NBC still promoting Coulter's books, despite Fox & Friends' claim to the contrary
SUMMARY: Contrary to the assertion by Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy that NBC's Today "booked" Ann Coulter "to talk about her book, and they didn't talk about her book," Today host Meredith Vieira noted in her introduction of Coulter that she has a new book out, the book appeared on-screen at the beginning and end of the interview, and Vieira did bring it up during the interview. The Today appearance marks at least Coulter's 195th appearance on an NBC-operated channel.
Notwithstanding the false assertion on the October 2 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends that NBC's Today hosted Ann Coulter but did not "talk about her book," Today in fact repeated NBC's longstanding pattern of providing the right-wing pundit with an audience of millions -- this time to promote her latest book, If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans (Crown Forum, October 2007). And, contrary to the assertion by Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy that Today "booked her to talk about her book, and they didn't talk about her book," Today host Meredith Vieira noted in her introduction of Coulter that she has a new book out, the book appeared on-screen at the beginning and end of the interview, and Vieira did bring it up, saying that it is "a compilation" of "opinion pieces," "insights," and "insults."
Indeed, the discussion of her book on Today marks at least Coulter's 195th appearance on an NBC-operated channel, even though several NBC hosts and anchors -- including Tonight Show host Jay Leno, Today co-host Matt Lauer, and Nightly News anchor Brian Williams -- have expressed disapproval of Coulter's "harsh" and "nasty" statements. According to a Media Matters review, Coulter has been interviewed at least 194 times on at least 13 individual programs on MSNBC, CNBC, and NBC since April 28, 1997 -- apparently her first appearance on the network, during which Coulter's books were always named, by a host or anchor, by an on-screen graphic, or by Coulter herself.
On October 1, Media Matters for America asked whether NBC would host Coulter to promote her latest book, which Today did the next day, October 2, the book's release date. Later on Fox & Friends, Doocy and co-host Gretchen Carlson asked Coulter why Vieira "didn't talk to you about the book." Coulter told Doocy: "[T]hey're trying to mainstream me. They're treating me like, you know, an esteemed guest accepted by the mainstream media," prompting Carlson to ask: "But why would they do that?" When Coulter said, "They're supposed to be outraged," Carlson again asked: "But, why would they do that? Meredith Vieira interviews you. Why do you think that they would try to keep the interview non-confrontational?"
On Today, Coulter, who has a pattern of attacking Arabs and Muslims, including recently defending her use of the slur "camel jockeys" in referring to Arabs, said that Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani "seems sort of crazy enough that he'd nuke Iran, and that warms our hearts and, you know, at that point it's been years since an ex-wife appeared in Vagina Monologues," an apparent reference to Giuliani's then-estranged wife, Donna Hanover, who performed in the play on Broadway for three weeks in 2000.
As Media Matters has documented, Coulter has engaged in a longtime pattern of using inflammatory rhetoric.
From the October 2 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends:
DOOCY: Straight ahead on our program today: Her books always cause controversy, but Ann Coulter says her newest one takes the case [sic]. I was just talking to her. She is so angry today --
BRIAN KILMEADE (co-host): At you?
DOOCY: -- at the Today show because they booked her to talk about her book, and they didn't talk about her book. Anyway, she's going to take some phone calls.
[...]
KILMEADE: How could you possibly pull off a book with this type of genre, and this type of theme, Ann Coulter? Where does it come from? The anger? The directness? The bluntness?
COULTER: Thank you, thank you. Pure resentment and hatred.
KILMEADE: Thank you. Is that where it comes from?
DOOCY: And you got a little hatred today from the Today show. They in -- they invited you out. Your book is released today.
COULTER: Today.
DOOCY: They invited you on the Today show this morning, and they didn't talk to you about the book?
COULTER: No, they're trying to mainstream me. They're treating me like, you know, an esteemed guest accepted by the mainstream media.
DOOCY: Henry Kissinger?
COULTER: No, I am Ann Coulter.
CARLSON: But, why would they do that?
