Who are the most victimized people on the planet? If you answered “the birther lunatics,” you would be correct. WorldNetDaily.com writer and birther book publisher Joseph Farah is suing Esquire for $120 million for publishing a parody post reporting that Farah finally decided the whole birther thing was probably just a hollow, exploitative attempt at monetizing the fears of stupid, racist people, and he would be recalling the Jerome Corsi book. Haha, that is ironic and totally implausible, because Joseph Farah loves money. But you know who doesn’t understand irony? Birther nutjobs! So they all freaked out and in their typical brainless fashion went and took the books off the shelves. IT’S ON THE INTERNET IT MUST BE TRUE! It was a sad day for Joseph Farah’s bank account, because of irony.
The Esquire post also says on it: Uh, this is not real, everybody. There is a little “humor” tag at the bottom. Did Joseph Farah wish for thirty seconds that his wingnut readership had even the slightest concept of what satire is? No, probably not.
From the WorldNetDaily story announcing the lawsuit:
“You can’t just make up words and put them in people’s mouths, deliberately misleading the public, deliberately defaming others and deliberately lying to inhibit commerce,” Farah said. “Media institutions such as Esquire magazine and its parent, the Hearst Corporation, for which I was employed for nearly a decade, should know better. And they will as a result of this lawsuit.”
Yeah, you can’t just go around lying and making up words and deliberately misleading the public in order to inhibit commerce. But it is completely fine to do it when you are making money from it. [TPM/ WND]
{ 175 comments }
If you pull the string behind Sarah Palin's head she says "Satire is Hard!"
Not "Sartre's too hard"?
You must be confused. Palin gives people nausea, she doesn't read it.
Nice
Camus can do, but Sartre is smart-re.
Don't pull too hard, it might come out.
Didn't Flynt and Falwell already do this act?
And I believe it was 9-0 with Scalia writing the majority opinion.
If it's unanimous, why do they even bother writing an opinion?
Sorry, it was 8-0 with Anthony Kennedy not taking any part in the ruling.
Recused because of his numerous contributions to Penthouse Forum?.
And it's now literally one of the textbook cases on parody; the other one being between 2 Live Crew and Roy Orbison's old record company over their "Pretty Woman" parody; the crew won.
The thing is, the parody defense is pretty clear cut, but many assholes sue for defamation or copyright violations anyway, because a lot of people don't the resources to fight against a nuisance suit and will give in to threats rather than fight. However, this is Esquire, which like Hustler and the Crew has the resources to fight such an obvious bullshit case.
And Falwell is still one of the biggest Assholes of the 20th Century. The comptetion was pretty stiff but he should still be in the top 10.
Hearst bought the dot-com I worked for in the '90s; I went from creating websites about women's finance and careers to doing the Redbook website, which featured a step-by-step article (with pop-ups, of course) on how to give a great hand job. Isn't that the standard of journalism all Hearst publications should be held to? Doesn't Farah remember those (ahem) heady days?
“You can’t just make up words and put them in people’s mouths, deliberately misleading the public, deliberately defaming others and deliberately lying to inhibit commerce,” Farah said.
Looks like someone has never seen FOX News.
I don't think he's even seen his own POS rag.
Gullible fucktards gullible.
"Corsi", said the Blind Man to his Deaf Wife, as he picked up his hammer, then slammed it down into Jerome's head.
It is delicious, teh ironeez! That a former employee of the corporation founded by William Randolph Hearst — the Father of Media Manipulation (Yellow Journalism) — should be complaining about media manipulation.
Spain should sue.
Sorry, but Spain's not short on MILVES — though, really, even if only for Penelope Cruz, it would be enough — so no need to reclaim the Philippines.
One wonders what sort of synaptic contortions ensue when they read "The Onion".
These are the same people who believe that Stephen Colbert is a conservative pundit.
I can see that leading to a reboot cycle where much Budweiser is needed to clear their heads.
In Farah's case, he runs a breathless article citing The Onion as evidence that Harry Potter promotes Satanism. Then, after someone points out that The Onion is satire, he removes only the paragraph that quoted that publication.
Or Christwire for that matter.
Funny you should mention that:
http://literallyunbelievable.org/
Every time an Onion article is believed, an angel gets it's bell rung.
