S17.E02: Ann Coulter, Joshua Green, Dan Savage, Heather McGhee, Michael McFaul

[GHScorpiosRule]

Quote

Ann Coulter, Correspondent Joshua Green, Columnist Dan Savage, Policy Analyst Heather McGhee and Diplomat Michael McFaul (mid-show guest)

Edited January 26, 2019 by GHScorpiosRule

[Guest]

This topic will open January 25th at 10:00 p.m.

[angelamh66]

Good lord I had forgotten how vile Ann Coulter is.  Eat bees Ann.  

Perhaps we should all take heed of the former ambassador to Russia’s take on things. In short, we have every reason to be terrified. 

I’m sure New Rules was offensive to some, but damn, I thought it was hilarious.

[Broderbits]

I thought the final New Rule was just more of Bill's railing at anyone he thinks is trying to constrain him; sort of the millionth version of "I was cancelled by Berkeley". What possible difference could it make to him if people read comics, at least they're not watching FoxNews. It sounded like "you kids get off my lawn". I'm old, I understand that attitude; but why waste tv time on it?

Skipped AC because I value my mental health.

[yellowjacket]

I wasn't  going to watch,  but I've got a 20 year habit at this point.  So glad we got Dan Savage, I am taking his stock tip about guillotines.

Edited January 26, 2019 by yellowjacket
spelling!

[GHScorpiosRule]

Favorite line of the night for me: “That’s some White Crazy Shit.”😂😂😂 I love Heather McGhee!

This should have been the season premiere-Solid show and aside from the SheBeast, I enjoyed every minute of it.

Lors I knew she was a a racist, xenophobic, BEAST, but I didn’t realize what a MORON she was to boot. She was looking desperate and grasping at straws. So HAPPY she wasn’t on Overtime.

22 minutes ago, angelamh66 said:

 

I’m sure New Rules was offensive to some, but damn, I thought it was hilarious.

I’m a huge comic toon fan, but I was 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂. EXCEPT for the crack about Bale. But Bill’s disgust for the word “adulting” made up for it. I HATE that made up word.

It’s episodes like tonight that make me keep watching this show.

[Robert Lynch]

I was never a huge comic book fan. More of a funnies type guy with the typical Little Orphan Annie, Curtis, Winnie Winkle, and Peanuts story to keep me interested. I admit, I am still a gamer, but I was a late 80s-00s kid that grew with every arcade and game system I grew up with. I hope I am not guilty of that.

[Black Knight]

It's simply glorious that Ann Coulter happened to be booked for tonight's show. Maher's bookers must've been pinching themselves in glee. All the politically-minded people in my office, who usually avoid anything Coulter like the plague, were looking forward all day to tuning in to enjoy her frustration over Trump.

[Pete Martell]

1 hour ago, Robert Lynch said:

I was never a huge comic book fan. More of a funnies type guy with the typical Little Orphan Annie, Curtis, Winnie Winkle, and Peanuts story to keep me interested. I admit, I am still a gamer, but I was a late 80s-00s kid that grew with every arcade and game system I grew up with. I hope I am not guilty of that.

You don't have anything to be guilty of. There's nothing wrong with reading comics or playing games, no matter how much Bill Maher shits on them to pretend he's morally superior because he spent his time doing things like giving a national platform to hate and bigotry.

There are some comics that are wonderfully written and make powerful statements. Any idiot could admit that, even if they don't like most comics. I haven't actually read a new comic in over 10 years and it's been even longer since I bought more than one or two. I think the main comic companies pretty much are garbage now. I don't even really watch superhero movies, just because they don't interest me enough to see them. I still know there's a wonderful legacy and that the basic idea of comic books and of the movies mean a lot to people for a variety of reasons beyond not growing up. Imagine telling somebody who went to see the new Spiderman cartoon with an Afro-Latino lead, somebody who has rarely if ever seen that type of representation for themselves on the big screen, that they just need to grow up. Only an idiot would do that.

Bill Maher has always been an idiot - the kind who passes himself off as smart and better than the rest. As often shown over the last 25 years of his career, those are the dumbest idiots of them all.

He's also wrong that Shakespeare or Dickens were never seen as unsophisticated. They very much were in their day. He'd know that if he wasn't an idiot. 

