The Radio Equalizer: Brian Maloney

18 June 2008

Al Franken's 'Comedic' Material Stuns Even Mainstream Media

CREEPED OUT

When Even MSM Is Stunned, Isn't There A Problem?







When the Washington Post feels the need to run an obscene content disclaimer at the top of a piece about your party's US Senate nominee, is it time to admit there's a problem?

Though Minnesota's DFL Party has designated alleged funnyman Al Franken its nominee, questions about his shady and downright creepy background continue unabated.

Why would any party want this weirdo to represent them in Congress?


(Images by David A Lunde for the Radio Equalizer)


First, it was his questionable antics while at Air America Radio, then his tax dodge and worker's compensation scandals, accusations of strange public behavior and now, lingering concerns over his infamous "Porn-O-Rama" Playboy column. Has any candidate ever had this much baggage going into an election?


Though Franken would like "Porn-O-Rama" to disappear, that seems unlikely anytime soon, especially with today's Washington Post piece by Michael Gerson. Take note of the disclaimer at the top:


Vulgarian at the Gate


Warning: The following contains extreme vulgarity by a candidate for the U.S. Senate.

In the razor-close and nationally important Senate race in Minnesota, Republican incumbent Norm Coleman is presented with a unique political problem. Should he raise in his ads the issue of comedian Al Franken's offensive vulgarity? Or would this risk a backlash against Coleman for coarsening the public conversation? Remember that when Ken Starr detailed Bill Clinton's most repulsive antics -- stained dresses and such -- it was Starr who was accused of sexual obsessiveness.

Franken's defenders explain that his edginess is the result of being a "satirist" -- a term he embraces. "My work, dare I say, is provocative, touching and funny," Franken has explained. "It sounds immodest, but I now have a brand name in political satire."


[...]


So what is Franken's "provocative, touching and funny" contribution to the genre? Consider his article in Playboy magazine titled "Porn-O-Rama!" in which he enthuses that it is an "exciting time for pornographers and for us, the consumers of pornography." The Internet, he explains, is a "terrific learning tool. For example, a couple of years ago, when he was 12, my son used the Internet for a sixth-grade report on bestiality. Joe was able to download some effective visual aids, which the other students in his class just loved." Franken goes on to relate a soft-core fantasy about women providing him with sex who were trained at the "Minnesota Institute of Titology."


[...]


"Porn-O-Rama!" is a modern campaign document every voter should read -- the Federalist Papers of lifestyle liberalism. It has the literary sensibilities and moral seriousness of an awkward adolescent nerd publishing an underground newspaper to shock his way into campus popularity. But, in this case, the article was written in 2000 by a 48-year-old man.

Franken's "brand name" includes other highlights. In 2006, after a long monologue about a dog and its vomit, Franken impersonated the deceased Sen. Strom Thurmond as saying: "Yeah, I screwed a woman who was vomiting once." He once proposed a television sketch about a female CBS reporter being drugged and raped. He has suggested that his next book title might be "I F -- -- -- Hate Those Right-Wing Motherf -- -- -- !" At an event hosted by the Feminist Majority Foundation in 1999, Franken offered this thigh-slapper: "Why don't we focus on what Afghan women can do? They can cook, bear children and pray. As I recall, that was fine for our grandmothers."


Again, to the Democrats, here's a question they still refuse to answer: why do you want this creep in the US Senate? Is this really the best you have to offer?


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8 Comments:

  • The June 16th KSTP / Survey USA Poll has Norm Coleman 12 points over Franken (52% to 40%). Even the Minnesota Democrats are having problems with Franken.

    Stuart Smalley's Hollywood buddies can't do anything more to promote this bag of wind.

    By Blogger The Benson Report, at 18 June, 2008 07:37  

  • Perhaps the mainstream media wouldn't have to run warnings about graphic content if it didn't quote an article written for an Adult magazine.

    Also the man that wrote the piece for the Washington Post was a former speechwriter for George W Bush. Clearly he is trying to advance his political agenda.

