Newsbusters’ Noel Sheppard Clutches His Pearls
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Noel Sheppard of Newsbusters falls right on the fainting couch because of an off-color joke Kathy Griffin made about Sarah Palin.
This is what is acceptable to say about a married woman with five children as well as about an esteemed Senator who almost gave his life for our country?
Where are the feminists and the NOW crowd who are always speaking out for women’s rights?
After all, the implication is that the only reason McCain picked her was because of this fictitious act.
Is this REALLY where we are as a nation when this is not only acceptable, but judging from the applause of the crowd, considered fine entertainment?
I don’t know where conservatives got their latest crackpot theory that Sarah Palin, unlike every other pol on the face of the earth, is somehow immune from crass standup. And even further, the outrage from people like Noel Sheppard is silent when its Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck & Co. making vulgar jokes (Beck has “joked” about killing Pelosi and Michael Moore, for instance) on what are supposedly news programs and not standup routines.
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Or how about the cracks the right makes about Michelle Obama our First Lady on a daily bases. The things Fox News, The Drudge Report, RedState, etc, said about her are way harsher than what anyone on the left has said about Palin, also at least what people say about Palin is true.
The right only get all huffy about “respecting” a women if she is a known conservative or has a R behind her name.
Conservatives offended by bl*wj*b jokes?
Haw!
Where are the feminists and the NOW crowd who are always speaking out for women’s rights?
I guess they’re wondering like I am what rights were blocked here. Did Kathy Griffin stop Sarah Palin from voting or having an abortion or something? What the fuck does this even mean?
It means they’re still sore that Sen. Peckerwood…uh, Packwood lost his seat because he wanted to grope women in his office.
It’s a phenomenon that has nothing to do with ideology and everything to do with politics. Satire is an outrage! But only if it’s bad satire, the kind that those poor yokels being duped by the opposition are inclined to take seriously. Good satire, the kind that clever folk like me understand and enjoy in a sophisticated way because it’s being directed at bad people who deserve disrespect — that’s fine.
The line between a news program and a stand-up routine is nebulous at best, and should matter only to those in marketing. I like what John Stewart does, and I think Glenn Beck is an idiot. Others feel differently. Nevertheless, when he joked about killing Pelosi and called Obama a racist, I didn’t clutch my pearls. I rolled my eyes, shrugged my shoulders, and muttered something familiar about the similarity and ubiquity of assholes and opinions. Then I got on with my life. So did everyone who wasn’t invested in whipping up outrage over One Guy’s Comment. This is no different.
Typical. The Right wants the benefits of celebrity without any of the accompanying downside.
Of course, nobody on the Right ever criticises, slanders, or mocks female Hollywood celebrities, because they have so much respect for women.
Just like how the Right is too principled and feminist-oriented to attack Nancy Pelosi.
Palin was drawn into the limelight in a profoundly-mistaken bid to appeal to the (non-existent) PUMAs, who were women. Because women will vote for any woman, regardless of their politics, right? There’s some real feminism for you. When the polling showed that bid to be a flop, the rationale abruptly changed to “appealing to evangelicals”, which turned out to be mostly an appeal to males. Wonder why?
Palin isn’t “hated”; she is considered a joke by the majority of the country.
You know what else is a joke? A bunch of ostensibly moral right-wing bozos drooling over a married, born-again Christian grandmother. Because they have deep respect for women, you know.
So did everyone who wasn’t invested in whipping up outrage over One Guy’s Comment. This is no different.
I agree with you, Felix, but every political blogger clutches at pearls. Every political blogger accuses bloggers on the opposite side of clutching at pearls, too. They always have and they always will.
And there was an ample amount of pearl-clutching here for both of the examples you mentioned, too. Oddly though, no one here called it pearl-clutching. Quite a few people here definitely were invested in whipping up outrage over that One guy’s comments.
