| Revision as of 00:38, 21 March 2017 editGreenC bot (talk | contribs)Bots2,555,725 editsm Rescued 1 archive link; remove 1 link. Wayback Medic 2.1← Previous edit | Latest revision as of 02:52, 23 December 2024 edit undo204.111.161.138 (talk)No edit summary | ||
| (33 intermediate revisions by 26 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| {{Short description|2003 book by Al Franken}} | |||
| {{Infobox book | {{Infobox book | ||
| | name = Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them | | name = Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them | ||
| Line 23: | Line 24: | ||
| | followed_by = ] | | followed_by = ] | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| '''''Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them''''' is a ] book on American politics by ], a comedian |
'''''Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them''''' is a ] book on American politics by ], a comedian, political commentator, and politician. It was published in 2003 by ]. Franken had a study group of 14 ] graduate students known as "TeamFranken" to help him with the research.<ref>{{cite news | title = Chapter and verse on the need for regime change | first = Mark | last = Hertsgaard | newspaper = ] | url = http://www.markhertsgaard.com/articles/144 | url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211085648/http://www.markhertsgaard.com/articles/144 |archive-date=December 11, 2008 }}</ref> The book's subtitle, ''A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right'', is a ] of ]' tagline "]." FNC sued Franken over the use of the phrase in a ], which has been credited with increasing the sales of the book, an example of the ].<ref>{{cite journal|title = The Streisand effect and censorship backfire |journal = ] |last1 = Jansen |first1 = Sue Curry |last2 = Martin |first2 = Brian |date = 2015|citeseerx = 10.1.1.852.9159}}</ref> | ||
| ''Lies'' is one of several books published in 2003 written by |
''Lies'' is one of several books published in 2003 written by ] challenging the viewpoints of ] such as ], ], ] and ]. These books by Franken and fellow authors such as ], ] and ] were described by columnist ] as the "great liberal backlash of 2003."<ref>{{cite news | ||
| | last=Krugman | | last=Krugman | ||
| | first=Paul | | first=Paul | ||
| Line 31: | Line 32: | ||
| | work=] | | work=] | ||
| | date=2007-02-02 | | date=2007-02-02 | ||
| | url=https:// |
| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/02/opinion/02krugman.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin | ||
| | |
| access-date=2008-03-02}}</ref> | ||
| ==Summary== | ==Summary== | ||
| ''Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them'' largely targets prominent ] and ]s, highlighting what Franken asserts are documentable lies in their claims. A significant portion of the book is devoted to comparisons between |
''Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them'' largely targets prominent ] and ]s, highlighting what Franken asserts are documentable lies in their claims. A significant portion of the book is devoted to comparisons between then-sitting President ] and former president ] regarding their economic, environmental, and military policies. Franken also criticizes several ], especially those he believes to be the most dishonest, including O'Reilly, Hannity, and Coulter. The book includes two comics, "The Gospel of Supply Side Jesus", a cartoon by ], which parodies the seemingly un-Christian policies of Republicans who frequently invoke ] (like the ] meme), and "Operation Chickenhawk: Episode One", which features ] (and prominent Democrats) ] and ] leading a group of popular ]—none of whom actually served in the ]—into battle, only to get ] by the cowardly "]" neocons. | ||
| ==Publicity== | ==Publicity== | ||
| {{see also|Fox v. Franken}} | {{see also|Fox v. Franken}} | ||
| ] sought damages from Franken, claiming in its lawsuit that the book's subtitle violated its trademark of the slogan "]". The lawsuit was dismissed, and |
] sought damages from Franken, claiming in its lawsuit that the book's subtitle violated its trademark of the slogan "]". The lawsuit was dismissed, and backfired on Fox News by providing Franken with free publicity just as the book was launched. "The book was originally scheduled to be released Sept. 22 but will be made available Aug. 21," according to its publisher. "We sped up the release because of tremendous demand for the book, generated by recent events." | ||
| In the lawsuit, Fox described Franken as "intoxicated or deranged" as well as "shrill and unstable." In response, Franken joked that he had trademarked the word "funny", and that Fox had infringed his ] by characterizing him as "unfunny." The publicity resulting from the lawsuit propelled Franken's yet-to-be-released book to #1 on ].<ref>http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/0452285216.asp</ref> | In the lawsuit, Fox described Franken as "intoxicated or deranged" as well as "shrill and unstable." In response, Franken joked that he had trademarked the word "funny", and that Fox had infringed his ] by characterizing him as "unfunny." ] propelled Franken's yet-to-be-released book to #1 on ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/0452285216.asp|title=Lies: And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them - Bookreporter.com}}</ref> | ||
| On August 22, 2003, U.S. District Judge ] denied Fox's request for an injunction to block the publication of Franken's book, characterizing the network's claim as "wholly without merit, both factually and legally." During the judge's questioning, spectators in the court's gallery frequently laughed at Fox's case.<ref name="nytfox">{{cite web| |
