Now, I’m sure the love of my two favorite people in all the world, the ridiculous bubble-speaking, national monument crashing, patriotism-blathering, hair monster, Sarah Palin, and her partner in a Bellevue Psych-ward, racist, slavery endorser, homosexuality-fixer, Crazy-Eyes-McGee, Michele Bachmann, is pretty evident, wouldn’t you say?
I adore them because they are outrageous, imbecilic news fodder, and never people to be taken seriously…but I’m just a blogger. By definition I’m able to heap loads of acrimony, chagrin, and whole butter vats of snark their way, without recrimination. But what about people like Bill Maher who often blur the line between comedian and political denizen? What is his responsibility to his viewing audience or the candidates themselves?
Does commenting on the laughable actions of Heckle and Jeckle up there become offensive because they are women? Is there a line that he should not cross, or does his commentary fall under the oath of, “Thou shall be mocked if ye seek to be a public figure?” Surely, if Palin and Bachmann, or their preferred hip-hop name PayBach Music, were both men, and did the same things, campaigned on the same platforms, and had this much national attention….no one would bring their gender into the conversation.
Just when does indicating that you abhor someone’s political stance, and even their personal one, become fuel for misogyny? Conservatives are screaming that “liberals real beef with both Palin and Bachmann has to do with their being women, not terrible candidates,” reports HuffPo.
And it should be noted that Bill Maher has been called out — by both the left and the right — for referring to Sarah Palin with a sexist epithet during one of his comedy shows (think punt with a “c” and swat with a “t”). Do conservatives have a point, or is there an exception for “comedy” vs. “commentary.”
What do you think? Is Bill Maher right?
