I don’t know if anyone has mentioned it or not, but in the video of Gutfield and the rest of the Red Eye morons that DougJ linked to last night, one of those involved in the little flap was comedian Doug Benson.
That would be the same Doug Benson who got stoned for thirty days and filmed it and then sold the results in a movie called Super High Me
So while Red Eye may be the worst hour of television out there after Glenn Beck and Lou Dobbs, and while Gutfield is still a jerk, it is probably worth noting that the people who made all the snotty remarks about the Canadian military are comedians and morons.
The Moar You Know
Today’s GOP in a nutshell.
4tehlulz
Making the equivalent of a fag joke does not make one a comedian. It does make a moron, though.
Please think of the comedians.
Seitz
I think he was one of the original guys from the Marijuanalogues, along with Arj Barker, who plays Dave on Flight of the Conchords. As someone who doesn’t smoke pot, I found the excerpts I saw of their show to be very, very funny.
El Tiburon
I saw Doug Benson here in Austin a year or so ago. He killed, one of the funniest sets I’ve ever seen.
But if he was on Fox News in any capacity except to mock Sean Hannity, then that makes him a dick. Still funny as hell.
NonyNony
I haven’t watched the clip yet, but since it was taken from Fox’s "Red Eye" I was already assuming that this would be the case. Especially that last part.
Also, apparently Doug Benson was supposed to play at a comedy club in the next week or so up in Edmonton, Canada. He’s since been disinvited by the owner over the controversy. Apparently Candians don’t like having their military insulted any more than folks in the US do. Huh. Whoda thunk it?
I do like the response from the one Major they quoted in the article though – he’s laid back about it and throws out a vague insult about the show’s 3am timeslot. I like the lukewarm response better than the death threats – really, neither the show nor the people involved deserve more than a derisive mocking. Anything else gives them more credit than they deserve.
Will Danz
A slight defense of Benson here — he made a standard dumb Canada joke, but I think he just didn’t think it through in context. Probably stoned.
I also know he’s pretty liberal politically, friend of Janeane Garafalo and that crowd. …Which may indict him further with some people here, and I sympathize. My point is — he didn’t mean to make a rightwing political point.
But yeah, he should stay the hell off Fox anything, and that unfunny, piece-of-shit show in particular. Just stay at home and smoke another bowl next time, dude.
J.
Speaking of morons and getting stoned and new videos, how ’bout that Britney Spears?! Girl’s looking and sounding good, baby, though probably is not nearly as funny as Doug Benson.
Punchy
Prob true, but he makes it the same day (or close to it) that Canada brings back 4 caskets. That’s just ridiculously shitty timing.
I can only imagine the Malkin-esque shreaking and squealing if some Canuck standup wannabe slams the US military on a day where a number of troops are deep-sixed.
chopper
sorry, but i’m not seeing that piece of anti-semitic trash.
wait…it isn’t "super hymie?"
Persia
Arj Barker is very funny. And remember, when Jon Stewart says something, he’s never ‘just a comedian’ to these morons.
John PM
I have found Doug Benson amusing on "The Best Week Ever." However, since he is not A-list (or probably even B-list) funny, he no doubt has to take any gig he can get to keep the money coming. However, his agent should have had the sense to not book him on this show.
More important for me, though, is the continuing decline of Dennis Miller. I see him occasionally when I am flipping past Fox. Whereas in his previous incarnation I could listen to him for hours, now when I see him on O’Reilly I cannot listen for more than 30 seconds. It is as if he saw that he was being supplanted by Jon Stewart and Bill Maher and said "F-ck it, conservatives need some funny to." Unfortunately, Miller forgot the golden rule of comedy, i.e., conservative /= funny.
bayville
Douche Alert! Post "librul" Cohen is at it again.
Here’s his lede:
But he then goes on to conclude – not surprisingly – Obama sucks and Pelosi is like Newt Gingrich.
Ed in NJ
From the Boston Herald:
"The honeymoon is over, a national poll will signal today as President Obama’s job approval stumbles to about 50 percent over the lack of improvement with the crippled economy.
The sobering numbers come as the president backpedals from two prime-time gaffes – one comparing his bowling score to a Special Olympian and another awkwardly laughing about the economy, which prompted Steve Kroft of “60 Minutes” to ask “are you punch-drunk?”"
EXACTLY 3 LINES LATER IN THE SAME ARTICLE:
“The numbers are going down,” Zogby told the Herald. “It’s not because of the gaffes, but a combination of high expectations and that things aren’t moving fast enough with the economy.”
Edit to add: Nate Silver with the pre-emptive smackdown of Zogby
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/03/worst-pollster-in-world-strikes-again.html
Gus
I say this every time he’s brought up. Dennis Miller was never funny. Pedantic, yes. Funny, no.
Paul L.
Using the same standard
So Radley Balko is not allowed to mock corrupt police because some policemen were killed in Oakland?
The Moar You Know
Dennis Miller was never funny.
