Bloodthirsty Bitches and Pious Pimps of Power: The Rise and Risks of the New Conservative Hate Culture
*Starred Review*  Despite its inflammatory title, this book offers a thoughtful exploration of the vitriol of conservative commentators in the media and their effect on the broader society. Spence, an attorney who has represented Karen Silkwood and Randy Weaver of Ruby Ridge fame, lambastes Nancy Grace, Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, and other conservative commentators. While they attack liberals and others with whom they disagree, they don't dare attack their corporate sponsors, who commit all manner of misdeeds. Spence cites troubling parallels between the propaganda of Fascist Mussolini and Nazi Hitler and what he calls "corporacy," the growing corporate ownership and control of the media and American thought and discourse. Spence also attacks "thingism," the unbridled lust for products that enslaves Americans with debt, tying them to unfulfilling jobs, stoking constant fear and anger that are fed by the conservative commentators. Hate sells, Spence laments, in this stinging rebuke of the hypocrisy of commentators who cash in on the frustrations of average Americans without regard for the longer term consequences. Spence's passion should appeal to a broad range of readers concerned about the current political environment.Vanessa BushCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved