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OfflineDivided_Sky
Ten ThousandThings

Registered: 11/02/03
Posts: 3,171
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Does Bill Maher really believe the stuff he says?
    #4640550 - 09/10/05 01:08 AM (18 years, 6 months ago)

I've been watching his show a lot lately and one thing that strikes me is that for a fairly astute and intelligent individual the closing segment of his show usually results in unfair characterizations, generalizations, straw man tactics usually directed at Bush and Republicans. If taken seriously anyway, after all it is humor, right? It almost seems like he knows that what he's saying is distorted and exaggerated for humor and entertainment value, but he says it nonetheless. I have to wonder if he is being sincere when he draws political statements out of a simplified realm of jokes and caricature that disregards context. His playfulness almost suggests to me that he adopts a convenient political typology for his shows,even if he knows things are a little more complex than that. But then if he knows that what he says isn't really accurate in reality outside of comedy and entertainment television, why does he say it, and his audience take it seriously? Money perhaps, or he just knows how to manipulate dumb people.


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1. "After an hour I wasn't feeling anything so I decided to take another..."
2. "We were feeling pretty good so we decided to smoke a few bowls..."
3. "I had to be real quiet because my parents were asleep upstairs..."

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InvisibleKingOftheThing
the cool fool
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Registered: 11/17/02
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Re: Does Bill Maher really believe the stuff he says? [Re: Divided_Sky]
    #4640748 - 09/10/05 02:13 AM (18 years, 6 months ago)

bill maher fucking rules. his views are left wing yet he deplores political correctness...just like me...i put the man on a pedastool

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OfflineMagicalMystery
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Re: Does Bill Maher really believe the stuff he says? [Re: KingOftheThing]
    #4640765 - 09/10/05 02:22 AM (18 years, 6 months ago)

Would you push his stool in?


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"Men trained in arms from their infancy, and animated by the love of liberty, will afford neither a cheap or easy conquest."
From the Declaration of the Continental Congress

"We can have peace and security only as long as we band together to preserve that most priceless possession, our inheritance of European blood."
Charles A. Lindbergh,"Aviation, Geography, and Race", Reader's Digest, Nov. 1939

"We must secure the existance of our people and a future for White children."
David Lane

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InvisibleSilversoul
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Re: Does Bill Maher really believe the stuff he says? [Re: Divided_Sky]
    #4641679 - 09/10/05 11:06 AM (18 years, 6 months ago)

Complexity isn't funny. Bill Maher is going for laughs, and to do that, you need to simplify things a bit. He still gets at some basic truths in his jokes, though.


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OfflineDivided_Sky
Ten ThousandThings

Registered: 11/02/03
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Re: Does Bill Maher really believe the stuff he says? [Re: Silversoul]
    #4641828 - 09/10/05 11:47 AM (18 years, 6 months ago)

Yeah, I guess I'm really starting to question the combo of humor and politics because humor is a way to make a point stick while actually sidestepping the facts in question and oversimplifying issues. That is one of the things that irritates me about arguments that come from the left, people like Micheal Moore, Al Franken, George Carlin and Bill Maher, tend to use entertainment as a way of saying things that would not hold together through logical analysis and people buy it. I don't think any of these guys are known for intellectual honesty, but lots of people still listen to them. At least when right wing people say ridiculous stuff they are easier to refute because they are much more literal.


--------------------
1. "After an hour I wasn't feeling anything so I decided to take another..."
2. "We were feeling pretty good so we decided to smoke a few bowls..."
3. "I had to be real quiet because my parents were asleep upstairs..."

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OfflinePhred
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Re: Does Bill Maher really believe the stuff he says? [Re: Divided_Sky]
    #4641858 - 09/10/05 11:55 AM (18 years, 6 months ago)

Exactly. Same thing with "The Daily Show". Stewart gets away with all kinds of distortions, innuendo, exaggerations, half-truths and even non-truths because his defense is that he is not a serious news show, he's a comedy news show. Yet many people (even people who post in this forum) take a lot of what he says as literal truth.

It's a great gig for those guys -- they can spout whatever they want and if people swallow it, great -- mission accomplished. But if they get called on it they just say, "Lighten up, dude. It's just comedy." It's a no-lose deal for them.