As for Kathy Griffin being Kathy Griffin, a has-been for whom blow-job jokes from her are as necessary and obligatory for laughs as fart jokes are for a kids movie, other than Noel Sheppard, no one else cared. So what we now have is OW and you guys clutching at pearls over what you perceive as Noel Sheppard clutching at pearls.
The “We’re-rubber-you’re-glue” defense?
Crap. Didn’t see that one coming.
I think the most implausible part of this story is that McCain could get it up for Palin to knob him.
And, what, did 1/21/01 become the Republicans’ retroactive shelf-date for blow-job jokes?
A conservative, Quaker. As in singular. One. That is the big story of the blog post. One conservative wrote about Kathy Griffin.
I admit, one is bad enough and more than she deserves, but let’s not do any more embellishing than it warrants, mm-kay?
Pretend if you would Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh joking that Hillary Clinton did the full-throated plea on Barack Obama for the Secretary of State job. Meditate on that for a minute or two. Then imagine the deafening silence from OW, MMFA, Quaker, Indeed and the rest of the left-wing bloggers the next day as they decide not to clutch at pearls about it the next day……………
Having trouble getting a mental picture of that?
So am I.
I didn’t realize that Beck and Limbaugh were stand up comics. Clowns, yes. Stand-ups, no.
Which is to say, I haven’t noticed Media Matters, as an example, devoting much time to highlighting the jokes of comedians. Have you, Dennis? Because that would be the only way your hypothetical scenario would make any sense at all.
“I LAUGHED WHEN JOHN MCCAIN SAID JANET RENO WAS CHELSEA CLINTON’S FATHER”-Matt Drudge
Oh, I see. From here on out, when anyone complains about Media Matters, can we shrug it off as “just one” opinion?
In case you didn’t notice, Den’, Sheppard wasn’t publishing at his own personal site. He was published on a media watchdog site that receives funding from various conservative organizations.
And stick that “mmmkay” stuff in your ear.
Dennis, try not to clutch your pearls over us clutching our pearls. Mmmkay?
Dennis’ father told him that drinking a bottle of isopropyl was exactly the same as drinking a bottle of water. After all, they are both liquids, and clear liquids too!
That explains the brain damage.
Has the cuda demanded an apology and resignation yet? I know she just has to fill in ‘Kathy Griffin’ on her apology-and-firing-demand template and she’s all set, so I imagine it’s coming pretty quick here.
Media Matters doesn’t devote time to highlighting the jokes of comedians because there are no right-wing comedians. (Go ahead, say Dennis Miller. I dare you.) In my admittedly biased opinion, most conservatives simply don’t know from funny. If they did, if there actually was a professional stand-up comedian who could deliver devastating zingers from the right, you can bet MM would be all over it.
But it’s not about whether or not you get laughs, or deserve laughs, or whether that’s officially a part of your job description. That is completely irrelevant. The subject at hand is famous people talking shit about each other, which is, like, America’s favorite pastime. Correct me if I’m wrong, Oliver, but Media Matters doesn’t restrict itself to newsmakers of a particular genre or style; they’re about exposing conservative misinformation wherever it arises. Matter of fact, when Dennis Miller did his ridiculous Carmen Miranda shtick during the Sotomayor confirmation, MM covered it.
If you have a big platform and lots of people listen to you, and you say something outrageous!!1! about another public figure, your comments will get coverage. How about that! It might be Media Matters, it might be Drudge, it might be HuffPo, it might be Powerline. It probably won’t be the BBC, because they’ve got better things to do than to play our silly American games about who can keep the MacGuffin in the air longest.
Look, it’s just the Two Minutes Hate. That’s it. It’s a device to keep partisans properly motivated in opposing each other, so they won’t start focusing on the inequities of the system itself — or any of the other challenges of real significance.
Yeah, brace yourself for another shitstorm of whining and apology demanding from Teh Quitta and the rest of the Usual Suspects.