On August 22, 2003, U.S. District Judge ] denied Fox's request for an injunction to block the publication of Franken's book, characterizing the network's claim as "wholly without merit, both factually and legally." During the judge's questioning, spectators in the court's gallery frequently laughed at Fox's case.<ref name="nytfox">{{cite web|last=Saulny |first=Susan |title=In Courtroom, Laughter at Fox and a Victory for Al Franken |work=New York Times |date=2003-08-23 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/23/nyregion/23FRAN.html?ex=1376971200&en=221c949c94e93f90&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014065839/http://nytimes.com/2003/08/23/nyregion/23FRAN.html?ex=1376971200&en=221c949c94e93f90&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-10-14 |access-date=2007-03-15 }}</ref> Franken later joked, "Usually when you say someone was literally laughed out of court, you mean they were figuratively laughed out of court, but Fox was literally laughed out of court."<ref name="stanfordprogressive">{{cite web| last = Corman| first = Mary| title = Franken Speaks Frankly| work = interview| publisher = Stanford Progressive| date = 2003-08-23| url = http://progressive.stanford.edu/2003.11_franken.html| access-date = 2007-03-15 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070109235717/http://progressive.stanford.edu/2003.11_franken.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2007-01-09}}</ref> Three days later, Fox filed to dismiss its lawsuit. | ||
| Franken describes the legal battle in a ]-only chapter of ''Lies'' entitled "I Win". | Franken describes the legal battle in a ]-only chapter of ''Lies'' entitled "I Win". | ||
| == |
==Reception== | ||
| ⚫ | In a largely favorable review of Franken's book in the Washington newspaper '']'', reviewer Mary Lynn F. Jones wrote: "Franken's tendency to mix fact with fiction left me wondering sometimes what was true and what wasn't."<ref name="joneshill">{{cite web | last =Jones| first =Mary Lynn F.| title =Franken's humor overpowered by cynical Look at the Right| work =The Hill| date =2003-09-09| url =http://thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/Features/BookReview/090903.html| access-date = 2007-03-17 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070107221953/http://thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/Features/BookReview/090903.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2007-01-07}}</ref> As an example, she cited a passage in Franken's book in which he wrote that former ] foreign policy advisor ] "bolted" from a Senate hearing and " over veteran reporter ], breaking her hip and jaw".<ref>Franken, page 218</ref> The ] version has a footnote saying, "The Helen Thomas thing is a joke."<ref>Franken, page 227 of the paperback</ref> | ||
| ===Difficulty posed by use of satire and nonfiction=== | |||
| ⚫ | In a largely favorable review of Franken's book in the Washington newspaper '']'', reviewer Mary Lynn F. Jones wrote: "Franken's tendency to mix fact with fiction left me wondering sometimes what was true and what wasn't."<ref name="joneshill">{{cite web | last =Jones| first =Mary Lynn F.| title =Franken's humor overpowered by cynical Look at the Right| |
||
| ===Recognition=== | ===Recognition=== | ||
| The audiobook version was awarded the ] ] for ].<ref>http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs084/1102478472127/archive/1111231035954.html</ref> | The audiobook version was awarded the ] ] for ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs084/1102478472127/archive/1111231035954.html|title=Become A Compelling Audiobook Narrator - Paul Ruben Webinar Oct. 16|website=archive.constantcontact.com}}</ref> | ||
| ==Editions== | ==Editions== | ||
| * ISBN |
* {{ISBN|0-525-94764-7}} (hardcover, 2003) | ||
| * ISBN |
* {{ISBN|0-452-28521-6}} | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| {{Portal| |
{{Portal|United States|Politics}} | ||
| *] | *] | ||
| *] | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| Line 68: | Line 69: | ||
| {{Al Franken}} | {{Al Franken}} | ||
| {{Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album 2000s |state=autocollapse}} | {{Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album 2000s |state=autocollapse}} | ||
| {{Authority control}} | |||
| ] | ] | ||
Latest revision as of 02:52, 23 December 2024
2003 book by Al Franken | |
| Author | Al Franken |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | American politics, American conservatism |
| Genre | Political satire |
| Publisher | Dutton Penguin |
| Publication date | 2003 |
| Media type | Hardcover/paperback |
| ISBN | 9780452285217 |
| OCLC | 884599126 |
| Dewey Decimal | 320.9730207 |
| LC Class | E885 .F728 2003 |
| Preceded by | Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations |
| Followed by | The Truth (With Jokes) |
Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them is a satirical book on American politics by Al Franken, a comedian, political commentator, and politician. It was published in 2003 by Dutton Penguin. Franken had a study group of 14 Harvard graduate students known as "TeamFranken" to help him with the research. The book's subtitle, A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right, is a parody of Fox News' tagline "Fair and Balanced." FNC sued Franken over the use of the phrase in a short-lived and unsuccessful lawsuit, which has been credited with increasing the sales of the book, an example of the Streisand effect.
