First there was the Lincoln-Douglas debate. Then came the Nixon-Kennedy debate. Now Fox News' Geraldo Rivera continues that great American tradition of the public debate with the Cheech and Chong-Coulter debate.
It might sound like the world's most lopsided episode of Celebrity Deathmatch, but the world's most famous pot comedy duo squared off against the famed conservative pundit on Rivera's "Geraldo at Large" show recently to discuss the opening of the country's first cannibus club in Portland, Oregon and the legalization of marijuana. Despite the craziness of the casting, they actually have a very frank, civilized and enlightening discussion on the subject.
Ann Coulter-related stories
Cheech and Chong and ... Ann Coulter?!?
Ann Coulter has the most annoying voice ever
I don't fit neatly into any one political category. There are things I like about the Republican party and things I like about the Democratic party. I watch Fox News and CNN equally, and there are talking heads on both networks that I like and don't like. I will say this, though: Ann Coulter has one of the most annoying voices on TV right now. It's hard to listen to what she's saying, because her whiny voice is so distracting. Sometimes when I'm just listening to her but not watching her, I almost expect to look over at the TV and see a cartoon character droning on about ... whatever.
I don't watch Saturday Night Live regularly, but surely someone must have spoofed her by now. With her nasal voice, hair fixation, and political opinions, she's like a skit waiting to happen.
Aside from their political views, what other commentators just bug the heck out of you? (Yes, I realize I'm going to be in the eye of the storm here; keep it as clean as possible!)
Shows You Should Be Watching: Red Eye
There used to be a lot of TV shows on overnight that were worth watching. I don't mean repeats of sitcoms or dramas that usually air earlier, but original programming geared towards the night owl. There aren't many shows like that anymore, but there's one on Fox News (yes, Fox News) at 3 AM and it's well worth catching (if you're worried about staying up that late, well, that's why God put DVRs on this Earth).
If I had to describe Red Eye it would be like this: it's a mix of Politically Incorrect and The McLaughlin Group, only for people who are up late at night drinking or eating too much junk food, with a host who comes at things from a conservative viewpoint but it's not really a political show. They go more for the jokes than they stress any ideology, and it's actually really funny. Like The Daily Show or The Colbert Report, it can't be easy to write a show that's on every single night, but host Greg Gutfeld pulls it off.
Continue reading Shows You Should Be Watching: Red Eye
Bill Maher is the new Susan Lucci
All this talk of Emmy snubs has overshadowed the biggest snub, numerically speaking: Real Time host and professional Ann Coulter wrangler Bill Maher. The man has been nominated a staggering 21 times for his late night talk shows and stand-up comedy specials and never won a single award, as many as soap star Suan Lucci's 21 (although she finally did snag one).
That number will probably keep growing since his show faces some stiff competition for a little gold statue. And despite my (and your) personal approvals and disagreements with the man's various opinions and philosophies, it's time he got something for his work.
Oh boy, I can already hear the fast and furious fingers of fury from the peanut gallery typing out angry, fiery, spittle flinging comments as I write this. Before you take up the torches and the pitchforks, hear me out.
Continue reading Bill Maher is the new Susan Lucci
Behind the scenes with Bill, Katie, Ann, and Chris - VIDEO
I like these "Found Objects" videos that Harry Shearer has at My Damn Channel, even if I'm not surprised by what news people do behind the scenes and during commercial breaks. They fuss with their hair and clothes, they argue with staff, they rehearse segments. All the stuff you'd expect to find on videos like this. Of course, that's not to say that there's something mesmerizing about watching Ann Coulter chew Nicorette Gum.
That's one of the many things you'll see in this variety video after the jump. Coulter is waiting to be interviewed on one of the cable networks. You also see Bill O'Reilly looking into a mirror and sighing heavily because "Dave"couldn't get something right in the studio, Chris Matthews talking about a guest that's coming up, and more shots of Katie Couric and her clothes. There's also some footage from a woman I recognize but who's name escapes me at the moment (maybe from The Early Show?), but she urges us to remember that " 'synonymous' is not a good morning show word."
