Ann Coulter speech cancelled after thousands protest at University of Ottawa

Ann Coulter, professional provocateur and one-woman publicity machine has done it again...

VIDEO: Ann Coulter speech Cancelled after
thousands protest at University of Ottawa

Ann Coulter Speech Cancelled After Thousands Protest At University of Ottawa
CHRIS WADDEL (Carleton University): That will generate more publicity for her.
NARRATOR: This media expert says that the University of Ottawa's attempt to handle Coulter only fan the flames of controversy
WADDEL: Why do you want to give her something to allow her to develop her persona further and make her become more controversial

Liberal talker Sam Seder appears on the 'Joy Behar show' to speak on the subject of "Hate Speech VS Free Speech"

VIDEO: Sam Seder and John Avlon on the Joy Behar Show talking about
Ottawa University's cancellation of Ann Coulter's speech

JOY BEHAR: Was it fair to cancel Ann Coulter, John and what do you think?
JOHN AVLON: It was cowardly, you invited her. You know her schtick right? She walks right up to the line, she tries to incite and provoke to create publicity for herself but we can't have free speech in every place but College campuses. This is a good place to teach kids that you can protest, you can disagree but you do it civilly

Coulter is scheduled to appear soon afterwards on Behar's show for her take on yet another uproar surrounding her.

I've written about Ann Coulter's astute ability to court controversy like a classic 'wrestling heel'. Ironic considering Coulter's complaint that political discourse is too much like professional wrestling

Ann Coulter: "Political discourse resembles professional wrestling"
Instead of actual debate about ideas and issues with real consequences, the country is trapped in a political discourse that increasingly resembles professional wrestling.

Eric Cartman and Jon Stewart's parody Glenn Beck logos

Jon Stewart and Eric Cartman parody the Glenn Beck program

A new APF graphic showcasing Jon Stewart and Eric Cartman's logos for their Glenn Beck parodies, an appropriation of Beck's Fox News logo.

Find an archive of Beck Parody posts here:
- Jon Stewart parodies Glenn Beck again, explains "Glenn's rules of the blackboard"
- South Park, Eric Cartman parodies Glenn Beck
- "The 11/3 Project" - Jon Stewart parodies Glenn Beck
- The rise and rise of Glenn Beck: His appeal and the method to his madness (Colbert Parody of Beck)

Jon Stewart parodies Glenn Beck again, explains "Glenn's rules of the blackboard"

Jon Stewart has some fun at Glenn Beck expense once again, morphing into Beck's persona to highlight what he sees as the absurdity of his logic. Following on from Stewart's meme that politics is like wrestling, as I've written previously Impersonation is a wrestling staple. A proven way of undercutting an opponent by mocking one's character traits and revealing their simplicity.

VIDEO: Daily Show - Conservative Libertarian (March 18, 2010)
Conservative Libertarian

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Reform

Conservative Libertarian (March 18, 2010)
JON STEWART: This is Glenn's blackboard so we have to play by Glenn's rules which are "If you subscribe to an idea you also subscribe to that idea's ideology and to every possible negative consequence that that ideology remotely implies when you carry it to remote extremes."

For instance - Progressives, if you believe in a minimum safety net for the nation's neediest, you believe in total and absolute government control.

So if you believe that faith provides a strong moral tentpost for a nation's foundation, it can only lead to totalitarian theocracy.

Watch how wrestlers mock their opponents, TNA's Ken Anderson takes on Kurt Angle.

VIDEO: Mr Anderson imitates Kurt Angle

Watch Jon Stewart's original Glenn Beck '11-3 Project' parody

Pete Dominick to appear on nightly 'Pete on the Street' segments on CNNs 'John King, USA'

Great news for fans of APF Pundit Pete Dominick. Widely considered the only true independent on the APF Roster, Pete is much deserving of this expanded exposure.

Via Pete Dominick's Facebook

The Big News: Starting Monday March 22 I will be doing a nightly segment on John King USA on CNN. The show airs at 7pm and the segment is called "Pete on the Street" Check the online preview on CNN.com tomorrow at 12N

Read a personal review of what the addition of Pete Dominick means to CNN, from DailyKOs diarist 'Save the Clock tower' - UPDATED: Baby steps towards balance: CNN adds Pete Dominick

Update: March 20, 2010
Watch Pete Dominick's first 'Pete on the Street' segment here -

Social Media Manners: Pete Dominick gives us a humorous take on social media manners and miscues

Jon Stewart, Wyatt Cenac and Mick Foley endorse the analogy that American Politics is like pro-wrestling

PunditFight was founded some three years ago and has been the premier resource for the analogy that American Politics and Punditry is not unlike Professional wrestling.