COULTER: They're supposed to be outraged.
CARLSON: But, why would they do that? Meredith Vieira interviews you. Why do you think that they would try to keep the interview nonconfrontational?
COULTER: I don't know. If this book doesn't upset them, then, you know, I think Republicans can cut loose now 'cause nothing's going to upset them.
From the October 2 edition of NBC's Today:
VIEIRA: So, will the right revolt if Rudy Giuliani is the Republican presidential nominee? We're going to ask Ann Coulter, a conservative commentator and author of the new book, If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans. Ann, good morning to you.
COULTER: Good morning.
VIEIRA: So, you have a lot of conservative friends. Do you hear the drumbeat? Do you sense a revolt?
COULTER: I mean, we'll see during the primary. It's hard -- I -- I-- I don't think it's a very good argument that Giuliani would not get social conservatives if he's the nominee, because if he's not getting social conservatives, he's not going to be the nominee. And I do think, as Jerry Falwell said in his last interview before he died, Christian conservatives like myself understand that the war on terrorism is the epochal war of our time right now, and social issues may have to take a backseat. I would just assume --
VIEIRA: So, when Giuliani says, "Be pragmatic," he makes a good point?
COULTER: I didn't like his point on the polls. I mean, we've been hearing about this from moderate Republicans for a long time, how they're so much more electable, you know, like old electable Bob Dole and electable Bush One. No, the right-wing social conservative Christian conservative is always the most electable one. What is appealing about Rudy Giuliani is what he did in New York, and also he seems sort of crazy enough that he'd nuke Iran, and that warms our hearts and, you know, at this point it's been years since an ex-wife has appeared in Vagina Monologues.
[...]
VIEIRA: Let me ask you very quickly about your book. It is in many ways --
COULTER: I thought we'd never get to that.
VIEIRA: Well, of course, we'll get to it -- a compilation of a lot of your opinion pieces, insights, and a lot of insults as well. How do you think it -- it engages conservatives and advances discussion, or do you believe -- some people say it's just the same old tired shtick rehashed over and over?
COULTER: Well, you can say that about a lot of things, even this interview. No, it's -- and it's not opinion pieces. It's quotes, and it is, among other things, all of the -- my allegedly career-ending quotes, and I think it ought to give heart to young right-wingers that -- that liberals and the mainstream media aren't as powerful as they used to be. Just because they are hysterical and denounce you won't end your career. It's been 10 years of these statements for me, and also, I think they're pretty funny.
VIEIRA: All right, Ann Coulter, thank you so much --
COULTER: Thank you.
VIEIRA: -- for your time this morning, and the book is called If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans.
Coulter the hack.
Yes, she's a hack...but the point here, of course, is that Fox and Fiends hyped her book, and the false meme of the librulmedia, by lying about her appearance on NBC. (Of course Coulter went along with the lie. That's her stock in trade.)
I never buy political books written by authors from the left or right, but if I did I would buy one of Coulter's. No one else stirs the pot better. Although lefties smoke the pot better.
Les is less, If lefty's smoke the pot better, then wingnuts snort the oxycontin like heroin much better. Eejit.
Ann Coulter is my personal Goddess.
I hope you are being sarcastic.
My conclusion: You're a psychopath.
You have my condolances. She is a souless harpy without a shred of decency
Maybe so. But she's hot.....and rich.
That's all you need, "hot and rich," no values ;)?
Like I said, she's rich. She has PLENTY of value.
Bush Lies has tormented taste in women. He must like the smell of dry bones, whisky and ciggys. That is a potent combo for rightwingers.
Juliajayne, your sooo bad ;-)
Classic, so very classic
She's slender, blonde, rich, and brilliant. Don't be jealous of her.
Well, Bushlies, you might want to go ahead and propose to her, Nobody else seems interested. Ick.
Don’t forget that smell of money. A Goddess, she's a malnourished bag of bones and she looks like a man. And I know I never dreamed of being a slender blond. Seriously she just has this nastiness that seems to emanate from her pores. If she’s so great and such a catch with legions of fans comprised of guys like the guy that stole another poster's sign on then why is she so angry? I guess it really is true that money doesn’t buy happiness.
