NerdsGoneWild presents: A conversation with Marc Maron

PunditFight presents 'A conversation with Marc Maron'

Australians will be in for a treat this coming April as APF Pundit Marc Maron will be visiting our shores. Maron will be performing several dates at the Sydney Comedy Store.

Meanwhile as we await his arrival, I had the pleasure of interviewing Marc. He touched on various subjects from politics to Reality TV. Marc also spoke candidly about his previous and only experience in Australia, where he was sent home after bombing disastrously performing in Melbourne 1992.

You can listen and download a sample of the interview here. Marc talks about punditry and where he fits in it. He comments on some of his counterparts and peers from Bill O’Reilly to Al Franken. He also talks about Barack Obama and the idea of the ‘symbolic president’.

Listen to the Marc Maron interview here


Maron on Comics and Punditry

MARC MARON: If art is suppose to be nothing more than disguised self help or some example of leadership in terms of making people feel better about themselves then I don’t know. I don’t have a real problem with Dane Cook, I do have problems with people who are just blindly confident without any real bearing and that’s really the only gift that they give.
Pundits it seems, there's a lot of time to waste on television and there are a lot of people with monied interests who like people to waste that time for them so they can sell other things and it just seems that all it does is give relatively uninspired loudmouths the podium to blather on and on about bullshit that has no bearing on anything and only serves to confuse real issues and distract people from making up their own fucking minds hard enough for them to do anything.

Maron on being viewed as a Pundit

MARC MARON: No, I’m not a pundit. I was put in a position to educate myself and become more partisan than I probably would be publicly otherwise, more educated than I would be and I’m grateful for that. But on either side of the political spectrum whether its right or left you have bullshit and you’re going to become a distributor of whatever’s side bullshit you tend to align yourself with. So my issue has always been to figure out what my gut instincts were on what’s happening. Where’s the hypocrisy? And what would best serve me and other people.

So the one element of being a pundit I didn’t like, was sort of being in the position to be partisan and righteous in ways I may not have thought through completely or in ways I didn’t find were completely authentic just because I had such resentment towards the other side.

I will be posting more snippets in the future. You will find the complete transcript on the upcoming issue of NerdsGoneWild Magazine (Issue #2). Found in Australia and internationally, check the site for shop listings or you may also buy here. Expect to find the full Audio in due time on the NerdsGoneWild website.

Marc will be performing at the Comedy Store in Sydney, beginning Tuesday April 15 and ending Saturday April 26. For full details go to the Official Comedy Store Website

- Go to Marc Marons's official website
- Read a more comprehensive Maron interview transcript here

Maron VS Seder VS Ana Marie Cox

In the most recent episode of Seder VS Maron, liberal commentators Sam Seder and Marc Maron touched on the unseriousness of certain pundits. This is a subject they have spoken about before and is a particular pet peeve for Sam. Sam has been very open about his disdain towards pundits like Maureen Dowd and Ana Marie Cox who have a tendency to trivialise politics by elevating charisma and superficial presentation over the serious implications of policy. I often get introspective during these times as the nature of this blog may be seen as trivialising politics.

In this latest episode Sam lets rip on Ana Marie Cox, (founding editor of DC Gossip site, Wonkette). It is particularly awkward, as Marc Maron has worked professionally and is personally friendly with Ana Marie. Sam was set off when Marc mentioned that he had dinner with Ana Marie and her husband, and that she expressed a fondness for John McCain. There was a back and forth discussion on charisma, and the role it plays in politics. Their was a sober acknowledgment that ultimately people will vote based on superficial presentation. Sam concedes as much but his main quarrel is towards the pundit class who he feels should be elevating discourse higher than the trivial.

Maron and Seder being pragmatic about charisma in politics

MARON: It all comes around even to the Clintonian criticism of Barack Obama's charisma...whatever's anyone's history is in the legislature most Americans are only going to respond to a gut level of what they sense about a person. That's just the way it is buddy. It's not the way people vote in this country. So I can understand your aggravation...
SAM: You know what? That part doesn't bother me as much...as the Ana Marie Cox thing. I accept that there are people who are going to vote based on charisma and things that aren't terribly important. I accept that... to me what is inexcusable, for someone to perceive themselves with any type of integrity to have that same opinion when they're actually responsible for disseminating information to people who actually want more than that.