The Daily Show: Crumbums & Fatcats

The March 15 edition of The Daily Show distilled and endorsed this analogy more explicitly than I've ever seen it. Jon Stewart crossed to 'Senior political analyst' Wyatt Cenac about the Eric Massa scandal, Wyatt brought up the wrestling analogy to describe American Politics and Punditry then reintroduced wrestler Mick Foley to bring the point home.

VIDEO: The Daily Show (March 15, 2010) - Crumbums & Fatcats
Crumbums & Fatcats

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Reform

Crumbums & Fatcats (Monday March 15, 2010)
Wyatt Cenac gets Mick Foley to demonstrate how easy it is for politicians to work both sides of the filibuster.

WYATT CENAC: Jon here's your problem. You think politicians wanna win their arguments when all they really wanna do is keep having them. They know arguments are interesting, they energize voters, they keep the money flowing in.
JON STEWART: You're telling me their interest is in conflict, not in resolution?
WYATT CENAC: Yes. Jon do you watch professional wrestling?
JON STEWART: (pause) Yes.
WYATT CENAC: So you know right now, Shawn Michaels is angry at the Undertaker... But they're gonna settle it in the squared circle
JON STEWART: So it will be done!?
WYATT CENAC: Well unless something were to happen to keep the fight going
JON STEWART: I get it. They have to keep the conflict going. But at least in wrestling you know the good guy and the bad guy. Shawn Michaels is a good guy. The Undertaker is the bad guy.
WYATT CENAC: Until the swerve when they switch. It keeps the audience interested and again the moneys keeps flowing
JON STEWART: You're saying congressional leaders flip on issues. To keep conflict going and money flowing and keep their bases interested
WYATT CENAC: Jon Congress people are in Congress for like 80, 90 years. You just can't expect them to do that same character the whole time. It'll get boring
JON STEWART: So you're saying like Harry Reid's flip flop on whether he would like to amend the filibuster is just a pro-wrestling move...

Wrestler Mick Foley comes out and performs a skit where he plays both sides off one issue, the filibuster.

JON STEWART: So they can play both sides of one issue but isn't that what the news media is for - to provide context. Break through the posture and create a little clarity.
WYATT CENAC: Context Jon? No. The news guys are more like the manager, the color guys. They got their own take on the filibuster too...
JON STEWART: So what you're saying is the whole f*cking thing [American Politics] is fake like professional wrestling

Apologies for the long transcript but it was a quite the dissertation on the politics-as-wrestling meme. Every theme Stewart and Cenac touched on from Congressman character swerves to Media being color guys are issues I've touched on in my 3 years on PunditFight.

Mick Foley is no stranger to politics and the Daily Show, with this being his second appearance in character.
- Watch Jon Stewart using the wrestling analogy previously to describe his interaction with neo-con Bill Kristol
- Watch Mick Foley endorsing the wrestling analogy in 2004 on the Marc Maron show
- Read all posts on the wrestling analogy here
- Possibly the genesis of this segment, Wyatt Cenac talks to Marc Maron about Politics being Wrestling

Janeane Garofalo cancels Melbourne Comedy Festival dates

Melbourne Comedy Fesitval 2010: Janeane Garofalo and Greg Behrendt

Comedian Janeane Garofalo has sadly canceled her Melbourne Comedy Festival dates. She was set to perform her 'Say What you Will' show with Greg Behrendt of 'He's just not that into you' fame.

Melbourne International Comedy Festival presents
Janeane Garofalo & Greg Behrendt - Say What You Will (USA)
Due to unforseen circumstances Janeane Garofolo has had to cancel her appearance at the 2010 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

As a result the Melbourne International Comedy Festival advises that the presentation of Janeane Garofalo and Greg Behrendt in Say What you Will has been canceled.

Janeane had appeared as a featured act on last year's Melbourne Comedy Festival. The promotional interview is a staple in the lead up to an international act's arrival and is usually a good indicator that things are on track. Janeane complied with this ritual completing an interview for the Sydney Morning Herald, she gives a clue as to why she may have canceled though she has made this known previously on 'The Sam Seder Show'.

Janeane Garofalo is seriously funny
... It took her until last year to travel to Australia because her anxiety about being "cooped up" on long flights appeared insurmountable. Deciding it was ridiculous to deny the opportunity, she triumphed by breaking the journey into smaller flights.

"I loved it so much – not the flight, Australia – that I really wanted to go back," she says. "I do welcome the opportunity to read on a long plane journey. Sitting in your little seat and getting a lot of reading and writing done. But I am already not looking forward to this next journey."

No word yet on whether Janeane's shows slated for the Opera House beginning March 16 are to be canceled also. The only indication being "Off sale until further notice" from Ticketek.

