Succession

HBO’s critically acclaimed show “Succession,” which follows the trials and tribulations of a “Murdoch” like family, had its true life finale as patriarch Rupert announced he is stepping down and turning over the company to his son, Lachan. 

In his farewell letter, Rupert bemoans a media that is in “cahoots” with elites, “peddling political narratives rather than pursuing the truth.” One, two, three, let’s all scream: The man who created Fox News and sanctioned the spreading of endless lies and disinformation is concerned about the TRUTH? 

Come on Rupert.  You are so full of shit! The only thing you are concerned with is the sound of cha-ching. 

Few things are more responsible for The Don’s ascension to political power than your shameless desire to acquire wealth and power. You rode that dark horse recklessly, with no concern for what it had the potential to destroy-just a little thing called our democracy! 

In fact, in a court deposition in the Dominion defamation lawsuit (a lawsuit you never thought you would lose but wound up making you pay a whopping $780 million dollars!), you admitted that the election “was not stolen.” You stated that “some of our commentators were endorsing it, when asked about the talk hosts’ on-air positions about the election. You said: “I would have liked us to be stronger in denouncing it, in hindsight.” The filing also revealed that you referred to some of Trump’s 2020 election lies as “bulls**t and damaging.”

“A little bit stronger in denouncing it?” WTF? Not only was there not the slightest bit of denouncing, but there was full throated endorsement of the “Big Lie.” In the end, I guess The Don’s election lies were not damaging enough for you to intervene and stop the damaging bullshit that they (Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and others) were promulgating; not damaging enough to ban Rudy G. and Sidney Powell, two of the loudest advocates of the ‘Big Lie” from your network. Cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching. 

In the “Apprentice,” NBC created the vehicle for The Don’s fame. They brought him into millions of homes, made him a household name, based on the fantasy that he was a successful businessman. Fox News, despite The Don’s profound ineptitude and malignant narcissism, extended that fantasy by championing him as America’s savior. You went one step further: You took “The Apprentice” and created a new show called ‘The Anointed.”

Few people bear more responsibility for Trump than you. Fox News gave Trump a platform for his “birtherism” lies of Obama. It created a fantasy world in which The Don’s clarion calls of the mainstream media as “Fake News,” were supported, sowing doubt by challenging and undermining indisputable facts. This includes your handling of the pandemic in which your irresponsible reporting led to thousands of unnecessary deaths. It was the perfect union of two forces with no conscience whose only goal was to make money. 

Any concerns you voiced about The Don, attempts to dethrone him (by backing Ron DeSatanist of all people?) have been pitiful and without any teeth. When you saw that Fox News was losing viewership to other right wing media platforms you instructed your mouth pieces at Fox News to reverse course and embrace The Don and his lies. 

So please, spare me your asinine babble about the need for the “truth,” in the media as your “truth” is made of nothing but poisonous lies. As destructive and unconscionable The Don’s actions have been you are actually worse because you had the power to intervene and you chose not to. This leads me to believe there will be no remorse in your final hours as that requires a moral compass. And now that your son is in charge, what will happen to Fox News? Will it change? Become more responsible? Me thinks not, as nothing warms the heart like the sound of cha-ching!