And speaking of Usual Suspects and apologies, did we ever get an apology from the blatant comment hijacker Oliver mentioned a few weeks ago? I’m not demanding one*, I’m just wondering if any ever came. At the very least, I was expecting some eventual mewling and self-absorbed, trumped up faux victimization per usual. I wonder who the mysterious blatant comment hijacker was. We still don’t know! Questions swirl!
Oh, and don’t feed the trolls.** A much healthier comment section and better epic flailing are among the benefits.
*I don’t give a frog’s fat ass and really, it would likely lead to another extended whining session in the manner for multiple comments from the hijacker. But one is curious.
**Or do if that’s how you do. But, you know, just a thought.
Matter of fact, when Dennis Miller did his ridiculous Carmen Miranda shtick during the Sotomayor confirmation, MM covered it.
In that clip he was on O’Reilly, not doing his stand up routine at the Malibu Performing Arts Center. Big difference.
Has Media Matters has ever found footage of a stand up comic on you tube to critique because that’s the only thing that would be comparable to Newsbusters going after Kathy Griffin for a blow job joke delivered during her stand up act.
Here, fafaroo,
OliverWillis.com’s Oliver Willis Clutches His Pearls
Ironic Much? TV “comedian” Dennis Miller slams Harry Reid for being irrelevant.
- – - – - – - – - –
Stand-up comedian Dennis Miller doing comedy on a comedy show and Oliver falls right on the fainting couch because of some jokes Miller made about Harry Reid.
I don’t know where liberals got their latest crackpot theory that Harry Reid, unlike every other pol on the face of the earth, is somehow immune from crass stand-up. And even further, the outrage from people like Oliver Willis is silent when its Keith Olbermann, Ed Schultz making vulgar jokes (Olbermann has alluded to beating Hillary Clinton to death and Schultz said he wanted to punch out Joe Lieberman) on what are supposedly news programs and not standup routines.
- – - – - –
You’re an idiot fafaroo. You’ll argue anything, even when you know you have no point. Oliver frequently clutches at pearls in the exact same manner and for identical situations in which he chides conservatives for clutching at pearls. And you’ll never admit that because at the end of the day you’re nothing more than a good little blogger soldier on here.
MMFA has a staff of lackeys assigned to do surveillance on comedian Dennis Miller every night on O’Reilly for any off-color jokes he might make about Democratic politicians or prominent liberals. He’s a stand-up comedian who is brought on O’reilly’s opinion/news show to provide a comedic slant, and MMFA goes into hysterics every time he makes any kind of off-color reference that they can use to their advantage.
because there are no right-wing comedians-
I have to be a brat and point out Felix that there are right wing comedians just most are not terribly funny in my book(Nick DiPaolo being the exception)
Larry the Cable Guy is pretty much right-wing and he’s funnier than Kathy Griffin by a factor of about 200, White Whale.
He doesn’t need multiple facial cosmetic surgeries to do it, either. Nor is it necessary for him to whore himself by using the mother or father of his targeted politicians’ grandchildren as a prop for laughs.
That’s your example of clutching at pearls and going into hysterics? Where, exactly, did it become hysterical, or show signs of shock and surprise?
Sheppard actually ends his little article petitioning Heaven for help. Anything equivalent in OW’s post? Anywhere?
Not only that, Dennis, but Larry the Cable Guy made movies that will someday eclipse the Marx Brothers, the Three Stooges, Woody Allen, as the funniest movies of all time.
The only mention I made of going into hysterics was with MMFA in regards to Dennis Miller, tim, my reading comprehension-impaired friend.
If you want tons of examples, just go to MMFA’s website and type ‘Dennis Miller’ in their search box.
“Hysterics” LOL. Again, as others have noted, Miller’s stuff is in what is supposedly a news show, and in his role as the host of a conservative news/talk radio show. If we called him out for his work when he was at the SNL anchor desk that would be one thing.
But then, Miller was actually funny when he was the SNL anchor and before he decided to make bank playing off the con rubes.
Yeah, well Oliver, Miller had a show on CNBC before he started appearing with O’Reilly and he had a segment called the “Daily Rorschach” that was patterned after his Weekend Update anchor skits on SNL.
