I've received posts and e-mails threatening me with libel lawsuits for claiming Tim Henson was on food stamps. Tim Henson had claimed to be on food stamps on an episode of his program. I heard the clip and did not hear any indication of it being an attempt at humor. To tell the truth it sounded heartfelt and pained. Simply playing a clip of his statement would suffice to win any actual lawsuit.
I've been sent another clip where Tim Henson claims he is not on food stamps. Given the lack of actual humor in what he claims is satire, it's difficult to tell when he's trying to be honest. I think anyone hearing the original clip in isolation, as I have, would be inclined to believe he was bemoaning the lack of subscriptions and admitting to finical hardship.
He has also denied engaging in credit card fraud. He seems to have a different definition of "Fraud" than I do. He opened a Discover card, bought a computer and never paid off the card. He let it lapse until a collections agency came after him! He went so far as to have an entire fund raiser among his fans to raise the money to pay off the debt when collections came after him a second time. I'm sorry, but where I come from buying something with a credit card and then deciding not to pay the card is stealing. We can debate if the act met the legal definition of fraud but it was an attempt to steal, no matter how you mince it.
I do not listen to entire episodes of Distorted View. I hear clips and fragments that are sent to me. While I have heard entire episodes in the past, I do not seek it out. Fans and members of his "sideshow" send me what they consider to be choice clips. I've even been sent a URL containing a user name and password that claims to be the "subscription feed" for the "Distorted View Sideshow." I lack the time and interest to keep up with the antics of a man who will find his program banned within a few years. I'm more interested in the big fish, the FCC and regulatory bodies that can ban Tim Henson and his ilk as an entire category and not just individually.
My time chasing him down was wasted. Even if I had gotten him off the air it would have been a waste because it was just ONE pornographer, just ONE pervert on the Internet. There are thousands of pornographic and immoral web sites that need to be shut down. Enabling the government to do this is a far better use of a Christian's time than chasing down a pervert here or a fornicating moron there.
3 comments:
"I think anyone hearing the original clip in isolation, as I have, would be inclined to believe he was bemoaning the lack of subscriptions and admitting to finical hardship."
I appreciate what you're doing Cornswalled, although I whole heartedly disagree with everything you say. That being said, don't you find the above quote a problem? When you take something out of context, then you lose the intent of the original statement. Anyone who heard his "food stamp" comment IN CONTEXT would not mistakenly think he was serious. You've got every right to hate the guy, what he does, and what you think he stands for. More power to ya bud. However, if you're going to make claims against a person's character based on something they say, then you really need to hear what he says in the context he says it. If you don't, then that IS libel.
Distorted view is a unique brand of humor that harms nobody. I realize that the First amendment argument appears weak, but it holds tremendous power. The Bill of Rights must apply to everyone or it means nothing. Your continued efforts to empower the FCC to ban programs such as DV, Keith and the girl, and others empowers the government to regulate the programs you enjoy as well, i.e. the fairness doctrine.
Many Christians (not all) have some views that I find offensive. I have serious problems with their disrespect for homosexuals, intolerance of other religions, and hypocritical relationship with science (benefit from science, ridicule scientists). If you want to try to silence a program that I enjoy because you find it obscene, I will do my best to silence a lot of the hateful filth I hear from some Christians.
I have no problem with you stating your opinion of DV, but you cross the line when you try to use force to silence DV.
Jigoo!
P.S. In all fairness, what kind of legal threat contains “=P” and “lolololol” anyways?
I have to agree with Jaytheist: What applies to one applies to all. If you try to get shows like Distorted View banned, then that leaves the door open to people who don't like your blog, podcast or whatever to have you banned.
I'm guessing you're an advocate of school prayer. Opening the schools up for prayer means opening it for everyone. That means not only Christians, but Muslims, Hindus, Wiccans, and the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
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