Maron and Seder take politics seriously

SAM: You can't do it with Ana Marie Cox, because her agenda is apolitical. This political writer for Time Magazine, her agenda is completely apolitical. For her, it's like "I'm just hoping for a good game, I just want to watch a good game." That's fine if you're talking about football and baseball but there there is actually something, there are implications to politics as a game...
MARON: There's a lot at stake. The stakes are higher.
SAM: Yes significantly higher, the notion that she perceives herself as a political journalist and society perceives her that way but yet she views all this as meaningless. And I know she does...I sat on a panel with her... 2, 3 years ago which is why I have developed this attitude towards her. I heard her say "politics is stupid"...

Listen to the excerpted audio of Sam and Marc talking about Ana Marie Cox

Listen to the full Maron VS Seder episode, courtesy of Jmach1JP
Go to Time's Ana Marie Cox bio
Go to previous Sam Seder rants on Maureen Dowd and Ana Marie Cox
Listen to Sam talking about his experience with Ana Marie Cox

Babyface Barack Obama: Why even Fox News likes Obama

In wrestling, a 'face' or 'babyface' is a character who is popular with the fans. A face will usually have heroic qualities and is traditionally pitted against villains or unlikeable opponents. Audiences will determine if a wrestler is a face. They will be drawn in by a wrestler's charisma and persona, rewarding them by buying their merchandise and cheering for them. A 'face' can also be manufactured. This can be achieved by being contrasted with an unlikeable figure, favorable presentation or coverage i.e gushing commentators, spectacular pyrotechnics or a convincing winning streak. Ultimately it is the audience that will decide. Most are astute enough to see when they are being forced into liking someone and may resent the 'pushed' figure.

Barack Obama is the 'babyface' of American Politics. He is contrasted against a polarising candidate in Hillary Clinton and has famously been coddled by the press. Barack's kid glove treatment has been ripe for satire, as evidenced by the popularity of Saturday Night Live's many caricatures of the media with Obama.

Most negative campaigning against Obama will be overlooked through the sheer loyalty of his supporters. The qualities that made him an effective 'face' in the first place; his post-partisan approach to politics and his natural charisma as a speaker have also garnered him respect in spite of his detractors.

This was on display most recently on Fox and Friends, when Brian Kilmeade stormed off set protesting the continuous bashing of Obama by his cohosts. In recent years there has been a rise of opinion media and partisanship in American politics. Blogs, radio and TV shows are solely dedicated to promoting one political view whilst denigrating the other. Programs are no longer required or expected to show restraint or balance. Editorially, programs can omit any news positive to their ideological opponents and will elevate harmful news instead.

It has been a testament to Obama's appeal that traditionally hostile corners like Fox News and Conservative Talk Radio have given an inch to Obama. Whilst they may not be glowing endorsements or full conversions, there is no denying Obama as a baby face.

Fox News: Brian Kilmeade leaves set over Obama coverage


Chris Wallace takes Fox & Friends to task over Obama


Listen to Austin Bay, filling in for Hugh Hewitt. He defends Barack against a British official who claims people are only voting for him because of white guilt

Listen to Hugh Hewitt's conservative audience calling in to defend Obama's use of profanity in the audiobook for his memoir 'Dreams from My Father'.

Huck still Rules - Thank you Mike Huckabee

I know a lot of people come to this site by way of the APF's many Mike Huckabee wallpapers. So as a final gift to all the Huckabee supporters, one last wallpaper.

"Huck still Rules" Mike Huckabee wallpaper

Download 'Huck Still Rules' as 1024 x 768 wallpaper

Follow the links below to read my piece on how Huckabee rose to the top using techniques mirrored in wrestling:
Read 'The Rise and Rise of Mike Huckabee' Part 1 of 3
Read 'The Rise and Rise of Mike Huckabee' Part 2 of 3
Read 'The Rise and Rise of Mike Huckabee' Part 3 of 3

Hillary Clinton & Tina Fey VS Barack Obama & Tracy Morgan

There have been a lot of SNL mentions on PunditFight these last few weeks. It's managed to knock powerhouses The Colbert Report and The Daily show off their perches as the most regarded and relevant Political/Comedy shows on TV. Which isn't entirely a bad thing.

