Posted on 03/11/2007 9:08:10 AM PDT by doesnt suffer fools gladly
Has Ann Coulter Hit Her Tipping Point?
By DAVID BAUDER
NEW YORK (AP) - Ann Coulter has been a reliable name for years among people who plan television news shows - an attractive, articulate blonde conservative who's made a living lobbing verbal bombs.
Following her use of a gay slur about Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards this month during remarks to the Conservative Political Action Conference, some on TV are wondering whether her shelf life is expiring.
Many were angered by her use of the "f-word". Coulter later said she considered it a "schoolyard taunt." She said it was a joke about "Grey's Anatomy" actor Isaiah Washington saying he would seek counseling after using the word to refer to a fellow actor.
At least four daily newspapers have dropped Coulter as a columnist, citing her comment about Edwards.
Head-turning remarks are hardly anything new for the author of "Godless: The Church of Liberalism" and "How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must)." In "Godless" last year, she wrote of World Trade Center widows: "I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much."
"It's a world of 'are you talking about me? are you talking about me?'" said Steve Friedman, executive producer of "The Early Show" on CBS. "And eventually you have to get more and more outrageous to be talked about. One day you cross the line and become persona non grata. I think she's getting close. I think Bill Maher is getting close."
Friedman has no plans to book Coulter on his show, but said he had no plans even before her Edwards comment.
Some people on NBC's "Today" show didn't want to see Coulter before she was booked to talk about "Godless" last summer, said Jim Bell, the show's executive producer.
He overruled them. Having only certain points of view would make for a bland program, he said. Since Coulter is a best-selling author, clearly there's an audience that responds to her. Coulter also appeared on a "Today" segment this Feb. 8, debating a University of Pennsylvania professor.
Bell said last week that Coulter's legitimate points of view are beginning to get lost in the noise of being outlandish.
"She sometimes goes out of her way to push some buttons and tends to generate more heat than light," he said. "We love a lively debate, but we would tend to get people who would generate more light."
Said Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism: "You do wonder whether she's destined for 'Dancing With the Stars' at some point."
Several conservatives criticized Coulter for her Edwards remarks. Fellow columnist Michelle Malkin lamented that Coulter had tarred the work of people at the Washington conference. She called Coulter's humor "tired old shtick." Tim Graham, director of media analysis at the Media Research Center, said some conservatives envy the attention she gets and dislike how she distracts from legitimate arguments.
"If you got the sense that she was saying things you thought she believed, it would help," he said.
Still, Graham said it would be "outrageous" if Coulter is blacklisted by networks but Maher isn't. The HBO comic angered some by recent remarks suggesting more people would live if an assassination attempt against Vice President Dick Cheney had been successful.
The liberal organization Media Matters for America, which has long campaigned against Coulter, hopes this is a "defining moment" that causes TV networks to turn their backs on her, said spokesman Karl Frisch.
MSNBC once fired Coulter as a regular contributor after a remark she made to a Vietnam veteran. But Coulter has appeared there as a guest on shows and the network has no policy against her.
The remarks "won't stop conservatives from buying her books and her ability to sell books is what drives her bookings on TV," said MSNBC's "Hardball" host Chris Matthews.
CNN had scheduled Coulter to appear with Paula Zahn last Monday. The network said Coulter canceled her appearance.
"We have and will continue to interview provocative guests and ask them tough questions," CNN spokeswoman Christa Robinson said. "We don't have overall bans about anyone. We will book them when we think it is appropriate to do so, on a case by case basis."
The changing nature of cable news may limit Coulter's ability to speak to those who don't already agree with her. Cable talk shows used to be built upon fiery debate, while now there are more shows that take a point of view and depict world events through that prism. Think Lou Dobbs, Keith Olbermann and Glenn Beck.
A spokeswoman for Coulter did not return a call for comment. Coulter, however, did appear on Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes" three days after the Edwards remark and belittled the idea that it would do lasting damage to her. It's a cycle, she said: she says something, the same people become hysterical, and that's the end of it.
It's about her 17th allegedly career-ending moment, she said.
"It happens about every six months," Coulter said, "and you're always there to put me on TV, Sean."
Okay. We'll delete the "wrath" but continue to keep the "irrational" in there.