Edited January 26, 2019 by Pete Martell

[Victor the Crab]

Actually Bill, nobody asked you to comment about comic books on your show. We get it, you still think they're for children, despite the fact that they're absolutely nothing like they once were when you were a child. That there's more intelligence and creativity in them than it used to be. Which is the fucking point you keep missing about why Stan Lee was so honored after his death. And by attacking those who enjoy comic books today, you did take a swipe at Stan Lee whether you realize it or not (or care). But I'm sure everyone will heed the advice of a chronic pot smoking sexist misogynistic bachelor in his sixties, who thinks using stereotypes as comic material is funny, about how to be a grown up. Especially those who do have families of their own and still enjoy comic books, like Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel, and other peers of yours who are more revered than you ever hope to be.

PS, if you feel that adamant about comic books and the industry around it, then give back the money you made from appearing in a cameo in Iron Man 3, you fucking hypocrite.

As I've stated before, when you give Ann Coulter a platform to spew her shit, she wins! Doesn't matter if Bill thinks shining a light on her acts like a disinfectant, Coulter looks at it like a spotlight to use for speaking her mind. And it wouldn't surprise me the least if her and her pal Bill went to a bar afterwards to have a good laugh from all that.

[Pete Martell]

3 minutes ago, Victor the Crab said:

As I've stated before, when you give Ann Coulter a platform to spew her shit, she wins! Doesn't matter if Bill thinks shining a light on her acts like a disinfectant, Coulter looks at it like a spotlight to use for speaking her mind. And it wouldn't surprise me the least if her and her pal Bill went to a bar afterwards to have a good laugh from all that.

He only says that type of stuff because of backlash. He never cared about shining a light on her. He obviously genuinely likes her as a person and always has. He's been in her corner for over 20 years, as she's spewed hatred about minorities, as she's called for women to lose their right to vote, and on and on and on. She's proud of those views, she profits from those views, and clearly Bill supports them as well, since he's happy to give her a showcase. I wish he would just drop the act and admit he is a lot like Ann and that he has her on because he supports her, not because of any other reason. I never bought that he genuinely disagreed with her, and I'm not sure if anyone else does either. 

[wknt3]

13 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Lors I knew she was a a racist, xenophobic, BEAST, but I didn’t realize what a MORON she was to boot. She was looking desperate and grasping at straws. So HAPPY she wasn’t on Overtime.

She had trouble with this interview for the same reason she wasn't on Overtime - she doesn't have the wit and knowledge to analyze things on a real time (lower case) basis. She is great at coming up with insults and playing to the base that is just happy to hear her sling vile insults at the libs, but she needs time to figure out how to play to the rabid base without burning her bridges entirely with the Fox News establishment on the occasions where they might disagree. Trump caving came at an inconvenient time for her so she didn't have time to re-work her material and figure out what to say (maybe go with Trump should have ordered in the military to take over like Reagan would have and suggest Pelosi and Soros were in cahoots with the federal employees?) and without her prepped script she was flailing.

 

12 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

You don't have anything to be guilty of. There's nothing wrong with reading comics or playing games, no matter how much Bill Maher shits on them to pretend he's morally superior because he spent his time doing things like giving a national platform to hate and bigotry.

There are some comics that are wonderfully written and make powerful statements. Any idiot could admit that, even if they don't like most comics. I haven't actually read a new comic in over 10 years and it's been even longer since I bought more than one or two. I think the main comic companies pretty much are garbage now. I don't even really watch superhero movies, just because they don't interest me enough to see them. I still know there's a wonderful legacy and that the basic idea of comic books and of the movies mean a lot to people for a variety of reasons beyond not growing up. Imagine telling somebody who went to see the new Spiderman cartoon with an Afro-Latino lead, somebody who has rarely if ever seen that type of representation for themselves on the big screen, that they just need to grow up. Only an idiot would do that.

Bill Maher has always been an idiot - the kind who passes himself off as smart and better than the rest. As often shown over the last 25 years of his career, those are the dumbest idiots of them all.

He's also wrong that Shakespeare or Dickens were never seen as unsophisticated. They very much were in their day. He'd know that if he wasn't an idiot. 

 

Yeah I thought it was a funny bit at times, and I agreed with parts of it, but it really did show off how shallow Bill can be, which is ironic given the whole thesis. Actually there was a lot of irony flying around - as someone who has read "True Story" and seen "Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death" Bill really shouldn't be criticizing anybody's films or the literary quality of their prose. And speaking of a mostly harmless diversion that some people take way too seriously to the point that it becomes obnoxious - perhaps you should go back to the tape and watch yourself talking about pot?

