Because all Arabs are terrorists, right?

March 1, 2005 5:54 AM

Ann Coulter Runs Her Mouth, Universal Press Syndicate Shoves an Eraser in It - It would appear that Ann Coulter's love of all people non-white reared its blonde, anorexic head again in her February 23rd column, with a racial remark about columnist Helen Thomas. However, because of some editing on Universal Press Syndicate's part, you wouldn't know it. Maybe Annie's just upset that Ms Thomas isn't a fan of her boy Dubya.

Found via the ever-entertaining Wonkette.
posted by Mikey-San (67 comments total)

Hopefully this is "goodbye Ann". What a stupid idiot she is.
posted by tapeguy at 6:07 AM on March 1, 2005

Ann Coulter deserves.. deserves.. deserves to be totally and completely ignored (hate being a pacifist sometimes)..
posted by zenzizi at 6:08 AM on March 1, 2005

I mean, we all know she's an idiot hack right? So why do we even pay attention?
posted by dig_duggler at 6:08 AM on March 1, 2005

Hopefully this is "goodbye Ann".

Wishful thinking. Ann is not going away any time soon.

She's a troll ... she just writes it out for a newspaper, instead of posting it on someplace like Metafilter. She gets attention, and if her current boss eventually ditches her because they can't stand the heat, there are a thousand more who will gladly suffer.
posted by crunchland at 6:12 AM on March 1, 2005

She's been getting smacked down on tv more often, deservedly, so there's hope--the canada-vietnam thing, and recently on Hannity and Colmes

She's not fit to wipe Thomas' ass, btw--at least Thomas has been a real journalist for decades (unlike Coulter), who never called for an attack on the NYT bldg nor wants journalists killed along with liberals.
posted by amberglow at 6:20 AM on March 1, 2005

please stop posting stuff about Ann Coulter, she's bad, but posting stuff about her here every time she says something stupid is barely best of the web.
posted by johnny novak at 6:23 AM on March 1, 2005

If Thomas were a real reporter she would have asked a real question and been kicked out of the white house press pool by now.
posted by srboisvert at 6:28 AM on March 1, 2005

The post wasn't so much about Ann herself as her syndicate editing the stupidity that came out of her pen/mouth. Usually, her rants cultivate ratings. This time, one of her rants got stepped on. Not even UPS wanted to risk the hate mail over this one, apparently.

Coulter isn't the best of anything, unless you count "scary-looking loudmouths".
posted by Mikey-San at 6:29 AM on March 1, 2005

I'm not having a go at you Mikey, it's more a general plea...

We get a lot of Coulter posts and they all end up in the same place, no matter what.
posted by johnny novak at 6:42 AM on March 1, 2005

I can see wanting to ignore Ann Coulter, but this is still a very good post.

Don't ignore the three links to Helen Thomas, who is a terrific foil to Ann. Helen Thomas also has strong views, but she is educated and judicious in her writings, even if you don't agree with her.

"I censored myself for 50 years when I was a reporter," said Thomas, who is now a columnist for Hearst News Service. "Now I wake up and ask myself, 'Who do I hate today?'" Her short list of answers seems not to vary from war, President Bush, timid office-holders, a muffled press and cowed citizens, pretty much in that order.

Angered by what she views as the Bush administration's "bullying drumbeat," Thomas referred early and often to her own hatred of war, quoting from poets and politicians to bear down on President Bush and his colleagues.

What I find funny is that Coulter's editors only edit for obvious racial slurs, but not for basic errors and distortions. This is the lowest form of editing. I think we deserve to see Ann in all her true colors.

She will go too far, be it with cigarettes and Chardonnay, or with vitriol and bile.
posted by gesamtkunstwerk at 6:44 AM on March 1, 2005

Pfft. Ann Coulter is a Kaufman-esque satire of neocons... just like Tony Orlando was a satire of lounge singers.
posted by clevershark at 6:50 AM on March 1, 2005

...just like Tony Orlando was a satire of lounge singers.

