Bill Maher thinks his friend Ann Coulters "faggot" comment was perfectly appropriate

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0703/18/lkl.01.html

How's your friend, Ann Coulter, and the faggot word?

What do you make of that? MAHER: Oh...

KING: By the way, I want to...

MAHER: ... you can't say that here.

KING: That's what she said.

MAHER: Oh, I see.

KING: I'm quoting her.

MAHER: OK.

KING: I didn't say it.

Where did it -- where does John Edwards -- how is that funny?

MAHER: You know what?

I think...

KING: John Edwards is a gay?

MAHER: Yes, you have to...

KING: Where?

MAHER: You have to think like a right-winger. First of all, it's interesting to note that she made that comment in front of that right-wing convention. She was not booed. There was actually a moment of ooh and then they all burst into applause. It went over like a cross on fire.

They actually liked that comment. And to people, normal people, you know, people who think like human beings, it was just confusing.

It was like why is John Edwards gay?

He's good looking.

OK, is that equivalent with gay?

No. And then she explained it and I kind of thought about it and I see what she's saying, is that, no, she really meant to say -- what she was trying to say, it's code word for the Democrats are -- I hope I can say this -- you said faggot -- pussies.

Can I say that?

KING: That's code word for -- I never read that. That never came through.

MAHER: No. No, but that's what they mean, is that he's a faggot because he thinks and speaks in complete sentences and reads whole books and doesn't just go off to war without thinking about it twice. And he cares about poor people and the environment, you know, poof stuff, Larry.

KING: Do you still like Ann Coulter?

MAHER: I haven't talked to her in so long. I don't know if she still likes me.

KING: Really?

She used to come on your show a lot.

MAHER: A lot. Yes.

KING: Would you have her back?

MAHER: Yes, I'd have -- of course I'd have her back. I mean I like her -- I like what she says less and less. I never agreed with her. But she never was like out there. But this was a joke, in her defense.

KING: Right.

MAHER: I mean she was making a joke.

KING: A bad joke.

MAHER: I don't know. You know, for that crowd, it was apparently the right joke.

"It went over like a cross on fire."

Why can't they all be Colbert?

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

He did have a couple of serious shots at her and the radical right. The "cross on fire" line and "for that audience" line were pretty serious shots. The shot at her meaning "people who read books, and think things out. . ." was fairly clear too.

I like what he said.
The Professor

he was mocking her and her subhuman audience.

If you have a chance to catch it, BookTV covered the CPAC convention and some of those in attendance were peddling their reeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaalllllyy delusional books. They interviewed a number of 'authors' and listening to them talk about their books and their ideology in particular puts what Maher said not only in context, but in agreement with intelligent, thinking people. It is plain scary that people like those who attend CPAC are running around spreading their viral ideas.

The bottom line for CPACers: strip women of their reproductive, educational, employment and financial rights; vaporize anything that looks, smells, talks, thinks Green; destroy and decimate the Liberals and the Democrats. And know: they are dead serious about attaining these goals. Fuck what you heard. Yes, they would cheer a burning cross; yes, they would cheer a homophobic comment whether it was a joke, which it was not, or not.

I think he's had her on quite a number of times, even over the protestations of his more liberal audience members and fans.

See, no accounting for some peoples' taste. Anyway, Maher is always a bit of an enigma on some issues. You just have to take what you like and leave the rest. :shrug:

Coulter is his buddy although he tried to deny it claiming he hadn't talked to her in a while. I was sort of disappointed in him but what are you goanna do. :shrug:

...His defense of "her" is indefensible...

Other than that I agree with alot of what he has to say...

made her 'famous' on his old show Politically Incorrect. I didn't like here then and I can't stand her now. She has become a vicious liar.

He constantly makes jokes and comments that are hurtful to gays. And like a true hypocrite he then points his finger at the RW for their anti-gay stands.

Because I've seen every episode of "real Time"and watch as many of his interviews as I can, with a pretty good memory and I can't remember having seen one example of "jokes and comments that are hurtful to gays".

Bill Maher is not a great comedian when it comes to the "monologue" portion of his comedy. Mediocre at best. And he also has kind of a universally dickish, blowhardish, bitter streak in his personality but not one that applies to bigotry against any one minority or struggling group in particular.

The only non-right group he shows any irrational bigotry that I've seen are young people, or atleast all the ones he can't or doesn't want to have sex with.