 

11 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

He only says that type of stuff because of backlash. He never cared about shining a light on her. He obviously genuinely likes her as a person and always has. He's been in her corner for over 20 years, as she's spewed hatred about minorities, as she's called for women to lose their right to vote, and on and on and on. She's proud of those views, she profits from those views, and clearly Bill supports them as well, since he's happy to give her a showcase. I wish he would just drop the act and admit he is a lot like Ann and that he has her on because he supports her, not because of any other reason. I never bought that he genuinely disagreed with her, and I'm not sure if anyone else does either. 

I think he genuinely disagrees with her expressed opinions, but he also knows that she doesn't really believe in most of what she's saying. And they do go way back - she was his favorite heel in the intellectual pro wrestling that Politically Incorrect could be all too often and by all accounts was fun to party with off camera and she helped him almost as much as he helped her. I don't think that's the same thing as being in her corner, but I also wish he would drop the pretense and just stick with something like the frenemy line if he's going to have her on.

Edited January 26, 2019 by wknt3

[GoldenGirl90]

Ann Coulter finally said something I finally agree with: "I'm a stupid girl!" 

Yeah, you are. But you're also a trash ass human being, so there's that. And please don't even JOKE about her running for POTUS, Bill. Just... no.

Overall I enjoyed the show. 

I laughed at Bill when he said, "if you're going to criticize Fox News for mistakenly displaying a graphic that RBG had passed, you should also praise them when they get it right," or something to that affect:

[BigPaul25]

Want to be an adult Bill? Stop smoking pot and get married! *crickets*

[GHScorpiosRule]

Granted, I fast forwarded most of the Coulter interview, but watched maybe two minutes when it looked like Bill was seriously asking a question and when she rolled her eyes and did her typical pushing her hair back from her face. The look on his face when he did sort of push back (and to be fair to Bill, he tried, but she just ran her mouth like a motormouth worthy of another blonde from The View) was like ‘You can’t be that delusional!’ Except that she is. And likely she talked all over him because of what @wknt3 posted above.

I’m glad that Heather got to speak more during Overtime, but I did enjoy the shade she threw at the SheBeast when the main show started.

Yes, Bill is an unmitigated asshole and misogynistic prick, but when he has sane and intelligent people on his panel, and they can all talk like adults, it makes for a great show. I think that’s why I still watch. <shrugs>.

And I adore Dan Savage. 

Edited January 26, 2019 by GHScorpiosRule

[Victor the Crab]

38 minutes ago, BigPaul25 said:

Want to be an adult Bill? Stop smoking pot and get married! *crickets*

Like Brian Poshen did. And he's into comic books.

[lookeyloo]

If Ann Coulter doesn't believe half of what she says, but spews it out there, she is even more dangerous.  I knew someone who knew someone who dated Rush Limbaugh once between wives, and she said he is a nice guy in real life and doesn't believe most of what he says.  I said then, too, makes him even more dangerous.  Plus I don't believe either Coulter or Limbaugh are nice in real life.  I don't think of them as performance artists. Maybe they should take up spinning plates and then I might.

[Domestic Assassin]

33 minutes ago, lookeyloo said:

If Ann Coulter doesn't believe half of what she says, but spews it out there, she is even more dangerous.  I knew someone who knew someone who dated Rush Limbaugh once between wives, and she said he is a nice guy in real life and doesn't believe most of what he says.  I said then, too, makes him even more dangerous.  Plus I don't believe either Coulter or Limbaugh are nice in real life.  I don't think of them as performance artists. Maybe they should take up spinning plates and then I might.

I've never understood how "they don't really believe what they say" is supposed to make it better.

[Black Knight]

It's definitely not better, morally speaking. I don't think it's worse, either, just different.

However, in terms of pragmatism, it's better for those they target.

Let me put it this way: Imagine you're being led to a wall to be executed and you have a choice between the mercenary for hire or a true believer.

You have a chance of paying the mercenary for hire off. The true believer is going to shoot you no matter what.

There is no way to sway a true believer and that ultimately makes a true believer more dangerous to the people they target.

[crookedjackson44]

Maher must have creamed his jeans when the end of the shutdown was announced; it made the show more relevant.

Coulter mentioned that she had no slime in her pool - so her cleaner must be really good, since I can only imagine the amount of slime that clings to her body daily.

Anyone notice the toothpick legs she has?  I never noticed that before.

I was delighted by Bill's Sam Drucker reference to Trump's comments.  Sam was the first character I thought of, too!

