Television

Glenn Beck charging $500 per handshake in an Ohio county with 15.8% unemployment

By Jeff MillsDecember 15th, 2010, 4:20 pmComments (19)

Glenn Beck

Glenn Beck, who one blogger calls "the Pasty Prince of Propaganda," is bringing his radio and TV shows to Wilmington, Ohio tonight, a town people may remember from the 60 Minutes piece which documented the struggles of residents who had lost their jobs when their main employer, DHL, shut their doors for good in 2008, costing Wilmingtonians 10,000 jobs.

Clinton County, where Wilmington is located, currently has an unemployment rate of 15.8%. And this is where Mr. Beck will be charging $125 a ticket to attend tonight's show, Glenn Beck Presents: America's First Christmas. And if you're going to choose listening to Mr. Beck over food, why not just go for broke and pony up the $500 to "personally" meet the empathetic populist himself? Recent reports indicate that seats are still available, starting in the seventh row, if you want to listen to Glenn Beck, in the flesh, rally the spirits of an economically hard-hit, Midwestern town. A town that will be a little harder-hit after tonight.

Comments ( 19 )

Clearly, Mr. Mills has no concept of how the entertainment industry works. Mr. Beck has nothing to do with the price of the tickets. Those prices are set by the presenters - Glenn Beck isn't renting the venue or presenting himself. Perhaps the real culprit is the presenter... and maybe the venue should donate the space rather than renting it to the presenter?.... just a thought..... get your facts straight.

Johnny commented on Dec 15 10 at 4:38 pm

Or, maybe he's choosing the venue to pump tourist money into the town?

No, he's probably not that smart.

JulieTruly commented on Dec 15 10 at 4:50 pm

At least Pearl Jam tried to do something about Ticketmaster.

bearman33 commented on Dec 15 10 at 5:05 pm

Having listened to Mr Beck, I can't in all fairness think of a single reason to get any facts straight at all, or even attempt to think up possible good motives he may have, or even "understand". I think Jeff can pretty much write any ole' thing he wants. Really - in all fairness.

Gazbo commented on Dec 15 10 at 5:13 pm

Clearly johnny doesn't realize that a performer reaches an agreement with a venue to set prices. Beck is not at the mercy of the venue. If he saw a problem with ticket prices, they wouldn't be set that high.

pink commented on Dec 15 10 at 5:26 pm

For being such an undeniable media genius, he sure fucks up a lot.

Me commented on Dec 15 10 at 5:29 pm

Seriously? $125 to listen to this chump? And $500 to "meet" him? Saying this
is al the promoter's fault is a copout. It's bull. Anyone remember
U2 doing a free rooftop concert? Sure, the promoter
probably did set the price. But Beck could easily have
balked and cried foul. This idiot makes so much money
from tv and his books, he could have sprung for a venue, a cheaper
one to make it affordable. It's a money grab, pure and simple, and from him,
I'm not the least bit surprised.

Don commented on Dec 15 10 at 6:32 pm

I was going to say what pink and Don already said.
Glenn Beck is so not hetero-normative [instead of saying "is so gay"]

julian. commented on Dec 15 10 at 9:42 pm

Also, we know how expensive those venue prices must be to play or speak in the MASSIVELY HUGE city of Wilmington, Ohio. (pop. 11,000).
Please don't try to argue for the sake of arguing Johnny. People hate those kind of internet commenters.

julian. commented on Dec 15 10 at 9:47 pm

From his own website: "All net proceeds from both events will be going to local non-profits in Wilmington, OH."

https://www.glennbeck.com/content/events/?ibid=wilmington

Oh but congrats on breaking this story though. Well done. Let us know when you do as much for charity.

Walt.S commented on Dec 15 10 at 10:10 pm

From what I have heard of Mr Beck, he's going to blame local hard tmes on President Obama. But if the DHL location closed before Mr Obama was elected, how can he be to blame?

Blaymer commented on Dec 15 10 at 10:20 pm

"Clearly, Mr. Mills has no concept of how the entertainment industry works. Mr. Beck has nothing to do with the price of the tickets. Those prices are set by the presenters - Glenn Beck isn't renting the venue or presenting himself. Perhaps the real culprit is the presenter... and maybe the venue should donate the space rather than renting it to the presenter?.... just a thought..... get your facts straight."<----- Ummm, if the guy really had no interest in making money and genuinely wanted to meet his dumb-as-shit worshippers, why wouldn't he just hang out outside of the venue and meet them? If you seriously fall for him saying "it's going to local non-profits", you're just as blind as the rest of them (if you aren't already one of them, which it sounds like you are). The man isn't a journalist. He's a random ex(?)-drug addict/alcoholic with no education higher than high school. And that's not a lie or an exaggeration. Well, the "ex" part might be, considering him and his conspiracies both sound like they are jacked up on PCP. Don't act smart.

Brad Johnson commented on Dec 15 10 at 10:29 pm

You want the facts? This guy is a total douche. There's better ways to donate to charity than financially raping poor people under the guise of donating to charity. There's a million better ways to do good than duping scared people into eating up your fear mongering bullshit. But if you want to defend Mr. Beck and his doctrine of hate and fear, that's your prerogative and your right as an American and I'm not gonna stand in the way of that. However, I'll still think you're a total douche-worshiping douche.

DG commented on Dec 16 10 at 12:23 am

Proceeds go to charity...after a chunk is taken out for everyone involved in the event. I've worked events like this, they aren't clean. Beck is a dickface, but he's also no different then many other when it comes to extorting the public.

terryrichardsnsadbag commented on Dec 16 10 at 4:35 am

If a "portion" of the proceeds go to non profits why not advertise this as a charitable event hosted by beck instead. That may actually get people to go. Well the people with more wiggle room in their wallets anyway.

colleen commented on Dec 16 10 at 5:00 am

There's nothing like an attempt to suck even more life from an area with 16% unemployment. Good for Glen! He really understands the American psyche.

Twolane commented on Dec 16 10 at 9:26 am

@Walt S. - A caring event would get a cut of the Gross, not the Net

So, Glenn can get a hundred grand for the appearance, everyone else can take their cut and the crumbs go to non-profits? How do I get in on that?

AD commented on Dec 16 10 at 10:26 am

Agree with most here. If he wanted to do something charitable for Wilmington, have the event in LA or NYC, where people can actually afford to give, promoting it as a benefit for the charities of this hard hit area. Here, he's taking from the poor to give to the poor? He's like Robin Hood, if Robin Hood was a right-wing, ADHD, alcoholic, selfish ass hat.

Murg commented on Dec 16 10 at 1:36 pm

is this any worse than the campaign dinners featuring , that charge hundreds of dollars to rub elbows with ? And so what if they charge $x to shake hands or whatever, you're not mandated to attend the event, don't like the price don't go. I avoid Fox News so I don't have to see Beck or Palin, and here at Hooksexup it's Beck and Palin everyday. You're giving them more exposure than they get from Fox.

Really commented on Dec 16 10 at 2:19 pm

Glenn Beck charging $500 per handshake in an Ohio county with 15.8% unemployment

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