Do you mean Tony Clifton? Tony Orlando was the horrifying reality of lounge singers in my book.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 6:58 AM on March 1, 2005

So why do we even pay attention?

because she sells an awful lot of books. she is an influential commentator, and one of the very few prominent American right-wingers to speak their minds without being diplomatic (Trent Lott did once and look what happened).

Coulter says what the American right wants to hear, unfiltered by good manners or tactical thinking. just like the guy who wrote in the National Review "Abu Ghraib? Good, kick one for me too". she is the outspoken queen of the cesspool of hate of the American Right

when nonUSians wonder why Bush is still President and Gonzalez is AG, Coulter is my goto example -- they're there because Americans buy her books and she gets to write in newspapers and talk on TV

had Coulter said "that old Jew Helen Thomas" she had been fired and would be now disgraced & ruined, and rightly so. rightly so. but sadly Arabs and Muslims are fair game -- this will only make Coulter dittoheads love her even more: she says what they'd like to say if they went on TV.

anybody willing to say "just ignore her", well, look at her book sales. she isn't publishing 25 copies of a booklet out of her home PC printer, she is selling hundreds of thousands of copies

O'REILLY: Kill the music. I got one more for Ann, here. You realize that some people don't listen to you because they think you're an extremist. You realize that?

COULTER: Not according to my book sales but go ahead.

O'REILLY: You sell to a niche. You do.

COULTER: A pretty big niche.

O'REILLY: Well answer my question. Here's my question. Wouldn't it behoove you -- to be heard by more people if you weren't as strident?

COULTER: I don't think I am strident. I think I speak the truth and people are attracted to that, and judging by my book sales versus those who are less strident, I think I'm doing pretty well.

posted by matteo at 7:04 AM on March 1, 2005

I for one, am pleased that my Phoenician ancestors guarantee that I will *never* be on the same side of the fence as Ms. Coulter and the rest of the frothing lunatics.

And Tony Orlando...as in "and Dawn"? Was that satire? I was pretty young, I always thought he was epitomy of lounge singers. ;)
posted by dejah420 at 7:05 AM on March 1, 2005

Idiot opens mouth. Idiocy emerges.

So, to Mrs. Coulter: In the name of Tony Orlando, I'm knocking twice on the pipe, since my answer is no.
posted by jonmc at 7:05 AM on March 1, 2005

the first time i heard Ann Coulter , and saw ppl giving her credence, i was shocked.

now i know that the press will interview Coulter the way a homeless man might talk to a stump.

is it crazy? a little sad ?

not worthy of any one's time ? true.
posted by nola at 7:12 AM on March 1, 2005

I for one, am pleased that my Phoenician ancestors guarantee that I will *never* be on the same side of the fence as Ms. Coulter and the rest of the frothing lunatics.
?
posted by Sangermaine at 7:15 AM on March 1, 2005

Guckert/Gannon was a better reporter than The New York Times' Maureen Dowd and his "only offense is that he may be gay."

That's just hysterical. A reporter fluffing the Prez under a false name, essentially re-broadcasts whitehouse press materials, and runs a porn-site in the internet.

He'd be a cool guy... 'cept he's caught a case of the GAY!
posted by zekinskia at 7:15 AM on March 1, 2005

My parents are pretty devout Republicans, and picked up and glanced at her How To Talk To A Liberal book in a Border's we were at. After the amusement subsided, I tried to explain that this woman was, in fact, a woman who said we should kill the leaders of non-Christian countries and convert their people.

My parents refuse to believe anything bad about the GOP (they don't believe Bush has a PR team), so they sort of shook their heads at my while my mother began reading, aloud, the inside of the book jacket.

"See? She mentions that right here. 'People often ask if I still believe we should kill the leaders of these countries and convert the people to Christianity. I answer them: Now.....um....more than ever.'" Then, everybody was very quiet, and we set the book back. I hope more people can see the true side of this woman, no matter what their political leanings are.

Sanger, I think he was implying that, since he's of the "enemy" descent, he's on the side of Thomas and not Coulter. I'm jealous.
posted by dougunderscorenelso at 7:18 AM on March 1, 2005

FYI, there's still a thorough discussion of the Gannon issue going on here.
posted by tizzie at 7:21 AM on March 1, 2005

anybody willing to say "just ignore her",

Well, even by right-wing standards, she's not a cogent thinker or even a good propogandist. The only thing Ann Coulter is good at is pissing liberals off. If she stopped being good at that, she'd shrivel up and blow away, because she'd be of no use. And there's only one way that can happen. But I think we like getting indignant too much.

