'Religuous:' Equal opportunity irreverence no matter what michael medved says...

God... the giant who lives in the sky that people turn to when they are about to die. - Homer Simpson

Spurred on by Michael Medved (KTTH m-f, 12-3p) we rushed to our nearest strip mall and attended "Religuous," Bill Maher's very funny world tour of religion and faith.

Maher, whose mother (you'll meet her) was a Jew who let her kids be raised Catholic, takes the audience with whimsy and scathing through a sideshow tent of religious zealots, charlatans, simple devotees, and the truly cracked.

There's the Wailing Wall, The Temple Mount, a church in a trailer, ultra-rabbinical Holocaust denying rabbi; an ex-Jew for Jesus, an ex-gay evangelist, some ex-Mormons; The Creation Museum; and a healer who claims to be the second coming of Christ. Maher has a long discussion with a sweet, but slightly foggy Christian who plays Jesus Christ at a Christian theme park and likes to be recognized as "Him" when he goes out to dinner; there are Hare Krishnas (Harvey Kirschners); a spinning Christian in the U.S. Senate; and Pentecostals speaking in tongues (muglolalah rahoolglugollah to you, Sarah Palin). Maher and crew are expelled from the Salt Lake City Mormon headquarters AND The Vatican.

He confronts about every religion except the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and The Church of the SubGenius.

Religionists who don't question their religion or have the ability to laugh at the plainly obvious foibles of faith will be offended, despite there's passionate and appealing defenses of their most indefensible, and unattractive beliefs.

Ordinarily, we wouldn't care enough to mention this on BlatherWatch, but we heard Michael Medved review it on the radio Friday, and wanted to correct the self-described Wizard of Politics and Pop Culture. (We always like to trash Michael on the Sabbath -- he can't defend himself. There is, btw, a funny piece with a guy who invents and sells gadgets that loophole and go around the strictures of the Sabbath so religious Jews like Michael could be less inconvenienced byt heir practices.)

Medved gave the movie a fair review, but claimed Maher gave Islam a pass, and suggested that it's just another screed bashing Christians and Jews and makes them once again the victims of liberal culture. Michael, as an observant Jew, and neoconservative unapologetically has a crush on Judeo-Christianity, but his conservative, anti-Hollywood agenda shows vividly, as always.

Maher devotes plenty of time arguing with Islamic fundamentalist "intellectuals" and even a Muslim clergyman in Amsterdam and elsewhere. They're sophisticated Europeans, and in total denial of the violent precepts, and background of their faith. It's a religion of peace they say, even when confronted with the obvious excesses of their growing fundamentalist sects. It's quite eye-opening, but display the same blind orthodoxy Maher encounters throughout the trans-rational religious world he explores.

Maher confronts the Moslems at length, shows clips of the Salmon Rushdie riots; the 9-11 attack; the bloody, worldwide anti-Danish cartoon demonstrations; he argues with a be-headscarfed believer at the spot where the brave Dutch film-maker Theo Van Gogh was brutally assassinated by an Islamic fanatic.

(Maher's anti-Islamic questioning could no doubt earn him the honor of a death fatwa ala Rushdie, which would surely ensure the financial success of this film).

Fundamentalism is the problem, and being a fundamentalist, albeit not personally violent (we're pretty sure) Medved couldn't help but make Maher sound like he's singling out Judeo-Christianity in a film that provocatively shits on all your religious hats.

It's a American conservative meme. Here's what Medved's co-Salem talker Mike Gallagher (KKOL m-f, 6-9a) wrote about Maher: "Bill Maher loves bullying people of faith. But if he was really as tough as he wants people to think he is, he’d mock and ridicule the prophet Mohammed. It would be fascinating to watch what would happen to Bill Maher’s career if he attacked Muslims, Jews or blacks the way he bashes Christians. " In the right-wing Catholic site where this quote appears, its interesting to note they included this picture of Maher doctored with a swastika and a "Jew nose."

Religulous,(the words 'religious' and 'ridiculous' combined) is funny, well edited, and full of stunning footage.

Bill Maher, who's not always lovable, resists the temptation of anti-religious zealotry and develops rapport with the religionists he confronts. Along with the audience, they seems to like him, and the discussions end well, though nobody is shaken from its position.

