Time Warner Gives Bush-Bashing Comic (Paul Mooney) the Hook

[elehhhhna]

Is Time Warner getting into the censorship business? A host of Showtime at the Apollo claims he got the hook for angering top brass at the media megaconglomerate with jokes about President George W. Bush.
Comic Paul Mooney (most recently of Chappelle's Show) was midway through a taping of the famed Harlem theater's weekly variety show when the plug was abruptly pulled. Mooney claims the show's producer, Suzanne de Passe, told him material in his monologue had offended unnamed officials from Time Warner, whose chairman, Richard Parsons, heads the Apollo Theater Foundation's board of directors and is among the country's most prominent black Republicans...

Mooney, however, seems certain who shut him down. "They wanted me out of there, the Republicans, the Time Warner people," he says. "They said I was Bush bashing, and it was hatred. I felt like I was in Iran or Cuba or somewhere."

After everything that's been said about Bush at this point, how did Mooney manage to provoke such a harsh response? "I talked about his little drunk daughters, Gin and Juice," he says, referring to Jenna and Barbara Bush. "I talked about his mother, who looks like the man on the oatmeal box." Mooney also did a bit on how the letters in Bush's name can be manipulated to produce the number 666, proving Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez's recent claim that Bush is the devil.

"The audience went crazy for that," he says.

But whether the jokes were funny or in good taste is irrelevant, he adds. "My point is ever since 9/11, we lost all our rights. They're practicing on the minorities, but when they get good at it they're going to do it to the white folks."

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2006/10/time-warner-behind-the-bushbashing-blackout-at-the-apollo.php

[UTUSN]

1. K&R for another canary in the mineshaft n/t

[NYCGirl]

2. I love what Wonkette said about this:

"If lame Arsenio Hall gags from the 1980s are no longer permitted, then America has truly died."

http://www.wonkette.com/politics/barbara-bush/barbara-bush-the-man-on-the-oatmeal-box-205258.php

[MADem]

5. Actually, Mooney isn't lame at all--he's pretty edgy and in yer face

His humor has a real cut to it.

[NYCGirl]

13. I've known his work for years. Used to see him when he performed in

Washington Square Park.

That material is not edgy.

[MADem]

21. Well, your mileage varies. NT

[Mythsaje]

3. If he's good, this will just give him more material...n/t

[MADem]

4. Well, they aren't gonna find a Stepin Fetchit to do Bush's bidding, I fear

Funnily enough, Mooney was filling in for Whoopi Goldberg, who had hosted the show's previous eight episodes. Goldberg faced her own Bush-bash-backlash in 2004, when she made a sexual double entendre on the president's name during a Kerry-Edwards fundraiser, prompting Slim-Fast to fire her as its spokeswoman. Mooney says he called Goldberg after the taping was scrubbed, "and she said, 'Welcome to the club.'"

[Cha]

19. Oohhh! Would a cool elite club that

is! Their stars will always shine and bush is goin' in the toilet.

[Marnieworld]

6. I love Paul Mooney

My favorite line was when he said Wayne Brady makes Bryant Gumbel look like Malcom X. Actually all the lines are my favorite. When they stop a comedian mid-performance that is some scary shit!

[Mabus]

15. He was great in Bamboozled too.

He really cracks me up.

[Clark2008]

26. Yeah - but Wayne Brady makes me laugh.

Well, erm, so does Bryant Gumbel, but Wayne is SUPPOSED to be making me laugh.

:hi:

[Marnieworld]

27. The only time I saw Wayne Brady was on the Chappelle show

And he most definitely made me laugh.

"Does Wayne Brady have to smack a bitch?" :rofl:

[Demit]

7. Great line, that last one, hope it's part of his routine—

They're practicing on the minorities, but when they get good at it they're going to do it to the white folks."

[redqueen]

10. That's a line?

I thought it was just fair warning to anyone who still hasn't woken up to the dangers of creeping fascism...

:shrug:

[Demit]

24. That's what makes it a great one, no?

[redqueen]

8. hahahaha... the quaker oats guy...

that cracks me up :rofl:

[Miss Chybil]

9. I heard the FBI is concerned comics may align themselves

with terrorists...

On edit: Oh, wait. That was the mob. My bad.

[Stephanie]

11. Time Warner censored Tasini, wouldn't let him debate

Yes, they are in the censorship business. I have no doubt.

[Dr Fate]

12. I also feel like I am "in Iran or Cuba or somewhere." n/t

n/t

[last1standing]

14. The right wing isn't practicing on black people.

They're practicing on poor people, many of whom happen to be black. The greatest success of the right wing has been to create a phoney war between poor people of different ethnicities. By doing that the cons have been able to divert attention away from the fact that the transition of money from the poor and middle classes to the ultra wealthy is happening at an ever quickening pace. The average corporate CEO doesn't care if your black, white, yellow or brown. He just wants more of your money. Segregation to immigration, it's all about keeping us at each other's throats.

They use the same tactics with religion and nationalism.

[elehhhhna]

16. I'm cancelling Time Warner Cable and this is why. I LOVE Mooney.

LOVE HIM.

[Cha]

18. I already cancelled their roadrunner

cause I needed something cheaper. This disgusts me..censoring a comic on cable.

[Cha]

17. Paul Mooney is so right! They're

practicing on whomever they can now and then they'll come for anyone they feel like. Watch out.

This guy was not making anything up and tellin' it a real funny way. I hope since the biggies at time-warner shut the door that a window flies wide open for him some day soon.

[followthemoney]

29. First they came for the Black Man and said "No jokes."

When they told my white ass to wipe the smile off my face, there was no one left to laugh.

[elehhhhna]

20. Mooney on youtube:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=q3IRZLm-ZPM on Chapelle
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kF18vQkIR2k&mode=related&search= Live onstage

[William Bloode]

22. Makes me wonder what Negrodamus would have to say that?

Or perhaps i should ask a black man! Lol! I love Mooney.:rofl:

[McCamy Taylor]

23. The FCC owns Time/Warner Cable because of the Adelphia merger.

The FCC sat of the deal for 404 days with its usual carrot/stick tactics. Now, CNN and all Time/Warner products kiss adiministration ass if they know what is good for them.

Mooney should switch to a different media outlet where he can blast Time/Warner.His new host will be glad to have him trah talk the competition.

[McCamy Taylor]

25. Try Universal or Bravo--owned by NBC/GE, they hate Bush and high oil price

They will be happy to have Mooney bash Bush until the sun comes down (and bash CNN, too)

[NobleCynic]

28. That's a shame

Mooney is a funny man.

[Old Smokey]

30. Mooney is funny as hell

I love how he named the girls gin and juice.