Posted on 03/10/2009 11:25:01 AM PDT by Zakeet
In an event billed as a “distinguished speaker series” event, Ann Coulter faced off against Bill Maher last night at Radio City Music Hall in New York. In front of 6,000 hissing New York City liberals -- alternately absorbing and answering vulgar, sexist and racist insults from “comedian” Bill Maher -- Coulter battled back against audience shriekers, an unfunny Maher and “moderator” Mark Halperin of Time Magazine in a “debate” that would have been more accurately billed as a cage match and shown on Pay-per-View tv.
The tone was set at the very start. The audience was asked whether they thought President Obama was doing a great job -- or if they "agreed with Rush Limbaugh," which is of course the natural counterpoint. Not exactly a fair question, and the response was predictable.
Ann began her 15-minute opening address by acknowledging that her match up against Bill Maher was kind of like the meeting of Sid and Nancy. We all know how that worked out for Nancy.
Less than 5 minutes into Ann's short speech and the audience had already thrown all decorum out the window. Demonstrating their penchant for suppressing speech they disagree with, audience members yelled obscenities at Coulter, the mildest of which was "go to hell." One gentleman ran up the aisle yelling "We've got a real slut on our hands." This prompted an unfazed Coulter to say, "Aren't liberals polite?" Tonight, anyway, the answer was a resounding "no."
When she had concluded her opening remarks, Maher walked smugly onto the stage to a standing ovation and the kind of adoration usually reserved for feather-haired teen idols who spend weeks on the cover of Tiger Beat. He talked about how racist, greedy, hypocritical and stupid Republicans are, to uproarious laughs and multiple bursts of applause.
Then Maher and Coulter were united by Halperin in the center of the stage for what was supposed to be some rigorous intellectual debate.
It wasn't -- here's a brief recap: They argue about evolution -- Ann says she doesn't believe in it; Bill insults the world's Christians.
They talk about Sarah Palin. Ann thinks she's got a shot at the presidency eventually; Bill calls Palin "Cruella Deville," a "Spokesmodel from the car show" and "dumber [than Bush]" with boobs, only he used a four letter word of course.
They talk about stem cell research -- Ann quotes statistics from Godless; Bill calls embryos "microscopic goo."
They talk about the economy -- Ann says Barney Frank and Chris Dodd are to blame; Bill says the stimulus is "a big package, even for a black guy."
They talk about Bush -- Ann says he kept us safe; Bill says he "spent money like a pimp with a week to live."
And they talk about religion -- Ann says Christians are very tolerant (to loud boos); Bill says that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal performed an exorcism in college. And means it.
Bill is momentarily heckled, and promptly calls the heckler a seven-letter obscenity beginning with “a” and ending in “e.”
Maher takes potshots at the American public, calling the country stupid with an adroit use of multiple and varied literary devices meant to show how much smarter than the average American he really is.
But the substance -- if you can call it that -- of the discussion took a backseat to the carnage, the uncomfortable back-and-forth between Maher and Coulter, and the infuriating uselessness of Halperin, who practically egged Maher on as he leered and patronized Ann throughout the night, condescendingly calling her "sweetness," and "my darling in the little black dress."
As Coulter fought vainly to stick to a topic, Maher would feign exhaustion over her uncanny penchant for logic and reason, calling her "dunk tank clown," and overseer of the "institute of rectum-derived statistics." At one point, forced to point out his petulance, she said, "Now see, I'm citing facts and you're calling me names," eliciting a throw-away apology and a shudder-inducing pat on the shoulder.
Adding to Maher's total disrespect for, well, everyone, and the audience's total disrespect for Ann, was the overwhelming feeling that this whole charade was rigged. Halperin would cut Ann off to move onto another searing "question," cheered on by the audience every time, but let Maher rattle off 17 off-topic jokes about Ann's genitals or Bush doing drugs.
At one point, while bickering over Obama's campaign promise to pull out of Iraq immediately, Maher successfully goads Halperin into confirming one of his points -- which Halperin does. What kind of "moderator" actually joins in the debate?
A liberal one.
In the end the result was clear: Bill got the most applause in a rigged fight, Ann held her own and liberals have no class. But we already knew that.
This thing belonged in a boxing ring in Atlantic City or Vegas with Jerry Springer as referee.
True. But if Bush spent money like a pimp with a week to live, what the hell does that make Obama?
he “spent money like a pimp with a week to live.”
Actually that would be Obama and his ho Nancy...
If anything bill maher is involved in can be called "distinguished speaker series," then my septic tank is a cooking utensil.
Since Maher thinks that he is smarter than everyone else on earth, and fancies himself to be a great liberal pundit, instead of Ann Coulter, perhaps he should debate Dennis Miller. After all Miller isn’t a woman, so it shouldn’t be too distracting for Maher.
I belive the word your searching for is “whore”
Was Bill sh!tfaced drunk and wearing his ‘Crockodile Hunter’ halloween costume again?
She's become one. Exhibit A: her wholesale embrace of creationism.
You liberals always put being "intellectual" at the top of your list of virtues, so I'm assuming you think you are one, correct? Myself, I happen to think intellectuals are informed narcissists, especially those who think and say they are intellectual, like you.
Well, we clearly differ on that one then.
I wonder if Maher has the cajones to do this in front of a hostile audience? My guess is no. This is a guy who was likely an ugly kid who learned that he could make people laugh by being obnoxious.
Take a hike troll.
Ann’s pretty darned funny.
She’s more man than he ever was, and seriously, she must be utterly fearless to appear at such a venue as that evil troll’s program.
You never know who there will be impressed by both her arguments and her civility. The honest liberals will have to recognize truth when they hear it.
a person opposed to or hostile toward intellectuals and the modern academic, artistic, social, religious, and other theories associated with them.
I think she probably is opposed to or hostile toward many of the modern academic, artistic and social theories of the day. I know I am.
There are two people in this country whom I would love to just punch in the face - I’m not sure which I’d like to punch more - Olberfurher or Maher.
I'm not a liberal, thank you very much, and there was a time when conservatives also valued intellectuals like Art Laffer, Bull Buckley, Milton Friedman, and most of the U of Chicago econ department.
I fear that the conservative movement is degenerating into a rabble of luddites. Coulter's cult following is but one example.
You’re wrong. You are a liberal. Shove your faint praise up your ass professor Intellectual.
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