I think he was implying that, since he's of the "enemy" descent, he's on the side of Thomas and not Coulter. I'm jealous.

My sisters married to a Lebanese guy, which makes my baby neice part-Arab as well*. Does that make me an enemy-in-law or something? Huh.

*Yes, part lebanese, part irish. this kid is gonna be great at blowing shit up.
posted by jonmc at 7:22 AM on March 1, 2005

Do you mean Tony Clifton? Tony Orlando was the horrifying reality of lounge singers in my book.

Oops... you're absolutely right :-) It's too damn early...
posted by clevershark at 7:30 AM on March 1, 2005

Actually, I recently discovered a very early track of Orlando's from like 1963 or so, I listened, figuring that you never know where you're going to find something good. But he sucked even way back then.

For a truly great lounge singer, here's your boy
posted by jonmc at 7:35 AM on March 1, 2005

nice shot of Ann here.
posted by indices at 7:36 AM on March 1, 2005

Ann probably isn't aware that 40% of Lebanon's citizens are already Christian. I wonder if she even realizes that Arab Muslim?
posted by Cassford at 7:46 AM on March 1, 2005

So why do we even pay attention?

because she sells an awful lot of books.

So, we pay attention to her because we pay attention to her.
posted by casu marzu at 7:48 AM on March 1, 2005

I wonder if she even realizes that Arab != Muslim?

Come now, a good neocon never lets facts get in the way of a rash, superficial value judgement.
posted by clevershark at 7:51 AM on March 1, 2005

Just watch very closely, all you little trolls out there-- and I know we have dozens waiting in the wings-- because Ann Coulter has shown us all that, if you troll loud enough and often enough, you can make a lot of money.
posted by koeselitz at 8:02 AM on March 1, 2005

The funny thing about using booksales as a measure is that it doesn't take much to end up on a best seller list, and once you're there you share the space with diet books, pop science, and self improvement texts.
posted by drezdn at 8:02 AM on March 1, 2005

She's PETA for the neocons - she pulls extravagant, dumb crap in order to attract attention. Just let her prattle on.

As for her book sales, well, any time you can self-purchase your way to a higher bracket, or use your books as premiums to right-leaning supporters or organizations, I can't exactly use that as a measurement of success. Yep, other folks do the same thing - they're just not claiming that the resulting figures somehow supply a mandate for spewing racist crap.
posted by FormlessOne at 8:26 AM on March 1, 2005

Tomorrow she'll say something even more outrageous, and someone will post it on mefi claiming she's done, guaranteeing she's not.

love of all people non-white reared its blonde, anorexic head again in her February 23rd column

Blonde? Anorexic? Seems you two may have gone to the same school of journalism.
posted by justgary at 8:59 AM on March 1, 2005

Tomorrow she'll say something even more outrageous, and someone will post it on mefi claiming she's done, guaranteeing she's not.

She does blur the difference between fame and infamy, does she not...
posted by clevershark at 9:17 AM on March 1, 2005

She's PETA for the neocons - she pulls extravagant, dumb crap in order to attract attention. Just let her prattle on.

I thought that right-wingers hated the concept of performance art.

That said, the next time the head of PETA becomes a regular guest on H&C or Hardball, let me know. Ann is mainstream conservative by nature of her media exposure.

They said, "Rush was just an entertainer," as well, and then Bush called him one of America's national treasures.
posted by deanc at 9:32 AM on March 1, 2005

Have Americans on the left (and centre...I assume some of them are offended too) given up on the idea of vocal boycotting of organizations (such as ANYTHING associated with whatshername)?
posted by foodeater at 9:42 AM on March 1, 2005

I thought that right-wingers hated the concept of performance art.

They do... the same way they hate deficits, which is to say that they hate those things when non-right-wingers are doing them.
posted by clevershark at 9:46 AM on March 1, 2005

Just watch very closely, all you little trolls out there-- and I know we have dozens waiting in the wings-- because Ann Coulter has shown us all that, if you troll loud enough and often enough, you can make a lot of money.