Phred


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InvisibleSilversoul
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Re: Does Bill Maher really believe the stuff he says? [Re: Divided_Sky]
    #4641860 - 09/10/05 11:56 AM (18 years, 6 months ago)

I really don't see what's so unrealistic about what Bill Maher is saying. Maybe you could give some examples? I find most of his stuff to be dead-on, or at least to the extent that you can be while being funny. Also, I wouldn't count George Carlin as being "left-wing." He goes after liberals as much as he does conservatives. It's really hard to peg his politics down as anything other than simply cynicism.


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OfflineHagbardCeline
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Re: Does Bill Maher really believe the stuff he says? [Re: Divided_Sky]
    #4642096 - 09/10/05 12:50 PM (18 years, 6 months ago)

Interesting observation.

I've never examined the relationship between between entertainment and political commentary. It is a very effective way to convey a message that may be able to dodge people's normal ability to rationally disseminate what it is they are told. Especially people that might not take as active a role in analyzation. Kind of putting your guard down.

Once these type of people seem to find someone they like/believe, some seem to accept the people as close to God. Everything the person says is law.

Just as true for the right wing talk show hosts or the left wing video personalities.


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I keep it real because I think it is important that a highly esteemed individual such as myself keep it real lest they experience the dreaded spontaneous non-existance of no longer keeping it real. - Hagbard Celine

Edited by HagbardCeline (09/10/05 04:03 PM)

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InvisibleKingOftheThing
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Registered: 11/17/02
Posts: 27,397
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Re: Does Bill Maher really believe the stuff he says? [Re: Divided_Sky]
    #4642590 - 09/10/05 03:09 PM (18 years, 6 months ago)

right wing people just arent funny... we have franke, maher, stewart etc.... the right has collin quin and larry the cable guy

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InvisibleSilversoul
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Re: Does Bill Maher really believe the stuff he says? [Re: KingOftheThing]
    #4642683 - 09/10/05 03:38 PM (18 years, 6 months ago)

Quote:

KingOftheThing said:
right wing people just arent funny...



Not intentionally, anyway.


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OfflineProsgeopax
Jaded, yethopeful?

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Re: Does Bill Maher really believe the stuff he says? [Re: KingOftheThing]
    #4642723 - 09/10/05 03:45 PM (18 years, 6 months ago)

Quote:

KingOftheThing said:
right wing people just arent funny... we have franke...



Is that Al Franken? He gives about as many laughs as cleaning the toilet does.


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Money doesn't grow on trees, but deficits do grow under Bushes.

You can accept, reject, or examine and test any new idea that comes to you. The wise man chooses the third way.
- Tom Willhite

Disclaimer: I reserve the right to change my opinions should I become aware of additional facts, the falsification of information or different perspectives. Articles written by others which I post may not necessarily reflect my opinions in part or in whole, my opinions may be in direct opposition, the topic may be one on which I have yet to formulate an opinion or have doubts about, an article may be posted solely with the intent to stimulate discussion or contemplation.

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OfflineRedstorm
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Re: Does Bill Maher really believe the stuff he says? [Re: Prosgeopax]
    #4642802 - 09/10/05 04:06 PM (18 years, 6 months ago)

I think Franken is funny. You have to take what he says with a grain of nonpartisan NaCl, but he's gives me a giggle or two.

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OfflineAnisotropic
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Re: Does Bill Maher really believe the stuff he says? [Re: Divided_Sky]
    #4644902 - 09/11/05 03:23 AM (18 years, 6 months ago)

In the end, right wingers just seem to be incapable of being funny. IMHO...

Something about not getting occasional self deprecation for humor.

Kinda in the same way Carson Daily's late show will never be as good as all the rest.

I think you need to take comedians less seriously. It's kinda like taking the entertainers on Faux News seriously.

In the end, it's just a media personality.

Edited by Anisotropic (09/11/05 03:35 AM)

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Invisiblelooner2
ABBA fan

Registered: 06/20/04
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Re: Does Bill Maher really believe the stuff he says? [Re: Anisotropic]
    #4645162 - 09/11/05 08:32 AM (18 years, 6 months ago)

I saw Mahers last show on friday and his monologue at the end was decently funny and wasn't meant to be a politic argument.

Before that though was horrible. The amount of crap spewed from the guests mouth was filth. Literal filth. They called humans diseases and just let loose a salvo of anti-american hate.

