Sarah Palin rips Bill Maher on Trig comment (Maher allegedly called Trig "retarded")

[alp227]

Last edited Fri Jun 14, 2013, 01:21 AM - Edit history (1)

Sarah Palin attacked television host Bill Maher on Twitter Wednesday night, over reports he made a derogatory joke about her 5-year-old son Trig while performing at the Palms Pearl Concert in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a former local television host and “outspoken conservative” Ron Futrell said that during the live show that Maher described Palin’s son, who has Down syndrome, as “retarded.”

Palin took to Twitter, calling Maher a “bully” and challenging him to meet her when she’s in his “neck of the woods this weekend.”

Hey bully, on behalf of all kids whom you hatefully mock in order to make yourself feel big, I hope one flattens your lily white wimpy a#*.— Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) June 13, 2013

I’m in your neck of the woods this weekend, little Bill. Care to meet so I can tell you how I really feel? shar.es/wLpR6— Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) June 13, 2013

Futrell, who wrote on his blog that he also has a special needs son, said he was “disgusted and surprised” by the incident.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/sarah-palin-bill-maher-trig-comment-92706.html

Yikes. last summer the comedian with egg on his face was Daniel Tosh for saying "wouldn't it be funny if that girl were raped by five guys" at a Los Angeles show. His remark spread like wildfire after someone blogged about it albeit without audio or video.

I learned about this Maher incident via the liberal atheist blogger PZ Myers who comments: "The one thing I can respect about Palin, that she seems to treat all of her children equally, is a joke to Maher. Thanks, guy, for being such an awful, ghastly, horrible liberal, and for lowering yourself to mocking the children of your political opponents." However, Myers uncharacteristically linked directly to a Breitbart News story. When researching for my post I found this first-hand account by Futrell on his own website that was published also on the Daily Caller:

Maher chose to make a joke about Palin’s son, Trig and in the process he used the “R” word to describe this 5 year old special needs boy. Of course, since Trig is Palin’s son, he is a target of the left. Special needs be damned, there are jokes to be made by “caring compassionate” liberals. I was so disgusted and a bit surprised that I forgot the exact joke. Perhaps he saves this joke for live audiences only. The audience of more supposed compassionate, caring leftists loved the joke and roared with laughter.

The crowd reaction was perhaps the most disturbing part of all this, it also surprised me. While a joke about a 5 year old child with Down Syndrome is about as low as you can go, I don’t want comedians to be forced to be “politically correct” in their humor. Maher will say what he wants to say and he will always claim some sort of moral high road and friendly media will always give it to him. But that doesn’t mean I have to sit there and take it.

I was in the back of the room with friends (who got me my ticket and asked me to go – so no, I didn’t pay) and moved closer to the stage, but was still sitting a good ways back. At that point, Maher made a joke about Halliburton (you remember Halliburton, don’t you? Think way back to a decade ago) and still disgusted, I blurted out, “It’s 2013 Bill, you might want to update your material.” That was as much a comment on him using the “R” word as it was about him using old material. Supposed “progressives” are apparently comfortable living back in the day when the “R” word was used regularly on those with special needs. Maher heard me and responded back. Security approached me and asked me to be quiet—I gladly left The Pearl at The Palms. If they want to call it “kicked out,” I’ll go with that and wear it proudly, kicked out after I spoke up because I don’t like anybody treating people with special needs as targets.

A Las Vegas Review Journal article reports: "Former Las Vegas TV personality Ron Futrell was escorted out of liberal comedian Bill Maher’s show at the Palms on Saturday after a heckling incident."

UGH. You know why we can't have nice things. Jackass fuckwits like Maher who get a gigantic egg splattered all over the face of liberalism by making unnecessary bullshit remarks like calling Sarah Palin's kid a retard and giving the right wing MORE ammo to trash "the left", thus contributing to this climate in mainstream America that may support Democratic Party positions such as expanding Social Security and Medicare but are afraid of identifying as "liberal" because the right wing hypes incidents like this one.

Oh, I think I've got to prepare for people round here prepared to defend the use of "retard" slang, and I've seen plenty of posts that use "-tard" slang that juries allow to stay.

One last thing. For Vegas/Southern Nevada DUers you may remember Futrell as the sports reporter at KTNV channel 13 (1984-2003). In 1998, Futrell broke the story about racist remarks made by the UNLV athletic director (video at YouTube(dot)com/watch?v=rPl85i0xP4M).

[1KansasDem]

1. I think Bill Maher was a lot funnier about 10 years ago.

He's developed a bit of a pompous mean streak that just doesn't sit well with me.