And MMFA did do the clutching at pearls routine and frequently called him out for his work on it.
- – - – - – - – - -
http://mediamatters.org/research/200407090001
http://mediamatters.org/research/200407070004
http://mediamatters.org/research/200406280005
http://mediamatters.org/research/200407170001
- – - – - – -
So…when you say ‘that would be one thing’, there is your one thing. No false equivalence there whatsoever. MMFA doing the exactly same fainting couch antics that you’re calling out Sheppard for.
Nice links, Den’. You read ‘em?
You got some links to MMfA writing up Larry?
Yes, but how about skipping the Perry Mason routine this time for a change and just make your point, Quaker.
Allow me to get straight to the point, Dennis: Massive floundering fail.
“I’m fafaroo the blog soldier and I’m…….. reporting for duty.”
First, you said Oliver was clutching at pearls.
Second, Oliver works for MMFA.
Third, you refer to MMFA’s lackeys, and Oliver works for MMFA.
Fourth, you gave one example that supported nothing you said, I was assuming it was supposed to support at least one of your points.
My reading comprehension is fine, but thanks for your concern.
Who cares if Kathy had plastic surgery? That would make her as fake as Larry the Cable Guys persona. As for the whoring…have you seen his movies? I say more power to him or Kathy.
Larry the Cable Guy isn’t a real person. He is a character making fun of rednecks.
That last one was an article about all the coverage Whoopi Goldberg received for her naughty, naughty Bush jokes. Now what was that you were saying?
Rush Limbaugh –
“National Organization of Ugly Women”
There’s respect for ya.
He doesn’t need multiple facial cosmetic surgeries to do it, either. Nor is it necessary for him to whore himself by using the mother or father of his targeted politicians’ grandchildren as a prop for laughs.
Describing Larry the Cable Guy as “funny” (even if it’s relative to another comic)? Fail. Trying to pass him off as remotely authentic? Massive fail.
Daniel Whitney, aka Larry the Cable Guy.
I still think the funniest right-wing comedian is Michael Weiner, whose “Michael Savage” character is absolutely hilarious, especially when he goes off on a riff denouncing gay men and other “swingers” in a fashion that makes it painfully obvious that poor Mr. Savage is being eaten alive with envy.
I just don’t see why you, Oliver, or MM, or anyone else whose business/pleasure it is to follow the news, should bother to discriminate between SNL and the O’Reilly Factor, or between any other two TV shows, when it comes to accountability. Regardless of the venue or the name of the show or whether it’s Official Comedy or not, it comes down to facts and opinions. You hear ‘em both on news shows and in stand-up routines, all the time. It’s silly to say that Obnoxious Opinion A is worthy of outrage and Obnoxious Opinion B doesn’t count because it was clearly a joke and Obnoxious Opinion C doesn’t count because it might have been a joke but it was made on a “serious” show. Whatever.
When it’s one of your guys, edgy is fine.
When it’s one of the other guys, it’s despicable.
Rah rah rah. Hooray for our side.
Me: Matter of fact, when Dennis Miller did his ridiculous Carmen Miranda shtick during the Sotomayor confirmation, MM covered it.
Fafaroo: In that clip he was on O’Reilly, not doing his stand up routine at the Malibu Performing Arts Center. Big difference.
No difference.
He’s a freakin’ comedian!He’s a smug has-been with a huge chip on his shoulder no matter where he is. In what way could it possibly matter what platform he’s standing on? Oh, wait — because O’Reilly is supposed to be a serious program, so all the opinions expressed thereon must be closely monitored and checked for possible outrageousness? But if Miller’s being a big racist at Carnegie Hall, no one should notice or point it out?Sophistry. If someone’s wrong in public, call them on it. If someone’s offensive in public, say so if it makes you feel better. But keep your righteous indignation in perspective, and maybe consider letting go of the pearls now and then. That goes for everybody.