Sorry folks, but I have to agree with Bill on comic books.  I read my share as a kid, but I would never read them as an adult.  They don't have the depth or length to really explore their characters and stories.  And comic book movies are mostly just awful - insipid CGI garbage.  They are pure money grabbers and bad cinema.  Robert Downey Jr. was once a respectable actor, once.  Not now.

[sistermagpie]

2 hours ago, BigPaul25 said:

Want to be an adult Bill? Stop smoking pot and get married! *crickets*

Just what i was thinking. Any time people try to pretend things they like make them morally superior they're going to get into trouble.

One thing I really appreciated on the show is I thought Bill was going to scold people for misjudging the Covington kids and was so relieved when he called a smirk a smirk. Especially the part about wanting to see that kid actually do that in a situation he was actually trying to defuse.

[Pete Martell]

36 minutes ago, crookedjackson44 said:

Sorry folks, but I have to agree with Bill on comic books.  I read my share as a kid, but I would never read them as an adult.  They don't have the depth or length to really explore their characters and stories.  And comic book movies are mostly just awful - insipid CGI garbage.  They are pure money grabbers and bad cinema.  Robert Downey Jr. was once a respectable actor, once.  Not now.

I'd say Robert Downey Jr's fall from respectability has more to do with his drug problems. He also made more than his share of cheesy movies before Marvel.

To me comic books are the perfect format to explore characters and stories. They have themes that go on for years, decades even. That isn't what most of them bother to do now, but if you go back and look at some of the character arcs of their better years, like what Marvel did with Carol Danvers (Ms. Marvel) in the '80s, it's powerful stuff. I'd say that a lot of the X-Men related material from the late '70s through the late '80s fits the bill of exploring characters and stories. 

I don't think I'd recommend any current comics though (but I haven't read any in years - the most I do is keep up a bit through sites).

[Gigi43]

Were people really clamouring for Bill to comment further or did he just want to bitch more? Loved his bit about "adulting" because it's a stupid term that needs to go but his gripe with comic books is annoying. Not everyone makes the claim they're as good as classic novels. But some are well written. And those of us who like them like them as...wait for it entertainment. Y'know the industry Bill's in. Bill's talked about he watches more sports as a break from the news and thats cool. Everyone needs outlets. But people who watch hours of sports per week, and those who have memorabilia  etc, never get called out as nerdy, childish, or told to read books. Sport bars people frequently constantly, spending money on tickets seasonally, and fantasy teams? Fine. Going to a comic con once a year? Grow up, nerds! I'm not putting down sports at all. I just think it's Bullshit hypocrisy.

Edited January 26, 2019 by Gigi43

[ganesh]

Coulter - talks fast, says something delusional

Bill - objective facts, thinly veiled sexual innuendo

Rise. Repeat. Yawn. 

I can't be bothered to get riled up. She is who she is. I don't need that in my life. 

[b2H]

Oh, but i thought the best exchange during the Coulter portion was the nod to continuing speculation as to their dating life, when Bill said she could play George Conway tonight in bed.

That was great.

Also, and I had to look it up, if anyone was wonder about the ITMFA letters on Dan’s shirt, it is his organization ‘Impeach the M******F***** Already’.

[ganesh]

4 hours ago, Domestic Assassin said:

I've never understood how "they don't really believe what they say" is supposed to make it better.

It's not better and they are dangerous. They're con artists who are out to make a buck. It never crossed my mind that she wasn't just doing a deal to sell books. I don't know what to do about it though. Maybe teach more civics. 

Edited January 26, 2019 by ganesh

[ganesh]

3 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

One thing I really appreciated on the show is I thought Bill was going to scold people for misjudging the Covington kids and was so relieved when he called a smirk a smirk.

Yeah I said this week that I've never smiled at someone and then had to hire a Pr firm. Bill had said 'where were the parents'? Who do you think let them wear Maga hats? They knew exactly what they were doing and knew they'd get away with it. They didn't learn anything. 

That kid is going to pull a stunt at some bar in junior year that he got into with his fake ID or make some crack to the wrong person and is going to learn the hard way. 

I guess the silver lining having Coulter on is that the panel spent their time showing how she was wrong by using facts. 

I can get that people need to grow up. That's a fair criticism. Anyone who says "adulting" needs to be sent to their room. But it's hard to make that point when you're a stoner trashing comic books. 

I'd say the whole superhero movie issue is more about problems with Hollywood though. 