    By Blogger Ezsuds, at 18 June, 2008 09:46  

  • Creep? Because he made a joke? A married man of over 30 years, Franken displays the "family values" that few on the right can claim...

    speaking of creep? It was not creepy when Limbaugh got caught with pockets full of viagra in South America, in an area populated by male hookers.

    you fool nobody , any longer.
    conservatism is dead and I don't even like Franken

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 18 June, 2008 10:37  

  • Ezsuds whined that Franken's article was written for an adult magazine

    and

    RepubsRirrelevant ludicrously claimed that Franken displays the family values


    And what is Franken's lame excuse? He claims he is a satirist so it is perfectly OK to joke about his own 12-year old son's report on beastiality. Frankin thinks jokes about drugging and raping women are funny.

    Humorous adult issues?
    Family values?

    Maybe in the sicko world of Hollyweird and San Francisco, but his perverse spin is definitely not playing in main-stream America and definitely not in Minnesota.

    Toss in
    his 17 state tax-cheat status,
    his failure to pay his company's Workman's Comp Insurance,
    his questionable campaign contributions,
    his increasing poll gap (currently 12%) behind Coleman
    and
    his dwindling support by the DFL

    All this is a recipe for a disastrous campaign.

    By Blogger The Benson Report, at 18 June, 2008 14:07  

  • Ok, let's see...Franken has done several USO tours in Iraq to entertain the troops that Gerson (Bush speechwriter) and his neo-con buddies sent into harm's way based on lies. I find the fact that 4000+ troops and countless Iraqi citizens have died (to date) thanks to this administration to be far more vulgar than anything that ever has or will come out of Al Franken's mouth.

    Just another example of right-wing hypocrisy--I don't think Gerson is exactly the mainstream media--again he WORKED for Bush.

    By Blogger UpFromTheMuck, at 18 June, 2008 14:36  

  • The Washington post had to post the disclaimer because they were quoting an article written just for an adult magazine. People can complain about the article, but nobody was complaining about it 8 years ago when Franken wrote it. That's because the only people who read it, chose to view a magazine for adults. Franken isn't the one putting this out for consumption by the general population, the Republican party is. If there is outrage , it should be directed at those who keep pushing this on people who were never intented to be readers of it in the first place. Writing an adult article for an adult magazine is not outrageous, putting the same article in mainstream news sources, for all (even those that are under age) to see , is outrageous.

    By Blogger Ezsuds, at 18 June, 2008 16:01  

  • Ezsuds said: That's because the only people who read it, chose to view a magazine for adults. Franken isn't the one putting this out for consumption by the general population, the Republican party is.

    If Ezsuds followed the news, he would realize that the people most upset about Franken's peccadilloes are the Democrats. The folks like DFL 4th district Congresswoman Betty McCollum and Rep. Jeremy Kalin of Lindstrom are just a few of the very upset Democrats.

    Consider the StarTribune headline: Franken has work to do among skeptical DFL legislators

    'We're worried that, in what should be a good year for the DFL, we won't be able to win this Senate seat.'

    Ezsuds tried to minimize the issue by stating: People can complain about the article, but nobody was complaining about it 8 years ago when Franken wrote it.

    And the reason no one complained about it was because Franken was not running for political office.

    Franken is running for the US Senate now and his highly questionable character traits are worthy of in-depth discussion and analysis.

    And frankly, it just plain enjoyable to see Franken squirming.

    By Blogger The Benson Report, at 18 June, 2008 20:45  

  • It just keeps getting better!

    Franken admitted that he had to pay back-taxes in a previously undisclosed state - Kentucky.

    After Republicans stated that Franken potentially owed back-taxes in additional states for speeches and appearances, Franken disclosed that he owed back-taxes in 17 states. Kentucky was not one of the 17 states reluctantly disclosed by Franken.

    According to media reports, Franken is reviewing the list to determine if he owes additional taxes.

    By Blogger The Benson Report, at 27 June, 2008 09:42  

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