Media Whore to sue internet soapboxes

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

Talk radio groupie Michael Savage is suing websites, including http://www.michaelsavagesucks.com/ and http://www.takebackthemedia.com/ and http://www.savagestupidity.com . Appearantly we have entered the Phantom Zone where freedom of speech doesn't exist.

 

Here's what Michael had to say about all this slander. How dare they disagree with him!

 

"You rats! You stinking rats who hide in the sewers! You think you can go after my income? You think you can kill my advertisers? You think I'm Dr. Laura? You think I'm gonna roll over like a pussy? You're wrong. I'm going to find out where you get your money from. You live by handouts, all of you. You live off grants, all of you. You're a bunch of beggars, but you don't know how lucky you are. If you continue this, we're going to go after your funding sources. And we will do everything we can within the legal realm to cut off that funding! We are also going to go to the U.S. Justice Department under John Ashcroft! What you are doing is illegal! You think it's 1965 and I'm South Africa? I've got news for you: it's not 1965 and it ain't South Africa! I'll cut your funding off, and if you break the law any further, I'll put you in jail!"

 

Well, damn. I guess everyone better take the South African flag sticker off their car then.

 

SavadgeStupidity.com has got a posse, though:

 

PRESS RELEASE: Public Citizen to defend SavageStupidity.com co-founders against $500,000 lawsuit by Michael Savage

June 3rd, 2003

 

SANTA CRUZ, CA - SavageStupidity.com's co-founders, Thomas and Gunilla Leavitt, announced today that Public Citizen, a nationally prominent non-profit public interest law firm, has agreed to defend them from a lawsuit filed by Talk Radio Network, Inc. TRN syndicates "The Savage Nation", a nationally broadcast radio talk show hosted by the infamous Michael Savage (née Weiner). "The Weiner has demonstrated his contempt for free speech by filing this lawsuit, and we intend to dispute it vigorously," said Thomas and Gunilla. SavageStupidity.com will also be represented by David Bradford, a partner specializing in complex litigation at the prestigious Chicago-based national law firm of Jenner & Block, who will act as local counsel in the case.

 

On May 12th TRN filed a federal lawsuit asking for $500,000 in damages due to "lost advertising and business opportunities", in an attempt to permanently shut down three web sites containing detailed criticism of Michael Savage and encouraging consumer boycotts of advertisers on his radio and television shows. Filed in a Northern Illinois court, the suit claims that Culligan International Company canceled a contract for advertising on "The Savage Nation" worth more than $100,000 after receiving "false and malicious" email from the web site owners and their readers. Others named in the lawsuit are a John Doe (responsible for michaelsavagesucks.com), and Julie Sigwart, owner of Take Back the Media (takebackthemedia.com), both of whom also vigorously dispute the merits of TRN's claims.

 

"We are extraordinarily pleased to have two such prestigious firms defending us. Public Citizen has a strong history of successfully defending web site owners like ourselves against meritless attempts to stifle free speech, and we are confident they will prevail in our case as well. TRN's claims are without substance - this lawsuit is clearly an attempt to silence a rapidly rising flood of criticism from the grassroots that is driving all sensible advertisers away from Savage's show," said Thomas Leavitt, co-founder and content editor for SavageStupidity.com. "No sane company wants to be associated with the stream of racist, sexist, homophobic, anti-immigrant, anti-Semitic and generally hateful and obnoxious comments broadcast daily on 'The Savage Nation'. Intimating that Elizabeth Smart is a slut, calling gay pride marchers 'the brownshirts of the modern age', and ranting that 'Hispanics breed like rabbits' place Michael Weiner far outside the mainstream of American political discourse. Advertisers are leaving in droves on their own - we're just helping the process along by empowering people with documented and referenceable commentary they can use to effectively communicate their pre-existing concerns to Savage's advertisers. Savagestupidity.com is freedom of speech in action, as American as Apple Pie, and we fully expect the courts to recognize that."

 

Also, please note:

 

Talk Radio Networks, Inc. has also filed a domain name dispute complaint with the National Arbitration Forum attempting to seize the savagestupidity.com domain name, based on unfounded claims that it is "confusingly similar" to michaelsavage.com

 

Appearantly TRN believes there is a strong arguement to be made that people associate "stupid" with Michael Savage and will be confused when they go to the wrong site.

[Guest Eagan469]

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

Because Franken vs. O'Reilly just wasn't lame enough...

[Guest Vyce]

Oh please, Jobber. Spare me from the "Free speech is dead!" campaign.

 

This shit has been going on for years now, to virtually anyone who's in the public eye. LIBERAL celebrities have done this on occasion.

[Guest Cancer Marney]

So what? The fact that other people also shit in public doesn't make this asshole's crap smell any better.

 

I'd never heard of this guy until you posted those links, JotW. And I was a better person for it. He's utterly revolting, and what he's doing is wrong. I was happy to contribute to the TBTM legal defense fund.

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

Didn't Michael Bloomberg sue to try and get bloombergsucks.com and lose?

[Guest Cancer Marney]

This has nothing to do with the First Amendment; it's a case of alleged misrepresentation plain and simple. Read the first line, for chrissakes. "Congress shall make no law" (emphasis added)

It's a limitation on the legislature, not the judiciary, and not in cases of alleged defamation and loss of advertising revenue. That doesn't make Savage's lawsuit any less despicable but your attempt at refutation is completely inane. There is zero chance - ZERO - that any court in the country would or even could rule that any statement presented as opinion can be prosecuted.

I'm fucking sick of all you fucking illiterates who don't even understand your own Bill of Rights. Don't quote the Constitution until you've bloody well read it and you know how it bloody well works. It's one of the most beautiful and most important documents in the history of the world and it deserves one hell of a lot better than your mindbogglingly ignorant ilk dragging it out for such insanely trivial shit every time it's completely inapplicable.

 

Stick to fifty-page threads in NHB about whether or not you've fucked other posters' mothers. This is a forum for serious discussion, and that means you sit down and shut up.

Edited June 10, 2003 by Cancer Marney

[Guest DrTom]

You go, girl~