RoR: Forum

Thanks Eric,

I heard there's no such thing as bad press?

Post 1

Saturday, May 13, 2006 - 8:22pm

At least this article was before he fell from grace with his recent on-air remarks of dubious content.

Post 2

Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 7:32am

From the article:

But in an interview yesterday, just before he was arrested on charges of harassment and endangering the welfare of a child, Mr. Torain, 42, said that he was no shock jock.

Does anyone know more about these charges?

Post 3

Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 8:03am

As ABCNews.com has it, 'Racist Pedophile Radio Stooge': DJ Arrested.

Post 4

Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 10:38am

I disagree about there being no bad publicity. I think it is an opportunity to challenge the New York Times to find any type of hate speech on the site, and if not, to give you the opportunity to respond in print.

Post 5

Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 11:18am

He was arrested for this dumb stunt?

And "ick" on that kind of publicity. I winced pretty hard. Why would he point to to RoR when his own site has information on his ::cough:: "ideas?"

Because he thought he had support here? I wonder what gave him that idea? *glaring at Joe M*

Post 6

Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 11:53am

To call him a "racist pedophile" is utterly ridiculous. He is not racist at all, and he is not a pedophile. It was a joke made in very poor taste. This is pure political grandstanding of the worst sort. Sickening and far more dangerous than what this guy did.

Post 7

Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 2:00pm

Hey, Theresa, I merely pointed him out to the O'ist community. I did not come out in favor of him, either.

Would you rather we keep our heads in the sand?

Post 8

Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 2:11pm

When it comes to trolls beating a path over this way, yes!

Sorry, Joe, I'm not seriously upset with you. Just poking fun at how it all started.

Post 9

Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 2:15pm

This is a real consequence for Torain and sends a real message to other would-be racist pedophile radio stooges that they are not immune from the law," Liu said.

1. would-be
2. racist
3. pedophile
4. radio
5. stooges

How many people in the world could possibly be in the interection of those sets?
Would councilman Liu place these people above the law:

1. actual
2. racist
3. pedophile
4. television
5. stooges

1. would-be
2. equalitarian
3. audiophile
4. newspaper
5. straight men

1. has-been
2. classist
3. anglophile
4. cinema
5. doubletalkers

All in all, it seems that what Councilman Jack Liu really means is "Troi Torain." Troi Torain is not immune from the law.

Who could be immune from the law? If you feel that you deserve to be -- and hey, who shouldn't be? -- contact the firm of Levine Sullivan Koch and Schultz:

Knievel v. ESPN, Inc., 393 F.3d 1068 (9th Cir. 2004). LSKS attorneys defended ESPN in an action by famed daredevil Evel Knievel and his wife alleging they were defamed by a photograph and caption on an ESPN website saying �Evel Knievel proves you are never too old to be a pimp.� The Ninth Circuit affirmed dismissal of the action.
http://www.lsklaw.com/cases/defamation.htm

Post 10

Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 2:23pm

Ok, then, no harm done. Grrrr....I mean, purrr.....

Post 11

Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 3:35pm

In the quote where he says to visit RoR, does anyone know if that was a statement made to the press in the aftermath of the recent incident involving the daughter of his rival DJ, or if that quote was from another time and place? Either way, that is not good publicity for this site.

Anyone have any data on the new hits to this site following the Times article?

Post 12

Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 8:28pm

I'm inclined to think it's very bad publicity.

And I tend to agree with the authorities that his comments are at least bordering on the criminal. You can't just make an on-air request to have information on a child given to you. That's pretty repulsive and disgusting. There are things you just don't joke about, the same as you don't go to the airport and joke about having a bomb. Maybe I'm wrong, it just seems to me there needs to be limits to speech that could potentially harm someone.

I think it would be a good idea to respond to the New York Times disavowing RoR from Troi Torain if at all possible.

Post 13

Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 8:39pm

Pete, I haven't noticed any significant change to the site hits since the article. I guess nobody reads The New York Times. :)

Post 14

Monday, May 15, 2006 - 2:18am

This man has to be the biggest feaking idiot on the planet. He said he was going to rape the 4 year old daughter of one of his compeditor dj's. He put out a hit for $500 for anyone that would tell him where he could find the little girl. He was arrested for endangering this 4 year old. He deserves everything he has got coming to him. His is not publicity that I would want. There was a man on myspace actually defending what he did. This man actually concidered himself an Objectivist. Makes me sick to my stomach that someone like that could consider themselves objective, in any fashion.

Post 15

Monday, May 15, 2006 - 4:33am

Would the threats issued over the air meet the "reasonable person" standard for credibility? In other words, if these charges go to trial, would a "reasonable person" believe that the DJ making these utterances actually intended to harm the people he threatened on air?

The phrases "I am going to kick your ass" and "I am going to kill you" are very common utterances in America. But very seldom do they mean anything beyond a venting of emotional steam. They may reflect sloppy language and an angry disposition, but they almost never mean what they literally say. If this DJ cannot make such colorful statements without threat of jail, where does that leave the rest of us?

I consider his statements immoral and disgusting, but I agree with another poster here that the charges sound more like political grandstanding than an actual defense of innocent people.

Perhaps if I heard the actual broadcast, I might find the charges more credible. Tonality conveys a great deal more than words alone. What sort of criminal record, if any, does the accused have? Does he show a history of stalking or any other such nonsense that would lend his words more believability?

Post 16

Monday, May 15, 2006 - 7:10am

Luke, he made an on air request to have someone bring to him information on where the child goes to school. What do you think his followers who listen to him would do? You as a reasonable person do not see the potential credible danger this would cause the child?

Can you go to an airport and joke about having a bomb?

Post 17

Monday, May 15, 2006 - 7:40am

Rand observed that the initiation of force consists not just of direct force, and fraud, but also of coercion -- the threat of force.

Physical intimidation and threats of violence can cause innocent people tremendous damage and harm, as they must rearrange their lives to accommodate the possibility of attack. After all, who can tell which coercive statements are "idle threats" or serious ones?

So why should innocent people have to bear these costs, and live in fear of the threatened use of force? And why shouldn't people who make such threats be held responsible for that fear and harm, and face serious consequences? Nobody has a "right" to threaten violence; therefore, it is not "censorship" for the government to punish those who issue such threats.

If that were to happen, perhaps individuals would take greater responsibility for their words, and the level of civility in society might improve.

(Edited by Robert Bidinotto
on 5/15, 9:15am)

Post 18

Monday, May 15, 2006 - 9:01am

This is both bad press and good press.

If someone reads the article and concludes that Ayn Rand, Objectivism and Rebirth of Reason are all somehow supportive of hate and the irresponsible use of language, it is very bad press.

On the other hand, if some of the Times readers follow up on the article and check out this site, it might be a case which proves that "there is no such thing as bad press." What they will find here is an abundance of very well-written and thoughtful articles. And more important, they will encounter some good ideas they might not have previously considered.

Post 19

Monday, May 15, 2006 - 9:23am