Again, I know you are trying to be humorous. But it takes wit.
Something you seem to lack. Sorry.
Well, we're in good company with Ann Coulter, even if she's thinner :-).
And Mike Adams, the raving cutie.
Since brevity is the soul of wit, we know where you stand in that regard.
The rhymes on your limerick are a bit strained. You really need more than just a final -eeee.
(Mho ...)
"Since brevity is the soul of wit, we know where you stand in that regard."
Again, you just aren't funny.
Do you really think you are? If so, that's sad.
You just don't seem to get what humor is. Hopefully the accounting bug will bite you, and you will find your true calling.
But, heck, you think your thread on FR is a "blog." So you sound pretty hopeless.
Um...That thread links to my BlogSpot Blog. It's called DUmmie FUnnies. So who sounds hopeless now?
Ah, you're blog-whoring.
Yes, that's much better.
DUFUs have the biggest PING List on the FR (almost 1000). Many more read them then your log-snoring comments.
Sam,
Hang it up. I don't think that Ann is really interested in you.
Give it up.
What a zinger! I'm crushed.
School's out for the day, I guess.
What is your problem??????
A poster made a comment and you go to war in some unfounded way. That post was just an observation.
School's out? Guess you flunked out of any civil debate classes.
Sheesh.
Whether or not "vicious" is the absolutely best word, it's not too far off the mark. She sometimes seems gets into a mode of attacking because it's fun, and thus loses sight of the need for effectiveness. A good sniper with one bullet will often be far more effective against his target than a crazy person with a fully-loaded AK47; he will also (unlike the crazy person) avoid collateral damage.
Calling Al Gore an energy-guzzling hypocrite can be effective, since his claims of environmentalism make him fair game. Criticizing Michael Moore for being overweight is not effective. Since his weight condition would be apparent without such criticism, Michael Moore is certainly aware of it (and probably not happy about it), and it has nothing to do with the accuracy of what he's saying, attacking him for it simply comes across as mean.
While there are certainly times when it's proper to attack people on certain generally-taboo subjects (including weight, motion or speech impediments, and other medical conditions; religion; childhood history, etc.) to issue such attacks without justification generally reflects more poorly upon the attacker than upon the target.
When she puts her mind to it, Ann can deliver a good solid knockout punch. She does not help her cause when she hits below the belt.
Well, I do have to say it is flattering that you and some others here would take the time and pry yourselves away from your usual General Chat threads (and Weekend Singles threads) to castigate me for defending a true blue (or red) conservative who is in the arena.
It's very impressive. (I'm just not sure of what.)
Sigh.
Another person who didn't get Coulter's joke.
Sam, Sam, Sam,
Though I am flattered (not) that you took the time to research posts.......
What exactly is your point? Why attack so many posters?
Step back in to reality my friend. Just back up a bit, you are too far out of the arena.
I realize though that daylight-savings-time does effect some people in different ways.......
I realize that Daylight-savings-time does affect some people. My sympathies.
I realize that Daylight-savings-time does affect some people. My sympathies.
I can't say that enough : )
"Catcalls from the left, and some from PC Freepers too (just like you). "Vicious" was over the top and not "close to the mark" in my opinion. Did you ever see the Breck Girl arranging his hair? That ran on FR for weeks and it was good for a laugh. Ann's comment was on the mark and got a laugh at CPAC.
My complaint about Ann goes far beyond the recent quote, though. A good joke that attacks a particular group will be funny not only to those who dislike the group in question, but also to those who don't (and sometimes even to members of the group being attacked).
I don't have any particular examples in mind of places I thought Ann was more vicious than fierce, but as a general observation, humor works best when it is well targeted. A joke about how Michael Moore was so busy eating he accidentally swallowed his Oscar would not be well-targeted; the joke comes across as a general attack on fat people. A joke about how Michael Moore had a really amazing stage crew to change the backdrop behind Charlton Heston during a two-second cutaway shot of the audience would be much better targeted. Michael Moore is one of very few film makers who have edited things so brazenly.
What exactly is your point? Why attack so many posters?
I was wondering the same about you and your weight-challenged friends. The semi-professional insults posed as "comments" here are revealing of the one of the real reasons for the Anti-Coulters obloquy.
Jealousy, envy, and not a little attention-whoring.
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