Bill Maher: How Exactly Does President Sanford and Son Think He Got Elected?

[gokira]

Bill Maher criticized Obama's "fuddy-duddy act" at a commencement address at Hampton College last week and argued that Steve Jobs could do a better job running America than the Obama administration.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/17/bill-maher-steve-jobs-wou_n_578479.html

[derby378]

1. Interesting points...

...but technology can be used as a cocoon as well as a tool for knowledge. I could play military simulations with my Marine nephew all day long if I'm not careful.

[yorgatron]

2. is there anybody under the age of 40 that knows what "Sanford & Son" is?

and which one is Obama,Fred or Lamont?

[jaxx]

3. He's Barack.

[boppers]

63. I'm just under 40.

I recall it being this weirdly racist TV show, where black people were portrayed as ignorant, uneducated, caricatures.

[Orrex]

4. For every wise observation that Maher makes, he pulls two bushels of nonsense out of his ass

[JNelson6563]

14. +1

[Nedsdag]

28. +2

n/t

[uponit7771]

31. +3

[Solomon]

57. +4

[Cha]

46. Thank you, Orrex..and bc of those 2 bushels..

and counting..he's an irrevocovable asshole, imv.

[asphalt.jungle]

5. he thinks because he dated a black porn star that somehow

his pasty ass has the cred to say some racist shit like that. keep it up.

[Flying Dream Blues]

23. LOL, but true. nt

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

51. ...and according to her, he repeatedly called her the n-word and treated her

like crap. Honestly, Bill has issues with the ladies. His sexism is just deplorable. I like Bill, but he is becoming more and ridiculous as he tries desperately to make himself anti-Obama to get more wingnuts on his rapidly declining show.

[DevonRex]

6. Racist bullshit. nt

[jefferson_dem]

7. Racist drivel.

If anyone else said this, DU would be all over them.

That being said, I rather enjoy Maher's pointed, "politically incorrect" commentary.

[Dappleganger]

8. Maher isn't funny anymore.

What a pompous, self-important asswipe.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

21. Hell, i thought that during the Bush years.

The last year has only reinforced that belief to the nth degree.

[dumpdabaggers]

9. Mahr and others do not understand the existence of blue dogs.

Republican's are always in lockstep. Democrats come in many flavors. If southern Democrats embraced a true 'progressive" agenda they would never be elected. You have to have lived down there to understand.

[Aristus]

12. I lived down there. I understand. That's why I don't live down there anymore.

n/t

[azmouse]

10. Maher jumped the shark a long time ago.

I stopped caring what he says and what he thinks, that is, IF he thinks.

[CBR]

11. WTF? nt

[impik]

13. Asshole

[mkultra]

15. maher has never been much of a thinker

[Jennicut]

16. Steve Jobs? They guy who outsources all his techno crap to China to be made?

Real nice thing to aspire to. Will people on DU ever get that Mahr is a sexist, idiotic, libertarian jerk?
Also, technology can be both good and bad. Obama used it to his advantage in the election (and Howard Dean pioneered it in 2004). But people do have an over reliance on it. I love to be on the internet but I know there needs to be human contact as well.

[butterfly77]

17. Why is some people making a big..

deal over this? This is one of the reasons we can't get anywhere and Dems always let the CONS lead the discussion in this country over bullshit/nonsense..

[FrenchieCat]

18. Agreed.

Bill Maher can be a funny sardonic little guy who thinks his pecker is impressive to whomever, but that's about how much stock I take in what he says. Not to say that he doesn't sometime say things that we want to hear being said in a broadcast to millions, but certainly it doesn't make him a political wiseman; just someone who isn't a conservative asshole. That's not enough for any Democratic to put any stake in.

[Tarheel_Dem]

19. Haven't watched Maher since shortly after the election. He started this crap..

only weeks into the Obama Administration. I figured out that Bill doesn't really stand for anything, but he knows that his anti-government schtick is what pays the bills, and plays really well with a certain segment of the population.

Most "Libertarians" are assholes, and Maher is their poster child.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

20. I am still amazed that the President said something that is so

anti-technology. What the fuck?

[ej510]

22. Obama the same speech to us black folk every time. The pull

yourself up by your bootstraps speech. It's tired.

[Uzybone]

24. Its not tired, its true

eventually all of us will get the message.

[ej510]

26. Why doesn't he say this to everyone all of the time?

His bootstraps speech is tired.

[freddie mertz]

34. I think I know the answer.

But I would NEVER post it here! :nuke:

[Hekate]

45. He does. Okay? I heard him speak in L.A. before the campaign even started...

... and as one of the many white people in that mostly black audience that gathered in the sunshine of a school playing field, I can tell you that his version of US history (and every version is just that: one version) grabbed me where I live. It's not all about you -- it's about all of us.

