Saturday, March 05, 2005
Politically Incorrect
I'm grateful to Jeff Jarvis for capturing in words the crazy spectacle of Bill Maher interviewing Ward Churchill. You might have thought this would be one helluva love-fest. I'll let Jarvis give you the commentary, but it all sounds so pathetic to me. But for real polemic I think Roger L. Simon's blog is the place to go. He and his readers have Maher's measure.
Maher is [....] a cynical, preening, self-deceiving narcissist who clings to the airwaves with the desperation of a dying leech that will never get off our backs. Nothing he ever says is more than a cliché or less than self-promotion. Whatever small modicum of humor he may once have had has disappeared up his own navel while he was gazing at it, sort of like liposuction in reverse.
We can credit Simon for that fine rhetorical blast. But I think some credit must go to his readers too, who chimed in on the thread. Here are some samples.
Bill Maher's actually a pretty good barometer. Anyone who actually pays attention to him is probably not worth taking seriously.
I don't know if Maher is a symptom of what is wrong with a large segment of our society or yet another opportunist who has found an economically (and ego) satisfying niche. Either way he's reprehensible. I have noticed that he holds "prophet" status among the BDS [Bush Derangement Syndrome] fringe.
What's so revolting--to me--about Maher is his own certainty. His "daring intellectual rebel" attitude is beyond grating, especially since every 12 yr old on the planet has long-since evolved beyond it.
Maher on TV. Moulitsas on the internet. Franken on radio. Robbins in Hollywood. Churchill representing academe. Howlin' Howard leading the party.... I sure can't complain.
