What Would Bill Maher's Mother Do?

                      "I tell you, in the day of judgment people will give
                       account for every careless word they speak, for by
                       your words you will be justified, and by your words
                       you will be condemned." - Matthew 12:36 - 37 ESV


"Let me tell you about Sarah Palin. She's good mast----tion material."  - Tracy Morgan, during a TNT appearance, January 27,  2011.

“Did you hear this – Sarah Palin finally heard what happened in Japan and she’s demanding that we invade ‘Tsunami,’” “I mean she said, she said these ‘Tsunamians’ will not get away with this.’ Oh speaking of dumb t--ts, did you –” - Bill Maher,  HBO, March 18, 2011

"Bought makeup from Bloomingdale's to update her "slutty flight attendant" look." - David Letterman, CBS, June 6, 2009


Derogatory sexist jokes about female politicians from late-night cable shows are becoming more common and nastier by the day. Bill Maher, an HBO TV host, is one of the more consistent offenders. Just recently, he maliciously mocked Sarah Palin's view on abstinence while a guest of his fantasized about  getting violent with Michelle Bachmann in her bedroom.   Jay Leno once quipped that "Senator Hillary Clinton would offer Obama a lap dance in exchange for the Vice Presidency. " Even political commentator Juan Williams happily chimed in that Palin is a superstar centerfold to conservative men. The brunt of these vicious, foul rants is aimed at conservative Republican women and their biggest target is the former governor of Alaska - Sarah Palin.

Almost without exception, these comedians hated George W. Bush's politics as much as they hate the politics of these women. Yet, they never picked apart the anatomy of the former president nor called him any lewd or vulgar names. Bill Clinton kind of brought the crass jokes about him upon himself by indulging an intern to "entertain" him in the Oval Office. But by all accounts these women-politicians are decent, upright Christians, have been faithful to their husbands, and are true to their conservative values.

What brings about this sexist onslaught? When it comes to attacking Gov. Palin, one easy answer is - money. The Palin name generates TV ratings. These cable hosts make her a laughing stock while they laugh all the way to the bank. Smutty jokes are the ultimate verbal chest-thumping display of power of a man over a woman  to take her down when threatened by what she represents. It is also a most cowardly act of facing-off with someone he disagrees with. It's like sneaking up from behind or throwing eggs at your opponent when they are not looking. These women's philosophies and stance on issues are at the farthest opposite end of his own and it offends him to no end. Yet, he cannot make an intelligent enough argument to counter what these women believe in and stand for. The easiest way to get back at them is to diminish them and turn them into sexual punching bags. And he does not have to take responsibility for these obscene remarks. It's just all comedy to him.

Hollywood being an equal-opportunity la-la-land, these dirty jokes do not come from just the male stand-up clowns. Their female counterparts are just as comfortable filling the airwaves with their lewd wraths. Joy Behar spouts the word "b-tch" as easily as she breathes air in and out. Sandra Bernhard once said that "…if Palin ever visited New York, she would be “gang-raped by my big black brothers.” It was just as offensive to Sarah Palin as it was to Bernhard's black friends whom she assumed would gladly play along with her perverted protest to the former governor stepping foot on her beloved city.

Bill Maher always picks on Sarah Palin because he thinks that she will never be his equal, in intelligence and in knowledge about the affairs of this world. He is so passionate about promoting renewable energy that he suggested America should follow the example of Brazil, which has gotten off oil in the last 30 years through their sugarcane ethanol program that started in the 70's.  He must have been too busy admiring himself in the mirror that he missed President Obama authorizing a $20 billion loan to Brazil to help finance their offshore drilling so that America can become one of their best oil customers. I wonder how many seconds the Mahers of the liberal media will last if they spar on oil issues with Sarah Palin, who was former chairman of Alaska Oil and Gas Commission. But that would be a futile exercise. These emperors with no clothes love to point out the speck in the eyes of the great unwashed that they are not able to see the logs in their own eyes even if they stick out of their noses.

Sarah Palin and the other women who have been targets of these revolting jokes are women of substance and accomplishments. They may espouse beliefs and principles that these comedians find counter to their own but that does not justify degrading and disrespecting them.  These clowns are like skunks. Threaten their liberal territory and they'll wildly eject their foul odor - and foul odor they have plenty to go around. They may look glamourous in their tuxedos and Vera Wang gowns at Oscar and Grammy nights or be supporters of PETA, but when it comes to their brand of comedy, they're still skunks. If the Mahers, the Morgans and the Behars of the TV-dom cannot argue with these women point by point, topic by topic, issue by issue, without making fun of their private parts, then they should just stick to their own kind. These conservative women are simply way out of their leagues.

Mr. Maher is a confirmed bachelor and is childless, which is just as well. Imagine if he had a son and that boy had to carry the burden of having to explain his father's attitude towards women of strong character. David Letterman and Tracy Morgan do have children, though. I wonder what their kids tell their friends about their father's crude sense of humor? Do they say, "When you don't like a woman,  it is so easy how to put her in her place. Just invent the stupidest story about her then call her "slut" or "bimbo" or "MILF". Then you win. My daddy does it all the time - on national TV! My dad is so cool!"

