O'Reilly Factor: Dennis Miller's Homophobic Joke About Barney Frank

Dennis Miller appeared on The O'Reilly Factor tonight (Miller is a frequent guest on Bill O'Reilly's show) and went on a rant regarding what Barack Obama should do to the executives of AIG when he takes office, namely, that Obama "should flatten these punks" and "come down hard on them." After Miller finished his rant, O'Reilly chimed in that Obama's next move should be "to arrest Barney Frank, correct?" Miller replies, "Eh, Barney might want to be arrested."

It seems that Frank, the most prominent openly-gay member of the House of Representatives, is being slurred by Miller for his homosexuality. The reactions of O'Reilly and Miller confirm that Miller's joke was inappropriate, to say the least. Watch and judge for yourself.

Related: Bill O'Reilly And Barney Frank Face-Off Over Fannie & Freddie

Comments

[plooger]

Does "homophobic" really accurately characterize this sort of comment? I'm just not sure it's "fear" driving commentary like this from O'Reilly and Miller, so much as incitement for political and personal gain. It's just hate speech dressed-up for primetime.

[LiberalForever]

Miller just went to whatever group would feed him, since he has no career. Turns out the right wing limbaugh nuts are his best bet. He doesn't matter. He never did. That's why he's talking to oriley.

[WildElf]

Well, homophobia has become to gays as racism is to ethnicity. I can't really think of another term. Sexist? No. Homosexist? Not much better. Genderist? Eh, doesn't really fit. Heteronormative? Too cumbersome. Gayist? Uh, definitely not. Homophobe seems to do. And after all, hate is a manifestation of fear.

[JeanneInMinneapolis]

Miller's comment is typical of his snide, under-the-breath, "humor"---We all know this guy. He's the one in the class or the at the party who turns to his buddy and whispers barely audible remarks behind his hand about others in the room.

[3404]

Eh? No big deal. I'm gay and I think it's just an easy target joke. I'm not offended; you gotta have a sense of humor and be able to take it if you want to dish it out. It was just Miller going for the knee jerk bottom of the barrel laugh. My take on it is that he became really tickled after seeing how large O'Reilly's reaction was. Non story in my book.

[mombabytiger]

The real problem with Dennis MIller is that he's the only one who thinks he's funny.

[CVN65]

Perhaps you just need to have his comments explained to you.

[Dannydel]

No, he really isn't funny...which is why he's stuck on a chat show in the middle of the night whose audience is almost excusively made up of the 'Ultra-Whacks'.

[janfin]

No one does. We get what he said and not only is it not funny, it's just plain stupid and ingorant.

[FlamingLibrul]

The joke was utterly tasteless, just as the topic that led to the comment was. O'Reilly just has a beef with Gay guy and insists on blaming him personally for the financial crisis. I do have to admit the reaction of the two blowhards was pretty funny; in a high school sort of way...

[carolinealicia]

wow, so to have your own news show (i use the term news very veryyy lightly), you only have to be major jerk huh? (i use the term jerk very very graciously, the word I'd prefer to use isn't appropriate.)

All that sucking up O'Reilly did to get Obama on his show, then the watered down interview, now he's back to talking crap. These are two stand-up men. I applaud them *gag*...

[DEMOGORGON]

Much of comedy is funny because it is rooted in tragedy. Reassuringly (and nervously), we laugh at slapstick as the poor sap gets a pie in the face or slips on a banana peel because it assures us that WE probably won't.

Dennis Miller represents a narrower, more intellectual comedic base than the Henny Youngmans and the Soupy Sale's of the comedy world...or the savagely abusive and stridently obscene "shock" comics on the right...AND the left.

I enjoyed him on Monday Night Football not because any deep football knowledge, but because of how often his more erudite observations so completely eluded his co-hosts. Unfortunately, they also evidently eluded most of the national television audience.

He's changed. Trenchant commentary has been replaced by an increased partisan bitterness. Is this evaluation based on my own viewpoint? Of course...I'm a radical progressive and I'd MUCH prefer him lancing a Rush Limboil with his sharp tongue than making not very funny "jokes" about Barney Franks and his openly-admitted homosexuality. To me, there is a greater WORLD of possibility in Limbaugh's predilection for fat, mouth-filling cigars than Senator Frank's possible arrest preferences.

Intellectual comics feel things deeply if they are any good and Miller's diatribes used to be deeply-felt rages against the "machine"...ANY machine! Now, he reminds me of no one so much as a Mort Sahl, a Dick Gregory or a Lenny Bruce's descent into if not madness at least partisan irrelevance.

Too bad...

[proudliberal90021]

From what I've read, Miller's transformation into a right-wing partisan blowhard was a direct result of 9-11. After the attacks, he immediately put Bush on a pedestal and dove head first into the right side of the pool. (That would also be the shallow end.)

[CVN65]

Nonsense. If you were as smart as you think you are you would be a conservative.

[plooger]

What you miss is that comedy and satire are generally most successful when raging *against* the machine (the powerful, the self-important, etc) as opposed to the position Miller has assumed since 9/11... raging on behalf of the machine.

Olbermann, Maddow, etc. risk becoming as irrelevant as Miller, O'Reilly, et al if they take a party- or politician-centric approach, rather than continuing to hold those in power accountable.