Not to mention ambiguous gender.
Freedom of speech is a lovely thing.
Except when the free speech is from MoveOn, right?
Or Rush Limbaugh's "phony soldiers?"
Or O'Reilly's "secular progressive" boogeymen?
And BTW, Ann Coulter is on record as saying she's "...not a big fan of the 1rst Amendment."
Well Doucy is wrong, they did mention her book, though only briefly.
And MMFA must be happy? Unhappy?
Ann appeared on NBC, so MMFA is unhappy. They'd prefer she be blackballed.
Ann's book was not the bulk of the interview, so MMFA must be happy. They'd prefer her books not be publicized, in fact they'd like them banned.
But this is the United States Of America, not the United States Of Media Matters. So they don't get to dictate who gets invited where.
The idea isn't to ban her, but to expose to MMFA readers just one more example of a powerful media entity enabling the far right.
Oh my sweet Libra cousin. So many projections, so little time. But it is so nice of you to care about how MMFA feels. ;-0)
But it is so nice of you to care about how MMFA feels.
Well my sweet Julia that might be because I'm the only really fair & balanced poster on this forum ;-)
See I don't give a hoot if 60 Minutes interviews a thug like Ahmadinejad, not once but twice. Hey even little monsters should be heard. And I didn't care that Columbia University welcomed him on campus. And I'd wager a bet most Liberals would agree with me. But many of those same Liberals would go bananas if Coulter was interviewed on 60 Minutes or invited to Columbia University.
Now I think it's great that MMFA exposes Coulter's ramblings. But I question their disapproval of NBC or any program that invites her to speak. They seem to be implying that giving her a forum is akin to breaking all 10 commandments at once :-O
Fair and balanced like Fox News? ;-0)
Do you think 60 minutes had Ahmadinajad (sp) on to promote him? And did Columbia U do the same thing? (of course they prefaced his remarks by introducing him as a petty dictator). Come on, context counts here.
AC is nothing but a rabid flamethrower. There is certainly no reason to celebrate her. She does not further thoughtful or informed discussion.
BTW, libs don't do book burnings or bannings. It just isn't our way. But we can question the celebration of some devisive and unethical hatemongers. It's the American way. to dissent against tyranny in all forms.
Tyranny? Maybe you should go check your dictionary.
Here's some dictionary definitions:arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power
abuse of authority
undue severity or harshness
Absolute power, especially when exercised unjustly or cruelly
Extreme harshness or severity
If those are qualities you look for in a woman, Coulter certainly fits the bill.
Juliajayne wrote:
AC is nothing but a rabid flamethrower.
And THEN wrote:
we can question the celebration of some devisive and unethical hatemongers.
Takes one to know one, I guess.
Once you have something coherant to say, I'll respond.
BTW, libs don't do book burnings or bannings. It just isn't our way. But we can question the celebration of some devisive and unethical hatemongers. It's the American way. to dissent against tyranny in all forms.
But really, AC says the same thing in all interviews. Same shtick, nothing new here. I don't thinks she's had an original thought in decades.
Sorry about the screw up. Too early for me. I usually get up around noon.
"But this is the United States Of America, not the United States Of Media Matters. So they don't get to dictate who gets invited where. - jeter2 / Tuesday October 2, 2007 09:51:01 PM EST"
Where has MMFA "dictated" that any company "can't invite" [sic] anyone? Where have they said they want to ban Coulter's books?
MMFA has a very liberal policy on who gets to post on their own privately owned website (far more than can be said for many political sites), and you, Tommy, Leather and many other conservative posters contribute here all day long. As it should be. If Coulter herself dropped by and posted, I seriously doubt they'd ban her, as long as she could discipline herself enough to keep within the posting guidelines (unlikely, I know).
MMFA properly challenges people like Coulter for her dishonesty and for how she has helped steer the political discourse in this country toward both venality and banality. I think it is also fair for Media Matters to question/track how many media outlets not only report on Coulter or "give her her say," but hype her to keep her in the forefront as a major media presence.
