Bill Maher = Scumbag

Off Topic
41

[quote]harris447 wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
allNatural wrote:
How many of these people say this shit is funny who berated phatshady with that crippled kid in that ridin’ dirty pic?

This is far more obnoxious than what phatshady did.

No, it isn’t.

Phat-whatever was making fun of a crippled kid.

Bill Maher was making fun of a guy who spent his life bothering wild animals for the camera and then got killed by one.

No comparison.[/quote]

You are correct that there is no comparison.

One public figure making fun of the death of another public figure in a manner that will likely get back to the family so soon after the death is far more disgusting than some anonymous slob making fun of an anonymous crippled kid in a manner that will likely never get back to the kid’s family.

42

Exactly

[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
solarflame wrote:

Being offensive is humorous…That’s Fecking stupid! So was his choice of costume. Fecking stupid. Those other people you saw wearing those costumes…Fecking stupid too!

Know what’s stupid? Saying, “fecking”. It’s “fucking”.[/quote]

43

I think it’s different than being racist in private. Here’s the thing, with this Irwin situation, if some jackass where’s a tasteless costume where I am and no one who knows steve irwin, no one who really knew him and is truly feeling loss and missing him in their lives after his death, I would probably chuckle. I’m not AFRAID of Irwin’s family…I’m afraid of hurting them any more than they’ve already suffered. I don’t want to make them feel bad about something horrible that happened.

I would probably laugh if they weren’t there, just being honest. But if Irwin’s wife were there and someone did that I would say ‘hey man, get out of here with that bullshit’ Because it’s really deeply hurtful to her, it’s a real loss, not a ‘TV loss’ like all of us may claim we feel. Come to think of it. you’re right, I’m just a coward…

[quote]EmperialChina wrote:
Scrappy wrote:
I would probably laugh if someone I knew did it at a small party or something. But to do it from Bill’s position on TV and all is really bad cause you know his family will see it.
I would laugh at a small private halloween party but I would not want to remind or rub it in to his family if that makes any sense.

How does that make it any better?

I am seeing a lot of people who find this tasteless and horrible, are saying they would get a laugh out of it at a party or some where, where the family of Irwin potentially would not see it.

I guess its ok to through around sexist or racial comments, as long as said persons are not there, then it’s completely ok, seems cowardly to me.

I have been a big fan of Maher, I think he is extremely intelligent and his views come from a place or realism, that I have yet to see in other people. The only things I disagree with him on are animal rights et cetera. But I have to say I don’t see the point of teasing someone like Irwin who by most accounts was a great guy anyhow.

I also don’t understand the “too soon” argument, what a fallacy. It’s ok to tease it once the people that said tragic event effected are either dead or too old to remember correctly, then it’s ok, hahaha we humans are masters of self-propagated bullshit.

So in ten years when most people have “forgotten”, it will then be not as bad to make a pun…yeah…Hmmm been 5 years since 9/11 I guess its safe to start with light hearted jokes, in 5 more years we can get raunchy.

By the way I am not against free expression, everyone will do it regardless of any law or morality/ethics. I just don’t understand why people can’t be honest, if you find it funny ok if not ok.
[/quote]

44

The “too soon” comment doesn’t make sense to me now that I’ve thought about it.

Maybe if people had more respect for human life, that costume would’ve been more offensive.

Why not just go dressed up as a bloody woman and bring your kid along dressed as an aborted fetus?

I’m sure someone (Irish, perhaps) would just pee his pants over THAT one!

45

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
tom63 wrote:
I’ve never found him to be particularly intelligent. He confuses being a smartass with being smart.

Agree.

I still remember when Ted Nugent made him look like a dumbass. It was priceless.

I wish I saw it. Nugent is awesome.
[/quote]

Talking about Ted Nugent…

A sergeant from my unit was in uniform on mid-tour leave coming back, and Nugent was on his flight. “The Nuge” upgraded his ticket to 1st class and had him sit with him. The sergeant had no idea who Ted Nugent was (being more of a hip-hop fan) but Nugent treated him like a hero with a lot of class.