I think he's quite supportive of gay and lesbian people and GLBT issues. He fully supports same-sex marriage, for instance.

And considering The Advocate, a magazine for GLBT people, put him on the cover recently as one of our straight allies and friends, the homophobe label is misplaced here.

He just has crappy taste in friends, I guess.

Do you know?

and not stools, please.

He's saying that she was using the language that the RW wants to hear. How can you go after Ann with pitchforks and torches and ingore the audience that cares for and feeds her.

Which is a point that has been made on DU many times too.

It's pretty damn sarcastic and backhanded if you ask me.

I watched Maher on King and Maher was DEFINITELY NOT defending Annie's comments. The subtext, which anyone with half a brain can figure out by the transcript alone, is that why should we be surprised at the ovation she got for such hateful remarks? Look who she was speaking to. The "cross afire" comment is clearly a reference to the rabid right-wing.

Maher, I think, wanted to distance himself from her as much as possible.

Perhaps finding a video link will clear up any confusion. But then again, maybe not, if people see only what they want.

a moron making a moronic "joke" to a throng of like-minded morons.

I don't read this as an endorsement of her brand of humor, at all.

Maher got thrown off network tv for an observation (he said 9-11 terrorists were brave to fly into the Towers/Pentagon) not a joke, so he probably has a knee-jerk response to defend even idiotic speech from the mouths of idiots.

andLiars.

The whole segment was a commentary on a group of people that were not "outraged". Please don't try to single out the messenger who is pointing out that fact.

BTW... I did see that episode AND re-read the transcript just to make sure my memory of the conversation was correct before posting.

MZr7

He said it "went over like a cross on fire". Does that sound like an endorsement?

what a wonderfully milquetoast & beige world we would live in, if everything that offended anyone weren't allowed.

it's called free speech.

get over it.

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Did you actually read the transcript?

QA was defending Coulter, not Maher. He has a penchant for defending homophobes and telling people who object to "get over it."

The people in the room, that gave her a standing ovation seemed to think the comment was fine.

That is what Maher was talking about, and I believe (although I can't speak for them) QA was also pointing that out.

and that we shouldn't object to the use of bigoted slurs lest the world become "beige and milquetoast." Curiously, I've never seen him defend racist comments with the same zeal for "free speech."

You were mistaken. Admit it and move on please.

I can't speak to QP's motives, only Mahers.

It was obvious that the people in the room thought it was appropriate.

It was also obvious that it wasn't appropriate to the majority of the country. She lost most of the newspapers that carried her columns, over her hate-filled slur.

QA didn't just arrive at the party but has had the microphone any number of times in the past. Same song and dance.

For saying her audience is just as hate-filled as she is.

QA is on record numerous times saying homosexuals who object to being the object of slurs are whining free-speech haters.

some people need to take a look in a mirror.

Perhaps I don't understand what you mean.

if i appear to be doing the same "song & dance"...

it's only because i keep hearing the same tired old tune.

defense of her or what she said.

I wasn't talking about Maher.

READ before you WRITE.

to any male - and since the subject was Maher saying AC was "appropriate" it was - IMO - an understandable mistake.

wave a swastika at a Hitler Youth rally.

He might have couched it in a little less obtuse manner but he has always been very subtle.

to defend the same kind of hate speech.

There's a bit of a backstory here, I'm afraid.

I don't even have HBO so I rarely watch Maher. I've liked some of his things specifically related to Bush that I've seen posted on YouTube.

It is hard for me to believe that anyone so overwhelmingly progressive on so many issues is a homophobe but I am sure people like that exist. If you care to can you give me more substantive info on his (I will say for now "alleged") homophobia?

I don't think Maher is a homophobe, although his gay jokes are pretty dumb. But as someone else pointed out on this thread, he doesn't excel at the initial standup portion of the show.

The only reason I have any appreciation for him (Maher) is his philosophy, not his wit. I agree the standup I've seen tends to be a bit on the lame side.

I think he does well when he's guiding the debate or delivering a rant. That's what I tune in for. His standup shows are actually pretty good when he's talking about larger issues. But "Tonight Show"-style topical humor is not his strong suit.

wrongheaded and slanted as that interpretation may be.

what a great country, huh...? :hi:

get over it.