Svensker
@Paul L.:
So what you’re saying is the Canadian military really are wimps so the fact that 4 Canadian soldiers died is no big deal?
Fuck off, fascist worm.
The Moar You Know
@Svensker: Paul’s not a fascist. He’s a defender, enabler, and supporter of rapists. Hell, he thinks white men raping a black woman shouldn’t even be considered a crime.
GSD
Garafolo shows her true colors by joining the 24 crew that has worked overtime to mainstream torture.
Sorry, but her tats don’t make up for her working for the Leni Reifenstahl of our times.
-GSD
As for the dicksacks on Brown-Eye…armchair warriors the whole lot, not worth the sweat off a Canadian ballsack.
bago
They threw that rapist "The Comedian" out of the friggin window.
J
Benson apologized to a follower on Twitter. He didn’t say much, but still managed to be more sincere than Gutfeld. He’s been pretty quiet on Twitter ever since, not like him at all.
Also, not that this excuses him, but if you look at the clip he was BAKED OUT OF HIS MIND.
Ash Can
Today’s chuckle:
House Republicans to Dick Cheney: STFU.
(via GOS)
The Moar You Know
@GSD: If there is someone half as awesome and influential as Reifenstahl working today, please point me in their direction. I don’t think you intended to give Fox nearly that much credit.
I do find it fascinating that the dumpy little anger princess is doing episodes of 24, though. Ought to be interesting hearing her try to defend that.
Ash
@Ed in NJ: I thought the world had already decided that Zogby was just as stupid as Rasmussen?
LD50
One could write a whole article on how hating Canada has become one of the Wingnut Articles of Faith. It’s ironic, since there are certainly Canadian wingnuts. Wonder how they rationalize their country being trashed by their American brethren.
The Moar You Know
@Ash Can: Oh, thank you for that, it made my morning.
bootlegger
I’ve watched that show a couple of times, flipping through the channels, stoned of course. Although it is on Faux News there is very little political commentary with any ideological flavor. Basically the host throws out a news item and snarks on it. Then they go around the room and all try to out-snark each other. Thats it. That is all they do. First time I thought it was kind of funny, now I can’t stand the morons, even stoned.
Xecky Gilchrist
@LD50: It’s ironic, since there are certainly Canadian wingnuts. Wonder how they rationalize their country being trashed by their American brethren.
Well, there are female wingnuts and non-white wingnuts, too…
Do not underestimate the power of self-loathing.
Will Danz
True, very true.
Dennis Miller? Never liked his smarmy bullshit, especially the way he tried to make the (admittedly, not always brilliant) SNL fake news into the Dennis Miller Show. Didn’t even bother keeping up the pretense.
But even then he was good for an occasional laugh. Now he’s just a bitter, stupid, joyless hack who has to fellate O’Reilly for P.R.
sashal
slightly off topic.
Just watched M.Buchmann from the "enemy lines" asking questions Geithner and Bernanke .
I don’t know how those guys cold keep from bursting into hysterical laugh.
She is really that stupid, she is that stupid you can almost see that mysterious substance floating in the air around her head.
Good job Minnesota voters electing clown to congress.
What a shame….
Dennis-SGMM
"Hillary: The Movie" has made it to the Supreme Court. The movie was an anti-Clinton piece produced by the consrvative group Citizens United during the ’08 presidential campaign. Citizens United had planned to show the movie on cable TV and to produce commercials for the movie to air nationwide. This brought them afoul of McCain-Feingold because the movie was in part financed by general funds from corporate treasuries. Although the ads did not directly advocate against Mrs. Clinton and were allowed to be aired they were found to be electioneering communications and Citizens United was required to reveal the list of major donors with the FEC.
Citizens United claimed that its First Amendment rights were being infringed upon and the case has made its way to the Supreme Court. If CU prevails, McCain-Feingold will be gutted and the prohibition against corporations using their general treasury funds for political purposes will be moot.
An ironic twist to this is that the prohibition against unions using their general treasury funds for political purposes will also be mooted.
Brachiator
@bayville:
Interesting, then, to note this LA Times story, noting how Pelosi is being nudged aside by the new sheriff in town, President Obama (Pelosi’s role diminishes under Obama).
But, as always, the Empire fights back
Despite some good political journalism of late, the LA Times is trying hard to put itself out of businesss. Their Saturday Home section was largely devoted to a special section about the recession, that featured how wealthy liberal Westsiders are coping by coercing their nannies to take on extra duties as housekeepeers and personal assistants (Nannies take on extra duties as households economize).
The story reeks of condescension and racism and, reading between the lines, it is clear that many of these good liberals are exploiting their employees by underpaying them and by not paying social security and employment taxes.
I also love this: "The nanny’s role is to provide a healthy and safe environment for children," Heller says. "They work out routines and schedules and arrange play dates and activities."
Kinda makes you wonder what the parents do. And I wonder how many readers this kind of story appeals to.