Another guy in 1st class had told the sergeant who he was sitting with while Nugent was hitting the lav.

46

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
harris447 wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
allNatural wrote:
How many of these people say this shit is funny who berated phatshady with that crippled kid in that ridin’ dirty pic?

This is far more obnoxious than what phatshady did.

No, it isn’t.

Phat-whatever was making fun of a crippled kid.

Bill Maher was making fun of a guy who spent his life bothering wild animals for the camera and then got killed by one.

No comparison.

You are correct that there is no comparison.

One public figure making fun of the death of another public figure in a manner that will likely get back to the family so soon after the death is far more disgusting than some anonymous slob making fun of an anonymous crippled kid in a manner that will likely never get back to the kid’s family.
[/quote]

I think any joke about the dead is done in pretty bad taste, but I’m leaning toward harris on this one. I inherently have less respect for the tragically stupid. If Irwin had done something like punch a bear in the face and then get mauled by it, the jokes would’ve practically written themselves. Somebody on late night TV probably would’ve nominated him for a Darwin Award. Not knowing how someone was crippled and making fun of them for who they are isn’t nearly as funny/justifiable by any means.

47

Ted ROCKS! Period.

48

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
harris447 wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
allNatural wrote:
How many of these people say this shit is funny who berated phatshady with that crippled kid in that ridin’ dirty pic?

This is far more obnoxious than what phatshady did.

No, it isn’t.

Phat-whatever was making fun of a crippled kid.

Bill Maher was making fun of a guy who spent his life bothering wild animals for the camera and then got killed by one.

No comparison.

You are correct that there is no comparison.

One public figure making fun of the death of another public figure in a manner that will likely get back to the family so soon after the death is far more disgusting than some anonymous slob making fun of an anonymous crippled kid in a manner that will likely never get back to the kid’s family.
[/quote]

Sorry, Zap, but I think you’re off-base on this one.

Making fun of retarded children is the lowest dogshit piece of scum thing a human can do.

Goofing on a guy whose karma caught up wih him might not be funny, but it;s not offensive.

And I don’t get this “he had a family” thing. Are we only allowed to make fun of spinsters and orphans?

Steve Irwin did not die a tragic death by any means. Our kids in Iraq die tragic deaths. Steve Irwin died a totally fucking predictable death.

49

[quote]harris447 wrote:

And I don’t get this “he had a family” thing. Are we only allowed to make fun of spinsters and orphans?

[/quote]

My guess is the “he had a family” thing pertains to the fact that he had a wife and small children that are now left without a husband and a father.

50

[quote]harris447 wrote:
Steve Irwin did not die a tragic death by any means. Our kids in Iraq die tragic deaths. Steve Irwin died a totally fucking predictable death.[/quote]

Our soldiers dying is Iraq is extremely tragic. Every one of them. However sad (not to mention heroic) a soldier’s death is, it’s somewhat more predictable to die while in combat in wartime than it is to die by a barb through the heart from a stingray. That is unless stingray barbs through the heart happens a lot more than I think it does.

51

[quote]derek wrote:
harris447 wrote:

And I don’t get this “he had a family” thing. Are we only allowed to make fun of spinsters and orphans?

My guess is the “he had a family” thing pertains to the fact that he had a wife and small children that are now left without a husband and a father.

[/quote]

And they are likely hurt by seeing images of Maher disgracing Irwin’s memory.

52

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
derek wrote:
harris447 wrote:

And I don’t get this “he had a family” thing. Are we only allowed to make fun of spinsters and orphans?

My guess is the “he had a family” thing pertains to the fact that he had a wife and small children that are now left without a husband and a father.

And they are likely hurt by seeing images of Maher disgracing Irwin’s memory.

[/quote]

Yeah! Hell, even I am hurt by it. I must be a pussy.