Which is important, because that's how they warn those British that they're not goin' to take away their
armswings, or warning shots.If this works out and they have to pay out, maybe Esquire's fashion selections won't run to $700 shirts, $1200 pairs of shoes, and $6,000 suits anymore.
You could wear a burlap sack and still look beautiful.
Hey, that's exactly what I wear!!
“You can’t just make up words and put them in people’s mouths, deliberately misleading the public, deliberately defaming others and deliberately lying…"
Well shit. Isn't that the Fox News business model?
Has anyone pointed this out to Andrew Breitbart?
Farrah need to turn off the faucet.
From the comments on WND…
Richard Halavais · Top Commenter
It's time we all sue liberal newspapers and TV networks and even Internet blogs for lying and misleading stories about conservatives. When they have to pay big bucks in damages maybe they'll be a little more careful about the crap they publish. For example, I think I have a case for damages against MSNBC and CNN and ABC, NBC and CBS because they failed to investigate and report on Obama's homosexual lover and that has caused me great financial damage. I, and you, could collect millions, untilwe drive them into bankruptcy.
I never cease to be amazed. I should be used to this crap by now, but I am always surprised at just how fucking stupid some people can be.
Irony of the same folks who screamed about frivolous lawsuits.
I'm dying to know how failing to report on Obama's homosexual lover has cost this Dick anything unless he's got some really clever T-shirts already made up.
YES WE CAME.
Duh, he's the lover.
Obama owes him millions in gay alimony.
He has suffered mental anguish that no one believes his delusional ramblings and everyone tells him to shut the fuck up.
Much like the crazy homeless people one sees downtown, by the bus station. WHERE'S THEIR COMPENSATION? HUH???
Obvious troll is obvious.
I hope, anyway.
Richard · Top Commenter
"By not supplying us with pictures of Obama's homosexual lover, both with and without his shirt, I have been unable to decide how badly Obama is tearing America apart. This lack of reporting has caused a schism in my marriage that even viagra can no longer solve. Will anyone take my case?"
that is TOTALLY a wonkette commentator.
"Obummer should be prostituted for pinning my shoulders to the floor with his slender, mocha calves and forcing his thickly-veined Socialism down my throat!11!1!"
Do go on…
As Harry Truman said, "I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell."
This why these idiots are all for tax cuts for the rich. They have aspirations of gaining wealth via bat shit insane lawsuits
"Once we have single-party rule and eliminate opposition press, we'll finally be able to have true freedom!"
I for one, am getting tired of explaining to people why it's not inaccurate or hyperbolic to call these people fascists.
How is it possible that there are ANY unsuccessful Nigerian Businessmen??
Oddly enough? Falwell was the other side; it would be impossible for a side he's on to not be pure evil.
True, that.
“You can’t just make up words and put them in people’s mouths, deliberately misleading the public, deliberately defaming others and deliberately lying to inhibit commerce,” Farah said
Said the man who published Jerome Corsi??
What is with this right-wing obsession with things going in mouths? Whether it's words or laws rammed down throats or Michelle Obama's healthy eating advocacy, they are orally obsessed. PsycWench: You know evil psychology, help me out.
I think it might have something to do with oral sex.
Probably penis envy.
"Probably"? Gee, my undergraduate-C+-psych-major analytic skills tell me there ain't no probable there. It's a stone-cold certainty.
Farah worked at Esquire, a putatively serious quasi-gay publication? There's your lede.
Quasi- gay? Now that is libel.
I hope they never read " A Modest Proposal"
That wasn't real. I'll be right back. I errr, need to clean out the freezer.
Dashboard are you from Wisconsin, what with Jeffrey Dahmer, Ed Gein, and all?
It's okay as long as they've already been born.
I does not care.
Isn't that the current American Idol winner.
And he's suing for $120 million? Come on now, no court in the universe would believe that there's that many gullible racist morons who would be willing to spend money on that piece of shit.
Maybe he can have a pity party with the "Moon Landing Was Staged" crowd.
They said this:
“You can’t just make up words and put them in people’s mouths, deliberately misleading the public, deliberately defaming others and deliberately lying to inhibit commerce,”
about this:
"the whole birther thing was probably just a hollow, exploitative attempt at monetizing the fears of stupid, racist people"
Where are the falsehoods? I see none. Throw this out, your honor…
Dude, where did your pee go?