Edited January 26, 2019 by ganesh

[Pete Martell]

[sistermagpie]

26 minutes ago, ganesh said:

It's not better and they are dangerous. They're con artists who are out to make a buck. It never crossed my mind that she wasn't just doing a deal to sell books. I don't know what to do about it though. Maybe teach more civics. 

Yeah, it's so strange because it's clear that "she doesn't really believe it" is always a compliment. It's not meant to suggest the person is a nicer person, but it does suggest they're smarter and not as wedded to the idea, but I don't even know if that's true. I suspect it's really hard to base that much of your life on bigotry and really not believe that a lot of it's true enough unless it's an extreme situation where you're working out your own trauma in some way. AC might not sign on openly saying South American children are inferior but she's okay with the idea.

[arachne]

49 minutes ago, b2H said:

Also, and I had to look it up, if anyone was wonder about the ITMFA letters on Dan’s shirt, it is his organization ‘Impeach the M******F***** Already’.

It's a variation of a frequent acronym in his sex advice column: DTMFA. The D stands for "Dump". 

[ganesh]

20 minutes ago, sistermagpie said:

Yeah, it's so strange because it's clear that "she doesn't really believe it" is always a compliment. It's not meant to suggest the person is a nicer person, but it does suggest they're smarter and not as wedded to the idea, but I don't even know if that's true. I suspect it's really hard to base that much of your life on bigotry and really not believe that a lot of it's true enough unless it's an extreme situation where you're working out your own trauma in some way. AC might not sign on openly saying South American children are inferior but she's okay with the idea.

Yeah she's probably always been a racist, but just not in the hood wearing frame. She certainly had issues. You don't necessarily choose a life of crime with clear eyed motivation. I'm saying things  like, she probably doesn't care about a wall one way or another. 

When she first came up with the idea to be this character there's a reason why she chose the right wing pundit route. I wouldn't be surprised if it was Bill's idea. 

Bill - what would you call the League of Extraordinary Gentleman comics? The characters are literally from literature. What about Watchmen. It's actually political commentary. Like you do. The x men were created as a civil rights allegory. Wouldn't you want kids to gain that insight. When they grow up, they'll teach their kids tolerance. 

I don't think anyone is claiming that comics are great writing either. You can read comics and other books actually. 

Were people really asking him to comment on this? It's such a weird place to plant that flag. 

I disagree with the letter that they wrote to Bill though. There's no need to compare. It's a different genre. 

Shakespeare is widely known to have been for the masses though, so Bill is wrong with that. 

Edited January 26, 2019 by ganesh

[sistermagpie]

Just now, ganesh said:

Yeah she's probably always been a racist, but just not in the hood wearing frame. She certainly had issues. You don't necessarily choose a life of crime with clear eyed motivation. I'm saying things  like, she probably doesn't care about a wall one way or another. 

Oh yes, I think she's got her own personal motivation going there that's got little to do with the people she pretends to be standing up for.

1 minute ago, ganesh said:

Bill - what would you call the League of Extraordinary Gentleman comics? The characters are literally from literature. What about Watchmen. It's actually political commentary. Like you do. 

Also whether something is a dumb interesting or not imo often comes down to what the person's doing with it, not the thing itself. You can read Melville in a dumb way and read comics in a smart way. Bill, ironically, seems to be coming out against people reading comics in a smart way. He thinks it's immature to read something he thinks is written for kids in a mature way. Though of course comics are no longer written exclusively for kids by a longshot (superhero comics usually aren't at all) and plenty of stuff for kids holds up to sophisticated reading. He's just made up an idea of what people are doing and saying it's dumb.

[ganesh]

38 minutes ago, sistermagpie said:

Oh yes, I think she's got her own personal motivation going there that's got little to do with the people she pretends to be standing up for.

Well, "a bitch got books to sell." Ann is about Ann. She gets off on being who she is and there's reasons why. 

I can't get through more than a page of Melville. We had to read Billy Budd in maybe 10th grade and the teacher loved it. I found the massively repressed homosexuality to be a bit much. I mean, it made Top Gun look like a feel-good coming out story. 

Bill's his own worst enemy. He has trouble framing an argument. The essence of the monologue was why 'adulting' is stupid. It is. When he talked about that, he was witty but truthful. Good solid comedy. No need to tie comics into it. 

