08109
Posted on February 27, 2012 at 2:51pm
Glenn,

I do love your definition and description of Jellyfish Capitalism here. It’s a keeper.
I hope you don’t mind if I borrow it form time to time.

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microace
Posted on February 27, 2012 at 2:38pm
God Bless ya Glenn, this PC crap has gone too far for too long.

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isay
Posted on February 27, 2012 at 2:37pm
I think our president should apologize to all the Asians in the world.

Thanks Glenn, for so much.

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bhelmet
Posted on February 27, 2012 at 2:04pm
Here, Here!!

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- mccracken
  Posted on February 27, 2012 at 2:35pm
  It’s Hear Hear.
  
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- geonj
  Posted on February 27, 2012 at 5:28pm
  @mccracken
  who cares, moron. there is so much gramatically incorrect writing on the blaze, it is irrelevent. even gb himself had an error or two in his writing above.
  
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- mccracken
  Posted on February 27, 2012 at 6:47pm
  It’s Who cares, moron.
  
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