Morning WeeJee! Did you see where Bristol went on the TV to promote her book, and said of Bachmann:
"I think [Michele Bachmann] dresses a lot like my mom," Bristol tells me. "But a lot, a lot of women have done that the last few years. I do think it's odd, you know, seeing people with red blazers with their hair up with glasses."
Bristol added a giggle before continuing her thought about Bachmann, a Congresswoman from Minnessota. "I don't know if she's wearing glasses but you want to be hummmm, do you think that people don't notice you're dressing like my mom?"
————————————————-
Yes, Sarah invented the red blazer and glasses.
Cracked magazine issued a press release from 1994 asking "What about us?"
When they have to pay big bucks in damages maybe they'll be a little more careful about the crap they publish
Did he provide an address? I need to know where to send his kettle.
MAD Magazine will just throw the fershlugginer veeblefetzer at his head, and that'll be that.
Harvey Kurtzman FTW!!!
Moxie.
Axolotl!
“You can’t just make up words and put them in people’s mouths, deliberately misleading the public, deliberately defaming others and deliberately lying…"
…..except if you're a Con.
Next issue they'll publish an essay about eating poor children which will go completely unnoticed because it wasn't about eating fetuses.
It was terribly damaging to my youthful idealism to realize that a coyote can never catch a roadrunner, even when fully supplied by the Acme corporation.
Gives you a healthy respect for roadrunners, though. Those Acme anvils can cause some severe spinal injuries, I tell you what.
It was only because onerous government regulations of Acme's products resulted in said products being sub-standard.
It makes sense that teabag idiots wouldn't understand the feigned ignorance of irony. They never get beyond simple ignorance.
From the same people who are always claiming that there are too many petty lawsuits and demand that congress place limits on them.
When asked a follow up question, Farah said "Yes the Lizard People and Red Lectoids are controlling my titanium spine and forcing my head up and down on this throbbing hunk of gristly manhood. Wicked strumpet, wicked strumpet!"
Well, that's what he meant.
This is just like that War of the Worlds radio broadcast, but with more stupid.
WAY more stupid.
And let's not forget that THAT incident was just a coverup for the smuggling in of at least 46 illegal aliens, including John Ya Ya, John Bigboote, John Grim, John Many Jars, John Coyote, John Fledgling, John Chief Crier, John Rajeesh, John Littlejohn, John Starbird, and John Smallberries.
But not John Valuk. John Valuk is dead, he fell on his head.
From the TPM report:
As an aside, it's worth noting that Truth is an absolute defense against slander.
Well, that part is demonstrably true.
"execrable piece of shit"
I don't think you can sue for redundancy
Is it redundant? Maybe Warren is extraordinarily constipated…
Spurning, she doesn't understand that her mom dressed so poorly that McCain's flying monkeys had to go out to buy clothes for the family so that they would look less trashy. It's pretty bad when someone has to go out and buy underwear for your dad and he asks for silk boxers.
"We'll be sitting pretty, and farting through silk."
I hear that Mr. Bachmann wears silk boxers now, too. Just saying.
Don’t get me started, I fell hard for Natasha Fatale as a young child and carried that torch for years before someone broke the news that she was fictional
What's the difference between the Starship Enterprise and Farah?
One circles Uranus and wipes out Klingons. The other does that with his tongue, but he is a douchebag.
I found out, to my eternal regret, that if a stick of dynamite blows up in your hand or your mouth, you don't merely get singed hair and your skin somewhat blackened. Also, you are not back to normal in the next scene.
The decade in question wouldn't happen to be 1888-1898, by any chance, would it?
Remember the Maine
Meanwhile, in Hell, Jerry Falwell is reading about this, chuckling and muttering to himself, "Good luck with that suit, motherfucker!".
Die, Birthers, Die.
That's not a threat. It's just German for "The birthers, the."
"deliberately misleading the public, deliberately defaming others and deliberately lying to inhibit commerce"
isnt this the official position of the republican party?
What would be awesome would be someone getting video of O'Queef, giving blowjobs at a glory hole in an adult book store in New Orleans.
But gay is no longer the character assassination it used to be.
What would destroy his career would be if O'Keefe was caught sucking exclusively black and Mexican dick, and thus discriminating against whites. By wingnut logic, this would make him ineligible to be President.
