New Rule: Ebonic Plague

New Rule: Stop punishing people for saying harmless crap as the media did when David Shuster said the Clintons were pimping out Chelsea Clinton

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1430551241http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=1178199204

Comments

[Rennie]

Too bad the 'fake' fun side of Hillary so 'pimped' by SNL is not in line with what we have all seen on the campaign trail. If Hillary is so for women, why would she not 'denounce' and 'reject' the support of the company in the sexual harrassment cases - no, but silly me, that is $$$, and she needs it to win the election so we can have the 'nice' Hillary fighting for us.

Who will she be fighting?

What if we don't agree that HER enemies are OUR enemies.

My prediction is the media now afraid of upsetting a candidate who has LOST 11 straight contests, resets the bar daily (both Texas and Ohio or now Barack has to win ALL four!), will play it straight when in office.

I can hear your monologues over the next 4 years - be careful, she may not like it. Different from GW Bush, not by much!

I would rather have McCain.

[tea in the harbor]

On Maher's program, this remark would have been funny, on a NEWS program it is out of place and tasteless. Coloring the news with blatent opinion is so prevalent today that it must rise,(or sink), to this level to be noticed, and that, in itself, should be rejected by veiwers.

[RMHK]

You are so right. He was way wrong.

[Savanarola]

Ther world is divided into two linds of people: those who divide the world into two kinds of people and those who don't. --Petrarch

[scottarino]

I never throught it was THAT big of a deeal, it still sounds stupid when a square like Schuster starts spouting pre-teen MTV language in his news items. I

[jimmyaj]

No big deal...? Sort of like Bill O's "lynch mob" remark? Quit pissing and moaning about "political correctness". Right-wing bigots have no decency. PERIOD.

[MPCarr]

agree. Like Don Imus. His Nappy Headed Ho remark was just a parody rappers. lighten up.

[johnmorgan]

When reporters get in trouble for unfairly criticizing a Democrat, which rarely happens anyway, the media always start crying about this horrible injustice to reporters, telling us we've become too "politically correct."

Reporters don't really get in trouble for criticizing Republicans, because they don't really do it. They've already learned that they'll pay for it with their careers, if they try to tell the ugly truth about any right-wing politicians.

If they make up nasty lies about a Democrat, however, there's normally no punishment at all.

[johnmorgan]

Maher, where do YOU get off making new rules for the media to obey?

No, reporters should be responsible for what they say. Sorry, Maher.

[keymoh]

I agree John. I'm a big fan of Maher's show, but freedom of speech does not mean people shouldn't be held accountable for saying stupid stuff. I also think he's willing to give Shuster a pass because he got fired from ABC for talking about how brave the hijackers were who flew the planes in the WTC. That's not bravery. It's lunacy.

[blindjester]

You must not be that big a fan if you haven't understood his comment about that yet.

He was correcting the lazy cliche that the terrorists who flew the planes were cowards. We all despise and condemn them, but that doesn't mean that every negative word in the dictionary applies equally well to them.

We tend to be lazy thinkers, and let our ideas be controlled by the cliches and metaphors of others. It's our tendency to to call our enemies weak, and cowardly, and stupid. That kind of carelessness, turning human beings into caricatures, makes us prone to continually underestimate them.

The point is that, until Maher said it, the thought never occurred to me.

[CountryBeforeParty]

So Maher was held accountable for his words. And here you are accusing him of what exactly?

Bill is not "the news", he does not pretend to be a journalist. Yet people get so nuts when they hear things that they may not like; and though he may say something that I don't agree with, I find his approach refreshing and we need more of it.

[XCITIZEN]

Maher is a mean-spirited, smarmy, narcissist. Unfortunately, as liberals and progressives, we have to deal with the fact that he's viewed as representing us.

[robotfog]

I agree.

[kellygrrrl]

haven't you heard?

apparently Hillary Clinton has sole rights on the "fun" market.

It's perfectly acceptable for her to "have a little fun" while on a sarcastic bitter anti-voter anti-Christian rant.

but Gawd forbid anyone poke a little fun at her.

[lisakaz]

Thank You Bill. As usuall, you're on the mark. I didn't see the fuss either. They love to send Chelsea out there but she's somehow too young to defend herself or speak to the press. More bubblized Clintons who will be tone deaf to this country JUST LIKE BU$H! No Thanks!

[candybar]

HOW WOULD MAHER,LENO MATHEWS LIKE TO HAVE THEIR WIFE OR KIDS CALLED NAMES

[rthom]

If one backs away a little from all the media and other hype, a little perspective will reveal that Senator Hillary Clinton is one of the most outstanding women in American history. I am therefore impressed with the ability of Rove and the GOP to manipulate the Obama camp and supporters, along with the media, to repeat the GOP talking points and negative campaign about her and President Clinton. You’ve got to give ‘em credit.

[indycar]

"one of the ost outstanding in American history?" Whoa! Please put her into our 200 + year history perspective and support that comment.

[vsign]

The Internet users are deciding this election. It hasn't been a level playing field. I'll vote against the unfair advantage. Let every vote count. That means no more caucus states. Every state has a primary secret ballot. The MSM be required to provide a level playing field. Obama's playing cards of race and sympathy are not allowed.

