The other day I wondered whether Ezra Levant's bigot site The Rebel would be able to survive for much longer.
With or without the help of Big Oil.
I doubted that it could stay afloat with only cheap ads and voluntary donations from its small group of readers to sustain it.
And sure enough now The Rebel has a paywall !!!!
And you've got to pay for its so-called "premium content."
Last February, a week or so after we launched, I told you our business plan. We wanted to build our audience and fan base by bringing you short video reports, then eventually, full length shows.
But our plans were always to set up a premium membership, for $8 a month, or 80 bucks a year — less than Netflix. And starting today, March 9, our hour-long shows will be for members only.
Which of course couldn't be more hilarious. Because there is no "premium" content.
Just the same old boring bigoted garbage.
Anyone who calls that "premium" should be arrested for fraud.
And just as I predicted, many of Levant's faithful fans absolutely HATE the idea...
And who can blame them eh?
When The Rebel should be paying THEM to watch its "shows."
And they like their political porn free...
Just like they did when Levant was on Sun TV.
And even his dumbest fans must finally hear the sucking sounds of his tacky money machine.
Where the Rebel Commander sets out to give flowers to the ailing Rob Ford.
And all you've got to do is give your name and e-mail address...
And of course read the fine print at the bottom.
For that shabby old hustler will not miss a trick to put you on his mailing list and keep you there, so he can hit you up for money.
But then who can blame that ugly bigot?
The hate industry isn't what it used to be in Canada.
Now that the terrorist scare has receded, and Stephen Harper has been defeated...
Because without that depraved political pervert to inflame the mob, and send customers his way, Levant must be desperate.
In fact, he recently had to travel all the way to Cologne, Germany, to try to prove that all refugees are rapists.
And I'm predicting that his paywall scheme will end up like his plans for fancy Caribbean cruises...
You know, I was giving The Rebel one year to live.
But now I'm giving it six months.
The Rebel Commander's giant ego is steering that Ship of Bigots to disaster.
And they're all going down together...
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Most of the comments complaining about the paywall have been scrubbed from the site. The so-called defender of free speech cannot have the rubes thinking there is dissention in the ranks. It'll be interesting when the Rebel finally does fold, how old Ezra will spin it and blame the elite media, Trudeau, Notley or whoever else for its demise, much like Sun News. Maybe he'll blame Al Gore, after all, isn't Gore the guy who invented the internet? Surely he has a say in who can have a website. As for their readers, I especially love the ones who write that they look forward to more "truth" in journalism from the only honest media outlet out there. Sad.
ReplyDeletehi aka Joe...yes aren't Levant and his Rebel gang pathetic? It couldn't be more of a bush league production, and their hype couldn't be more absurd or fraudulent. Levant has always been a hustler, but The Rebel is designed to milk every dollar out of his legion of suckers. And I must say I too love those who say that rag stands for "truth" in journalism. Although I should say it also makes me feel a little sorry for them, for that too is pathetic...
DeleteThe bebel only exists as a place to start ringing the bell in the echo chamber.
ReplyDeletehis Steve...yes that's true, and as I mentioned in my post, it's getting harder to use fear to stir up his supporters, and I think that's what making Levant look crazier and crazier....
DeleteThe list of things sane folks would rather pay for than a subscription to the "Rebel" is almost infinite.
ReplyDeletehi Dan...yes and I was actually impressed that some of his addled supporters also seem to think there are better ways to spend eight bucks a month. Which tells me what they think of The Rebel. If bigotry and mediocrity could kill, it would have been buried long ago...
DeleteIt's gettin' crazier by the day.With people like erza "the huckster" and cheryl"the hamster"...Maybe you can do a crazy person of the week blog.
ReplyDeletehi anon...well since I write so many stories about those batshit crazy Cons, sometimes I feel I'm writing a crazy person of the DAY blog... ;)
DeleteEzduh should offer a free ham for those who sign up. I know of quite a few that just became available.
ReplyDeleteJD
hi JD....well they're going to have to offer their Rebels something if they want to get them to subscribe to their "premium show". Because when they are balking at paying just eight bucks, you know their loyalty is only skin deep, and has very shallow pockets. I should also say that I hope the Canada Revenue Agency is keeping a close watch on that operation, because if anyone is begging for an audit they are...
DeleteLike paying to have your sewer line back up.
ReplyDeletehi anon...I actually thought of subscribing myself so I can keep on monitoring The Rebel, keep exposing its bigot garbage, and of course counting the death threats it prints, and passing them on to the police....
DeleteThe interesting thing for me was the realization that some wacko dimwit oligarch/elitenumbnuts/davidkoch/climatechangedenier/oilcompany wasn't actually giving Ezra enough to keep him in peanuts and beer, a complete nutritional diet according to the Canada Food Guide for neoliberal conmen mouthpiece commentators. I mean, Geez, if you can't even get the regular nutcases to ante up for spewing insults at the masses, er JT, while glorifying harper and preston, your message must indeed be beyond the pale.
ReplyDeletehi anon...well they are getting some money from Big Oil, but they are syndicated ads so it's probably not much money. But then if you remember that "Ethical Oil" operation that Levant was associated with also claimed it got no money from the the oil industry, only to finally admit that it did. So the only reason that the Rebel isn't getting more from them is because it's message is so extreme even the oil cowboys are wary of being associated with it...
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