I wonder how these jokers' spouses and partners feel as they walk on the red carpet. Are they proud to be seen hand in hand with a person whose tongue wags so repulsively?. When they do have arguments, do they end up insulting each other, calling the other person slutty names? Can you really love and respect a sexist person who makes a living out of belittling others? How about their children? How do they teach them to be responsible for their actions and words? How do they show them honesty and fair play? Or do these kids turn into little foul-mouthed bullies in the playground when they can't have their way, just like Mom and Dad? Who checks Santa's list of who's been naughty or nice? How about their mothers? They probably cringe watching their grown-up sons and daughters spout vulgarity with smirks on their faces. How did their sweet little angels turn out to be sexist attack dogs?

What would the mothers of the Mahers and the Behars do? It is time for them to summon these un-funny men and women back home and give them a refresher course on the Golden Rule before they corrupt beyond repair the uncurious minds of their audience. It is time for a good, high-pressure washing of their filthy mouths. It is time to remind them that people come in all shapes and sizes and backgrounds. Just because they are so different from you is no reason to destroy and slander them. Because for mothers watching her grown children make a fool of themselves, so oblivious to their own defects and hypocrisy,  on national TV is not funny at all.

 

Politics of Pious Pandering

                        "For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ,
                         but they're own belly; and by good words and fair speeches
                         deceive the hearts of the simple." - Roman 16:18 KJV

Herman Cain said that his fellow Republican presidential candidates were pandering to Christian voters when Michelle Bachmann recited a lengthy prayer and Tim Pawlenty quoted a scripture verse in their speeches during the Faith and Freedom Conference last June. Was Mr. Cain correct to say that? Yes. Were Ms. Bachmann and Mr. Pawlenty wrong to do what they did? No. The event was an appropriate mix of politics and religion and both candidates, as with Cain, are Christians. They're free to express their faith just like anybody else. These two are professional politicians and they played well to the crowd peppering their speeches with religious references.

Appealing to the voters' faiths builds an instant personal connection to the audience. People like to hear that their leaders share the same moral values and virtues with them and politicians willingly oblige in their speeches. They unabashly share stories of their altar-boy days or the afternoons spent with their children reading the Scripture, or their involvement in their local churches in helping the poor and feeding the homeless.  All true stories maybe, and they do give that feel-good, righteous- and morally-upright aura to the candidates stumping for votes.

As varied as the religious groups in our country, so are the ways that politicians have displayed their faiths, in both their private and public lives.

Americans were wary of JFK's Catholic faith, as they are today of Republican Mitt Romney being a Mormon as they ran for president of the United States. Although I am not a fan of Mr. Romney, it was admirable that he never backed away from his religion nor sought to diminish his affiliation to the group even if he knew that  it would cost him some votes.

Sarah Palin is an unapologetic Christian woman, whose opposition to abortion was put to a test when, during a prenatal screening, her son was diagnosed with Down syndrome. She chose life, consistent with her faith. She has practiced what her religion teaches yet as a public official remained conscientious to not let her moral beliefs influence how she carried out her public duties.  As governor of Alaska, when a bill that prohibits domestic partnership rights to same-sex couples came to her desk, she vetoed it. Her Republican colleagues lambasted her for it but the State Court had ruled it unconstitutional. Although homosexual marriage is against her Christian faith, she was true and firm in her oath to uphold her State Constitution. For Governor Palin, the Bible is to her personal life as the Constitution is for the State affairs.

Barack Obama was convincing back in 2008 when he insisted that he is a Christian and declared that Jesus is his Savior. He reveled the voters with stories of his attendance for 20 years at the Trinity United Church in Chicago, that his friend Pastor Jeremiah Wright officiated his and his wife's wedding and baptized his children. During the 2008 campaign, Mr. Obama was the pious and devotional Christian yet after becoming President he has been anything but. He has developed the habit of omitting the word "Creator" when  quoting the Declaration of Independence. In a speech in Indonesia, he replaced America's motto, "In God We Trust" with  "E pluribus unum". His 2010 Easter statement reached out to the Jews, Muslims, Hindus and people of no faith yet there was no mention of Jesus at all - striking especially in this all-encompassing Christian day of celebration. One can easily conclude that his omission of references to the Christian faith has been both deliberate and glaring. His spokesman at the White House insists that the President is a devoted Christian yet in his two years and a half at the White House he has golfed 75+ times while you could count in one hand the times he's attended Sunday mass. The days that he went to church, interestingly enough, coincided with the release of  polls that say a good portion of Americans still believe that he is Muslim. I take the President's words that he is a Christian and not a Muslim but he is, without a doubt, one LOUSY Christian.

Religious groups are some of the biggest voting blocks in America so pandering to them is nothing new but rare is a politician who so publicly sheds the holy cloak used during campaign stumps as soon as it was no longer politically expedient.