53

A soldier’s death in Iraq, although foreseeable, is tragic.
Irwin’s death, although foreseeable, is ironic in that he spent his life crusading for the very creatures who killed him. His family had to know that irritating wild animals comes with consequences. Look at Marlon Perkins of “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” fame. He was always safely back in the tent mixing margaritas while Jim Fowler was out getting his ass kicked by a pissed off grizzly.

Many of Irwin’s colleagues saw this coming and had warned him he was flirting with disaster. I guess he was concerned with leaving a wife and kids without a husband and father, he would have listened a little closer.

Now, is it OK to dress up like the guy so soon after his death? Guess that depends on one’s sense of humor or lack thereof. I can tell you this; had Maher waited until next Halloween, everyone would’ve asked him, “Who the fuck are you supposed to be?”

In comedy, and Maher holds himself out to be a comedian-nothing more, timing is everything. Good or bad.

Oh, and The Nuge is a caricature of his former “Motor City Madman” self. Still, Stranglehold is one of my all time favs.

54

[quote]derek wrote:
harris447 wrote:
Steve Irwin did not die a tragic death by any means. Our kids in Iraq die tragic deaths. Steve Irwin died a totally fucking predictable death.

Our soldiers dying is Iraq is extremely tragic. Every one of them. However sad (not to mention heroic) a soldier’s death is, it’s somewhat more predictable to die while in combat in wartime than it is to die by a barb through the heart from a stingray. That is unless stingray barbs through the heart happens a lot more than I think it does. [/quote]

Predictable in the sense of his recklessness and stupidity, not so much the exact method. Killed by a wild animal many people saw coming, but you’re right, a fish inflicting a fatal wound to the central body mass of a bipedal land mammals with a defensive weapon is indeed rare. Rare and stupid.

55

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
derek wrote:
harris447 wrote:

And I don’t get this “he had a family” thing. Are we only allowed to make fun of spinsters and orphans?

My guess is the “he had a family” thing pertains to the fact that he had a wife and small children that are now left without a husband and a father.

And they are likely hurt by seeing images of Maher disgracing Irwin’s memory.

[/quote]

Perhaps if Irwin cared so much abut his family, he shouldn’t have spent so much time bothering wild animals.

And, you know, dangling his infant in front of them.

Tragic is children with cystic fibrosis. Tragic is a man working two jobs to suport his family getting hit by a car.

Gettin kiled by one of the animals you’ve gotten wealthy bothering is just ironic.

56

[quote]harris447 wrote:

Tragic is children with cystic fibrosis. Tragic is a man working two jobs to suport his family getting hit by a car.

Gettin kiled by one of the animals you’ve gotten wealthy bothering is just ironic.[/quote]

Interesting point.

57

[quote]tom63 wrote:
I’ve never found him to be particularly intelligent. He confuses being a smartass with being smart.

I still remember when Ted Nugent made him look like a dumbass. It was priceless.[/quote]

You mean Ted Nugent, the Section 8 draft dodger who now shills for the war effort? I guess if you live in a trailer and married your sister you could enjoy what he says.

Check out Maher on the latest episode of the Henry Rollins Show on IFC. Youget a boiled-dwon picture of what he’s about.

58

Bill Maher is best friends with Ann Coulter, and they often get ideas from each other. They pitch the same message with a different spin. I wonder how many people who lick Bill Maher’s balls as being intelligent and witty think Ann Coulter is a dumb ignorant bitch, and the other way around. Hypocracy abounds in pundit worship.

59

[quote]Donut62 wrote:
Bill Maher is best friends with Ann Coulter, and they often get ideas from each other. They pitch the same message with a different spin. I wonder how many people who lick Bill Maher’s balls as being intelligent and witty think Ann Coulter is a dumb ignorant bitch, and the other way around. Hypocracy abounds in pundit worship.[/quote]

There’s a lot to fault Ann Coulter for. But I don’t think lack of intelligence is one of them.

60

A scumbag? Maybe. But if everyone who makes a joke that’s really in poor taste is a scumbag, a lot of comedians are scumbags.