[Victor the Crab]

6 hours ago, lookeyloo said:

If Ann Coulter doesn't believe half of what she says, but spews it out there, she is even more dangerous.  I knew someone who knew someone who dated Rush Limbaugh once between wives, and she said he is a nice guy in real life and doesn't believe most of what he says.  I said then, too, makes him even more dangerous.  Plus I don't believe either Coulter or Limbaugh are nice in real life.  I don't think of them as performance artists. Maybe they should take up spinning plates and then I might.

That's what I've always believed about them, Sean Hannity as well. That they're willing to lie incessantly if it means advancing the cause of their side (and make some extra coin to boot). Even many reasonable conservatives find them to be appalling and disgusting. What amazes me the most however is how they can manage to look at themselves in the mirror every day knowing they lie on a regular basis and knowing their lies deliberately hurt millions of people. I know I couldn't, no matter how much fame and fortune I've accumulated as a result.

5 hours ago, crookedjackson44 said:

Robert Downey Jr. was once a respectable actor, once.  Not now.

I disagree. He brings depth and nuance to a billionaire industrialist with obvious flaws in Tony Stark/Iron Man. He's the franchise player in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

2 hours ago, Gigi43 said:

Were people really clamouring for Bill to comment further or did he just want to bitch more? Loved his bit about "adulting" because it's a stupid term that needs to go but his gripe with comic books is annoying. Not everyone makes the claim they're as good as classic novels. But some are well written. And those of us who like them like them as...wait for it entertainment. Y'know the industry Bill's in. Bill's talked about he watches more sports as a break from the news and thats cool. Everyone needs outlets. But people who watch hours of sports per week, and those who have memorabilia  etc, never get called out as nerdy, childish, or told to read books. Sport bars people frequently constantly, spending money on tickets seasonally, and fantasy teams? Fine. Going to a comic con once a year? Grow up, nerds! I'm not putting down sports at all. I just think it's Bullshit hypocrisy.

First sentence: the latter. And yes, people infatuated with sports is no different than people interested in comic books. To each their own. The irony is that the ultimate act of fandemonium in sports (otherwise known as jock sniffing) is to buy into ownership of a team you grew up worshiping since you were a child. Like what Bill did in buying a small percentage of his beloved New York Mets years ago.

2 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

I am no fan of Kevin Smith by any means. But I am damn impressed that he took the high road after Bill's nasty cheap shot at him last night.

[ganesh]

7 minutes ago, Victor the Crab said:

That's what I've always believed about them, Sean Hannity as well. That they're willing to lie incessantly if it means advancing the cause of their side (and make some extra coin to boot).

I think Hannity has bought into his own BS. Coulter is just out for herself. 

9 minutes ago, Victor the Crab said:

I am no fan of Kevin Smith by any means. But I am damn impressed that he took the high road after Bill's nasty cheap shot at him last night.

He seems to have a good life and comes off as a nice person if a bit of a goofball. I doubt he's going to lose sleep over Bill yelling at him to get off his lawn. 

[Victor the Crab]

And if comic books are meant to be just for children, then what about cartoons? I, like Bill, grew up in a time when Saturday mornings and weekdays after school meant watching cartoons on the TV for us kids. Apart from the old Golden Age cartoons of the 30s to the 50s like Bugs Bunny, which were theatrical shorts made for adults at the time (and which the "violent and mature" content was edited out in order to protect our delicate little minds >:P) they were created and shown for children. Made to their level of understanding. That's the way it had always been, until The Simpsons burst onto the scene and paved the way for cartoons to evolve and become more targeted towards adults. Would an insufferable scold like Bill have a problem with that as well like he does with comic books? Or by doing so, he'd be viciously attacking his good pal Seth MacFarlane for putting out shows like Family Guy and American Dad?

[SFoster21]

Ann Coulter’s legs are ugly?

She is Ug. l. y. In every portion.  Inside and out.

No thoughts on comic books.  However, his rant on “the wall” was effing profound.

[ganesh]

Honestly, it makes you wonder what happened to her earlier in life that she became this. I kind of feel bad for her. It must be exhausting. 

[Medicine Crow]

I must say that Dan Savage's line:  (paraphrasing)  "I wish people would stop viewing "c*********" as an insult, but rather as a skill set."  THAT was funny; no matter what your persuasion.

I don't know why I even bother watching Ann Coulter!!!  She's ...

[Iguana]

So....Ann Coulter....So tiresome and predictable and vapid. But I guess a troll’s gotta troll wherever it can cause those books won’t sell themselves.