Hekate

[JVS]

66. He says it to constituencies he believes he has a lock on.

Unless young people and African Americans are likely to defect to the GOP in droves, he can say as he pleases.

[Tarheel_Dem]

59. Well, I can see there's no need to ever engage you. Sounds like the prez

hit a nerve, and you couldn't take the truth. As an AA myself, I can tell you that each time I hear him say it, I cheer. I imagine as a community organizer, this president saw a lot of the same things we all see in our communities, and if you really are AA, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

[Uzybone]

25. Racist nonsense, but its Maher...when he is right he is right

when he is wrong he is buffoonish.

[freddie mertz]

27. More "poutrage" regarding Bill Maher?

Obviously, since he has criticized Obama, he should be hauled away, locked up, and never allowed to speak in public again.

[Tarheel_Dem]

29. If the responses to the o.p. is any indication, I don't think people give a good..

damn where Maher is hauled off to. People take positions all the time. Bill has obviously taken his. You can't chastise people who are offended by Maher, simply because you agree with him. Your views are widely known around here. If it's anti-Obama, it's right up your alley.

Like I mentioned before, Bill Maher knows what pays the bills, and his anti-government schtick has made him quite wealthy, and keeps his mug on the teevee.

[freddie mertz]

30. And now the finger points to me!

Quel surprise!


:rofl: :patriot:

[Tarheel_Dem]

32. Can you guess which finger?

:rofl:

[freddie mertz]

33. I am sure.

But where were you sticking it beforehand?

Same place as your head?



:popcorn:

[Tarheel_Dem]

35. ...

:silly:

[freddie mertz]

36. OK then. nt.

[Number23]

53. Ha!! Love it! I'm still sort of waiting for that poster to give us her eagerly awaited opinion

on why Obama is always telling us black folks to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps.

Apparently, she knows the answer but is reluctant to post it? Gee, I wonder why??? :shrug:

[Tarheel_Dem]

60. It claims to have some inside knowledge. You and I both know the reason..

she won't post it. I think we've known about this one for quite some time. It'll be refreshing to see her just get it all off her chest.

[geek tragedy]

39. He was on point until the racist "Sanford and Son" comment.

It's not that he criticized, it's that he chose a racist assholish way to make that criticism.

[bigpenguin]

65. so.....

If during Bush's term, he had made a "Beverly Hillbillies" remark, would you have cared?

It's comedy, people. Lighten up.

[Tarheel_Dem]

68. How exactly would that analogy work? I'm just curious.

There's a good chance that Jed & Jethro's ancestors had quite a different AMERICAN experience than those of Fred & Lamont. I'm sure that after some reflection you'll come to see that yours really is a silly assed post. Don't ya think? It's interesting to see just how far some hypocritical assholes will bend their "principles" to justify a clearly racist joke, just because it's Bill Maher.

You can't chide administration supporters for being cheerleaders, and then turn around and cheer on every jerk that has something negative to say about the president. Sarah Palin couldn't have made a more f'd up analogy.

[geek tragedy]

70. That wouldn't have had racist connotations.

"It's just a joke" is no excuse. Ask Anita Hill.

[Arkana]

55. I think more because Maher used racism to make his point

is the reason he's being criticized.

[BeyondGeography]

37. Like we don't spend too much time with our digital playthings

And President Sanford & Son? Fuck off, Bill.

[Cha]

48. maher can go fuck himself.

[okieinpain]

38. this is somebody's quote on huffington. funny stuff

"Obama is guilty of oversimplifying the problem by laying blame at the feet of "gadgets". When I was 12, I had a crappy Atati 2600 game console, before that a simple Pong game you plugged in. Before I had either of those to distract me, I had comic books and TV. Before comic books and TV, kids were distracted by radio programs. Before that, they read books, Before that, they went out and clubbed Woolly Mammoths. Stop scapegoating "things". The problem is US, people. We are wired to seek distraction. It's how we keep from clubbing each other on the head."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/17/bill-maher-steve-jobs-wou_n_578479.html#comments

[Writer]

40. Broken down, here is the problem with Maher's comment.

1. Maher wanted to describe Obama as being wishy-washy.

2. Therefore, Maher relied upon the stereotype of the poor, lazy black man as demonstrated by Redd Foxx's character in the 1970's sit-com "Sanford and Son."