In a previous post I talked about how SNL alum Tina Fey came on the show to endorse Hillary Clinton with a comedic rant. In true wrestling fashion, Tracy Morgan appeared on SNL to rebut Tina with an endorsement of his own for Obama. For those who don't know, Tracy Morgan and Tina Fey both previously starred on SNL and now appear together on NBC's award-winning show '30 Rock'.

Tina Fey's closing argument for Hillary:

FEY: Know what? Bitches get stuff done.
(Tina Fey and Amy Poehler nod in unison)
Like back in grammar school,
they could have had priests teaching you but, no,
they had those tough old nuns who slept on cots
and who could hit ya and you Hated those bitches
But at the end of the school year
you sure knew the capital of Vermont!
So COME ON Texas and Ohio
Get on board, it’s not too late!…
BITCH IS THE NEW BLACK!

Taking on Tina Fey, Tracy's Rebuttal for Obama

In conclusion...
Three weeks ago, my girl Tina Fey, she came on the show and she declared that bitch is the new black. And you know I love you Tina. You know you're my girl. But I have something to say...

Bitch may be the new black, but Black is the new President, Bitch!

Download from CrooksandLiars here

Read comments for Tracy's rebuttal here, from CrooksandLiars
Go to Tracy Morgan's official website
Go to Tina Fey's Bio page from '30' Rock - the show she writes, executive produces and stars in.

The Reemergence of Saturday Night Live (and Hillary Clinton)

After rousing wins in Texas and Ohio, it wasn't just Hillary Clinton who emerged as victor. Conservative talk radio tried to take some credit for it. Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham successfully mobilised their listeners to vote for Hillary in order to prolong the deadlocked Democratic Primary Race. This achievement was significant because Talk Radio's influence was diminished after they were unable to prevent the much despised John McCain from becoming the Republican Nominee.

However there was another diminished institution that reemerged into relevance after assisting Hillary to victory - Saturday Night Live. 'SNL' (as it is most commonly referred to) is an American Entertainment Icon. It has produced world renowned comedians from Eddie Murphy to Steve Martin and even APF pundit Al Franken. It was the place to turn to for laughs and topical insight.

But today SNL has struggled to remain relevant. It has been without a Marquee personality since the departures of Will Ferrell and Jimmy Fallon, the cast today is comprised of little known comedians. The show itself has been overlooked these last few years as political/comedy shows like The Colbert Report, Real Time with Bill Maher and The Daily Show have risen to prominence. In the last few weeks however things have turned around for SNL as they began to comment on the Presidential Primaries, in particular the Media's fawning treatment of Obama. In what is seen as a soft endorsement for Hillary, SNL has become a key player in politics. Overtly political shows like the Daily Show and The Colbert Report were never seen as hand maidens for any particular candidate, just in service of Comedy. SNL on the other hand was being charged with not merely going after laughs, but specifically targeting Obama.

Its all in the eye of the beholder of course. SNL denies actively promoting Hillary over Obama. In fact investigations by the New York Times and other media into the SNL "conspiracy" have found that the writers and players responsible are possibly more inclined to vote for Obama.

No matter what supporters of either side have to say, there is only one clear winner in this whole saga - Saturday Night Live.

Watch a discussion of Pro-Hillary SNL conspiracy from MSNBC's 'Live on Dan Abrams'

Read the comments for this video

Go to the official website of Saturday Night Live
View the Ultimate Roundup of SNL's Democratic Primary skits
Read the NY Times take on the issue, Pro-Clinton? ‘SNL’ Says You’re Joking
Read the LA Times' take on the issue, 'Saturday Night Live' takes pro-Hillary allegations seriously.
Read the summary from Huffington Post, SNL Boss Sees Pro-Hillary Bias As "Major Concern
Conservatives at HotAir comment on SNL alum Tina Fey's endorsement of Hiilary

Queen Kong and Barack-zilla

The monster analogies continue, not surprising like I've said previously. Its a meme from talk radio thats bubbled up to the mainstream. What's new is the inclusion of Barack as a monster type also.



Read what liberals thought of the video, from 'Crooks and Liars'
Read the transcript of the segment from CNN

Note: When I first glanced the thumbnail of the clip and the fact it was affiliated with CNN, I immediately assumed it was a Glenn Beck segment. It's not.