Psycho Talker of the Year: Rush Limbaugh

AOL suspends Rush Limbaugh radio ads

By Stephen C. Webster - The Raw Story

Monday, March 5, 2012 12:31 EST

The exodus of advertisers from Rush Limbaugh’s radio program continued Monday with Internet publisher AOL announcing that they are suspending further placements on his show following offensive, sexist comments he made about a law student called by members of Congress to testify on contraception access.

“At AOL one of our core values is that we act with integrity,” the company explained on its official Facebook page. “We have monitored the unfolding events and have determined that Mr. Limbaugh’s comments are not in line with our values. As a result we have made the decision to suspend advertising on The Rush Limbaugh Radio show.”

Limbaugh’s latest controversy stems from a segment he broadcast last week in which he called Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke a “prostitute” and a “slut” because she supported universal contraception coverage for every person who holds private health insurance.

Limbaugh, who many regard as the unofficial voice of the modern Republican Party, said that Fluke could not pay for contraceptives because she was “having so much sex.” He followed up on the segment by suggesting that if health insurance policies cover contraceptive services, women using contraceptives should publish sex tapes online.

Fluke’s testimony was actually about a friend who could not afford hormonal birth control and developed severe ovarian cysts after her university refused to help pay for contraceptives, citing moral objections. As a result, the woman had her ovary surgically removed.

AOL’s announcement Monday brings the total number of advertisers fleeing Limbaugh’s program to eight, with the online publisher being by far the largest to quit the show. Flower delivery website ProFlowers said Sunday it would no longer advertise on the Republican commentator’s show, explaining that his recent behavior “went beyond political discourse to a personal attack and do not reflect our values as a company.”

It is not clear if Arianna Huffington, who runs AOL’s online content distribution, played a role in the company’s decision. Her website, The Huffington Post, was acquired by AOL last year for $315 million. Though originally a progressive blog, Huffington has since explained that the site’s editorial policies are no longer “lefty” — a claim that could be undermined if she’s revealed to have played a role in withdrawing ads from Limbaugh’s program.

A media contact at AOL Advertising did not respond to a request for comment at press time.

A similar campaign against former Fox News conspiracy host Glenn Beck succeeded in knocking off hundreds of advertisers after the progressive group Color of Change launched a boycott campaign against him over his frequent use of racially charged, violent political rhetoric. He’s since been dropped by Fox News.

AOL was not the only company to cease advertising on program Monday: Tax Resolution Services, Co., a major contributor to Limbaugh’s profitability, said it too was dropping out.

“Thank you for your concerns,” they announced on the social network Twitter. “We have decided to join other advertisers and suspend our sponsorship of The Rush Limbaugh Show.”

Limbaugh had previously done advertising spots for the company, telling his listeners that they offer top-notch services for dealing with the Internal Revenue Service.

He seemed to back off that sentiment in a segment Monday morning, claiming that companies dropping him were essentially telling his audience that they no longer want their business.

Stephen C. Webster is the senior editor of Raw Story, and is based out of Austin, Texas. He previously worked as the associate editor of The Lone Star Iconoclast in Crawford, Texas, where he covered state politics and the peace movement’s resurgence at the start of the Iraq war. Webster has also contributed to publications such as True/Slant, Austin Monthly, The Dallas Business Journal, The Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Weekly, The News Connection and others. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenCWebster.

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JG: Do not buy any of the products that advertise in Rush Limbaugh’s program. Has anyone compiled a list of those products? I will be happy to include the list in this post.