I hope the nation watches that crap and continues to do so. The left is classless. Absolute lack of integrity and any sort of deciency and people see it. Watching that last show has convinced me to never waste my vote on a federal libertarian candidate again.


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I am in love with Acidic_Sloth


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OfflineQuantumMeltdown
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Re: Does Bill Maher really believe the stuff he says? [Re: looner2]
    #4645272 - 09/11/05 09:12 AM (18 years, 6 months ago)

Quote:

looner2 said:
I hope the nation watches that crap and continues to do so. The left is classless. Absolute lack of integrity and any sort of deciency and people see it. Watching that last show has convinced me to never waste my vote on a federal libertarian candidate again.




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-QuantumMeltdown

Total abstinence is so excellent a thing that it cannot be carried to too great an extent. In my passion for it I even carry it so far as to totally abstain from total abstinence itself.
  -Mark Twain

"The time has come the walrus said, little oysters  hide their heads, my Twain of thought is loosely bound I guess its time to Mark this down, Be good and you will be lonesome
Be lonesome and you will be free
Live a lie and you will live to regret it
That's what livin' is to me
That's what livin' is to me"
Jimmy Buffett

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OfflineDivided_Sky
Ten ThousandThings

Registered: 11/02/03
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Re: Does Bill Maher really believe the stuff he says? [Re: QuantumMeltdown]
    #4645701 - 09/11/05 11:20 AM (18 years, 6 months ago)

I don't know guys, it doesn't reflect well on the left when all their personalities have to rely on comedy because they couldn't hold their own in a debate. Whether you agree or disagree with the guys on the right, they seem to operate in a different and more linear way.


--------------------
1. "After an hour I wasn't feeling anything so I decided to take another..."
2. "We were feeling pretty good so we decided to smoke a few bowls..."
3. "I had to be real quiet because my parents were asleep upstairs..."

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
OfflineAnisotropic
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Registered: 07/28/04
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Re: Does Bill Maher really believe the stuff he says? [Re: Divided_Sky]
    #4645759 - 09/11/05 11:37 AM (18 years, 6 months ago)

Well needless to say, screaming over someone while they make a valid point, then going to commercial... as soon as the person you're up against says something you don't like, because it's a more valid stance on something... Gets equally no respect.

You can't take these entertainers and make them in to the entirety of you're view on the left or the right...

Most people are much more sane, much more centered. As a matter of fact, these people when they go home most likely don't believe half of the shit they spew... Right or left. There just trying to get ratings.

It's just the Right isn't intentionally funny. So they are a much less enjoyable watch IMHO.

But I haven't owned a T.V. in like 3 1/2 years or so, because it rots you're brain/kills productivity.

My suggestion would be stop watching T.V. It's all garbage.

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OfflineDivided_Sky
Ten ThousandThings

Registered: 11/02/03
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Re: Does Bill Maher really believe the stuff he says? [Re: Anisotropic]
    #4645773 - 09/11/05 11:41 AM (18 years, 6 months ago)

Well, I'm not a fan of right wing talk show hosts shouting people down. I just think it is a more honest way of expressing themselves and if it makes them look like total morons than so be it.


--------------------
1. "After an hour I wasn't feeling anything so I decided to take another..."
2. "We were feeling pretty good so we decided to smoke a few bowls..."
3. "I had to be real quiet because my parents were asleep upstairs..."

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
OfflineRedstorm
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Re: Does Bill Maher really believe the stuff he says? [Re: looner2]
    #4645804 - 09/11/05 11:53 AM (18 years, 6 months ago)

Quote:

looner2 said:
The left is classless. Absolute lack of integrity and any sort of deciency and people see it. Watching that last show has convinced me to never waste my vote on a federal libertarian candidate again.




Where do you get the idea that the left-wing and the Libertarian party are one?

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InvisibleSilversoul
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Re: Does Bill Maher really believe the stuff he says? [Re: Divided_Sky]
    #4645840 - 09/11/05 12:01 PM (18 years, 6 months ago)

Quote:

Divided_Sky said:
Well, I'm not a fan of right wing talk show hosts shouting people down. I just think it is a more honest way of expressing themselves and if it makes them look like total morons than so be it.



In case you hadn't noticed, Rush Limbaugh and his ilk try to use comedy as much as the left-wingers you're talking about. It's that they fail at being funny.


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