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People will be free to use it but will understand there is a cost associated with using it.

I think you will need to get over it.

Take two.

Free Speech, man. There must be an audience for that crap, too. Get over it and all...

:eyes:

I wonder if I'm better or worse off for not knowing.

:-(

I just want to thank Sen. Lott (and Sen. Thurmond) for their efforts to keep America "milquetoast & beige" free. :sarcasm:

Have a bless-ED day, y'all.

or hell, maybe you are just looking for a fight. Who knows

:shrug:

Did you see where he compared RWers in the audience to Klan members? Did you see the constant attacks on the rightwing homophobes?

Where's the disconnect here?

This should be good...

Pay attention.

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is defending COULTER's language (under the guise of a strawman "free speech" argument) and objecting to those who were offended and the "beige and milquetoast" world we're trying to create.

Again, please pay better attention.

I am responding to a comment made by a poster, responding to the subject matter contained within that post and any posts within that converstaion, leading back to the original thread. Two comments in that conversation.

Whatever points you try to make independent of my conversation downthread or on a seperate branch, I couldn't give a shit about. Its not my conversation.

By the way, I wasn't talking to you for a reason. Get over yourself.

And try to have at least some understanding of how discussion threads work before coming to one of the largest forums on one of the largest political sites on the web. Otherwise, when you do things like you did and attack out of ignorance or fundimental misunderstandings of complex issues such as this, it just makes you look pathetic and immature.

"colorful" use of bigoted slurs. Free speech and all.

BTW, so clever bringing up Aristotle. A+! Perhaps you should learn how to spell "fundamental" before lecturing me on electronic discourse generally.

Nice simplistic thinking, by the way. Reminds me of "you're either with us or against us".

Tell you what. Lets make a law where anyone who says anything that might offend anyone can be put in prison for offensive speech. Of course, there could be problems with that, someone needs to enforce the standards. You seem to have a clearly defined sense of right and wrong. Would you do it? Please? America needs you!

where did I ever implicate the First Amendment?

Tell me that.

Or are you out of steam, and simply engaging in the same brand of intellectual dishonesty as your idol upthread?

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Jumping on people because they didn't respond as you thought they ought to the content of posts other than the content to which they were responding. From there you spin that anyone who did not behave within the parameters you circumscribed for them was an enemy of free-speech who should not be allowed on a grown-ups forum.

I don't think Aristotle would follow your reasoning.

hotter than charcoaL.

i wish DU had a DUer tracker... that way i'd never miss your most wonderfuL and insightfuL comments.

You know, it could vibrate or something when he posts so we could be the first to experience the genius that is this poster?

especiaLLy the vibrating part.

called her that after Maher had her(it) on remote.

Det. John Munch rules!

:loveya:

The only reason I can think of why he says he likes Coulter is that, at some point, they must have hooked up.

Well, to paraphrase a local radio personality; since when do you have to like somebody in order to have sex with them?

Apparently you didn't actually read it.

Flamebait.

It WAS vile and Mahr should have said so. But he's correct that Coulter was brought there to say shit like that, it DID go over with the audience like "a cross on fire," and it WAS code for "Democrats are pussies."

Maher did not say he considered her use of the word appropriate.

MAHER: Yes, I'd have -- of course I'd have her back. I mean I like her -- I like what she says less and less. I never agreed with her.

she would turn as is her way, and come after him in like-manner :shrug: he is exercising imo a form of appeasement in the face if what is clearly a rabid persona

This is not an endorsement of Coutler, or a apology for or validation of what she said.

If anything, it highlights how stuipd she and everyone at that rally is. He rips right wing, anti-gay types pretty visciously all through that bit you posted.

I mean, Maher wasn't exactly saying Coulter was "just making a joke." Implying that we should leave her alone. He did say she was making a joke in front of a crowd that would cheer a cross burning. I mean, these are knuckle-dragging mouth breathers here. That's what he was saying. Which is a much more erudite way of making a joke for his own audience - demonstrates his wit versus Coulter's lack thereof.

badly. I am grateful that papers are dropping her. No one has arrested her for what she said, they're just not going to pay as much attention to her... and she will fade away. She's welcome to say what she wants, and hang herself along the way. There is no need to make excuses for it. It is what it was... bigoted and just as bad as Michael Richards' outburst.

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The lack of reading comprehension in this thread is astounding.