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Mark Damon
Penn Jillette performs The Beatles’ “Come Together” with the Lon Bronson All-Star Band at Green Valley Ranch on Jan. 29, 2009.
Published Wednesday, May 20, 2009 | 10:30 a.m.
Updated Wednesday, May 20, 2009 | 12:12 p.m.
Strip headliner Penn Jillette appeared on Glenn Beck’s Fox News show last night (catch the exchange here), and the juggling half of Penn & Teller at The Rio shows he can entertain with a partner who speaks as part of his act. Jillette, an avowed Libertarian, has frequently appeared with Beck, but last night he was the one asking questions. When he queried Beck, who may or may not be a total lunatic, about what functions of government Beck supports, Beck said it was OK for the government to provide for roads and schools and for the “common defense.” Beck also said we need to get out of such fringe (his interpretation, evidently) U.S. interests as Germany and South Korea. Beck also wants to stabilize Iraq before pulling out because, “we broke it, we own it.”
After Jillette, long a spokesman and chief fundraiser for Aid for AIDS of Nevada, asked Beck about individual rights, Beck powerfully countered that he has “several gay employees” and even some gay friends. Beck says he’s pro-civil unions (Jillette says he’s pro-civil unions for all couples, including heterosexuals). Jillette notes that after every appearance with Beck, his liberal friends chide him because Beck is anti-gay, which Beck denies. Clips of Beck seemingly coming unhinged, even reducing himself to soft weeping, have been played and mocked by Jon Stewart on “The Daily Show,” but being questioned forces him to dial it down a few clicks to explain his actual positions on subjects he usually rants about unfettered. It’s a pretty revealing give-and-take between two guys who agree on most points but use radically diverse means of expressing themselves.
Glenn Beck may or may not be a total lunatic, but he surely plays one on t.v.
Penn Gillette would not get my vote for human of the year, but at least his activism appears genuine.
The main difference between the 2 might be I.Q.
Glenn Beck speaks the truth.....he rips on both the left and the right, and please dont say he doesnt because I have seen it.....however, he does rip on the left alot more since they are out of control and need to be kept in line since the left leaning national news media wont expose them for what they are, people like Beck need to
Jillette is a tool, Beck is a fool
We'd have better discourse,
If we had better schools.
Beck's lunatic act (if it is an act) is wearing thin. If it is sincere, I hope he gets help. Maybe he should go see Dr. Phil.
Glenn Beck is a BIG mouth with an empty brain and some serious mental issues. He's the perfect fit for Fox and their lunatic audience. Thank you Penn Jillette for exposing peddlers of bullsh*t like Glenn Beck.
If you think that is interesting, you should of seen him on the view the other day. Those woman ripped him a new one
ksifferman,
The ratings argument kills me. Newsflash - Fox is the only station on TV that caters specifically to the right wing conservative viewpoint. This is the venue in which all things conservative converge, and thus you get 100% of that audience.
Now do yourself a favor and add up all of the ratings from the remaining channels - CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, et al. - then get back to me about Fox's dominance on television. Whooops, there goes your theory. LOL. Furthermore, if there were a competing station with Fox for the conservative viewers, Fox's ratings would take a hit and we would see the numbers level out.
Buy a clue. Please.
I did see Beck on the View, caught a clip of it last night on Stewart. I've seen jackals with more compassion than those women showed Beck. Barbara Walters has no tolerance for him. He deserved it, too, having been caught fabricating a chance meeting with her and Whoopi Goldberg.
Why is Jilette always bringing up the gay issue? The guy is straight and married.
Investigative journalism is almost extinct. A few more years and all these talking turds will be viewed as cultural sages. God help us then! We won't need censorship. We'll be innoculated from ever catching the truth by attaching so much credence to these flatulating canine craniums attached to human torsos. And whether you agree with Beck or not-I often do- is not the issue. Like the flatulating baboon asses on MSNBC, to say nothing of the Fox lineup later on in the evening, these lobotomised bullfrogs couldn't be objective even if you had a taser to their testes! They'd probably break out in hives if they ever strained towards objectivity.
Dont you all know those fox talking heads are laughing at you behind..the scenes... it an act beck is dull as a butter knife... I know production staf at that network and they have to sign a contract to not say anything about what goes on there... those guy beck , hanity, ect dont give a f......k about you its a job... a really good paying acting job....called commetary..... and all you red state simpletons fall for it ...
How does this get printed in a newspaper? Where is the news here?
SkyG - Anyone who watches "The View^ and then references it to support an argument is my hero! I haven't been able to find decent 'shrooms in ages!