It's getting so you can't tell which news stories are from the Onion and which ones aren't.
O.K. which one of the Wonkutt Skum wrote this? It's too perfect not to be snark.
This is what I thought too, like, holy shit one of the wonkette freaks got Top Commenter – hahahaha? It HAS to be. Obama's homosexual lover causing distress? YOU FUCKERS TELL ME THIS IS FAKE. It really is a godammed ouroboros in there.
Exactly — 'fess up!
I just know someone here wrote this.
When Obama looked out the window of the oval office and saw a shirtless Biden washing his Camaro, it was all over.
The deal was sealed when Joe played "Three Times a Lady" on his guitar.
OT sort of, but has anyone seen this? I am in shock, I have always thought this person was an asshole but to call the President a dick is a wee bit beyond the pale. Sorry to link to HP.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/30/mark-hal…
Shouldn't be in shock Lizzie. Remember when that librul journalist called Dubya a dick on live teevee? And the cacophony of outraged wingers that ensued? Oh, you don't? Neither do I.
Both sides do it™ , right Joe?
I don't know how Michelle can bear it. I hope Halperin is fired, I , as well we know, am not a prude but I find this just appalling.
It's disgraceful and I've written to tell them so. Granted, Halperin is an un-repentant hack, but that shit would never have been kosher with an (R) president, particularly, the most recent dick.
I called them I suggest we all do the same, I demanded that Halperin and Joe S both are fired. Here is the number for their comment line.
Dial (212) 664-4444 to speak to someone at MSNBC news if you have important information and can't wait for a response to an email or letter.
But wasn't the immediate past President's vice a dick?
I has a confused.
Hey baby, they have suspended him indefinitely, so our short-lived campaign has worked!
Mark Halperin is one of the worst whores masquerading as a journalist out there. Lest we forget, back when McCain couldn't remember how many houses he owns…
~
The man is an incompetent hack.
I guess it's probably worth mentioning that this entire episode is almost assuredly Good News for John McCain.
Ooooh, tempest in a teapot. The article mentioned when Schultz was suspended for calling Laura Ingraham a slut. What's wrong with that???
What's really amusing about that is that Halperin is a dick.
i see our president's critics continue to be eloquent and well-reasoned.
No, critical thinking is a good thing.
He has a special tray attachment on his hover-round so he doesn't have to get up when he expresses his first amendment rights.
And he's taking down Weird Al Yankovic after that!
You must have a copy of Bristol’s book to purchase either of Sarah’s books.
Each person must be present to get a wristband. They’re not transferable.
No belongings or bags allowed on stage for the signing.
No memorabilia will be signed; no personalization allowed.
No photos on stage; “cameras and cell phones are to be put away once you reach the stage stairs”
Stay in line. If you leave to use the bathroom or get food for a short period, someone in your party must stay in line at all times.
————————————–
You had to buy Bristol's book to get to Sarah? I would say "how humiliating!" but Bristol is pretty much used to it by now, skanktestant #2 that she is.
This from people who probably believe that "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" is no-bullshit non-fiction.
In other news, the only campaign song Michele Bachmann has permission to use now is Wang Dang Sweet Poontang.
Or Stranglehold, though that may be already be claimed by a Republican Wisconsin judge.
Bristol may have dibs on this, though. I think she wrote it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ko2VXpW7_g&fe…
If you answered “the birther lunatics,” you would be correct.
Please. That's "birthunatics."
Bristol would have more success at this mall
Not one of those eclectic shoppes you see in la Rive Gauche?
Do we REALLY know who Anthony Weiner sent those pix to? Just asking.
They should hire Lionel Hutz, this should go as well as his false advertising suit against the makers of the film "The Neverending Story".
"This is not
bullyingdefamationpersecution. It is peer pressure and is healthy."TORT LIBEL!!!11!1!
Czars?! What are we? Communist Russia!?
you're so cute for thinking that historical impossibilities would mean anything to the inventors of "Nazis were left-wingers."
First Farrah has to prove that any of his muzzy minded followers would read Esquire in the first place. Since it isn't WND or Fox or BigGarbage or porn, the chances are slim to none.
Ian Frazier is a genius.
Is he insane? Corsi is.
