In the show “Real Time” with Bill Maher on March 12, 2010 he brings up an issue of “The Weekly Standard,” which features Al Gore sans clothes. The topic of discussion is (take a wild guess) Global Warming. Now, despite what I think of the topic, I was offended by the way Maher treated guest Amy Holmes, a CNN conservative news anchor (http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/holmes.amy.html). Holmes attempts to point out that scientific evidence suggests that global warming is not an isolated phenomenon. Instead, she tries to mention that the cyclic nature of Earth’s natural climate lends itself to dramatic climate change (think the Ice Age, for example), and that we, as humans, are perhaps speeding up this process. As a believer in questioning the supreme validity of everything, I was happy to hear her mention this scientific proposal (something I have personally done research in as well). So of course when Bill Maher interrupts her over and over again, I felt disgusted at this behavior—much like I’m sure Jon Stewart did when he was interrupted as well. To put things in perspective, I am attentive to the global warming theory, and I would not consider myself conservative. The real issue in “Real Time,” for me, is the total lack of mutual respect. Don’t bring me a debate show without debate. Don’t tell me I can say what I think without letting me say what I am thinking. I think this is certainly a part of why Crowley & Hawhee feel that it is imperative to bring the art (and science!) of rhetoric into the forefront of our (human) consciousness.
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In the show “Real Time” with Bill Maher on March 12, 2010 he brings up an issue of “The Weekly Standard,” which features Al Gore sans clothes. The topic of discussion is (take a wild guess) Global Warming. Now, despite what I think of the topic, I was offended by the way Maher treated guest Amy Holmes, a CNN conservative news anchor (http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/holmes.amy.html). Holmes attempts to point out that scientific evidence suggests that global warming is not an isolated phenomenon. Instead, she tries to mention that the cyclic nature of Earth’s natural climate lends itself to dramatic climate change (think the Ice Age, for example), and that we, as humans, are perhaps speeding up this process. As a believer in questioning the supreme validity of everything, I was happy to hear her mention this scientific proposal (something I have personally done research in as well). So of course when Bill Maher interrupts her over and over again, I felt disgusted at this behavior—much like I’m sure Jon Stewart did when he was interrupted as well. To put things in perspective, I am attentive to the global warming theory, and I would not consider myself conservative. The real issue in “Real Time,” for me, is the total lack of mutual respect. Don’t bring me a debate show without debate. Don’t tell me I can say what I think without letting me say what I am thinking. I think this is certainly a part of why Crowley & Hawhee feel that it is imperative to bring the art (and science!) of rhetoric into the forefront of our (human) consciousness.
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