Update: Seems the Janeane Garofalo, Sydney Opera house dates have been postponed. No word yet on why Garofalo has delayed her appearances. People who have purchased tickets through the Opera House should have received an email. Ticketek customers will have to consult the Ticketek Box office regarding their tickets.

Live Audio Wrestling reviews UFC 2' and Brian Kilmeade's commentating

Brian Kilmeade, co-host of Fox and Friends and best known to PunditFight readers for shootfighting with Janeane Garofalo in an awkward interview in the lead up to the Iraq War.

Something people may not be aware of is that Brian Kilmeade once commentated for the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) in its very early days. A time when UFC had yet to institute different weight classes and was largely considered a barbaric bloodsport rather than the lucrative enterprise it is today.

Live Audio Wrestling's John Pollock and Wai Ting reviewed and recapped 'UFC 2 (1994)' making particular mention of Kilmeade's lackluster commentating abilities.

Listen to the audio here - Live Audio Wrestling (Feb 28): Chris Jericho

Below are selected excerpts of the UFC 2 Review and Kilmeade's role in it

JOHN POLLOCK: We have our play-by-play announcer and I use that term ever so lightly, Brian Kilmeade - what he brought to this broadcast Wai I will ask throughout this event...

This was the Ben Perry [other co-commentator] Show because he was explaining what a "mount" was, what "Jiu Jitsu" is, what an "arm bar" is. Kilmeade had no idea, NO IDEA what was happening.

Watch UFC Fighter Chael Sonnen appear on Fox and Friends

Funny or Die presents SNL Past Presidents: Ferrell, Carrey, Carvey, Chase and Aykroyd

Funny or Die have made a star studded video in support of 'The Main Street Brigade's' campaign for a "strong and independent Consumer Financial Protection Agency".

Yes. Rub your eyes all you want, it is a reunion of SNL past Presidents with a special cameo by 'In Living Color's' Jim Carrey as Ronald Reagan. The advocacy short was directed by acclaimed director Ron Howard.

The full cast as follows:
Fred Armisen as Barack Obama
Will Ferrell as George W Bush
Darrell Hammond as Bill Clinton
Dana Carvey as George H.W Bush
Jim Carrey as Ronald Reagan
Dan Aykroyd as Jimmy Carter
Chevy Chase as Gerald Ford
Maya Rudolph as Michelle Obama

VIDEO: 'Funny or Die' presents SNL's Past Presidents Reunion

Funny or Die's Presidential Reunion from Will Ferrell

Funny or Die's Presidential Reunion
Barack Obama gets a surprise visit in the night from ex-Presidents Bush Sr., Bush Jr., Clinton, Ford, Reagan and Carter to get a few pointers about the Consumer Financial Protection Agency and why it's so important.

Sarah Palin performs stand up Comedy on 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'

Prominent Politicians traditionally deliver the funny in settings like the Annual White House Correspondents Dinner or the Alfred E. Smith Dinner. Esteemed events where leaders can unwind a little, make fun of themselves and lightheartedly rib their detractors. Aspiring leader Sarah Palin took the stage at the end of her appearance on Jay Leno's Tonight Show to deliver what maybe the first straight up Stand Up routine from a possible American President.

VIDEO: Sarah Palin's Stand up routine on Jay Leno

sp_jlshow
by therightscoop

Jon Stewart, Mark Levin and Rush Limbaugh unite against Glenn Beck's CPAC speech

I've spoken previously of Beck's ascendancy and how it has made him Public Enemy #1 for those on the left and the right.

Mediate has a comprehensive round up of the pundit pushback of Glenn Beck's CPAC keynote speech. Videos and response summaries from Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin and Jon Stewart are all featured:

Strange Bedfellows: Rush Limbaugh, Jon Stewart Slam Glenn Beck’s CPAC Speech
Wow. So, Glenn Beck’s CPAC keynote speech on Friday was apparently so powerful it united Jon Stewart, Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin... against him. I’m not sure what that says about Beck except that he really has managed to carve out a place all his own in the media landscape these last few months and he maybe is making some people nervous. Well not Jon Stewart per se (‘gold mine’ might be a better description), but it’s certainly interesting to hear Rush Limbaugh (ever so gently) push back at Beck. Sign of things to come? Is Beck on his way to becoming the Frankenstein of the right? The tone of both Levin and Limbaugh suggest they were less than thrilled at Beck’s conservative bashing/reality check

Watch Glenn Beck's entire CPAC Keynote speech here - Watch Glenn Beck’s rousing keynote speech at CPAC 2010

VIDEO: Glenn Beck Keynote Speech at CPAC Pt 3 of 6

Read the speech here - Full Transcript of Glenn Beck's Keynote Speech at CPAC, February 20th, 2010