(It opened the same weekend as did David Zucker's, "An American Carol," a comedy with a conservative message and a cameo by Billo Reilly. Critics, besides such as Medved and conservative blogger Ben Johnson, of FrontPageMag weren't allowed to see it before it opened. Zucker, creator of Airplane!  the Naked Gun movies, and Police Squad! is known for fart jokes, one-liners about boobs, and officious people falling down. Medved (who likes toilet humor) recommended it with the caveats that it was tasteless, too profane for kids, and might not be for those who dislike slapstick, and sight gags with gooey materials).

Comments

[joanie]

Maher is extremely smart and knows that to leave out Islam would eliminate all just review of the film.

And I agree, he's no suck up. He's himself: smart, confident, courageous, self-defined, secure and honest. I like him a lot.

Oh, and he's funny, too.

[joanie]

When a caller said today that this bail out was just going to put money into the hands of the rich when it should go to keeping people in their homes, Bob Brinker responded, "I agree with every word you said."

Brinker is also an honest man.

[KS]

Christian Socialism - the new hybrid religion of the left. Never thought of Maher as being funny, but instead quite cynical and of course nuanced- as all lefties like to say they are. This movie that appeals to the left is competing with "American Carol" by David Zucker - creator of Scary Movie, Airplanes and other good comedy spoofs.

Bob Brinker is honest and worth the listen as is Clark Howard - too bad he is only on 3 hours/week. Clark and Bob gave similar takes on the $700 B Rescue/bail out bill that Bush signed yesterday.

[joanie]

KS, it sounds as if we agree on something here...on what did Bob and Clark agree?

[Tommy008]

I agree with Mark Levin in my dislike of Maher. I believe Levin calls him a little troll I have no use for a smirking little smartass who thinks he's oh sosperior to religious folks. Maher is an annoying twerp. I'm concerned about religion only when it becomes a cult and worms it's way into places where it shouldn't be, like George Bush'es bornagain White House and adinistraton. By contrast Palin seems to keep her religion private and separate, with a healthy separation,, and has not brought it with her to Juneau.

[joanie]

check out Maher for yourself here and get a free "man straightening" from Sarah.

My gift to the men on this blog. :)

[joanie]

one more"

This one disses the left as well. I laughed myself at number 2...

[nevets]

Hey Joanie, now why didn't you call Maher a racist for that tasteless joke about McCain complaining his wallet is missing after shaking Husseins hand before the next debate. Stereotyping at its best if you ask me. If Rush or Hannity had said that, you Libs would be all over the airwaves demanding they be taken off the air. Does Maher have special black joke immunity because he is a Liberal? Why do you give him a pass on this behavior?

[sparky]

Steven, do you really not get that he was making fun of McCain, not Obama?

[Coiler]

Yes, Maher was only revealing what most people including those in McCain's home state know about Cracker McCain and his love for black people

1983: McCain Voted Against Creating Martin Luther King Holiday. McCain voted against the Hall (D-IN) motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill to designate the third Monday of every January as a federal holiday in honor of the late civil rights leader the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. [Vote 289, HR 3706, Motion agreed to 89-77, D 249-13, 8/2/83; CQ 1983]

McCain Endorsed George Wallace Jr., Called Him A "Committed Conservative Reformer," Despite Speeches to Hate Group. In November 2005, McCain visited three Alabama cities to endorse George Wallace Jr. for lieutenant governor. McCain said, "I'm proud to offer my support to this committed conservative reformer. George will bring great leadership and integrity to the lieutenant governor's office." [Associated Press, 11/17/05] Wallace had spoken on numerous occasions to the Council of Conservative Citizens, a white supremacist hate group. The Council of Conservative Citizens says it opposes interracial marriage, massive immigration of non-European and non-Western peoples, hate crime legislation, and multicultural and "Afrocentric" curricula in schools.

[mark]

levin can bite it. he reminds me of a twerp I used to skate with at pickup hockey; guy was alway yellin' for the puck - but never looked where he was going and several times had his dick knocked loose.

[sparky]

uh...what...did it go skidding across the ice??????

[KS]

I would recommend "American Carol" - it pokes fun and mocks Michael Moore and the left as few movies have succeeded to do. The theatre I saw it at tonight was about 2/3 full.

I used to think Letterman was funny, not so much any more, as he too like Maher has become increasingly cynical and partisan left. Jay Leno is the King ! and Conan and Craig Ferguson are good as well.

Re: Bob Brinker & Clark Howard - they both were not very excited about the bailout. It was a necessary evil to keep the market from tanking and needed to stop the bleeding, but it will be a slow recovery and don't think we are out of the jungle yet.

[joanie]

Not very excited? What does that mean?

That's not what Brinker agreed to. He agreed that the people who needed help weren't getting it.