Dennis-SGMM
@Brachiator:
The L.A. Times Home section has been a fishwrapper for years. Their articles are always of the "Look what you can do with a lot overlooking the ocean and a few million dollars!" variety.
LD50
Gomez: "I hope that someday you’ll know the indescribable joy of having children, and of paying someone else to raise them."
LD50
And don’t forget them hiring Doughy Pantload a couple years ago. It’s sad, there was a time not too many years ago when the LA Times was by far the best paper in California.
Brachiator
@Dennis-SGMM:
I don’t care about mindless stories about celebrities selling their homes. But I deeply despise the venality and hypocrisy of so-called liberals and progressives who pretend to care about people while indulging in the most vile kind of oppression.
A lot people like to point out the heartlessness of some conservatives. But apparently, the only difference between some liberals and some conservatives is that the liberal feels guilty about exploiting people. This doesn’t, of course, stop the exploitation. The LA Times special section includes this interview with a theology professor, who flat out acknowledges that wealthy Westsiders are screwing people over, but who concludes that it’s all right as long as it is done with sympathy (The ethics of cutting household help):
And this is priceless:
So, as long as you voted for Obama and feel bad after you put the boot to your worker’s ass, you can go on and have a nice day.
Interrobang
I don’t give a rat’s ass if Gutfeld is a comedian. He’s certainly a moron. The point is, he and his gang of comedian-morons said something exceedingly offensive (on a number of levels, including misogynist, homophobic, hypocritical, and bullying) at the shittiest possible time, and they deserve to have their smarmy little wrists slapped.
Preferably with a pica ruler.
I’m glad Doug Benson lost that gig in Calgary. Maybe if more of these dweebs lost money because of the shit spewing from their mouths, they’d stop talking like such assholes in public. They don’t seem to actually have much of a sense of shame, so financial disincentives are about all that really works. My buddy Spocko can attest to that.
Wonder how [Canadian wingnuts] rationalize their country being trashed by their American brethren.
Like, "Oh, god, please, Master, hit me again! Hit me harder! More!"
Gus
Gutfeld routinely commits the one unforgivable sin for a comedian. He’s not fucking funny.
Cris
Attention cleek, comments aren’t showing up on your website and there’s a very important song quiz going on.
Ash Can
@sashal: You ain’t whistling Dixie. And someone’s You-Tubed it, too (someone who likes her, no less, although not enough to spell her name correctly):
The Genius of Michele Bachmann
I love the "WTF" look on Geithner’s face. It’s as if he’s thinking, "Is she really asking me this? Does she really not know this already?"
JenJen
ZOMG Obama is taking over teh internets access!
According to Red State, that is.
D-Chance.
I don’t see the big deal. It’s CANADA, folks. They gave us Celine Dion; their "military" is fair game for humor.
Not like the left hasn’t joked about the military before… I guess it’s only OK to mock when it’s the US forces.
Cris
Strawman much?
Comrade Baron Elmo
Greg Gutfield is a piece of garbage on legs, and I would love to see an off-duty Mountie make him cry for Mama… but in the pantheon of wingnut comedy assholery, Gutfield has a long way to go to catch up with a human stain like Dennis Miller.
Dennis is the living epitome of what I like to call the "9/11 coward"… Americans who soiled their pants so badly after the Twin Towers attack that they ran screaming to the GOP gasping "Take my freedoms, take my constitutional rights, torture anyone you want, just keep me safe!" The kind of people Ben Franklin meant when he was grumbling about those who would exchange liberty for security and therefore deserved to lose both. The late actor Ron Silver was another one… and, sadly, so was former good-guy lawyer turned torture apologist Alan Dershowitz (who, strangely enough, was portrayed onscreen by Ron Silver.) But Dennis Miller takes conservative conversion to unheard-of levels of douchebaggery, easily as breathing.
I once saw a short "bit" of Miller’s on the subject of illegal immigration where he gleefully bashed immigrants (both legal AND illegal), Mexicans and poor people for five minutes — though he did stop just short of complaining that Hispanics smell bad.
A book that I recommend without hesitation is James Wolcott’s Attack Poodles and Other Media Mutants, in which he devotes an entire chapter to effortlessly reducing Miller to rubble. Likewise for Peggy Noonan. It’s a delicious read, as is Wolcott’s blog.
junkan
I think Gutfeld discovered that us Canadians can have a fairly thin skin when it comes to American attention.
The underlying cause seems to be that American media rarely pays attention to Canada, so our successes are rarely mentioned. (Hence all the canucks mentioning them in the above thread).
Having friends who’ve gone to the sandbox, I’m loathe to take a soft line on such idiocy, but seriously fellow canucks, this fool doesn’t deserve our attention, let alone our outrage.
Keep your attention and sympathy for Tpr. Jack Bouthillier, Cpl. Tyler Crooks, Tpr. Corey Joseph Hayes and Master-Cpl. Scott Vernelli.
Gutfeld is a third-rate comedian, let’s spend our emotional energy on mourning these brave young men instead.