Continue reading Behind the scenes with Bill, Katie, Ann, and Chris - VIDEO
FOX News' version of Daily Show fails to impress
Radar Online just posted a really brief review of The Half-Hour News Hour, FOX News' The Daily Show-esque comedy program. As most of us expected, the future of this program does not look good. It has been described as a show combining "the timeliness of Newsweek with the incisive wit of Mallard Fillmore". Whoa. Come on, Radar, that was below the belt. Nobody deserves to be compared to Mallard Fillmore. Although, I suppose The Half-Hour News Hour was kind of asking for a beating by even daring to even entertain the notion of a Limbaugh/Coulter White House.
Adam Carolla vs Ann Coulter
Did any of our readers happen to catch this exchange (link to an MP3 file) between Adam Carolla and Ann Coulter on Carolla's radio show the other day? If we thought Ann Coulter was vicious, she may have met her match with Adam Carolla, who started their conversation by gently razing her for calling in an hour and a half late, and then hanging up on her after she tells him she's tight on time. He then tells his crew and the listening audience he "doesn't have time for bitches." Therein lies the difference between Adam Carolla and myself, because I always have time for bitches. According to The Great Society, Carolla offered an apology to Coulter the next day that really wasn't much of an apology. I don't have an audio link for that one, though.
Previously on TV Squad
In case you've missed it -- perhaps you were busy trying to find a Father's Day gift -- here are some highlights from the last week at TV Squad:
Breaking News
Opinions
Breaking News
- Sandra Bernhard sparks catfight on The View.
- Someone organized all the Lost theories.
- Dan Rather set to leave CBS.
- Is he going to work for Mark Cuban's HDNet?
- Anderson Cooper gets first post-baby interview with Jolie.
- Ad sales pay back Katie Couric's salary.
- President Bush signs law increasing indecency fines.
- Billie Piper quits Doctor Who.
- Robert Donner dies at 75.
- Suspect in Josh Holloway's robbery case is arrested.
- Bob Woodruff visits ABC newsroom.
- McKellan and Gervais to share on-screen kiss.
- Jason Bateman and his wife expecting first child.
- Lisa Kudrow signs development deal with NBC.
- CBS says complaints about Without A Trace are not from viewers.
- A&E airs the Rock Paper Scissors Championships.
- Firefly's Baccarin joins Stargate SG-1.
- Jerry Lewis has a mild heart attack.
- Maury and Connie are gone from MSNBC.
- The NY Times reports on the line to get into The Price is Right.
- John Cleese to retire from sitcoms.
- Dan Abrams named head of MSNBC.
- I talk to Billy West about Futurama, Ren & Stimpy and Howard Stern.
- So... what are you watching on Father's Day?
- Is that Mac from Night Court asking, "Who's agitiating my dots?"
- Are Idol fans old enough to buy the cars Taylor Hicks is selling?
- The Cinglular umbrella girl was a guest on 24.
- 355 readers tell Dustin Diamond where he can stick his t-shirts.
Opinions
- Bob details the many ways that Letterman is better than Leno.
- Mike chimes in on the Carlin-Coulter non-event on Tonight.
- Anna wonders about Folgers' potency after seeing ad.
- She also extolls the virtues of Comcast On-Demand... Karaoke.
- Adam's schocked at seeing drowned kittens on a Tom & Jerry cartoon.
- Bob wishes more TV characters would say goodbye on the phone.
- Annie hates when TPiR bidders one-up other people's bids.