Given his lifestyle and profession, I don’t think Bill is in any position to tell anyone else to grow up or bitch about people being into “kid stuff”. But he’s not wrong about “adulting” being absolutely horrible and worthy of all the sneering mockery available.  He is wrong about the comics though. Besides if he hasn’t read them since he was a kid, how does he know what they’re like now?  Fifty years is a long time.  

[deirdra]

9 minutes ago, Iguana said:

But he’s not wrong about “adulting” being absolutely horrible and worthy of all the sneering mockery available.  

And sadly it is often 25-35 somethings that are "adulting" for the first time on social media

[izabella]

16 hours ago, Alexis2291 said:

Ann Coulter finally said something I finally agree with: "I'm a stupid girl!" 

She's a disingenuous opportunist, and has made a career of spreading lies and hate. I am irritated that she called herself a stupid girl, as though she isn't a grown woman who should be expected to know better, and does.

[smores]

So the guy who is always advocating potsmoking like a college student and who spent the bulk of his adult years at the Playboy mansion is telling people to grow up?  I mean, I don't care if people use pot, that's fine.  But, he's trashing other people for doing stuff that he feels they should have left behind in an earlier phase of life, but he was at the Playboy mansion in his 40s and 50s.  It seems kind of like he shouldn't be launching boulders at other people. 

[ganesh]

3 hours ago, Iguana said:

So tiresome and predictable and vapid.

That's really it though. She's not saying anything we didn't think she'd say. And it's not like anyone is looking to her for fresh new conservative ideas. She's just that person who is droll and boorish and has something to say about everything on anything and conned enough people into giving her money. 

2 hours ago, izabella said:

I am irritated that she called herself a stupid girl, as though she isn't a grown woman who should be expected to know better, and does.

I do work with people fairly younger than me (graduate students). I'm probably a little overly much, but I am clear on making sure women are referred to as 'women' or 'ladies' and insist on that from everyone. To say as a grown woman "girl" just diminishes everyone. 

It's actually a salient and insightful point that Coulter referred to herself in that way. I think this was directed on her part. As it was mentioned in this thread, based on the events of Friday, she just didn't have the time to prepare material. She was clearly floundering and trying to talk over Bill. That's not going to work on him and they both know that. 

So honestly, who thinks Bill and Coulter have had sex? I would guess at least once during his ABC show. You're all worldly people. You know even if you hooked up with someone, there's a way you interact. I don't fault Bill for it, but I think he's disingenuous about having her on the show. 

[CaliCheeseSucks]

On 1/26/2019 at 6:35 AM, Pete Martell said:

He only says that type of stuff because of backlash. He never cared about shining a light on her. He obviously genuinely likes her as a person and always has. He's been in her corner for over 20 years, as she's spewed hatred about minorities, as she's called for women to lose their right to vote, and on and on and on. She's proud of those views, she profits from those views, and clearly Bill supports them as well, since he's happy to give her a showcase. I wish he would just drop the act and admit he is a lot like Ann and that he has her on because he supports her, not because of any other reason. I never bought that he genuinely disagreed with her, and I'm not sure if anyone else does either. 

When she ended her segment by saying no, she'd never run for President because women shouldn't work (or however she phrased it) - she just solidified that she is Phyllis Schafly 2.0. Making a lucrative career out of shaming women who have careers.

I like Bill but as usual, found the interview lacking in teeth. Of all days to have her on - his claws should have been OUT. But nah, doesn't want to truly offend his buddy.

Loved the New Rule. The more people rail at him for that opinion, the more it cements his thesis about their childish attachment. If you like what you like, what do you care if Bill Maher is mocking you for it? Especially since most people I hear complaining about his commentaries on the topic claim to loathe him. Since I was a kid, my tastes ran counter to my demo - preferring PBS costume dramas to Who's The Boss? doesn't exactly make you the most popular student in elementary school. Nevertheless, I stuck with my tastes because I don't care. The more people get riled up over Bill's remarks on the comic genre, the more I wonder if this is the first time they've heard criticism of that genre. 

[Pete Martell]

3 minutes ago, CaliCheeseSucks said:

Loved the New Rule. The more people rail at him for that opinion, the more it cements his thesis about their childish attachment. If you like what you like, what do you care if Bill Maher is mocking you for it? Especially since most people I hear complaining about his commentaries on the topic claim to loathe him. Since I was a kid, my tastes ran counter to my demo - preferring PBS costume dramas to Who's The Boss? doesn't exactly make you the most popular student in elementary school. Nevertheless, I stuck with my tastes because I don't care. The more people get riled up over Bill's remarks on the comic genre, the more I wonder if this is the first time they've heard criticism of that genre. 

