The fact that it's a Borat-style "documentary" in which dumbasses are strung up by their own words has dumbasses everywhere complaining even before it hits theaters.

The project has already inspired protests at its premiere at the Toronto film festival earlier this month, and US satirist Bill Maher and director Larry Charles have been accused of misleading participants. Maher has conceded that several sleights of hand were necessary to persuade people to perform. 'It was simple: We never, ever, used my name. We never told anybody it was me who was going to do the interviews. We even had a fake title for the film. We called it A Spiritual Journey. It didn't work everywhere. We went to Salt Lake City, but no one would let us film there at all.'

Going further in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Maher described the type of audience he hoped to provoke: 'Any religious person. The point is to question what is usually made to be unquestionable in this country. Normally if you say the word "faith", the debate is over - no matter what incredibly nonsensical, destructive, ridiculous tenet comes out of your mouth. I could say, "My faith is the tooth fairy and Klingons are coming". But I'm not going to play by those rules.'

The determination to offend is not limited to the US market. A specially commissioned international poster, unveiled this month, depicts three monkeys as a rabbi, the Pope and an imam.

[Guardian UK]

Jon Stewart had one line the other night about how the Popes have gotten so much nicer since the Catholic church no longer has an actual army. And it's true! There's plenty to criticize, what with the anti-reproductive rights thing, but they're not killing infidels or holding inquisitions anymore! No one's drinking the liquor of succession or raping their own nieces!

Seriously, crusades now are carried on by supposedly secular governments, the worst offenses by religion against the greater good are perpetrated by extremist Islamist clerics and evangelical huckster preachers and even the Jews have more dangerous terrorists than the Catholics these days.

So Bill, it's fun to mock the Pope for looking like Emperor Palpatine, but at least he doesn't have enough power anymore to act like Emperor Palpatine.

And Catholics, please, make like the rest of the nation and stop paying attention to Bill Maher.

[Bill Maher is stopped by security guards at LAX, Jan 3; image via Bauer-Griffin]

New line by commenter Moff.

he and Mr. King discussed several of the factors contributing to the Democrats' election victory the day before, among them scandals involving several Republicans, including Representative Mark Foley. Mr. Maher then began to speculate on the sexual orientation of some high-ranking Republican officials, and Mr. King, seeming to forget that he was on the air, asked for names. The comments were broadcast live, but CNN's rebroadcast of the show later that evening cut a portion of Mr. Maher's remarks.

We'd suggest they research retiring RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman. From what we've heard from Bill Maher, he's gay.

Some Names Were Named, but Not for Long [NYT]
CENSORED BY CNN: BILL MAHER SUGGESTS RNC CHAIR MEHLMAN IS GAY.... [HuffPo]