I just have to say "ouch" on Jeters behalf.
"They'd prefer her books not be publicized, in fact they'd like them banned."
They want her books to be banned? I'm hoping that was a joke that you forgot to put a smiley face after. Otherwise, I'm curious what you're basing that on.
Brab & JLyon,
I'm in a tongue & cheek mood tonight. Guess my humor with touches of sarcasm aren't coming through my writing. Of course I'm willing to bet Brock wishes he could get Coulter banned. Oh hell you all do ;-)
Not me. This place would be dull without an occasional Annie thread.
I'm off to the couch to watch the telly.
Will reply to any civil posts in the morning :-)
I was civil. Just surprised that you make a steady habit of putting smiley faces in when you're kidding, then you don't and expect people to figure it out.
Jeter, is that not a little harsh claiming MMFA wants to "ban" her books? No where have I gotten that impression. Ann is free to sell her books. Non one is saying she should not write or sell books.
"in fact they'd like them banned."
Careful, Jeter. You're stepping in a big ol' pile of LIE there.
I watched her on Today this morning, I just said to myself "what a horrible person Ann is".
Does anyone else think that Fox and Friends is an ignorant show? I watch it for a few minutes just to see how stupid it is. I had it on today, and then clicked over to Morning Joe on MSN. The contrast is amazing. Even the vocabulary is so much more sophisticated on Morning Joe. Does anyone really like Fox and Friends? To me, it's kin with the old Bozo the Clown show. Of course I liked that show when I was four years old.
The thing about Ann is it seems she's the one all in a rage, and it's about anything llllliburallll. It's quite obvious progressives get under her skin; it is really not the other way around--at least to the same extreme.
Oh, and if Ann had any brains she'd come up with a more creative title, one that doesn't reek of childishness. Nyaa, nyaa!
How about "Ann Coulter is a shrunken anorexic idiot"?
How come they didn't have Matt Lauer doing the interview? He could have sucked up to Annie just like his Bill O'Reilly drumbeat when he interviewed Paul Waldman. Send a "man" to do Meredith's job.
I realize that all of you liberal weenies are jealous of Ann Coulter, but you don't have to be so nasty. See is a very articulate and educated women, something you won't find on the weenie side of the aisle. i still cannot figure out why the weenies are so desperate to have tax and spend people in office. I forgot, you need these people to tell you what to do because you don't want to think for yourselves. We have the right to pursue happiness. it is not guaranteed because the dems say we should all have it, as long as it is controlled by the weenies.
Yeah, we're jealous alright, like we're jealous of people who have huge tumours the size of pineapples growing out of the side of their neck.
The fact that you think that coulter is articulate and educated precludes me from reading the rest of your post.
Jealous? You can't possibly be serious.
Mean? If you can give it, you ought to be able to take it. Even from "weenies!"
The fact that Ann Coulter is upset or disappointed because NBC did not interview her in a confrontational manner says all you need to know. Coulter makes money stirring up contoversy, the more outrageous the better. If she's being interviewed politely as though she were Barbara Bush, however, it ruins Ann's script. Perhaps Ann should keep small rodents in her purse so whenever she is unexpectedly interviewed politely she can bite their heads off for dramatic effect and stir things up. Ann Coulter is about as real as professional wrestling...and just as charming.
Irony, that is a slur. Professional wrestling is a class act when compared to the likes of Ann Coulter.
Why isn't she married with a brood of babies, like a good conservative woman? She talks one way, but lives another. Fake.
AC "Well, you can say that about a lot of things, even this interview." Wow, if that was Whoopi or Rosi doing the interview I think Ann would have had a few teeth folded back. Even Bawbawa would have fixe her with a steely gaze that would have made Ann cringe in fear. I feel sorry for Vieera having to make nice on camera with such a rude "guest".
Coulter makes me laugh often. I find a good portion of her writings quite enlightening. I wonder if MM is helping sell her books? Might be a good read.