That's exactly right, koeselitz. People adopt outrageous stances in order to attract attention. But it's kind of a disease. US media has turned into a geek-show, and I think Americans are now over-whelmed.

I don't even know if Colter believes her own bile, I suspect she knows on some level she's just a troll. The only way to deal with people like this is to calmly point out their excesses, their lies, bait them into showing their true colors, and hope that USians will grow up. I'm not holding my breath.
posted by gesamtkunstwerk at 9:50 AM on March 1, 2005

If we're lucky, maybe Ann's journalism career will disintegrate, and she'll be forced to make a living in the pr0n industry!
posted by titboy at 10:01 AM on March 1, 2005

Has it ever occurred to anyone else, in the dark of night when you can't believe the direction that the country is going, that this might be an elaborate social experiment? That Coulter is actually a well-spoken, intelligent woman who is actually doing this to illustrate some of the characteristics of mob mentality or hyper-punditry? That, somehow, this will have a Brady Bunch third-act wrap up where we all have learned our lesson about the dangers of hate and undermining the Constitution and letting crazy people on the radio do our thinking for us?

Anyone? Anyone?
posted by LittleMissCranky at 10:33 AM on March 1, 2005

Honestly, I don't know why any democrat would do anything but embrace Coulter. For years and years, democrats mired their party in pointless allegations about how republicans would "steal the food from your babys' mouths" or "raid your social security"..ack, ack, ack. It always came off as yet another ridiculous statement from people that just had no policy to stand on.

But here is Coulter and she is the embodiment of this very technique . She is called a conservative commentator but read her articles, listen to her interviews, there is simply nothing there to suggest she is anything but someone that hates the democrats.

The democrats should do everything in their power to validate this whore on a national level. As dougunderscorenelso rightly points out, the average republican, when confronted with actual statements from Coulter, is embarrassed. It only makes sense - from a political standpoint - to elevate her level of self-importance. Give her the national stage she wants so badly and let her rant, rave and generally sound like the idiot that she is. Tie her to the republican leadership and you've got your classic, 'spoiler'.

And how about that 'liberal media' saving her ass by removing the statement? Conspiracy indeed!
posted by j.p. Hung at 10:36 AM on March 1, 2005

gesamtkunstwerk: I agree that, on some level, Coulter certainly knows she's a troll. Such people are almost invariably unhappy. Their unhappiness feeds on itself: self-loathing leads to loud attempts to prove oneself publicly lead to self-loathing. Personally, I think the best thing to do is to ignore these types. Book sales are decieving; I'm pretty well-travelled among conservative xian types, and I've never met a single person who actually liked her. I think the only people who like her are the pundits and the few denizens of that strange and frightening breed, the atheist randian conservative. If we ignore her, she will go away.

The only solution to the problems she creates is to engage people in thoughtful dialogue about their own political beliefs, to disentangle them from the thoughts of the pundits, in order to encourage them to think on their own.

And I probably shouldn't've addressed that last comment to all the trolls out there. They obviously won't see it; they only read meTa these days.
posted by koeselitz at 10:46 AM on March 1, 2005

LittleMissCranky, yeah, I've thought down that set of tracks before but I just don't buy it. She may be intentionally stoking the fires but I don't see her doing this for any higher purpose than to get her name in the paper and to piss off the "libruls".
posted by fenriq at 10:50 AM on March 1, 2005

Couldn't UPS have made a more plausible edit? I doubt like hell Coulter actually knows how to correctly use the word "dyspeptic."
posted by cirocco at 10:52 AM on March 1, 2005

You know, Coulter's not the only consevative pundit to pull out the Guckert/Thomas comparison. The only problem is, there is no comparison. So my question is, WTF? Are they serious?
posted by fungible at 10:59 AM on March 1, 2005

j.p. Hung:

Yes, Coulter could be our "Dean". Next thing you know, she could be the head of the RNC.
posted by gagglezoomer at 11:00 AM on March 1, 2005

Has it ever occurred to anyone else... that this might be an elaborate social experiment?