[Whisp]

2. o for crissakes Bill. why'd you have to go there. wtf.

[Cha]

7. Exactly. Dumbshit move

[arcane1]

3. "I was so disgusted and a bit surprised that I forgot the exact joke."

It's hard to get outraged without knowing what I should be outraged about.

[Whisp]

8. I noticed that too. I didn't see an actual quote of what Maher supposedly said. but still

it's jarring.

maybe that was the intent.

who knows, but if he did say that as it sounds in the OP, what a large asshole.

[Beaverhausen]

4. While its really reprehensible that Maher said that about Trig,

Palin has been know to call people names. Why does she think her shit doesn't stink? She hasn't grown a thick skin in her time off apparently.

[kestrel91316]

5. Maher's joke is indefensible. But Palin's still a skank.

[arcane1]

15. What was the joke?

All I've seen is the conservative's claim that an offensive joke was told. And they immediately condemned all lib'ruls for the alleged joke.

I'm still waiting.

[rustydog]

6. I am seriously curious why people are so offended by the word retarded

they scream, yell, threaten to sue, have this big hissy-fit over a correct word.

Merriam-Webster dictionary: "slow or limited in intellectual or emotional development or academic progress" in other words a developmental delay or retarded...Did Bill Mahr call her son a retard? I hope not, but he has the right to do so.

While Lady blah blah so strongly screams about our "freedoms", she certainly suffers from selective outrage.

Where was her outrage when Rush Limpballs made fun of Michael J. Fox? Did she threaten Limpballs???
don't think so.

[Whisp]

9. because a lot of people find it unacceptable

that's why. What's the big hardship of subtracting a word from your vocabulary if it upsets a lot of people?

[Cha]

10. It was all about Maher allegedly saying it about her son.

But, as far as the word is concerned.. I can understand why it shouldn't be used..

It insult people who were born that way and can't help it. It's like any derogatory term for race, gender or sexual preference.

[MiniMe]

11. It is impossible to tell without knowing the quote.

There is a lot of outrage without knowing exactly what was said.

[arcane1]

16. To paraphrose Chris Rock: It's not the word, it's the context.

If I told a joke that involved Strom Thurman using the n-word, am I a racist?

[loyalsister]

14. Because it was once a clinical term

that was adopted to use as an insult. I have a friend who has an intellectual disability. He remembers his brother beating him up and shouting that label with each punch.
It is no longer used clinically- only the insulting context remains. It's painful to people and everyone deserves to have more respect than that.

[alp227]

22. The problem is the word has lost its formal meaning and is now used as a slur/insult.

And "retard" is frequently used incorrectly as a noun to describe people w/mental disabilities, thanks to the power of the Internet and cheap comedians.

[tarheelsunc]

12. Maher's usually on point, but every once in a while he does something like this...

it's a shame, because when he's right, he's right. I don't understand why he doesn't just watch how he words things, because these slip-ups always draw more attention than the valid points he makes.

[arcane1]

17. But what did he say?

All we have is a teabagger saying that Maher said something, and even he can't admit what was said.

[one_voice]

13. While I personally find what Maher did...

disgusting, I would just like to say eff Sarah Palin and her fake outrage. She only seems to get upset when someone on the left uses the 'r' word.

More than once someone on the right has used it--even while talking to her--and she laughed it off. So fuck you and you pretend outrage Sarah.

As for her son, HE didn't deserve that, and for that, fuck you Maher.

[alp227]

23. The Palin clan is well known for using bigoted slurs.

http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/why-the-palin-faggot-comment-matters/politics/2012/07/23/44337

http://gawker.com/5691856/willow-palins-homophobic-facebook-freakout

[Sunlei]

18. fox lies just tries to get their new re-hire in the press.she'll probably kill some animal next week

[truebrit71]

19. Link to a reputable need source or it didn't happen...

...plus...The kid is retarded...by clinical definition, no? Also, where was Caribou Barbies outrage when, Ann Coulter used the same fucking word?

Plus, it ain't like Trig is her kid anyway...

I've had meals with higher IQ's than that mashed-up bag of stupid...

[stevenleser]

20. If Maher actually did it, it's bad, but as Arcane keeps pointing out, we don't have an actual quote.

I am not going to bash Maher on "Someone saying he said something like..."

I'm going to wait until we have either Maher admitting it or we have something resembling an exact quote to chew on.

[arcane1]

21. Thank you! I will be the FIRST to condemn him if he made a joke at Trig's expense

But I can not be angry at a mere claim from the audience