Maybe, maybe not. But I guarantee MOST men are gonna stop at least long enough to check out the picture of her on the cover. HOT!!
I'm hot too, but I'm saving myself for a nice conservative man.
The amazing air brush strikes again. Ann is FAR from beautiful although looks should be irrelevant for a political commentator because if it's relevant then how do you explain Rush and all those doofuses over at Fox?
...looks should be irrelevant for a political commentator because if it's relevant then how do you explain Rush and all those doofuses over at Fox? - Lynn / Wednesday
Explainable because looks are only important for women in the biz; male bloviators are held to a different standard.
Now that I've chided people for being so shallow, I'll hypocritically weigh in on the Coulter/attractive question. Personally I've never found her even remotely appealing. Michelle Malkin, who I find every bit as rotton as Coulter, is more attractive (at least when her eyes aren't bulging and saliva isn't flying). But I'd throw them all out of bed for a chance at Phyllis Schlafly.
Yuk! Michelle Malkin is very pretty. Pretty on the outside and crazy on the inside. But I honestly don't see what it is the people that talk about how hot Ann is are seeing.
Don't know if Bush Lies is male or female. A right wing apologist with that alias is confused. I find Ann to be hard, cold, and mean. It takes a lot more than some exposed skin to make a harpie like her seem attractive. ICK!
I love Ann, she makes me laugh.
Coulter's true colors are those of a closet Nazi. That people call her a "conservative" is first of all completly inaccurate. She's a reactionary, but not conservative. She's the true Stalinist.
To her credit, as I've said for years, I don't think it (Coulter--I'm getting tired of giving it human attributes) takes itself seriously. Coulter knows its audience who are in desperate need of that kind of childish audacity disguised as a backbone. That anyone buys her stuff is frightening.
Ann Coulter is just another cog in the Neocon Propaganda machine. Unlike other fascist regimes that always had propaganda ministers as part of the government, the Neocons have highly paid, opportunistic petty hacks who write propaganda for a quick buck. Ann Coulter has the right to her opinion, she has the right to write it down in book form, her publisher has a right to print it, and book shops have the right to sell it. However, she doesn't have a guaranteed right to promote her work on national television. In fact news outlets such as NBC have a responsibility to show what Coulter's overgrown political tracts really are: political propaganda with no literary, artistic, or scholarly value whatsoever. Ann Coulter's works are to political science books what Harlequin Romances are to the novel -- pornography. While normal folks masturbate to a variety of sexual fantasies; Neocons get off on trashing their political opponents.
Richard Belzer's comment from Bill Maher's show nails it regarding AC.
"She's a fascist Barbie Doll"
By the way "If Democrats or Republicans Had Any Brains, They'd Be Independent". Both parties are primarily interested in accumulating power through governmental growth and serve us all very poorly. Obama at least is honest that "the system is rigged".
"She's a fascist Barbie Doll"
Are you saying that she is really Klaus Barbie?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_Barbie
I saw the interview on NBC. Fox was essentially correct in characterizing them as not having talked about the book, as there was only one question right at the end of the time allotted for the interview. I'm quite confident that if Hillary had gone on some show to promote one of her books and was only asked one question at the end relating to it, media matters would have described the interview as "not having talked about her book".
Media matters should consider it a victory that the Today Show marginalized her book to the last few seconds, but they certainly shouldn't assume they had anything to do with it. The same type of thing has been done to conservative authors and guests on NBC, and pretty much everywhere else, long before media matters ever existed.
It looks to me like media matters simply wants media outlets to ban participation by anyone who disagrees with their idea of who and what the American people should be allowed to see and hear.
I wouldn't consider that a very noble goal.
Yeah, poor you guys. You're all over the tube and radio without being challenged by braindead pundits/hosts. You spew hate and divisiveness and criticize other Americans that don't agree with you. And you think there's anything noble about that? Give me a break. When Joe Conason gets on NBC 195 times to promote his well researched and substantial books (rather than political porn), then I might concede a little. But that's not happening and you've got no point. You guys make lousy victims.
