General Discussion

DonViejo

(60,536 posts) Thu Mar 28, 2013, 10:35 AM Mar 2013

Catholic League Wants Time Warner To Have ‘A Serious Talk’ With Bill Maher

The Catholic League has had enough of Bill Maher's shtick.

Maher on Friday closed his weekly HBO program, "Real Time," with a monologue that was sharply critical of the Catholic Church and the newly elected Pope Francis. It was a pretty typical rant from the anti-religion satirist but William Donohue, president of the Catholic League, believes Maher went too far.

In a letter sent Tuesday to Glenn A. Britt, chairman of HBO's parent company Time Warner, Donohue said that "Maher's bigotry" must not go unpunished. Donohue attached a report titled "Bill Maher's History of Anti-Catholicism, 1998-2013," which documents 39 jokes made by the comedian that were directed at the Church.

"From the enclosed report, it is evident that Maher's bigotry is not merely visceral, it is relentless," Donohue wrote. "The time has come for someone in a position of responsibility to sit down and have a serious talk with this man."

more + video:
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/catholic-league-wants-time-warner-to-have-serious

24 replies

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Highlight:

Catholic League Wants Time Warner To Have ‘A Serious Talk’ With Bill Maher (Original Post) DonViejo Mar 2013 OP

Um, First Amendment. Not Me Mar 2013 #1

Maher shouldn't be muzzled, but its not a first amendment issue onenote Mar 2013 #11

Oh, it would just be like a trip to Mother Superior's office. Kurovski Mar 2013 #24

Well, now we can add the lack of a sense of humor libodem Mar 2013 #2

someone needs to sit him down to give him a talking to CurtEastPoint Mar 2013 #3

I think it was Bill Maher who said that the Catholic League was basically a guy with a fax machine.. truebrit71 Mar 2013 #4

I was just about to post the same thing. longship Mar 2013 #5

The Catholic League has been a one-man shop for years. Paladin Mar 2013 #8

Beat me to it. formercia Mar 2013 #14

Or as Bill Maher put it, a case of shitkicker inflation. backscatter712 Mar 2013 #20

why don't you just debate him you piece of shit... snooper2 Mar 2013 #6

lol. Demosntrates the difference between actual argument and "Youre a poopyhead." Volaris Mar 2013 #15

HITCHSLAPPED!!! backscatter712 Mar 2013 #22

Maher has disdain for all organized religions. bluedigger Mar 2013 #7

I qauesiton their Newest Reality Mar 2013 #9

Shut up Donahue. Initech Mar 2013 #10

Doesn't the Catholic League still consist pretty much of Donohue and no one else? Squinch Mar 2013 #12

totally. Warren DeMontague Mar 2013 #18

Yep. Maher pointed that out, which is probably why Donohue's flipping out. backscatter712 Mar 2013 #21

William Donohue is an angry asswipe. City Lights Mar 2013 #13

Time Warner to Bill Maher: AngryOldDem Mar 2013 #16

Oh, yes, the Catholic "League". Warren DeMontague Mar 2013 #17

Only 39 jokes in 15 years? That's hardly relentless. Honeycombe8 Mar 2013 #19

The Catholic League is BainsBane Mar 2013 #23

Not Me

(3,398 posts)

1. Um, First Amendment.

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Mar 28, 2013, 10:38 AM

Mar 2013

I dislike Mr. Donohue's statements just as much, but he has a right to them, and I can turn him off.

onenote

(42,694 posts)

11. Maher shouldn't be muzzled, but its not a first amendment issue

Reply to Not Me (Reply #1)

Thu Mar 28, 2013, 10:59 AM

Mar 2013

unless its the government doing the muzzling.

Kurovski

(34,655 posts)

24. Oh, it would just be like a trip to Mother Superior's office.

Reply to onenote (Reply #11)

Thu Mar 28, 2013, 10:43 PM

Mar 2013

I think it would make for a smashing broadcast!