This neatly demonstrates their unwavering fealty to the Constitooshun.
and you know when they go for lawyers- they don't want people who got degrees at Liberty – they want those Harvard and Yale guys- damn liberal Jews(yes, cousins Mark and Jay- I am talking about you!- proudly)
You would think that people who devoted their lives to a completely fabricated story would have more sense than this.
The StillBirthiers have brought about 100 lawsuits to court – and they are 0 fer 100.
Looks like its going to be 0 for 101.
“You can’t just make up words and put them in people’s mouths, deliberately misleading the public, deliberately defaming others and deliberately lying to inhibit commerce…"
I have an idea: Let's just come up with three good comments, then copy/paste over and over. That would be fun!
57 states
i know! i know! birthers should file a class action suit! certainly they have enough in common to represent a class of aggrieved plaintiffs!!
oh, wait.
I also would like to accomplish a great deal under him.
And this, Limeylizzie, is precisely why I love you.
Sounds like someone is looking to make money from publishing and promoting this book, one way or the other.
Always a victim, never responsible. It's the new Republican/ tea party motto (and Palin clan mantra).
The movie version will be called "Birther of a Nation" and the part of President Obama will be played by Andrew Breitbart in blackface.
Jerome Corsi has a Ph.D? In what – Douchebaggery?
Love the way he threw "teleprompters" in the middle of that with no rhyme or reason.
Yeah, that really crescendoed – climaxed, if you will, there at the end.
Brilliant!
Pickle jar!
Funny how conservatives want everyone to be "political correct" and not hurt their fragile little feelings.
You'd think after having so much egg on his face and porn 'stache considering the day after publishing this "book", Farah wouldn't want to delve back into this stupid, racist and shameless opportunism by himself and that nutjob Corsi, but no such luck. Anyway, it'll be funny if this case goes forward, it'll be fertile ground for more mockery of this fat, moronic bag of shit….and it's a sure loss "first amendment, bitches!"…so, I say why the hell not. Wingnuts sue for dumber shit than even this, anyway.
Interesting. I seem to remember wingnuts frothing about "greedy trial lawyers" and "frivolous lawsuits". I guess those standards only apply to causes they don't support.
Oh, and as a lawyer, that complaint was hi-lar-i-ous.
Shh!! Don't let them find out about Wonkette, then. We're like the Esquire piece on HGH.
I'm sorry, but I don't believe this is the actual Esquire story. Until I see the longform story as created on Esquire's servers, I can't believe it to be true.
I honestly thought this reference was going to go under the radar. Sigh, i have found my people…
RepugliKKKans are the National Lampooned….
Morning Blow is unwatchable. Too bad, they have some good guests, but the Obama bashing is relentless and getting ever more shrill. Joey S. was not concerned with the disrespect shown by Halperin, Joey S. apologized because "kids watch this show". That to me, is even more insidious.
Joe knew what Halperin was going to do, nay he encouraged it, it was just vile and childish, I no longer watch it since it's become a Republican wank festival.
The only reason kids watch the show is for the chance someone will talk about wieners and dicks.
I was actually gladdened when they took him off the evening show and gave him the morning show, because it meant that I'd never have to see him again, even accidentally, out here in the Pacific time zone.
I've taken off the gloves with MSNBC. Every time one of their right-wing paid associates comes on, no matter the show, I turn it off, and I've told them so. It used to be almost cute, the gentle back and forth between Rachel and Pat, but fuck that shit. If I want to hear what the right has to say, I know where to find it.
Definitely this deserves 10 thumbs up- but I am not allowed!!!
Thanks. I actually despise MSNBC for cointinuing to give unreconstructed bigot Pat Buchanan a platform to try to peddle his noxious pablum to mainstream audiences.
I remember when he said of Justice Sotomayor that she was an unsuitable candidate because she was a Latina who taught herself English and went to an Ivy League school, which was self-evident proof that she was an "affirmative action student" and therefore no accomplishment that she had as a student or since is actually evidence of qualification, whatsoever. Yeah. I literally felt that I could vomit with rage over that one.
He recused himself because he used to have sex with his mom in the outhouse.
Ooops, Looks like another law suit.
I'll send you the card of my attorney, Chet Kincade. One of the best.
That's why you should always have a friend, to help you carry it.
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