Gotta disagree, Felix. Information and opinions presented during a comedy show by a comedian are not nearly as notable as opinions presented on “news” shows.
In the first case, there’s the reasonable assumption that none of it is to be taken seriously.
In the second, there is no such assumption.
George Carlin could make jokes about suicide, and how he recommended that a number of people could be “beaten with hammers and left bleeding in the moonlight,” and how guys named Todd should be stabbed in the eyes… and everyone laughs because there’s no WAY that any of that should be taken with any seriousness. On the other hand, if someone goes on O’Reilly, Hannity, or Olbermann or Maddow, and makes the same kinds of comments – that’s worthy of acknowledgment as being a seriously fucked up way of looking at the world.
Context matters.
Yes, context matters a great deal. Unfortunately, context matters in different ways to different people. Jon Stewart, for example, does some very funny stuff on his show. Often he exaggerates wildly with a straight face, for comedic effect. Other times he’s deadly serious — with Larry Cramer, for example, or when he went on Crossfire. He’s always flipping between serious and not-serious modes, and he doesn’t switch venues to do it. Like any accomplished entertainer, Stewart knows that to announce you’re joking is to kill the joke; likewise, if he announced “I’m going to be serious now,” he wouldn’t be able to drop the boom as effectively as he does. George Carlin made a career out of saying both things no sane person could take literally and things he believed completely and stated plainly. And then there’s Bill Maher, who gives the impression of such perpetual glibness that it’s hard to take anything he says seriously, even when it makes perfect sense.
Look, we all get to decide for ourselves what to believe. If Mr. Carlin taught me anything, it’s that only chumps take what another person says at face value. As he put it, “I have just as much authority as the Pope; I just don’t have as many people who believe it.”
At this point, any thinking person must be over the shock of discovering that, say, the New York Times is not always to be relied upon for accurate information and rational, well-founded opinion. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t continue to expose the lies and doublespeak; it just means that there is no longer what you refer to as a “reasonable assumption” about the validity of anything. Fact-checking is a must, and not just for journalists — for all consumers of Teh News and Teh Entertainments.
Good points. Very convincing, really. My only quibble is with the following (and even then, it’s not really an argument against your point)…
t this point, any thinking person must be over the shock of discovering that, say, the New York Times is not always to be relied upon for accurate information and rational, well-founded opinion. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t continue to expose the lies and doublespeak; it just means that there is no longer what you refer to as a “reasonable assumption” about the validity of anything.
A problem, I think, is that there are many individuals that do make assumptions about the validity of the information presented based on the nature of the source. It’s a bit of an appeal to authority – I do believe that some citizens believe pretty much anything out of Glenn Beck’s mouth. And this is a problem, because no matter how wrong Beck is (and how often and loudly we shout about the lies and half-truths), some of his followers will not critically consider the information and will discount the critiques out of hand.
Before I am accused of total partisan hackery, I do not discount the possibility that this can potentially exist on the left as well. However, right now, there aren’t any liberal media heads that have quite the bullhorn that someone like Beck does.
I say all this, and yet I have no solution. I don’t know what to do about this.
On a different topic: Nice to reminisce about George Carlin a bit. I miss that guy.
Larry the Cable Guy, Undisputed King of Komedy:
There’s no accounting for taste.
Does it really need to be explained that Kathy Griffin was stating neither a fact nor an opion when she implied that Palin blew McCain for the VP slot?
A really good comedian owns a really bad one. Highly enjoyable.
I saw David Cross in Los Angeles a while back. The guy is brilliant.
Holy fucking shit is that funny.*
E. Viscer. Ation.
Big thanks for the link, Parthenon.
.
*Funny to me. One’s own mileage may vary. For example, some people find Larry the Cable Guy or Steve Doocey to be funny. Others lean towards David Cross. Still others may enjoy the comic stylings of all three. There’s no accounting for taste, that’s for sure.
P*ssing contests: Not just for bloggers anymore!