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."
Well, that is a point. Most of the comments are about leftys or Hollywood Hags or other wench-y women. But don't think that every time those comments are made about another woman, be she conservative or lib, that most women reading here mentally do a comparison with themselves and wonder what our fellow posters would say about us if they saw what we look like. Of course, some of us don't have to wonder - we've been the butt of jokes. I'm sure you can relate to that.
And I guess your response to that is that it's my problem. Which, maybe it is. But it exists.
"Btw, i agree, Ann Coulter is way too skinny."
I can't tell you how fascinating that is to me.
Some people are really vindictive when you insult an object of their worship. It looks like you worship Ann Coulter and gets really nasty when anyone criticizes her in any fashion. I like her and consider her an asset to the conservative side, but dammit, she is really too skinny. I like a woman with some curves to her, and there is no reason for you to go off the deep end on Naj like that.
Vicious?!! Puhleese! Give me an example of vicious in her case. Vicious: Evil or depraved, malicious, spiteful, impious, foul, impure, indecent. She is none of these as far as I can tell and I have read all of her books and articles by her and many more about her. She's a conservative princess and a powerful voice for reason among all the lies and catcalls from the left, and some from PC Freepers too.
In case you haven't noticed this is yet another in a series of about three dozen threads attacking Coulter for making a joke about an actor going to rehab for calling someone a faggot.
The vast majority of the posters who have seized upon this joke to bash Coulter have done so because they claim it was a low blow to call Edwards a name.
So many of these same posters have called Coulter everything from anorexic to a whore to a lesbo.
You, of course, will never get the disgusting hypocrisy this represents.
And that is why you are part of the problem.
I'm wondering if Gays have hit theirs?
Generation X is going to be on the hook for a lot of checks coming due. Taking on one more special interest group isn't on my agenda.
As for Ann, I'm not sure she has even hit her stride yet. Something that hot, and that smart, all in the same place.
Hey - I for one am NOT attacking Ann Coulter - I'm darn glad she's on OUR side. Just FTR. And now, I'm going away. The homeless internet clowns would like nothing more than to see this discussion continue. I don't have any intention of giving them more fodder than I have.
The ole "divide and conquer" play.
New tagline.
Thanx :)I used to think people were ignorant of the facts, then I started talking to liberals. Now I know people are just plain stupid.
Touche LOL
See, that's not cool. The pic you posted was actually a great pic of Najida. She looks awesome.
It's one thing to disagree and debate on something, but attacking another poster, is unneccesary and uncalled for.
Not nice...Sam...not nice at all.
I'm assuming you are not gay, nor have ever cared about anyone that was beaten up for being gay. Believe me, being kicked in the ribs while being called a faggot is offensive. Those that might think it is okay to do so because the majority political party in the USA laughs at the use of this word, is the problem in my mind. It's not an image that I want anything to do with. It is unnecessarily mean.
To: SerpentDoveYou mean the nearly ANNorexic fighting machine.
And yes, I realize I will have to go to rehab for using the schoolyard taunt "retarded."
"Mine too. In fact, I was just telling MrLucky last night while we were watching the new 1/2 hour news hour, that Ann is wayyyyy too skinny."
Again, that is endlesssssssssssssssssssly fascinating to hear.
Please make sure you work into every thread on FR where Ann Coulter's name is mentioned.
I was making a comment, semi-professionally.
BTW, my teaching dance and performing DOES pay well, quiet well. Success is gadged not by age or 'weight' but by dancing skill, bookings, requests for workshops, number of classes and students. So I'm not quitting it either, because I'm VERY good at it. Yes, very good in this little hobby of mine. That picture was from one of the best performances I ever gave.
Congratulations, najida! You've hit the irony trifecta in this thread.
A little more intensity in your belly dancing workout will help yer spare tire. Just my non-professional opinion.
Oh for cryin out loud, are you new here? I dance as a hobby. Everyone knows that!
My profession, the one that I have the degrees in is Nutrition, Clinical at that. (and yes, I have a tire, but hitting 50 and menopause does that to a gal).
Since I was just bantering, my opinion was semi-professional.
For a professional opinion, you pay me by the hour :)
I must be "retarded" because I don't know what genility means, and I can't seem to find it anywhere in the dictionary. Is this a new word?
Ann Coulter appears annorexic and I can see how one would point that out as an observation, not a bash on Ann.
Why are you attacking and being snide toward me? What did I do to you?
I thought this was a forum for people to share their opinions, thoughts and ideas? I also thought this was a great place where other posters wouldn't attack you for things you said...
Guess I was wrong...
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