Ben Shapiro
Benjamin Aaron Shapiro (born January 15, 1984)[1] is an American conservative political commentator, radio talk show host, attorney, and media consultant. A native of Los Angeles, Shapiro graduated from high school at age 16 and graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles and Harvard Law School. He has written four books, starting with Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America's Youth in 2004, and writes a column for Creators Syndicate.
Early life and education
Shapiro attended Yeshiva University High Schools of Los Angeles and graduated early after skipping third and ninth grades.[2] He then enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) at the age of 16, majoring in political science, and graduating summa cum laude in 2004.[3] At UCLA, Shapiro lived off-campus.[4] He also wrote a column for the Daily Bruin student newspaper at UCLA from 2000 to 2002. The Daily Bruin suspended Shapiro after he complained on radio talk shows that the newspaper refused to print his column accusing Muslim student groups of supporting terrorism.[2] He received his Juris Doctor (J.D.), cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 2007.[3] He formerly practiced law at the Los Angeles office of Goodwin Procter LLP. He now does independent legal consulting for major media clients.[3]
Writing career
Shapiro was hired by Creators Syndicate at age 17 to become the youngest nationally syndicated columnist in the U.S. He has written a book on his experiences in college, titled Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America's Youth (ISBN 0-7852-6148-6), which was published in 2004 by WND Books.[2] In Brainwashed, Shapiro accused professors of being "totalitarian" and "indoctrination" through "[m]aking a case for one side and completely discarding the other side. He also criticized campus speech codes.[4] In the Christian Science Monitor, Marjorie Kehe wrote: "Shapiro makes sweeping - and many would say absurd - charges that they promote atheism, absolute sexual freedom (including pedophilia and statutory rape, which are crimes), and rampant environmentalism."[5] UCLA professor Robert N. Watson accused Shapiro of personal attacks and fabrications.[6]
His next book, Porn Generation: How Social Liberalism Is Corrupting Our Future (ISBN 0-89526-016-6), was published by Regnery in June 2005. Michelle Malkin recommended the book for summer reading in a feature by the conservative magazine National Review: "Ben argues valiantly on behalf of modesty in a flesh-baring world."[7]
His following book, Project President: Bad Hair and Botox on the Road to the White House (ISBN 1-5955-5100-X), was published in 2008. Shapiro's latest book, Primetime Propaganda: The True Hollywood Story of How the Left Took Over Your TV was published by Harper Collins in June 2011. In that book, Shapiro argues that Hollywood has a left-wing agenda construed in the messages in primetime entertainment programming and interviewed many in the entertainment industry including Vin Di Bona.[8] His example of the children's show Sesame Street as left-wing propaganda was widely spread before publication.[9] In interviews with producers of those shows, Shapiro obtained admissions that the shows Happy Days and M*A*S*H promoted a left-wing, pacifist agenda.[10] Based on the revelations in Shapiro's book, the Caucus for Producers, Writers and Directors passed a unanimous resolution condemning political discrimination within Hollywood.
Radio
Shapiro guest hosts regularly for major talk show hosts including nationally syndicated hosts Jerry Doyle and Rusty Humphries. On Sundays, he hosts The Ben Shapiro Show on the Orlando, Florida talk radio station WEUS.[11]
Political ideology
Shapiro has taken conservative stances on many social issues. He favors stronger military and law enforcement spending, as well as more restrictive laws against abortion and pornography. He has also spoken favorably of tighter immigration restrictions and expanded government wiretapping powers of suspected terrorists. Shapiro is also strongly critical of the liberal beliefs of American Jews. Shapiro is also a very strong advocate for abstinence before marriage. He is also a staunch critic of judicial activism, supporting judges whom he believes interpret the United States Constitution according to its original meaning. He has advocated significantly modifying the jury system as it exists in the United States.[12]
Personal life
Ben Shapiro is an Orthodox Jew.[4] Shapiro married in Acre, Israel in July 2008.[13]
External links
References
- ^ California Births, 1905-1995
- ^ a b c Pope, Justin (June 10, 2004). "School liberalism blasted". Deseret News. Associated Press. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
- ^ a b c Shapiro, Ben. "About Ben Shapiro". BenjaminShapiro.com. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
- ^ a b c Glazov, Jamie (May 13, 2004). "Brainwashed". FrontPage Magazine. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
- ^ Kehe, Marjorie (May 24, 2004). "Brainwashing on campus?". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
- ^ Watson, Robert N. (May 11, 2004). "Shattered Shapiro: Author of flimsy exposé in league with Blair, Glass". Daily Bruin. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
- ^ "Bring a Book to The Beach". National Review. July 1, 2005. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
- ^ Goldstein, Patrick (June 13, 2011). "'Propaganda' is hard to prove". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
- ^ Hartmann, Thom (June 8, 2011). "Is Sesame Street subverting children with a liberal bias?". The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann. YouTube.
- ^ Lawson, Mark (June 29, 2011). "Is US TV too leftwing?". The Guardian. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
- ^ "Weekend Schedule and Hosts". WEUS. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
- ^ Shapiro, Ben (6 July 2011). "Should We Abolish the Jury System?". The Patriot Post. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
- ^ Shapiro, Ben (July 16, 2008). "I Got Married Last Week". Creators Syndicate. Retrieved June 3, 2011.