That concurs pretty well with my "Coulter as satire of the extreme right" theory, so yes ;-)
posted by clevershark at 11:23 AM on March 1, 2005

j.p. Hung: The Bush administration is attempting to raid Social Security right now. So . . .
posted by raysmj at 11:31 AM on March 1, 2005

Ann probably isn't aware that 40% of Lebanon's citizens are already Christian. I wonder if she even realizes that Arab Muslim?

Well, she didn't call Thomas a Muslim, did she? "Arab" isn't a slur of any kind. Is it wrong all of a sudden to call people what they are anymore?
posted by kjh at 11:35 AM on March 1, 2005

Is it just me, or isn't Coulter using "old" and "Arab" to refer to Thomas in an attempt to parody liberals (allegedly) using the fact that Gannon is gay against him?
posted by abcde at 11:44 AM on March 1, 2005

If you stare at the snow on your television long enough, you'll eventually see some shapes.
posted by sonofsamiam at 11:46 AM on March 1, 2005

Perhaps Ms. Thomas should start referring to Ms. Coulter as "that cracker bitch Ann Coulter".

I'd pay to see that memo!
posted by clevershark at 11:46 AM on March 1, 2005

kjh, why should the fact she is an Arab or old come up at all? If she isn't trying to use Arab as a slur, what is she trying to accomplish in that sentance? Since the UPS edited the sentance to use the word dyspeptic instead, they obviously thought her intention was to use the word as a slur.
posted by chunking express at 11:50 AM on March 1, 2005

It's a fact that millions of Americans are racist, amd millions of those are racist against Arabs. Many of these racists subscribe to right-wing ideology. Anne knows her audience.

She's not just a troll, or some weird abberation. She's one of the few mainstream writers who actually gives voice to the racist millions who exist in this country (of course America is by no means unique).

Racism was a key aspect to getting public support for the Iraq war, and to ignore the underlying racism in our society, and write Anne Coulter off as just a troll, just an abberation, just a weirdo is to ignore the millions that feel just like her.
posted by chaz at 12:19 PM on March 1, 2005

That, somehow, this will have a Brady Bunch third-act wrap up where we all have learned our lesson about the dangers of hate and undermining the Constitution and letting crazy people on the radio do our thinking for us?

This thought has crossed my mind numerous times when reading the words of ParisParamus and I'm not surprised to see some similarities. Anyone with any sense of fair play and accountability must cringe when they hear this individual speak, regardless of their left/right/centrist bent.
posted by juiceCake at 12:38 PM on March 1, 2005

Maybe Annie's just upset that Ms Thomas isn't a fan of her boy Dubya.
Regarding “fan” above. I saw my first live TV broadcast of Ann being interviewed, Meet the Press February 2005. A question’s topic was if she and Bush have had contact? One knowing the publicity she has generated by supporting Bush then adding her occupation may make one or more answers on the topic be a “yes.” This may also show a devotion level she has which is the reason for the comment.

The interviewer asked if she had ever met Bush? She said; “no.” She added no conversation by phone nor occupied a room during the same time frame.
So is Anne a real “fan”? -- Common, based on her employment, guessing at this question would have one think: “an easy yes” – a "no" may equal: Anne not a fan. A Republican President Stalker maybe, because no contact has ever been suggested about a possible meeting with them at the time.
posted by thomcatspike at 2:25 PM on March 1, 2005

The right loves Coulter/Limbaugh/Hannity etc. not because they say the things they stand for, but because they say the things that make them look centrist. The more outrageously radical the nutjobs act, the better it is for Bush and company who look reasonable in comparison.

Clevershark, I think you're right about "Coulter as satire". At least lefties recognize that the Daily Show is satire, I don't know if the same can be said for Coulter's audience. I don't even think she knows she's a satirist.
posted by jimmy76 at 2:36 PM on March 1, 2005

the press will interview Coulter the way a homeless man might talk to a stump.