[Dannydel]

Excellent point.

[DEMOGORGON]

A point very well taken. Thank you.

[Savojah]

Wow, that's hilarious. C'mon, where people's sense of humor. That was a great inpromtu joke. You're lying to yourself if you didn't think that was funny. If you didn't laugh initially, then something is wrong with you. Doesn't mean he or yourself is making fun of gays. You're laughing at a joke. I think Miller sucks, but I couldn't help but laugh.

[CVN65]

Sorry, but you have a sense of humor and must turn in your liberal secret decoder ring.

[Razorbazk2005]

I thought it was funny too. It's was like Obama calling himself a mut.

[janfin]

I found nothing funny about it, and it's not because I was offended--which I was--and I am a straight woman. It simply wasn't funny--period. Oh, and there is nothing wrong with me. I've been told I have, and know I have, a great sense of humor. Maybe there is something wrong with you and those who find this so-called joke funny. Ever think of that?

[Raymondf]

It wasn't a joke it was the truth.

[janfin]

You are sick and I feel sorry for you.

[BonnieBeeMee]

Sure, let's all keep our sense of humor, here. But my (Catholic) parents taught me that Christians telling Jew jokes isn't humor, its bigotry [ ] Whites telling n******* jokes isn't humor, its bigotry [ ] Why is straight people telling gay jokes different ?

[truthseeker7]

Dennis Miller is a very intelligent guy and the fact that his rants have moved from being against both parties (actually more the "right" in the old days) to mainly the left now just reflects how broke both parties and our political system is. Neither party, including Obama so far, are willing to say and do what really needs to be done. We have lived beyond our means and it is time to pay the piper, and yes, republicans, the rich need to pay more because they fed at the trough of easy credit and reduced regulation of securities a lot more than the middle class and poor.

Retirees - social security cannot continue as it is. Help us figure it out.

Poor folks who want free health care - start taking responsibility for your lives and take better care of yourself while we try figure this sh#t out.

Barney Frank - come clean, admit your mistakes and do your job, not the job the lobbyists want you to.

[Sapphdia]

Are you a Bacevich fan? Sounds like you are and that's not a bad thing.

[CVN65]

I agree with a lot of what you have stated. The Rich have already paid far more than their fair share when the top 10% pay nearly 70% of the taxes and the bottom 50% pay less than 4% of the taxes. We are not talking about the top asset holders, we are speaking of the top income earners; this leaves out the ultra-wealthy like the Kennedys and Bushes. I would be counted as rich but only because i live modestly, am thrifty and save. I see absolutely no reason why I should have to give even more.

[Chalkeater]

The richest 1% of Americans possess more wealth than the bottom 90% combined. I'd say they're doing just fine after taxes.

[BonnieBeeMee]

The truly wealthy do not have incomes to tax. They don't work "jobs" so they don't pay income taxes. Their wealth does not so much earn "interest", which is taxable, so much as their wealth earns "dividends", which are taxed at a lower rate, and can be structured so that they are not taxed at all. Add to that the fact that their wealth is often in instruments (or their incorporated business) that provide luxury benefits (think use of the company Benz, top-notch healthcare, travel, even a home and a car). When you want to know who the truly wealthy are, suggest higher taxes on dividends and watch the fur fly!

At the end of the month, when a family with an average income (in very round numbers, about $60K before taxes, on average about $50k after taxes; ref. US census) has a couple hundred dollars left, then a medical bill arrives, IT IS FRIGHTENING. Do they buy the prescription, or pay the bill to salvage their credit standing? These are real choices real people are making NOW. If it happens two months in a row, it is called bankruptcy. I'm talking about people who have always worked and played by the rules - not slackers.

A billionaire doesn't even think about the family's finances at the end of the month, they have so much left over after taxes (and they are often being taxed on money they inherited in the first place, rather than sweated to earn).

[pons1595]

The LDS church contributed a significant amount of money and effort to endorse PROP 8 in California via its network of church, media, and community outlets enshrining discrimination under the law for thousands of Californians and their families.

"In general, no organization, including a church, may qualify for IRC section 501(c)(3) status if a substantial part of its activities is attempting to influence legislation (commonly known as lobbying)."

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/review-the-501c3-status-of-the-church-of-latter-day-saints-the-mormons

[Raymondf]

The LDS church have no control over what their congrations may want to donate too.

[Clavis]

Don't be silly; the LDS Church sent official communications to all the local congregations, ordering them to commit money and volunteer efforts towards Prop 8.

Religion is a cancer; the LDS Church is simply an especially noxious tumor.

[tmo7734]

I used to enjoy Dennis Miller until he lost his mind (and soul) and become a reborn conservative. I don't understand what happens to some people as they age.

[andvoodoo2]

He sold his soul once he saw that he was becoming irrelevant.

[bdl0715]

Dennis Miller hasn't been funny for more than 20 years.

[andvoodoo2]

I couldn't agree more.

[AZM]

Who is this Miller guy? Is this the same guy that used to appear on Monday Night Football many years ago. That guy was pathetic, I never quite understood why they would pay him real money to annoy people on Monday night.

[leeman79]

Yeah, that's him. The guy's never made a tackle in his life. Although, he was in one good Tales from the Crypt movie. It wasn't good because of him, Angie Everhardt was in it.