[LAShores]

Yawn to Obama playing a race card. That's typical ignorance that America is tired of hearing.
To be factual, Obama is the only candidate not to play the race card. He has been attacked by Bill and HIllary and the Neo-Nazi Conservatives for being a Muslim, a Taliban member, a black muslim, an unpatriotic America, a highly "ariticulate" African American, and so forth.

Obama is above the frey.

[candybar]

OH YEA he never played the race card when he said "my people would probably not vote for hillary"

[indycar]

thinly veiled biased attempt to rationalize and guilt folks into voting for Hillary.

Weak. People can see through Hillary and her wiggles. Hillary's problem is, Americans don't want old school politics any more. Hillary (and Bill) represent exactly that, no matter how they try to spin it. Hillary’s problems are not brought on my the MSN.

And by the way, Obama WAS the underdog, remember?

[AlabamaGunn]

I guess, though, that HRC's playing cards of fear, (in)experience, crocodile tears, gender, and (un)readiness are allowed. You're right about one thing. It has not been an equal playing field. Hillary has had to run an insurgent campaign against an opponent who has more Washington ties, more corporate/lobbyist connections than Jack Abramoff, and a sense of inevitability (pushed by the media that obviously works against her) since deciding to run prior to seeking her NY Senate seat. She certainly doesn't have the unfair advantage of having a popular ex-president in her corner, has 30+ years of organizational infrastructure, and has the ear of important and influential Democratic powerhouses across the nation.
--
No, dear Vsign, HRC has had everything working against her. The media never championed her as "inevitable," never held her up as the front runner, and has consistently questioned her claim of 35 years experience (doing exactly what is another issue). HRC certainly could not rely on her spouse's national campain network that spans back to almost 20 years, and she alone had to build her support and donor list from small donors and volunteers across the country as opposed to relying on a two term ex-president's insider friends, infrastructure, and donors. You are absolutely right. With all the advantages Obama had, there's little wonder that he's winning.

[dm92]

you are kidding, right?

dm92

[indycar]

Very well said!!

[elkabong]

It's reprehensible and outrageous that our corporate media have been showing such ingratitude toward Senator Clinton. After all, it was President Clinton who signed the Telecommunications Act of 1996 allowing huge multinational corporations to own more and more of our media outlets, increasing their power to make Americans one of the least well-informed electorates in the industrialized world (read: suckers).

That they collect hundreds of millions of dollars from candidates including Senator Clinton (and their donors) to run political ads on the PUBLIC airwaves given to them for next to nothing, just adds insult to the injury they've done to poor, poor Hillary.

Ingrates!

I denounce AND reject them.

- el Kabong

[ignorantwillyharper]

David Shuster, got kicked for telling the truth.
Both Clinton's have been pimping anyone and anything that is handy for the past thirty-five years. NBC should be apologizing to Shuster (Whom I don't Care For). for his truthfulness.

[asa]

Too bad Shuster got suspended for getting caught up in the anything goes with the Clintons. Too bad, he's one of the better ones. Yes, It seems like the MSNBC crew can say things like that about the Clintons. It brings their ratings up. Can you imagining MSNBC saying things during the 2004 race thet the Bushes were pimping out their daughters. Never happened. They had a certain "respect and fear" about saying that about any other candidates. There is something special about the Clintons though. Anything goes and David got caught up in that mindset over there.

[seilnotnilc]

Supporting the right to free speech and an unfettered press even though you don't like the message: you should change your user name to at least notsoignor­antwillyha­rper.
thanks,
james

[cfreedom]

Bill Maher is too smug for his own good. He values coarsening society. You want to be crude, fine, but why promote it as a standard? And a guy his age who still promotes himself as a cocksmith is just too unseemly. It's not cool at any age, but it's certainly time for him to find a little more dignity.

[LeonBNJ]

Mr. Schuster made a poor choice of words. The fact is that Chelsea is being used by her parents to help her mother become President. Worse it that she is told never to answer questions to anybody with the press and others (even a child) to keep to the rehersed message and to 'protect' her, but more importantly to prevent the 'message' from being derailed with real questions that should be asked of her. Maybe she is wating until after the November elections or a few years down the road in a multl-million book deal to really discuss her feelings about her parents, her father's adultery and how it affected her.

[indycar]

And often left un-mentioned is that Chelsea certainly knew that pimped didn't have the sexual connotation that many have tried to infer and fake rage about. There is nothing new to these tactics, and people are tired of them!

[maggipost]

There's no information suggesting that Chelsea herself objected to this comment in any way, shape, or form. Rather it was HRC herself who was angered by the suggestion that she was forcing her own daughter out onto the campaign trail for some unseemly purpose. The phrase 'pimped out' may have become standard usage in some circles, but the connotations are coarse and unseemly. Mr Shuster could easily have asked whether the campaign was "using" Chelsea. Although why Chelsea would not voluntarily wish to help her mother is odd.
What is the attitude of posters here toward the Obamas and the Edwards having their small children appear at certain venues on the campaign trail?

[abbiehoffmansghost]

Bill, new rule: time for a new schtick.