*dies laughing*

Thanks for that, nula.
posted by jokeefe at 3:24 PM on March 1, 2005

Metafilter: Like the Homeless, Talking to Stumps
posted by Hat Maui at 5:44 PM on March 1, 2005

kjh, why should the fact she is an Arab or old come up at all? If she isn't trying to use Arab as a slur, what is she trying to accomplish in that sentence? Since the UPS edited the sentence to use the word dyspeptic instead, they obviously thought her intention was to use the word as a slur.

So then we can't say "Arab" or "black" or "jew" anymore? What the fuck? We are getting into peoples "intent" with common labels now? This is hypersensitive PC thought policing.

Calling them a "dirty" Arab or something... that would be racist. Calling somebody "Arab" by itself simply can't be a generalized slur by definition - even if you DO think "Arabs" are bad.

I notice somebody used "cracker" in the thread above. And that is definitely a racist slur. WTF double standard bullshit is that?

People have the right to be assholes and place their own mental associations to terminology... in thought.

For fuck sake people have the right to call other people what those other people self-identify as being.

Anyway, I think you should ask Helen Thomas what she wants to be called.
posted by tkchrist at 6:12 PM on March 1, 2005

Context is all, tkchrist.
posted by jokeefe at 6:28 PM on March 1, 2005

I remember when the link was posted here about the Ann Coulter talking doll that came out as a novelty item. This was many months ago. I wanted to hijack all the shipments and have someone tweak them to say "I went down on Michael Moore". If she had, it might make her even remotely interesting.
posted by PuppyCat at 6:56 PM on March 1, 2005

I notice somebody used "cracker" in the thread above. And that is definitely a racist slur. WTF double standard bullshit is that?

Try actually reading the thread instead of doing a word search and going off the handle about it...
posted by clevershark at 7:45 PM on March 1, 2005

Connecting the dots in Colter's logic, Thomas is an Arab, therefore a potential terrorist, and therefore a security risk. While Gannon who seems to have an identity problem should not be suspected just because he is gay.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 8:01 PM on March 1, 2005

tkchrist, what are you going on about? Read what i said. Obviously UPS thought she was trying to be offensive. You can call someone a jew and have it be offensive -- you want to pretend it can't happen go ahead. It's all context.
posted by chunking express at 8:34 PM on March 1, 2005

tkchrist--Just realize that you're defending a racist slur by Ann Coulter. Walk a mile in them moccasins.

And why is it freepers can't come up with better handles? Seriously, "abcde"? WTF?
posted by bardic at 7:29 AM on March 2, 2005

Have Americans on the left (and centre...I assume some of them are offended too) given up on the idea of vocal boycotting of organizations (such as ANYTHING associated with whatshername)?
We are, but have more control over products/advertising than over who gets booked on tv--most of the cable news channels she regularly appears on are viewed by only a million or so people--the Meet the Press appearance was rare. And unfortunately, boycotting one rightwing nutcase only means that ten more spring up to take her place (altho, as with Michelle Malkin, they get smacked down if too hateful or insane). If Coulter didn't give good tv (entertaining, bigmouthed, loose cannon, blonde, attractive to some people i guess), she wouldn't appear on it--there's a reason Rush never broke thru to tv from radio.

We're witnessing the end of her, and Drudge, and some others who rose up in the 90s--they're increasingly irrelevant when the administration doesn't even need them, but has the entire media cowed into repeating their lies and talking points, and is working at replacing them altogether with public relations and prostitute plants.
posted by amberglow at 7:42 AM on March 2, 2005

And that context is... Coulter is white? If Coulter was Arab would it matter?

And I ain't defending that dip stain Coulter. I'm attacking all the over sensitive wussies that cry racism every chance they get. I wan't you all to repeat after me:

"Sticks and stones may break my bones..."

You know the rest. Right?
posted by tkchrist at 9:19 AM on March 3, 2005

Follow-up story from the Detroit Free Press (Helen Thomas is from Detroit):

Coulter's comments in her Feb. 23 column have sparked concern from metro Detroit's Arab-American communities and 26 U.S. members of Congress, led by U.S. Rep. John Dingell, a Dearborn Democrat. The representatives sent a letter of protest last week to Coulter's distributor, Universal Press Syndicate.

posted by pmurray63 at 7:04 AM on March 8, 2005