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How advertising on AM radio contributes to political stereotypes

By Corey Hutchins

If one were to close their eyes and picture the average listener of Columbia’s progressive talk radio station, WOIC 1230 AM, by listening solely to the ads, a certain image would begin to take shape: one of a jobless, overweight, balding, pimply-faced, unfocused atheist with no health insurance, bad breath, a poor credit rating, an incorrigible drug-abusing child who suffers from the crippling debt of a bad mortgage but still might consider a cheap three-day vacation to — of all places — Branson, Missouri. Thanks but no thanks. Metaphors aside the situation is, it appears, already miserable.

In media, as in politics, perception is reality and a difference between the two would be a near definitive lesson in cannibalism. The left-wing listeners of progressive talk radio in the Columbia market do not, of course, all fit the above description, but enough of them do for the ad buyers of acne products, hair restoration, diet pills and get-rich-quick pyramid schemes to keep forking over money for the spots. The old joke that “If you want a pretty girl to take home to mom and dad, then hit up the Republican Convention, but if you want a girl to take to Lilith Fair go to a Young Democrats meeting” surely isn’t helping matters. And so the reality that Democrats in the South are — anecdotally anyway — historically and traditionally homely feeds on the perception that that it is exactly the case. All the while the account executives for the station continue setting up the fodder by selling the ads, no doubt promising their clients they are “totally nailing the demographic.” The rub comes in when the station relies on both the perception and the reality to keep their service profitable and a show on the air.

But listen to the advertisements on Columbia’s conservative talk radio channel, WIS Radio News Talk 1320 AM, and the image that coalesces of the average listener will be entirely different. They’re selling “six great reasons to invest in gold.” They’re selling top-of-the-line audio equipment, anti-spam software, free credit report checks and even — no kidding — love, as in the form of the safe and “no-spin-tested” e-Harmony.com. All of these products are mere supplements to a perceived unaggrieved lifestyle and playfully interspersed with public service announcements about the importance of family.

The differences between the two stations’ ad spots are glaring and dramatic.

But since dualities are always easier to deal with than multiple choices, it is no wonder that in a culture so obsessed with lefts and rights and reds and blues we’re not so much perennially disoriented and colorblind, as we are just continuously in the process of picking one or the other.

Dr. Blease Graham, a USC political science professor who specializes in South Carolina politics, says the difference is probably a market-based media corporate decision.

“Clearly there’s affluence,” he says. “Clearly there is a richer more affluent audience listening to one station as compared to the other and I would say it probably does fit stereotypes. I think it’s probably more of a tradition in the South… the Democratic Party was the party that stood up for the ‘have not’ as opposed to the ‘have’ and the Republican Party gets identified with the ‘haves.’”

As for WOIC, its general sales manager, Mark Fitzmayer, did not care to comment for this article. WIS’ general sales manager, Charlie Benten, also did not respond to requests for comment.

Clemson University political scientist Dave Woodard said he believes the difference in the ad spots probably represents a market-based decision as well, but also said “politics is perception is reality.”

So, if it really is all about the Benjamins, then who are to blame – the corporate sponsors buying into the perception, or the ad men shilling it to them as reality? It becomes, in a sense, the casual, slobby Mac guy versus the stiff PC guy as seen on TV — and Ann Coulter couldn’t be happier.

“It probably illustrates some of the partisan divide in America where Republicans are making fun of Democrats and Democrats are making fun of Republicans,” Blease says about the play on stereotypes and the concept of a cultivated image problem. “To me, some of the sharp divisions in politics are due just to [this kind of thing]. There’s a certain preaching to the choir to listeners that doesn’t encourage political discussion…and in that sense both parties have image problems.”

Needless to say, neither station will be dropping any ads based on any specific image a conglomeration of them may seem to generate — they both need the money and each party benefits from the deal.

But can the Left recover from the stereotype with which its been slathered, especially in the South?

Dr. Blease may have the answer.

“If contemporary Democrats can identify themselves as ‘Progressive’ and shed this liberal image with which they’ve been saddled — given very effective political advertising over the last two decades — it might be a breakthrough for them,” he said.

Either way, don’t take City Paper ‘s word for it. Judging by our own ads the writer of this article would be a tattooed, pot-smoking, alcoholic gangbanger looking for a new house near a gay bar.

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