Lies is one of several books published in 2003 written by American liberals challenging the viewpoints of conservatives such as Bernard Goldberg, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Ann Coulter. These books by Franken and fellow authors such as Joe Conason, Michael Moore and Jim Hightower were described by columnist Molly Ivins as the "great liberal backlash of 2003."
Summary
Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them largely targets prominent Republicans and conservatives, highlighting what Franken asserts are documentable lies in their claims. A significant portion of the book is devoted to comparisons between then-sitting President George W. Bush and former president Bill Clinton regarding their economic, environmental, and military policies. Franken also criticizes several pundits, especially those he believes to be the most dishonest, including O'Reilly, Hannity, and Coulter. The book includes two comics, "The Gospel of Supply Side Jesus", a cartoon by Don Simpson, which parodies the seemingly un-Christian policies of Republicans who frequently invoke Christianity (like the Republican Jesus meme), and "Operation Chickenhawk: Episode One", which features Vietnam veterans (and prominent Democrats) John Kerry and Al Gore leading a group of popular neoconservatives—none of whom actually served in the Vietnam War—into battle, only to get fragged by the cowardly "chickenhawk" neocons.
Publicity
See also: Fox v. FrankenFox News sought damages from Franken, claiming in its lawsuit that the book's subtitle violated its trademark of the slogan "Fair and Balanced". The lawsuit was dismissed, and backfired on Fox News by providing Franken with free publicity just as the book was launched. "The book was originally scheduled to be released Sept. 22 but will be made available Aug. 21," according to its publisher. "We sped up the release because of tremendous demand for the book, generated by recent events."
In the lawsuit, Fox described Franken as "intoxicated or deranged" as well as "shrill and unstable." In response, Franken joked that he had trademarked the word "funny", and that Fox had infringed his intellectual property rights by characterizing him as "unfunny." The publicity resulting from the lawsuit propelled Franken's yet-to-be-released book to #1 on Amazon.com.
On August 22, 2003, U.S. District Judge Denny Chin denied Fox's request for an injunction to block the publication of Franken's book, characterizing the network's claim as "wholly without merit, both factually and legally." During the judge's questioning, spectators in the court's gallery frequently laughed at Fox's case. Franken later joked, "Usually when you say someone was literally laughed out of court, you mean they were figuratively laughed out of court, but Fox was literally laughed out of court." Three days later, Fox filed to dismiss its lawsuit.
Franken describes the legal battle in a paperback-only chapter of Lies entitled "I Win".
Reception
In a largely favorable review of Franken's book in the Washington newspaper The Hill, reviewer Mary Lynn F. Jones wrote: "Franken's tendency to mix fact with fiction left me wondering sometimes what was true and what wasn't." As an example, she cited a passage in Franken's book in which he wrote that former Bush foreign policy advisor Richard Armitage "bolted" from a Senate hearing and " over veteran reporter Helen Thomas, breaking her hip and jaw". The paperback version has a footnote saying, "The Helen Thomas thing is a joke."
Recognition
The audiobook version was awarded the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album.
Editions
- ISBN 0-525-94764-7 (hardcover, 2003)
- ISBN 0-452-28521-6
See also
References
- Hertsgaard, Mark. "Chapter and verse on the need for regime change". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 11, 2008.
- Jansen, Sue Curry; Martin, Brian (2015). "The Streisand effect and censorship backfire". University of Wollongong. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.852.9159.
- Krugman, Paul (2007-02-02). "Missing Molly Ivins". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
- "Lies: And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them - Bookreporter.com".
- Saulny, Susan (2003-08-23). "In Courtroom, Laughter at Fox and a Victory for Al Franken". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2007-10-14. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
- Corman, Mary (2003-08-23). "Franken Speaks Frankly". interview. Stanford Progressive. Archived from the original on 2007-01-09. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
- Jones, Mary Lynn F. (2003-09-09). "Franken's humor overpowered by cynical Look at the Right". The Hill. Archived from the original on 2007-01-07. Retrieved 2007-03-17.
- Franken, page 218
- Franken, page 227 of the paperback
- "Become A Compelling Audiobook Narrator - Paul Ruben Webinar Oct. 16". archive.constantcontact.com.
| Al Franken | |
|---|---|
| Bibliography |
|
| Political career | |
| See also |
|
| People | |
| Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording | |
|---|---|
| 1950s |
|
| 1960s |
|
| 1970s |
|
| 1980s |
|
| 1990s |
|
| 2000s |
|
| 2010s |
|
| 2020s |
|