(A talk between the league and Maher)

I doubt they are brave enough for it, look at the passive-aggressive way they are approaching their grievance.

libodem

(19,288 posts)

2. Well, now we can add the lack of a sense of humor

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Mar 28, 2013, 10:39 AM

Mar 2013

And narcing to things to joke about. Dicks.

CurtEastPoint

(18,639 posts)

3. someone needs to sit him down to give him a talking to

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Mar 28, 2013, 10:39 AM

Mar 2013

1 man making jokes is nothing compared to 10 Thousand religious idiots bashing gays

truebrit71

(20,805 posts)

4. I think it was Bill Maher who said that the Catholic League was basically a guy with a fax machine..

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Mar 28, 2013, 10:40 AM

Mar 2013

...perhaps Mr Donohue has forgotten that thing called the First Amendment, and that the US follows the Constitution (theoretically), and not the dictates of that cult of child-buggerers he defends...

longship

(40,416 posts)

5. I was just about to post the same thing.

Reply to truebrit71 (Reply #4)

Thu Mar 28, 2013, 10:48 AM

Mar 2013

I didn't remember that it was Maher who said that, but I believe that the Catholic League is just the bloviating Donohue himself.

Paladin

(28,252 posts)

8. The Catholic League has been a one-man shop for years.

Reply to truebrit71 (Reply #4)

Thu Mar 28, 2013, 10:54 AM

Mar 2013

Donohue has wielded way too much influence for way too long. And Maher is an equal-opportunity offender: any organized religion is fair game, as far as he's concerned.

formercia

(18,479 posts)

14. Beat me to it.

Reply to Paladin (Reply #8)

Thu Mar 28, 2013, 11:08 AM

Mar 2013

He's just a bully with a big agenda.

backscatter712

(26,355 posts)

20. Or as Bill Maher put it, a case of shitkicker inflation.

Reply to formercia (Reply #14)

Thu Mar 28, 2013, 09:48 PM

Mar 2013

He's one guy with a fax machine.

snooper2

(30,151 posts)

6. why don't you just debate him you piece of shit...

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Mar 28, 2013, 10:51 AM

Mar 2013

Oh yeah, because you would just embarrass yourself again loser-

Volaris

(10,270 posts)

15. lol. Demosntrates the difference between actual argument and "Youre a poopyhead."

Reply to snooper2 (Reply #6)

Thu Mar 28, 2013, 08:40 PM

Mar 2013

What a douchebag this guy is (apologies to any actual douchebags who may be reading, as it can be argued that you serve a legitimate purpose).

backscatter712

(26,355 posts)

22. HITCHSLAPPED!!!

Reply to snooper2 (Reply #6)

Thu Mar 28, 2013, 10:01 PM

Mar 2013

I miss Christopher Hitchens.

bluedigger

(17,086 posts)

7. Maher has disdain for all organized religions.

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Mar 28, 2013, 10:51 AM

Mar 2013

They aren't so special - just topical.

Newest Reality

(12,712 posts)

9. I qauesiton their

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Mar 28, 2013, 10:55 AM

Mar 2013

authority on any matter and their opinion is merely relative to the influence and power they currently hold.

If they find that threatening, then the burden of proof is on them to establish on what grounds they have any actual authority. If the substantiation rests on a god then tangible evidence does not seem to exist, unless they can provide it. Hearsay and anecdotal evidence are not admissible.

It they rest on ad populum arguments, then their authority is merely a logical fallacy and as convincing as the opinions about which baseball team is best. Popularity is no actual proof of authority, no matter how many people agree on an issue. If everyone agreed that gravity does not exist, they might start walking and acting funny, but that's not going to end gravity.

Most authority and many institutions rest on swampy ground. If popular opinion or beliefs change around them, they tend to hold no concrete and factual relevance or power. That is powerful and yes, it is anarchistic.

When you go by the argument of burden of proof, it is not so much about ending or eliminating various, influential institutions, (that tend to have ulterior motives and self-serving agendas) it is about relegating them to their proper place and delimiting their control of the rest of us. That is doable if we push the issue past the curtain.