First off, we want to wish Glenn Beck the best in whatever it is he and his media company decide to do next. The way he and Fox News handled the decision to part ways is a model for all in the art of professional dignity — or in the art of doing the complete opposite of what MSNBC does. But as the saying goes, when one door closes another opens and we, the editors of the Bigs, would like to take this opportunity to politely suggest to the powers at Fox News that Red Eye w/Greg Gutfeld is ready for primetime. Actually, strike that. We don’t want to suggest it, we want to declare it. Because it’s a fact.

For over three years now, Greg Gutfeld, TV’s own Andy Levy, Bill Schulz, Pinch, a myriad of fascinating guests from all walks of life, and the Leg Chair, have been producing the best news/satire/interview/comedy show on television. It’s an hour of cool, funny, irreverent, intelligent and informative entertainment, but … it airs at three in the morning. And yet, “Red Eye not only has as dedicated a following as anything on television right now, it’s also been known to pull in more viewers than CNN’s primetime … at three in the morning.

Furthermore, we live in a world where popular entertainment culture rules as much as the news, where Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher, and SNL can help to set the national debate and steer the political narrative as much if not more than political newsmakers. Fox News grabbing a piece of this only makes sense from a business, influence and ratings point of view, but for those of us tired of the Hollywood left owning almost every square inch of this valuable turf, having “Red Eye’s” conservative-to-libertarian ideas penetrating this world would be a real breath of fresh air.

There is an untapped market here, somewhere in the, oh, 50% range.

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Since 2008, two friends have urged me to watch Red Eye on the FOX News channel. I finally got around to it one late night in March of 2009. I’ve been hooked ever since.

Red Eye is hosted by Greg Gutfeld. Greg is so smart he makes Stephen Hawking look like Janet Napolitano at a national security press briefing.

Gutfeld’s sidekick is Bill Schulz. Bill is so funny he could make a femur seem humerus.

And finally, there’s TV’s Andy Levy, a guy so sharp that he blunts the knife in Charlie Sheen’s hand.

Welcome to the world of Red Eye, television’s last best hope for topical late night comedy. (more…)

Is there a stranger show on television than “Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld“?

Careening between train wreck and brilliance (often within the same five minute segment), “Red Eye” has been providing necrophilia jokes and toilet humor alongside serious political commentary and biting social satire for over two years now. In fact, “Red Eye,” which airs nightly at 3:00 am on Fox News, recently celebrated its 500th show. In honor of this momentous occasion, I would like to address those poor unfortunate viewers who have yet to tune in, and inform them why they need to start warming up their TiVos like, NOW! people.

The ringleader is Greg Gutfeld, former editor of Maxim U.K and Men’s Health magazines. His cohorts include Bill Schulz (the best side-kick since Andy Richter) and droll and dreary ombudsman Andy Levy. This crew is rounded out nightly by a rotating rogue’s gallery of bloggers, comedians, news anchors, beauty queens, medical examiners, rockers, freaks, and former C.I.A. agents. Oh, and Gutfeld’s mom.

The beauty of this ever simmering stew is you never know how it’s going to go down – sometimes it warms the belly, and sometimes you gag on the mix (Nutmeg?! In stew?!). You find ostensibly serious people being unexpectedly hilarious (Michigan Congressman Thaddeus McCotter’s fierce, young-Mr. Burns-visage belies a devastating Don Rickles wit), and ostensibly funny people addressing serious subjects – all with wildly varying success. (more…)

YouTube McCotter on Red eye

This week’s Washington Times column:

“Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld” on the Fox News Channel must be boycotted or taken off the air. Its sexist, misogynist, homophobic, racist, speciesist and self-hating host must be maimed, lynched and/or killed.

If not, someone might be offended. And that cannot happen – especially now that President Obama is poised to make everything really great.

In an era of extreme political correctness, when almost everyone is offended by almost everything, and with self-appointed advocacy groups organized to find offense on behalf of almost everyone – offensively, without the majority in the group’s consent – it’s nice to know that there’s a place to go where everyone can be offended almost all of the time.

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