I'd say it's just the opposite - most of these people have likely been mocked and bullied for years because they like comic books. There's a generation, several generations, of people who got called out, beaten up, mocked and shamed by peers, and even from family, were likely to come home one day to find all the comics they'd spent years of time and money on thrown away because they were just seen as junk. 

Only in recent years have comics become more socially acceptable (and comic book films become popular and seen as cool), so Maher takes them right back to a time when they were seen as losers. He even told people who buy comic books or go see superhero movies that he was sad they were still alive. That's just telling them outright how much he hates them, and how much he not only looks down on them, but wants everyone else to hate them and look down on them too.

The other problem, beyond his contempt and hatred for people just for reading a comic book or seeing a movie, is that he's completely wrong about the public reception of writers like Dickens and Shakespeare. So he's not only trying to pass himself off as a genius, he's doing so by proving just how ignorant he actually is. 

He's proud of hatred because it makes him feel special. Just like his BFF Ann Coulter. And this particular type of hatred and riling up hatred is nothing new to a lot of people. Many of whom are fans of his and watch his show. My guess is if he realized that, he would tell them to stop because he hates them. I doubt they will, as they've been getting so much of this type of bile for so many decades, they probably think they deserve it anyway. 

[CaliCheeseSucks]

I think that's an overly generous reading of the reaction. 

Nevertheless, for people who don't care what Bill Maher thinks, they certainly are paying attention to what Bill Maher thinks. Perhaps ignoring him would be a better response. 

[tessaray]

For my part I think that his rant was kind of embarrassingly ignorant.  

Storytelling is one of the most basic human art forms.  If you look at prehistoric cave art, you can see that storytelling with pictures has been around for tens of thousands of years and I'm pretty sure that comic books and graphic novels will be around long after Bill Maher's political comedy is a distant memory.  And  I don't even read or like comic books that much.  (Though I might own a Batman/Dark Knight or two...)

[Pete Martell]

9 minutes ago, CaliCheeseSucks said:

I think that's an overly generous reading of the reaction. 

Nevertheless, for people who don't care what Bill Maher thinks, they certainly are paying attention to what Bill Maher thinks. Perhaps ignoring him would be a better response. 

I'd say it's the reaction of a lot of the people who responded. The main people who are into comics are - not all of them, but many of them - right in the demographic who would be more likely to know of him or watch his shows, and in many cases, to share his views on a number of topics. A lot of them were probably fans of his show. So to know how much he hates them is going to get a reaction from them.

I would agree that other people who aren't fans are probably better off ignoring him, and I think a lot of them actually did. He wanted to bring it back up because, as with his choice of guests, or using racial slurs, or what have you, he knows how to get publicity. I do agree that now that he's said his piece (again) it's best to just move on, rather than dragging this out.

I read today that Marvel is dragging it out and asking him to go to some function of theirs. I think that's stupid on their part. If he mocks them for the invite after he's made it very clear how he feels about them, he'd be right to do so.  

[Poohbear617]

13 hours ago, ganesh said:

Yeah I said this week that I've never smiled at someone and then had to hire a Pr firm. Bill had said 'where were the parents'? Who do you think let them wear Maga hats? They knew exactly what they were doing and knew they'd get away with it. They didn't learn anything. 

That kid is going to pull a stunt at some bar in junior year that he got into with his fake ID or make some crack to the wrong person and is going to learn the hard way. 

 

16 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

One thing I really appreciated on the show is I thought Bill was going to scold people for misjudging the Covington kids and was so relieved when he called a smirk a smirk. Especially the part about wanting to see that kid actually do that in a situation he was actually trying to defuse.

Yes to all this. I was so happy bill called him out and called him a prick. Covington Catholic High School is a private well to do school, that is about 10 miles from my home. The Covington Public HS is very diverse, yet Cov. Cath is about 98 % white. I am a retired teacher and all my teacher friends have sent that shitty entitled smug look way too many times from students. The kids were the first to post the pictures on FB to brag to their friends and get a few laughs. SMIRK BOY'S MOTHER is an attorney and when the school got shut down on Tuesday because of threats etc, that kid was brought into mommy's office and as the backlash grew, that is when the spin doctors went to town turn the boys into the victims..( the way the Today Show interview had his hair flopped over, and they put him in that Lyle and Eric Menendez sweater, sorry we are not buying it. I will blame the parents as well for going along to keep their kids from ever having to face consequences..