If there was anymore cleavage on the cover
It would be playboy
THE AUDACITY OF HANNITY & HIS LIFE PARTNER COMBS! BILL O'REALLY,who by the way, only needs a $9 allura wig to look like an old drag queen and GOTTA RUSH TO MY DRUG DEALER LIMBAUGH! TO CRITICIZE ANYONE FOR ANYTHING.....THESE SCUM SUCKING PROPOGANDISTS ARE THE EQUIVALENT OF HAVING TOKYO ROSE BROADCASTING FROM THE MIDWEST DURING WORK WAR ll...........WASH OUT YOUR EARS AMERICA THEY'RE FULL OF CRAP IF YOU LISTEN TO THE CORPORATE BITCHES. AND WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO ANN "MAN HANDS" COULTER? YOU CAN'T GET RID OF THAT EXTRA MALE CHROMOSONE LIKE YOU DID YOUR EXTRA EYELID SKIN though i do get a kick out of the way only her mouth can move on tv from the perpetual bo-tox overdosing..SHE'S THE BARRY BONDS OF BOTOX.....AS FOR SAVAGE? PUSSYS GET PIT BULLS AND TOUGH NAMES SO THEY CAN BE CLOSER TO REAL MEN! how could he be gay with a name like SAVAGE?????????? OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH! YOU SAVAGE BRUTE! I BET HE GOES TO THE GYM IN SPEEDOS
WAKE- UP BRO! NEO CONS LOVE USING OPPORTUNIST MINORITIES TO DO THEIR CRIMES. YOU, ALBERTO GONZALEZ AND CUNDI RICE............THEY NEVER RESPECTED YOU FOOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND YOU ARE FOOLS! THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO MUCH GOOD AND NOW YOU'VE ALL JUST FURTHERED THE INTERESTS OF THE WHITE ELITIST FEW!....WHAT YOU SAY WILLIS???????? THAT'S YOUR PLACE IN HISTORY FOOL
HAD THE PATRIOT ACT which is neither NOT BEEN PUT INTO PLACE, THERE WOULD BE A REVOLUTION TODAY IN THE UNITED STATES.......WHO KNOWS? PERHAPS A REVOLUTION ALREADY OCURRING.........PERHAPS A GOOD SHOW OF FAITH WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD WE COULD TURN OVER BUSH, HIS CHILDREN, HIS BROTHERS, HIS PARENTS, HIS RELATIVES, HIS FRIENDS, TO THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT. GIVE CHENEY, RUMSFORD, ROVE TO THE INTERNATIONAL WAR TRIBUNAL AS WITH GONZALEZ AND RICE
Anyone else find it odd that a network (FOX) would care how another network conducts its interviews or treats its guests? Why is FOX so vested in Coulter's book? (rhetorical question)
A LIBERAL ANN COULTER? No and ...
Here's why ... The rest of us are more interested in being civil, honest and respectable straight shooters. Why do you suppose we don't have an equally effective Republican Media Matters? No reasonable need for one.
No Republican MMFA because Democrats don't have clones for Ann, Bill, Rush, etc.etc.
I knew MMFA was making fantastic progress when I hear Fox News attacking Media Matter over and over again. They lashing out with ugly labels such as Media Gestapo Smear WebSite.
Bill O'Reilly called Media Matters "A Far Left Swamp Pit" and a Smear WebSite. BillO putting Media Matters on the map has only hurt BillO. That's why his friend Dennis (The Menace) Miller keeps advising him to just ignore Media Matters.
A Republican Media Watchdog Group will not work effectively unless News Outlets begin reporting the honest to god truth. They (RMWG), of course would take that truth, spin the hell out of it and deliver it to Fox News for re-broadcasting.
I hope I didn't give them any ideas. Heck, it won't work anyway. As Arnold once Said ... I'll be back!
Sam, you are so righteous. MMFA must be doing somethging right since they are engenderimg so much hate from Limbaugh, O'Lielly et al..