- The X-Files: "Squeeze"
- NewsRadio: "Inappropriate"
- Firefly: "Bushwacked"
- Strangers with Candy: "Dreams on the Rocks"
- Sports Night: "The Hungry and the Hunted"
- The Simpsons: "Another Simpsons Clip Show"
- Seinfeld: "The Pen"
- The Prisoner: "Dance of the Dead"
- The Office (BBC): Episode 3
- Angel: "Lonely Hearts"
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer: "Witch"
- NYPD Blue: "Brown Appetit"
- Futurama: "The Series Has Landed"
- Game Show Marathon: Card Sharks
- Rescue Me: "Torture"
- Last Comic Standing: The final seven finalists are chosen
- The 4400: "The New World"
- Hell's Kitchen: Episodes 1 and 2
- Saved: "A Day in the Life"
- The Closer: "Blue Blood"
- Huff: "Tapping the Squid"
- Deadwood: "Tell Your God to Ready for Blood"
- Entourage: "Aquamom"
Carlin-Coulter showdown was a whole bunch of nothing
Well, that wasn't worth it. Anyone who tuned in to The Tonight Show last night to see a throwdown between conservative loudmouth Ann Coulter and liberal funnyman George Carlin was sorely disappointed (My colleague Mike was more than disappointed; see his thoughts here). Carlin largely kept quiet during Coulter's appearance, only cracking a joke that she's the only person that's made him "move to the right" (on the couch, that is) right after she came out. In fact, his reception of her was quite warm; I have my theories on that, like Carlin appreciated her "performance" (and, really folks, that's what it is, despite how pissed you may get at her inflammatory remarks). In fact, Jay Leno was the one to try to call out Coulter on her caustic remarks on the "Jersey girls", the WTC widows who forced the creation of the 9/11 commission. He asked her why she had to use such extreme language when her point -- that Democrats trot out victims to keep people from arguing or objecting to their views -- would have been more effective if spoken rationally. Coulter just gave her canned remarks about liberals and Leno backed down. But at least I give him credit for asking. Too bad Carlin just decided to sit there. He must be getting soft in his old age.
[You can see some video of Coulter's entrance here, at least for today.]
The Tonight Show: No fireworks between George Carlin and Ann Coulter
I haven't watched The Tonight Show in a while. I much prefer David Letterman to Jay Leno anyway, but I find it a greater struggle to stay up past 11:35 PM to watch late night television. However, I wanted to watch The Tonight Show last night because both George Carlin, one of my favorite comedians, and Ann Coulter, who has been gathering much attention lately for her caustic commentary on the 9/11 widows, were going to be on the show. I thought there would be some major fireworks between Carlin and Coulter and would make for terrific television. I thought wrong.
Continue reading The Tonight Show: No fireworks between George Carlin and Ann Coulter
Henry Rollins writes letter to Ann Coulter
Well, he didn't really write a letter Ann Coulter, but he does in this funny clip. Fair warning, the clip contains some bad language, and is probably NSFW, unless you have headphones on. It's pretty amusing, though I'll be the first to say that these two have at least one thing in common, which is that I don't really care about either of their political beliefs. Nevertheless, Rollins' "love letter" did have me cracking up at least a couple times, especially the part about memorizing every line of Caddyshack. I also think that should be required of all my romantic conquests. It seems like a perfectly legitimate request.Carlin and Coulter to mix it up on Wednesday's Tonight Show
Either the talent bookers at The Tonight Show are really stupid or they're geniuses. Either of those extremes are the only ways to explain Wednesday's roster of guests: George Carlin, a comic legend who has been doing caustic observational and issues-oreinted comedy, most of it left-leaning, for over forty years, and Ann Coulter, a conservative pundit with a flair for the inflammatory statement. Carlin will be promoting his work in the new Pixar flick Cars; Coulter will be promoting her new book.Recall that just a few days ago Coulter stated that the World Trade Center widows that pushed for the creation of the 9/11 commission were reveling in their fame, and they're enjoying their husbands' deaths. And Carlin has been spending the last ten years or so telling his comedy audiences that the government is corrupt, religions are idiotic, and that the human race is going to kill itself off (yeah, this hasn't exactly been his funniest period, though I still think he is one of the best stand-up comics ever). So let's just say that the two don't see eye-to-eye on anything. At all.
And the paneling format of The Tonight Show is a perfect environment for some explosive arguments between the two. It's too bad that Jay Leno is the host; he'll probably put a stop to things at the first airing of the word "bitch".
TV Squad Ten: Top Ten ESPN shows from worst to first
Andy Richter: The TV Squad Interview
Have any questions for Vik Sahay of Chuck? Ask them here!