3. Maher actually chose to utter these words on the air.

4. Maher neither acknowledged then, nor will he ever acknowledge, that the comparison is racist in nature.

5. There were many other ways that Maher could have expressed his opinion without resorting to racial stereotypes. He chose none of those. He relied on the image of the poor, lazy black man.

6. There have been other examples of this in political media that many on DU have gotten upset over, namely Limbaugh's "Barack the Magic Negro," and Limbaugh's playing the Jefferson's theme song on the air every time he mentioned Carol Moseley Braun.

7. Like Maher's comment, Limbaugh was using racial stereotypes. Maher's politics do nothing to justify his racist choices.

8. Obama has attempted throughout his political career to transcend the traditional discussion of race and has never asserted himself as a racial figure.


Maher was wrong. Maher should apologize for this comment. Maher needs to be held accountable for the times he thoughtlessly runs his mouth to garner attention for his program.

[Uzybone]

41. +10000

that said, at his core Maher is a shock jock. He will say ANYTHING for laughs.

[Cha]

47. Thanks for spelling it out, Writer..bc I all I have to say is..

maher is a stupid fucking racist asshole.

[mucifer]

49. I don't think maher has ever apologized for anything or ever will. correct me if I am wrong nt

[Tarheel_Dem]

58. Thank You. Let's hope some of Maher's "black friends" call him on this.

Maher needs to understand he doesn't get a pass, the same way he insists this president shouldn't.

[CBR]

71. Great post!! nt

[Hekate]

42. Sadly, Bill Maher has devolved into an ass. Nuff said.

[Aramchek]

43. Bill Maher is occasionally funny, but he's never been a Mental Giant

[SemiCharmedQuark]

44. Lolz@ Maher criticizing Obama for being anti-technology when he himself is stuck in the 19th century

At least Obama's "act" is an act. Maher actually believes the "there is no such thing as germ theory" nonsense he spews.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

50. Bill is really helping out the wingnuts, isn't he? n/t

[Number23]

52. What a deranged, idiotic, piece of isht.

I'm trying to figure out what I think is more offensive and flat out stupid -- his calling President Obama "President Sanford and Son" or his idiotic assertion that it was the Obama administration who "put a box" on the oil spill in the Gulf.

[Arkana]

54. President "Sanford and Son"?

[Blue_Tires]

56. "Hampton College"??

[Peacetrain]

61. Maher has shown himself to be just another "kneejerk" critic.. who does not bother to look at

something in context or read what the speech was about..

"And meanwhile, you’re coming of age in a 24/7 media environment that bombards us with all kinds of content and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don’t always rank that high on the truth meter. And with iPods and iPads; and Xboxes and PlayStations -- none of which I know how to work -- (laughter) -- information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation. So all of this is not only putting pressure on you; it’s putting new pressure on our country and on our democracy.

Class of 2010, this is a period of breathtaking change, like few others in our history. We can’t stop these changes, but we can channel them, we can shape them, we can adapt to them. And education is what can allow us to do so. It can fortify you, as it did earlier generations, to meet the tests of your own time."

[krabigirl]

62. lol

[Drunken Irishman]

64. Moronic comment by Maher...

Why doesn't he run for office? He's such a great critic of the system, so maybe he should get in there and try to fix it. I mean, obviously it's such an easy thing to do, right? He says so. He makes it sound like all Obama has to do is snap his fingers and legislation is passed.

Well it's fine and dandy saying that shit from the comfort of your nice million dollar studio in front of your two-hundred lackies cheering your stale and often overrated humor. It's another thing actually going out and doing something about it.

But that'd require real thought and planning. And from what I've seen from Maher, he's more about one-liners and crude jokes than he is about substance.

Not that I don't often find him funny. But sometimes I wonder if he even believes half the shit he's trying to sell to some stoner college student who thinks it's hip to rail against the establishment.

That made me sound old. But I'm not. I fit right into the demographic of Maher. But I'm more a Stewart guy, myself.

[JVS]

67. I'm failing to see what Sanford and Son have to do with gadgets. Not cool, Bill.

OTOH I seem to recall a time when Obama was having a tough time giving up his Blackberry. So this whole newfangled gadgetry thing is lame.

[Prism]

69. Frozen Caveman Lawyer would've been a better comparison.

I don't understand how Sanford is somehow known for being especially anti-technology. The only thing in common seems to be blackness. Seems racist. And not even in an edgy, unPC South Park comedy kind of way, but the jarringly boorish variety.

That said, I don't understand the President's Frozen Caveman Lawyer shtick. "I'm just the President, and this new technology is confusing to me. I don't understand your generation's gadgety ways."

Right. How many articles did we read about the much beloved blackberry?