So if a comedienne tells a political joke against the right, he isn't funny anymore?

That's why you guys have no comic stars on TV or successful satirical programs like Jon Stewart.

For those of you who wish to be really informed about this bailout, watch this video. It also tells the true story behind the current lies on the right that Carter's Community Reinvestment Act started this mess.

Also, I learned that Goldman Sachs - Petersen's previous employer - owed the AIG $20 million and that sounds to me like a conflict of interest.

This is 50 minutes but so worth watching if you really want to understand this bailout and why it isn't the right answer. The watching is so interesting that it goes fast.

"Market Meltdown, The Economy and the Election"

This is what Brinker and Howard think as well, KS.

The questions at the end are worth hearing so don't stop watching just because you don't like someone or something.

[Duffman]

You're preaching to the choir...yet again.

[Duffman]

As I said a few moons ago it's likely that Somewhere In A Far-Away Cave in the Pakistani mountains a tall bearded one may be chuckling right about now.

[joanie]

Do they think you're a troll over at Un-SP as well, duff?

[KS]

Joan,
I was capsulizing about what I gathered that Brinker and Howard said, so it wasn't meant to be analyzed with a magnifying glass. Today, Brinker also said that Congress was basically bailing themselves out last week, which was a bizzare occurrence and that there was more than enough blame to go around on both sides of the aisle. I will be reading more about this on bobbrinker.com. Are you sure you aren't trying to politicize this issue ?

"So if a comedienne tells a political joke against the right, he isn't funny anymore?"

How about a comedian ? There you go again, being simplistic. A political joke against the right is fine as long as it is is not a veiled personal attack. The same obviously goes for political jokes against the left. Both Letterman and Maher have told some jokes or spoofed conservatives in tasteless ways. Other jokes they have told about the right by them are fair game and have been mildly funny to funny. Leno is an example of someone who tells jokes that aren't veiled personal attacks. That's one big reason why Leno's ratings are higher than Letterman's.

[sparky]

You missed us, didnt you, KS?

[SeattleJew]

Religious is funny but Meved is correct.

Maher does include Islam, but he excludes all the non Abrahamic faiths .. whether that is neo-Wicca, Buddhism, Shinto, or VooDoo.

The result to me is a funny but personal view of a moderately bright guy who buids his comedy and his persona on a pronloged oedipal rebellion against his Dad.

The funniest part of the movie, by a day later, was the imagery ... Maher's head was often distorted and blow up by use of wide angle lens close to his nose. In contrast his foils are shown with a normal or longer focal lengeth .Mom, was always shown from a norm distanc.

[nevets]

Making fun of McCain at the expense of every black person in America. Yeah I get it Sparky. Is it right. He reaches a large audience and now with that tasteless joke everyone will be thinking all blacks are thieves who will steal from you in a second. Wasn't that what happened to Imus. Wasn't that what Sharpton was saying after his remarks. Where is the outrage.

[joanie]

Where is the outrage.

In a heap along with all those anti-Hillary cartoons and tasteless jokes and skidding alongside all those tasteless Obama pics and jokes in the blogosphere.

[sparky]

No Steven...it was at the expense of McCain. That is the part you don't get. It was making fun of McCain's generation of white men and their not-so-well-hidden-at-times racism. Those old rich guys who think black men are just fine to shine their shoes and bring them a drink, but would never dream of letting them date their daughter or join their clubs.

[nevets]

No Sparky, nice try to cover it up. Now explain why Maher apologised after the remark. He said "That was wrong". He knew he made a mistake, but he also knew he had immunity from the Hussein Campaign.

[Hidden]

Hey Nevets, you were dropped on your head as a kid, weren't ya?

[nevets]

Thanks for the laugh Hidden.

[nevets]

(CBS) "In a sign that the race for president has returned to about where it was before the first presidential debate, the Obama-Biden ticket leads the McCain-Palin ticket 47 percent to 43 percent among registered voters in a new CBS News poll."

"The Obama-Biden ticket led by a wider margin, nine percentage points, in a CBS News poll released last Wednesday, before Joe Biden and Sarah Palin faced off in the vice presidential debate. Obama-Biden led by five percentage points on Sept. 25."

"In the new poll, the Democratic ticket leads by 3 percentage points, 48 percent to 45 percent, among likely voters."

Wait a minute, didn't Sparky say That the undecideds moved in the direction of Hussein afgter the first two debates. By these numbers it looks like it is McCain who is benefiting the most.